Aeroplane Mode - Jillette Johnson - PEP - Romanie - Elise Davis

Aeroplane Mode - In A State.

Melbourne dream-pop 4 piece Aeroplane Mode are ready to hit the skies again with their sophomore single and videoclip for 'In A State'. 

Mastered by Joe Carra (Babe Rainbow, San Cisco) the band have been able to create their own take on the dream-pop genre with rich jangle guitars, sweeping synths and honest lyricism. 'In A State' was inspired by the notion of growing up and the acceptance that comes with embracing change. As the band's bassist and songwriter Carlos explains: "The main concept that ‘In A State’ explores is that of a typical boy-meets-girl scenario, and the butterflies associated with a first crush". Exploring different vocal aesthetics and soundscapes, the single leans into a more upbeat tune and borrows the vocals of band's guitarist Brandon. "It is our mission with this single to make clear to our audience that we have two frontpeople in the band." continues Carlos.

Releasing alongside a video clip, the video features a series of the band playing amongst different colour washes, between playful scenes of lead singer Brandon, that embraces the band's aesthetic of nostalgic vaporwave, full of soft and dreamy textures. Recorded at Red Door Studios in Collingwood and produced by Melbourne based creative Nick Bond.

Having only released the one single 'Settle Down', Aeroplane Mode caught the attention of notable industry figures including James Tidswell (Violent Soho) who released the song on his Domestic La La Record Club and Brae Fisher of Dear Seattle who has taken them on for management. Along with this the band have been played on TOPS on Triple J Unearthed and received national radio play on Triple J, as well as being added to Spotify Editorial playlist ‘fuzzy’.

Comprised of members of DIET, alongside the unique talents of frontpeople Sinead and Brandon, Aeroplane Mode is set to woo fans of #1 Dads, Hatchie and Beach House. So, turn your devices to Aeroplane Mode, kick back and enjoy this flight.

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Jillette Johnson - Many Moons.

Jillette Johnson has released a celestial music video for her reflective single “Many Moons.” The track is off her latest album It’s a Beautiful Day and I Love You, which just released on February 12.

“‘Many Moons’ is a coming of age story, and a reflection on all the phases of my life so far,” explains Jillette. “I worked with the super talented Grant Claire to make a video that told the story of where I came from, where I am now, and where I believe I’m headed. I wanted to use lots of color and to make it feel like a spacey fever dream, where all these disparate worlds kind of collide into one.”

It’s a Beautiful Day and I Love You injects Jillette’s intimate, piano-written songs with irreverent lyrics, buoyant pop melodies and a shot of guitar-driven, alt-rock muscle. Produced by Joe Pisapia and written entirely by Jillette, the album has garnered praise from Rolling Stone, NPR Music, Refinery29, No Depression and more.

American Songwriter said "Boasting a series of mesmerizing melodies, [It’s a Beautiful Day and I Love You] begins with the eerie and elusive 'Many Moons' and subsequently negotiates its way through to songs that become even more effusive and expressive.” UNCUT adds, “her latest uses country as a springboard into '60s pop, '70s rock, and Noughties indie...It's an adventurous palette that suits her well.”

In late 2020, Jillette launched her original “Artist Brain” interview series, showcasing intimate acoustic performances and conversations with other artists. Streaming live on her Instagram every other Thursday, previous guests include Jaime Wyatt, Molly Parden, Aaron Lee Tasjan, Elle Varner, Maggie Rose, Katie Pruitt and Lillie Mae. Upcoming episodes will feature Andrew Combs and Grace Weber, with more guests to be announced.

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PEP - Like a Movie / Run.

PEP the NYC-based nostalgic pop group featuring frontwoman Karys Rhea (former drummer of Starlight Girls) is sharing a surprise two-video farewell for singles “Like a Movie” and “Run”, self-released Friday, February 26. This goodbye marks the end of a six-year run for a locally beloved band and celebrates music born out of Brooklyn venues in the 2010s.

“Like a Movie” is a haunt of doo-wop dream sauce, equal parts lovesick and buoyant. It comes with a silky video (dir. Dorian Duvall), shot with Rhea’s actual ex-boyfriend, going through the motions of a contrived love story fantasized and divine. “Run” is a glittering and joyful good time, previously released in 2017 but now with a brand new video, composed of careful quick harmonies, jangly splashes of color, and extremely catchy bass lines.

PEP originally began as the solo project of Starlight Girls drummer Karys Rhea. In the fall of 2011, she started humming doo-wop and Mo-town style melodies while practicing monotonous drum rudiments for hours at a time. These drum parts and vocal melodies became the foundation for PEP’s debut album, … Presenting PEP!, released in 2017.

After years of settling into a tight-knit act, PEP says farewell this year with the release of a new single, “Like A Movie”. Their updated brand of 60s doo-wop (nu-wop…if you will), became a seven-piece live outfit with back-up singers and choreographed moves reminiscent of retro pop girl groups. PEP is celebrating with their goodbye, years of music built out of Brooklyn venues in the 2010s, and a culture unabashedly retro but with a dreaminess that captured the hearts of listeners for a feel-good nostalgia PEP created with their tunes, fits, and fun.

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Romanie - I'm Anything (But Myself Around You).

Melbourne based Romanie unveils her intimate new single  Anything (But Myself Around You). Produced by James Seymour (Feelds, Merpire) at Small Time Group, and mastered by Isaac Barter, the track was written in February 2020 right before Covid changed our lives significantly.

Speaking about the inspiration for  Anything (But Myself Around You), Romanie says, The song is about how everyone wants to show their best selves to social media, at work, even to their close circle of family and friends. We always try our best to be happy but I think sometimes we also just need to be a bit more real and call out if it's not okay. Sometimes we find ourselves in situations where we want to speak out against someone, but we don't really dare to break the peace.
Noting names like Lucy Rose, Julia Stone and Phoebe Bridgers as inspirations, Romanie opens her heart in her songs unveiling melancholic and sometimes personal topics of moving from her home country of Belgium to her new base in Melbourne.

I made the big trip across the ocean to Melbourne in October 2019 to start a new adventure at the other side of the world. Leaving everything behind that felt familiar - insecurity and overthinking were my first few friends I unpacked from my suitcase. I had to start over what I had left behind in Belgium (playing shows regularly, releasing my first EP Feelings, having a good network and friends). Seeing all the creative energy and talent in Melbourne, I soon got a bit overwhelmed and started to worry I would never find my feet in the music industry. This creative energy however, made me want to work hard and practice my craft to grow and figure out where I want to go with my music. I was very lucky to land in a network where I am inspired every day. I think I've never written as many songs as I did in the past year. - Romanie

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Elise Davis - Empty Rooms.

Nashville-based singer/songwriter Elise Davis released a new song “Empty Rooms” from her forthcoming album Anxious. Happy. Chill. out on April 16 via Tone Tree. The song premiered on Apple Music’s Record Bin Radio with Kelly McCartney over the weekend and was featured by The Boot, who called the album "...a 10-song record about falling in love and changing perspectives." Last month, Davis announced the new collection with “Yellow Bed,” following the release of three singles in 2020 (“Ladybug,” “The Grid,” and “Flame Color”).

“I started writing this song right before the pandemic, around February 2020,” explains Davis. It began as a reflection of how I have spent my whole adult life. I began writing songs when I was 12 years old and never looked back. I've played in many empty rooms, coffee shops, hotel lobbies, restaurants, dive bars - I've also played in front of thousands of people in sold out clubs, theaters, music festivals. At the end of the day, regardless of the ups and downs, I know that playing music is what makes me feel whole and how I want to spend my time on this earth.  After writing this the pandemic became in full swing and the reality of playing live music completely changed. It is interesting because now this song has added layers of meaning. Rooms all over the world that are usually full, are now empty rooms.”

Anxious. Happy. Chill. was recorded just days after wrapping her honeymoon in Arizona, where she finished writing the album in the Sonoran Desert outside Tucson. Davis recorded the album with producer Teddy Morgan (Carl Broemel) at his studio in Nashville, TN. With the Covid-19 pandemic already in full swing, Davis and Morgan worked together for a month while maintaining their physical distance, communicating through the glass windows of the studio's isolation booths and playing the majority of the instruments themselves. Drummer Fred Eltringham (Sheryl Crow, The Wallflowers) joined them for a single day to lend the album its unique, percussive pulse.

“Making this album was a unique experience to say the least. Normally, I go in with a band and we all sit around and play through songs. We hang out and have drinks, making it a social and creative experience. This time my producer and I were never in the same room. We wore masks to get to our spots in the studio, then spoke through glass on headphones,” explains Davis. “For 8 years I wrote for publishing companies in Nashville that set me up on scheduled co-writes. Those experiences helped me grow as a writer and I learned a lot. But to write this album almost entirely on my own brought me back to my roots. At the end of the day I prefer writing on my own more than anything, and I got back in touch with that again. I also played guitar on most of this album which I don't usually do. I usually hire guitar players whose skills are better than mine. But, me playing on the recordings makes them feel different. I hear myself in them more. This album is about love, success/failure, dislike of social media, aging, summertime, and most importantly, it's honest. I am so happy to be sharing my third child, Anxious. Happy. Chill., with the world.”

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Charlotte Jacobs - Hannah Scott - Ladderman - Adwaith + Massimo Silverio - Francis Lung - Petey and Miya Folick

Charlotte Jacobs - Other Half.

Charlotte Jacobs is sharing the music video for her new single, "Other Half". Charlotte describes the track as, "I think this song is about being close to another half- which can be another person, but I think also another part of yourself, and I think the images used in the video translates the music really well."

Brooklyn-by-Belgium vocalist Charlotte Jacobs transposes her world into music. Sights, movements, sounds and places coalesce, reflecting the artist’s surroundings in lush electronic unison. Born and raised in her parents’ art gallery in a small village in the Flanders countryside, Jacobs’ dense avant-pop arrangements pull influence from visual art, poetry and contemporary dance, converting one artistic medium into another. After spending several years performing in Belgian electronic trio SEIREN while studying jazz vocals at The Royal Conservatory of Ghent, Jacobs began writing her own material, experimenting with vocal manipulation and unorthodox song structure.

Despite performing with multiple collaborative projects, as well as composing video game and film scores, it wasn’t until Charlotte Jacobs relocated to Brooklyn in 2017 when she began to thoroughly find her voice. It was there she embarked on a new eccentric musical exploration, collaborating with New York’s cohort of producers and artists while delving into the textures, shapes and colors of her own vocals in her Crown Heights bedroom. 2019 saw the release of Jacobs’ debut Fishtale EP, a lurid collection of forward-thinking pop tied together with the help of producer and engineer Zubin Hensler (Half Waif, The Westerlies, Hannah Epperson). Influenced by jazz vocalist Betty Carter, Bjork’s vocal-centered Medulla and Tirzah’s wheezing pop loops, Charlotte Jacobs’ music upends expectations, subverting tradition through playful fusions of style and genre.

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Hannah Scott - Drawn To Darkness.

London-based independent artist Hannah Scott is fast cementing her place as one of the country’s most exciting new songwriters, with her emotive, personal songs and striking voice. Hot on the heels of her recent sync success which saw her song No Gravity open an episode of Grey’s Anatomy, she releases Drawn To Darkness,the fourth and final single from her forthcoming Help Musicians-funded album. 

The song expresses the beauty and depth she finds in sadness. Co-written and produced with long-standing creative partner Stefano Della Casa (Ultra Music Publishing), Drawn To Darkness 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. Further highlights for the pair include 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

Hannah Scott · Drawn To Darkness

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Ladderman - The Huntress Obeyed.

It is pure melancholy that is transformed here into a bittersweet fairy talesque Brothers Grimm style. With 'The Huntress Obeyed' a new indie band from Lucerne enters the music scene: Laddermen.

Singer and guitarist Leopold Oakes hails from Texas, where he played in several indie and hardcore bands which taught him to express emotion through music.
In 2019, Oakes left Texas to redefine the concept of home, as well as his musical work, in Switzerland. Together with musicians from previous projects, they created «Laddermen», a construct of melancholic, dark and haunting rock music.
'The Huntress Obeyed' is a spherical post-punk song about cocaine addiction in Austin, Texas and the darker side of the excessive party scene there.

Laddermen will release their debut album later this year. Their haunting songwriting and deep dramaturgy, for which they draw inspiration from English bands, should splash the indie scene with another palette of color.

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Adwaith + Massimo Silverio - Nijo (Yn y Swn).

This week sees the launch of an international partnership between the National Eisteddfod and the SUNS Europe Festival – the European Festival of Performing Arts in European Minority Languages. The partnership is a celebration of music rising above linguistic borders, with the first project combining Welsh with Friulian, the indigenous language of Friuli, northern Italy.

This first collaboration features Welsh band, Adwaith and Friulian musician, Massimo Silverio, with the song, Yn y Sŵn (Nijo), released on 26 February.
Two versions of the song have been recorded, a Welsh and bilingual version in Welsh and Fruilian, and both Adwaith and Massimo Silverio feature on both versions. The word ‘Nijo’, the title of the bilingual version, is an ancient Friulian word meaning ‘Nowhere’, and when writing the words, Massimo Silverio thought of all the feelings, words and language which ultimately reach ‘Nijo’.

Welcoming the partnership with the SUNS Europe Festival, National Eisteddfod Chief Executive, Betsan Moses, said, “This partnership between the Eisteddfod and the SUNS Europe festival shows how we can successfully collaborate with other countries and cultures across the world.

“I’m confident that the fact that we’re both festivals celebrating minority languages binds us together, and I hope this is a solid foundation for us to further develop this relationship and other projects in the future. We’ve created something quite magical with this first collaboration, and I’m sure everyone will agree that the song – be that the Welsh or bilingual version – is amazing.”

Leo Virgili, SUNS Europe’s Artistic Director, added, “I want to thank the Eisteddfod for this brilliant idea. Collaborating with Wales at this specific time has even more importance for us. We strongly believe in a Europe that goes beyond Brexit, banks, and state agreements. A real Europe able to express proudly its diversity, sharing the power of indigenous languages and cultures.”

Adwaith · Nijo (Yn y Sŵn)

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Francis Lung - Bad Hair Day.

Francis Lung (ex-WU LYF) is announcing his second album, Miracle (out June 18 via Memphis Industries) with this first single, "Bad Hair Day".

This is the second album from Tom McClung – the real name behind the Francis Lung moniker – following his 2019 debut, A Dream Is U, which scored support at the Times, MOJO, Uncut, NPR, Best Fit, Paste Magazine and more. He recorded the new album at the idyllic Giant Wafer studios in rural Wales before self-producing in collaboration with Brendan Williams (Dutch Uncles, Kiran Leonard) and Robin Koob (who co-arranged and performed strings). 

The opportunity to self-produce and maintain that creative control is something that somewhat plays into the album's deeply personal themes which represent a period of introspection for Francis as he reflected on his own struggles with mental health, substance (ab)use and, relationships.

There's something disarming about the breezy, sunny art-rock and power-pop, but underneath that, Miracle is a cathartic process for Lung which finds him tackling these demons in a brutally honest and open manner; the album is intended to celebrate the healing process whilst being aware of and accepting of the darker sides of the human psyche. This first single, "Bad Hair Day" demonstrates Francis' step-up in widescreen, kitchen sink power-pop, a sound not too far from Pet Sounds and Brill Building pop.

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Petey and Miya Folick - Haircut.

The Los Angeles-based artist Petey and Miya Folick released a new single “Haircut” via Terrible Records. The duo co-wrote the song and recorded it together in Miya’s apartment, and also collaborated on an official video for the track in Petey’s backyard featuring Folick shaving her own head.

“Haircut is a very fun song I wrote with my friend Miya about getting an extreme haircut and not wanting to talk about it,” explains Petey. “I hope you like it. it was really fun to make. We recorded it in Miya’s apartment.”

“Petey started this song and showed it to me. I immediately related. Just scroll through my feed to see a history of emotional haircuts. I really love the way it turned out. And it’s one of my mom’s favorite songs that I’ve made!” said Miya Folick about the track.

After signing to the Los Angeles-based Terrible Records (Claud, Empress Of, The Voidz) in late 2019, Petey has released 3 EP’s (Car Practice, High Life From The Bottle on the Beach, and Checkin Up on Buds) as well as 2 singles. Petey and Miya Folick previously collaborated on his single “California - Prius Edition” which appeared on High Life From The Bottle On The Beach. UPROXX said, Petey is a unique creature, combining elements of emo, electronic, and folk music into a sound that is unmistakably Petey.

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Laurr - Danny Golden - The Stars of Disaster - The Catenary Wires

Laurr - Sell My Soul.

Singer songwriter Laurr shares a mystical lyric video visual for latest single release "Sell My Soul."  

"The inspiration behind Sell My Soul came from what people did or would be willing to do for money during quarantine in April. I myself had to work three jobs to keep from feeling insecure in a time of uncertainty. While others decided to take some unsavory paths, which were also very tempting to me. In the end, would those less savory paths be worth "selling your soul" over, and what is the dollar really worth? With the help of my producer/co-writer Corey Lawson, I feel we were able to capture the meaning of the lyrics with a driving bluesy melody and dark tone,” Laurr explains.

The alternative country songstress premiered the lyrical visual on Music Crowns. Laurr’s musical inspirations derive from the wide spectrum of genres her parents would listen to throughout her life. From Sublime, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Amy Winehouse, to Jamey Johnson and Johnny Cash.

Growing up in a small town, Laurr never thought she would be chasing such big dreams. From the big Utah mountains to the hills of Tennessee, she has had quite the journey as a songwriter and artist. Growing up, Laurr always had a huge imagination and would use my fireplace as my stage, and whatever furry creatures were around as an audience. They would not only listen to her made-up songs, but also my interviews with Ellen DeGeneres, and Jay Leno. Although she loved my imaginary stage, in school other kids would get frustrated at her, because it always seemed she was the main character in any school performance. She would say the best part about this journey is getting to reopen that imagination and revive her small-town child star persona as she grows into a musical artist.

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Danny Golden - I Can't Change.

Austin-based musician Danny Golden announced an April 23rd release date for his new EP Changes. The announcement comes with the first single “I Can’t Change” — Under The Radar praised the song’s “inviting melodies and plainspoken lyrical approach” along with its “towering layers of shoegaze guitars and crashing percussion.”

Changes follows Golden’s 2018 full-length Old Love. “It’s been over two years since I last put out new music, and I felt that ‘I Can’t Change’ had to be the song to break the silence,” Golden says. “The period between my last record and now saw me dealing with a lot of changes in my life, and in my approach to making music; I don’t think that’s more evident anywhere than on ‘I Can’t Change.’”

The song starts with a cymbal crash from Jeff Olson (White Denim, Balmorhea) and a wall of electric guitar sound courtesy of guitarist Ben Brown (PR Newman). These players along with Sam Pankey (Balmorhea, Mother Falcon) on bass, Mary Bryce (Smiile) in backing vocals, and Spencer Garland (Black Pumas, Matthew Logan Vasquez) on synth make up the EP’s core backing band. Other collaborators include David Ramirez (who produced the EP song “L.A. County”), and John Michael Landon (who produced “I Can’t Change” and “Alien”).

“I Can’t Change” is at once abrasive and inviting, like a friend pulling up with the aux at full volume. Your senses are a bit overwhelmed, but you know you want to get in, and that you’re bound for a good adventure. “The song is an expressionistic postcard and a story of supplication,” Golden says. “You can agonize all you want about choices in your life, but either way, change is going to happen to you. Taking what’s dealt to you and allowing change within yourself determines your quality of existence. I think we all experience periods of listlessness and malaise, often when we’re seeking answers without knowing the questions. Recording ‘I Can’t Change’ was a chance for me to give lyrical and sonic form to feelings that had been too abstract to understand.”

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The Stars of Disaster - Hey Dorkmeyer.

The Stars of Disaster started playing together in February 2019, in Pittsburgh. They’ve been playing out since May 2019. The songs started coming in 2014, when Anthony Schiappa came home. He’d made a go of it as an airline baggage handler in upstate New York, an academic in NYC, and an exile in Scandinavia. Back in his Steubenville, OH, basement, trying to stave off the terrors of clock-punching and memory. That’s when he rediscovered his childhood love of making loud music.

He started recording the songs in Pittsburgh, with friends old and new. They were done guerrilla style: in friends’ apartments, in Anthony’s sister’s house, in clubs during off-hours, anywhere. Eventually, they had a record: Love Won’t Save You.

To come alive onstage, the record needed a band. And it has one: Kate Daly (the hi-frequencies) on bass, David Brockschmidt (Benefits) on drums, and Chicago native Jesus Geoffrey Martinez (Burning Luck) on lead guitar.

Anthony’s main influences are Guided by Voices, early R.E.M., and early Ween. Amid these touchstones, you will hear Anthony’s own style. It’s a blend of claustrophobic themes and non-stop get-down that Kate calls “composed mania.” Mike Baltzer of Benefits calls the aesthetic “Rust-Belt garage psych.” Joe Tarowksy from Action Camp says “It’s like Teenage Fanclub came from the Ohio Valley.

The Stars of Disaster · Hey Dorkmeyer

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The Catenary Wires - Mirrorball.

There are times where you end up working with a band which had a huge impact on your youth and helped shaped your tastes over the decades, and while The Catenary Wires only started in 2014. The main two people behind the band Rob Pursey and Amelia Fletcher have made music as Heavenly, Marine Research, Tender Trap, and more providing  a blueprint for the indie-pop scene over the last thirty years. This new Catenary Wires "Mirrorball" is set to be a classic and essential listening like the rest of their catalog. Both Rob & Amelia are available for interviews, guest editor features, mixtapes, you name it. Being in the UK under lock down they have time to make your interview or feature dreams a reality. Just let me know. I also have a few copies of the vinyl single promo copy wise that will be able to ship in mid-March, but it will be first dibs kinda set up.  Hope you enjoy this new single as much as I do.

The Catenary Wires formed in 2014, initially as a duo. Amelia Fletcher and Rob Pursey had previously been in Talulah Gosh, Heavenly, Marine Research and Tender Trap. The first Catenary Wires album "Red Red Skies" (Elefant/Matinée Recordings, 2015) was a marked departure from the fuzzy sixties-inspired girl-group pop of their earlier bands. It was more acoustic, emotive and melancholy.

The band have just completed their third album, to be released in June 2021. The first single "Mirrorball" is a love song inspired by eighties discos. It will be released on Shelflife (US) and their own new label, Skep Wax (UK and rest of world).

The band’s name refers to the chain of curves made by the overhead cables seen suspended from pylons or above electric trains, cables that can seem to lead you off to somewhere different and unknown. Mirrorball takes two lonely single people, and takes them for a night out in an 80s disco. Surrounded by divorcees and middle-aged drunks, will they be too shy to talk, or will they find some love action? Is this going to be heaven or hell?

This is definitely the most positive and the most romantic duet The Catenary Wires have ever released. With delicate – and not so delicate – musical tributes to the 80s, Mirrorball starts off skeptical, but ends up falling in love with the music of a decade that was pure, unsubtle, tasteless and synthetic. The 80s disco turns out to be heavenly!

Rob and Amelia (ex Talulah Gosh, Heavenly) started The Catenary Wires as a duo, but they’re a full band now - and this record really feels the benefit of inspired contributions from Fay Hallam (keyboard), Ian Button (drums) and Andy Lewis (bass).

The Catenary Wires write songs for grown-up indie kids. They don’t pretend to be 23 any more, but they do remember what it felt like. The song is a combination of joy and regret, innocence and experience. MIRRORBALL is the first single from upcoming album Birling Gap.

SKEP WAX · Mirrorball

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Wy - The Storm Petrels - The Phoenix Foundation

Photo - Lamia Karic

Wy - Dream House.

Wy are a band strongest at their most vulnerable. The Malmö indie duo, Ebba and Michel Gustafsson Ågren, have showcased their musical skills across two albums, 2017’s Okay and 2019’s Softie which gained them recognition from KEXP, Line of Best Fit, NBHAP, Tonspion, CLASH and more as well as tours in Germany, Scandinavia and the UK. But what makes them stand out as a band is the raw, brutal emotion they capture in their music.

A Wy song at their best sounds like opening it all up, and letting the feelings flow where they will, letting the pain, anger, fear, hope and love steer the song. Those emotions are spun into the band’s skyscaping, cinematic sound, and turned into music that has a force behind it, a power that hits you, even when it's at its softest. And that power that illuminates the band’s songs is more present than ever on their new album Marriage which is out on May 7th, Dream House is the first single.

Marriage is the first record since signing to Rama Lama Records (Melby, Steve Buscemi's Dreamy Eyes, Chez Ali etc.) and the  sound of Wy moving forward and backwards at once. Leaving the more produced style of last album Softie behind, it turns to the simpler sound of their earlier work for music that’s rawer and sharper. On both the indie-rock and the pop songs of this album, there’s less between the listener and the heart of the song - this is music that’s very direct, both in theme and sound, with melodies that hit cleanly and leave nothing even trying to hide. It’s the work of a band that have grown into themselves and what they do, and making the strongest songs of their career.

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The Storm Petrels - Seasons (E.P).

The Storm Petrels are a four piece indie pop band who came together in 2020 to bring some joy to these dark days.   

The brainchild of songwriter and producer Pip Dusalle, they herald from both sides of the Atlantic and bring influences from as far afield as Belly, the Breeders, and Abba! The band have just released their first EP - Seasons - with a song for each season.  

It begins with the upbeat optimism of Spring, moving on to the jangly guitars and catchy melodies of Summer, then the sweet lyrical nostalgia of Autumn.  

The EP finishes with Winter - an intense ballad about love, loss and loyalty. Their music comes from the heart with the aim of lifting and inspiring during these challenging days.

The band contacted us directly and I have to say this really is a superb collection of songs. I'm all for upbeat, positive and heartfelt music, The Storm Petrels are all of that, along with being original and notably creative.

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Photo - Ebony Lamb

The Phoenix Foundation - Beside Yourself (with Fazerdaze).

New Zealand sextet, The Phoenix Foundation have shared "Beside Yourself" featuring fellow NZ talent, Fazerdaze (out via Memphis Industries).

The band returned late last year with their sixth album, Friend Ship, which secured some positie reviews at MOJO, Uncut, PopMatters, American Songwriter, KEXP and more – it featured some neat collabs with Tiny Ruins, Nadia Reid, Anita Clark and the NZ Symphony Orchestra becoming something of a celebration of the NZ music scene, really hammering home the sense of community that exists. 

This new single acts as a continuation from that release, enlisting another NZ talent in the form of Fazerdaze (who released her Pitchfork-tipped debut album, Morningside in 2017). Adding somewhat to this NZ feel of the recent record, the band have collaborated at length with Taika Waititi previously, scoring the acclaimed soundtrack for Hunt For The Wilderpeople as well as providing tracks for Boy, Eagle versus Shark and What We Do In the Shadows – in October, the band were in conversation with Jemaine Clement of Flight of the Conchords fame.

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Chris Pellnat - Mister K - Bobby Parent

Chris Pellnat - Crossing (Album).

Chris Pellnat is a songwriter from Hudson, NY, USA. In addition to solo work and collaborations, he also plays electric guitar in the band, The Warp/The Weft.

His new album released a few days ago is called 'Crossing'. Chris explains why that's the album title.

"Why Crossing”?

Crossing the line

Crossing over

Crossing the rubicon

Crossing the divide...

"You get the idea: This album is about moving on to something new and unexpected - musically, spiritually and as part of the natural arc of life. But it’s not a dreary lecture - it playfully upends indie norms in a distinctive way, with lots of dulcimer, vibraphone and guitars."

Chris and the band The Warp/The Weft have been featured here a number of times in the past. I never tire of hearing new music from either party, the freshness, creativity and warmth is always notable. Although these day's I rarely comment on new material (it's a given that I like it - see the comments on the top of the sidebar), I'm happy to make Chris Pellnat and the new album an exception.

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Mister K - Tamarak.

Lorette West, MB's folk-pop musician Kevin Roy Kratsch — known professionally as the cosmic Canadian balladeer that is Mister K — has just released his debut album, In Event of Moon Disaster, and single “Tamarack” — available now!

To celebrate, Mister K has recorded a live, acoustic rendition of the song from the comfort of his own backyard in the region of Lorette West. The powerful performance of “Tamarack” features the aspiring musician’s wife Avery on backup vocals and guitar — and their adorable bulldog Luna, for emotional support.

Mister K points out that one of the sonic “easter eggs” found in the new album comes from his little canine companion; every time the word “moon” is sung on In Event of Moon Disaster, Luna rings a bell.

“If you listen hard enough,” he adds.

Overall, In Event of Moon Disaster is described as a musical journey through highs and lows, or “a pendulum swung through the hardship of darker days” (like the song), according to Mister K. Inspired by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it’s ultimately about overcoming adversity, emerging from the darkness and finding the light at the end of the tunnel; or even some sense of hope.

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Bobby Parent - Dogs.

“I saw an angel in the marble and I carved till I set him free” – a Michelangelo quote that would be etched in my mind as I started on my new journey in sobriety. A journey that, at first, would reveal the painful truth about myself and then reveal the genuine beauty and generosity of others. Finally with all my desperation and vulnerability revealed and all my substantial failures confessed, I could be free. Free to have others lead me, free to have others teach me, free to start over.

The album, Real Love, is in part about that spiritual journey and in part about the rediscovery of music and art. I wrote these songs to help me heal and to help me grow. “Emotionally insecure, wrought with fear, anger and self-doubt…all of it, buried under an ego designed to deceive and manipulate the truth of who I was to others and to myself” – this is the harsh and critical self-analysis where the story of Real Love begins.

Addiction and alcoholism defined almost my entire adult life. They were the tools I would use to self-medicate from a disease I didn’t know existed, or at least one that I couldn’t dare admit to having. A disease that eventually, would destroy, from the outside in, everything I ever knew or cared about. My family, my friends, my career, until it had nothing else to destroy but me. By the end of the chaos, with everything and everyone that was ever important to me, injured and gone, I was left with one critical question. How do I move on from here?

The answer was one step at a time with the encouragement and generosity of friends. The potential that my story could perhaps help others, as others had helped me, fuelled me as I embarked on this recording project to tell my story. Not a story about rags to riches or infamy to greatness but just one of hope. For all those that have or still wander the depths of chaos and despair, the self-destructive calamity that is addiction, as I have, there is a way out of that darkness, there is light, there is hope. There is that angel in all of us. This is my story of Real Love.

Willow Sound Records · DOGS

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Sarah McQuaid - Joce Reyome - The Gracious Losers - Crocodyle

Sarah McQuaid - Charlie’s Gone Home.

For the second and third singles of her new album and video series The St Buryan Sessions, Cornwall-based singer-songwriter Sarah McQuaid delves deep into her back catalog to resurrect “Charlie’s Gone Home”, the first original song she ever recorded as a solo artist, then jumps forward again with “The Day Of Wrath, That Day”, a powerful instrumental composition for electric guitar.

Originally recorded on her 1997 debut album When Two Lovers Meet, “Charlie’s Gone Home” wasn’t a brand new song even then, Sarah recalls. “I’d actually written it back when I was still living in Philadelphia, so it would have been the late 1980s or early 90s. I can remember very clearly the day I wrote it – back in those days I was still thinking of myself not as a songwriter but as a folksinger who happened to write an occasional song when inspiration struck, so to speak.

“I remember reading an interview with some poet whose name I can’t remember, where she said that when she felt a new poem starting to arrive it was like an oncoming train, and she had to rush to her desk to be there ready with pen and paper when the train pulled in to the station.

“Well, this song hit me exactly like an oncoming train, only one that was barrelling along at full steam with whistles blaring. It really knocked me for six, and I remember just sitting on the sofa crying and trying to wipe the tears off my guitar so they didn’t mark the finish – not because it was a sad song but just from the overwhelming emotional impact of writing it.

“It’s been kind of a special song for me ever since, and a lot of people have told me it’s a special song for them, too – at least two different people said ‘Well, I hope “Charlie’s Gone Home” is going to be on it’ as soon as I told them about the project.”

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Joce Reyome - Cross My Heart.

From Joce: Allow my new single "Cross My Heart" to transport you to summertime. This will be one to listen to at max volume, driving in the car on a comfy summer night.

When I was first starting to write my own music, it was very tame and folky, just me and an acoustic guitar. I really wanted to explore other genres, and started listening to some Otis Redding, Janis Joplin, Earl Hooker to feel that sound that comes from an old soul. And all of a sudden, this straight blues idea came to mind, and I said "Damn! I gotta get on this!"

It was a fantastic experience working with Erin Costelo and Colin Buchanan (Paper Lions) on this song. In my day-to-day life I am very easy-going, almost to a fault. When it came time to say "yes" or "no" or "I don't like that" during recording, I struggled a bit. But I learned very quickly that only I know what I want it to sound like, and nobody is going to know if I don’t tell them!

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The Gracious Losers - Loath To Leave.

Glasgow-based Folk outfit The Gracious Losers have done the near-impossible, cutting a full record with a 15-piece band. As one-man acoustic shows and sparse live sets dominate the musical landscape, Gracious Losers, headed by songwriter and guitarist Jonathan Lilley, have succeeded in draping listeners in a full-bodied orchestral experience on their new album “Six Road Ends,” while leaving ample room for vulnerable stripped-down moments and opportunities to get down.

The Gracious Losers are a 9-piece supergroup, featuring members of Sister John, Thrum, God Help the Girl, The Parsonage, Sporting Hero and the Berie Big Band, The Gracious Losers draw on their shared and disparate musical influences including celtic folk, 70s psychedelia, and outlaw country. The album title, 'Six Road Ends' refers to an arcane place in Northern Ireland, where six rural roads haphazardly converged at one perilous junction. The crossing no longer exists, and thus has assumed a mythical quality despite once being very real - a place of stuckness, hesitation, and risk. Lilley’s intricate songwriting reflects these themes, feeling at times planted in an intersection and at others moving lightspeed toward uncertainty.

The lead single “Loath to Leave,'' premiering on Here Comes the Flood, follows the throughline of impermanence with a lightly plodding funk groove, unexpectedly melancholy lyrics, and decaying organ frills alluding to a peaceful evaporation. Wailing slide guitar propels listeners along as the track evolves through what feels like time and space. The track’s video underscores the detachment from spacetime, as Lilley and vocalist Amanda McKeown fluctuate freely between chairs in a “perpetual state of magic” before disappearing altogether. The duo can be seen in a state of waiting in a liminal living-room, passing the time by checking watches or kicking the ground, before resolving the tension created by transitional moments with a sense of relief.

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Crocodyle - Passenger Seat.

With precision, drive, and wit, three-piece garage rock band, Crocodyle, has a unique ability to articulate the otherwise inexplicable.

Coming off the release of their last single, “I Feel Good,” which set the internet positively abuzz last summer, Crocodyle is dropping their newest track, “Passenger Seat,” along with its accompanying video. “This song is a direct address to all your special someones,” shares Crocodyle.

“Whoever makes you feel like the coolest version of yourself, whoever is the easiest to laugh with, whoever feels best by your side. It’s nice to have somebody who you know you can run to when nobody else makes sense, and ‘Passenger Seat’ is a rocker dedicated to whoever that is for you.”

The video for “Passenger seat” was filmed in and around residential Nashville under the artistic guidance of Seth Endelman. Endelman is a Nashville-based videographer, producer, multi-instrumentalist, and label owner.

“Passenger Seat” is the latest single from Crocodyle’s forthcoming EP, Sharing a Twin Bed, which is set for release in April. Sharing a Twin Bed was produced by Lincoln Parish, the former lead guitarist for Cage the Elephant. Parish left Cage the Elephant in 2013 to follow his passion for producing.

“Crocodyle hits every note that defines punk rock for me,” says Parish. “Their music is young, energetic and fun whilst still maintaining pop sensibilities of artists well beyond their years, I’m excited to see what’s next for these dudes!”

Crocodyle has played in cities all over the US and toured the UK, making a stop in Ireland. Spotted at a small club in Dublin, they were invited to do two sets at Ireland's "Coachella," Electric Picnic, headlined by Kendrick Lamar and The Prodigy.

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Frøkedal & Familien - Whiskey Fixx - Ashley Monroe - Portable Radio - Clara Jones - Carley Arrowood

Frøkedal & Familien - SØN.

Norway’s Anne Lise Frøkedal announces her third album ‘Flora’ and shares first single, the expansive sun-kissed indie-folk of SØN.

Previously known as simply Frøkedal, the new extended name Frøkedal & Family pays homage to the communal groove of the new album ‘Flora’ which was very much a collective affair. Anne Lise Frøkedal describes it as a record of “nature and awakening,” one that explores the human race’s inherent restlessness and ability to find connections, and through the alchemy of  the album’s creation - with Anne Lise and her band playing for 10 days straight in the studio – the connection she desired was met with amazing results.  An album full of songs created through the shared  passion of playing together – an experience that was magical, organic, and intuitive with human connectivity at its very core. As Anne Lise explains “’Flora’ does not worry about being heartfelt and unfiltered. ‘Flora’ let loneliness and fear, hope and nature grow wild. It is the dream of the connection we all long for.”

Though originally from a small misty village on the west coast of Norway, Anne Lise’s musical background is one of well-crafted indie, she is part of the collective I Was A King and was previously in Harrys Gym. That full-bodied band sound sits alongside deep-rooted folk in ‘Flora’ creating a sonic experience of folk-pop with skyward eyes and insatiable grooves.

The first single SØN nods to Anne Lise indie heritage with its chiming guitar, described by Anne Lise as “a pop-protest” and a song that “turns its back on the light and conventions in pursuit of a new truth.”

Frøkedal has previously released two albums ‘Hold On Dreamer’ (2016) and ‘How We Made It’ (2018)  via Propeller Recordings to much critical acclaim across Europe and America, securing fans in the likes of New York Times and Pitchfork.  In the UK Frøkedal’s accolades include being  named ‘One to Watch’ by the Independent and ‘Breaking Act’ by Sunday Times Culture, with glowing coverage across Uncut, The Line of Best Fit , DIY and CLASH - among many others. At radio Frøkedal has had  huge support at BBC 6 Music  with fans in Mark Riley and Lauren Laverne (Recommends).

‘Flora’ was written by Anne Lise Frøkedal but fully brought to life by Anne Lise and ‘the Family’– Olav Christer Rossebø, Ingeleiv Berstad, Erlend Ringseth, Elisabeth Mørland Nesset and Olaf Olsen. It was produced by Anne Lise Frøkedal and co-produced by Bård Ingebrigtsen who also  recorded and mixed the record at Amper Tone. It was mastered by George Tanderø.

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Whiskey Fixx - Broken.

Detroit Country Rock trio, Whiskey Fixx, have released their fourth single "Broken" premiering yesterday on ProCountryMusic.com, now available on all digital download and streaming platforms. Since the band’s first release in 2018, they have been nominated for Best New Song, Best Country Vocalist, Outstanding Country Artist Group, and Outstanding Country Band at the Detroit Music Awards.

Whiskey Fixx deftly incorporates every aspect of country gold, including a catchy melody, relatable lyrics, and more than a hint of melancholy into their latest single, “Broken.” Though upbeat, the single tackles some rather serious subject matter. The newly released ballad is an antidote for broken hearts stumbling through recovery. The song is a powerful anthem of the struggle to mend one’s heart after it is shattered, regardless of the sentiments about healing that are seldom solicited.

Rather than relying on typical country hallmarks, such as Silverados and star-filled skies, Whiskey Fixx successfully focuses on broken glass, bones, and hearts without utilizing the genre’s typical flair. Lead singer Heather Nicole’s velvet-soft voice is accentuated by strumming acoustic guitars and a decidedly unique set of lyrics.

Like any great, sad country song, Whiskey Fixx’s latest release can accompany a whiskey and Coke, a long drive out of town, or a night staring at the ceiling and questioning the what-if’s that led to the present moment of uncertainty. With mellow banjo, rock-infused guitar, and pitch-perfect harmonies, there's something for every taste. The message conveyed by the lyrics is one that listeners of all walks of life will find relatable.

Lead singer, Heather Nicole, says, "When I was writing this song, I was in a lot of pain. It seemed as if it was the situation I was dealing with was hopeless and broken. I feel that this song really has the potential to hit people. Everyone has heartache for some reason or another. We often hear people say their experiences made them better, but I don't know if people ever wonder why. I think this song digs deeper and makes you take a look at yourself and see the changes."

Whiskey Fixx · Broken

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Ashley Monroe - Drive.

The GRAMMY-nominated Nashville star Ashley Monroe announces her fifth studio album Rosegold which will be released on April 30 via Mountainrose Sparrow/Thirty Tigers. Today, Monroe released the video for the album’s first single "Drive," which was co-written with Niko Moon and Mikey Reaves, who co-produced the song with Monroe.

"I had this chorus and idea when I went in to write with Mikey Reaves and Niko Moon on September 10 (my birthday)," explains Monroe. "I told them my dad/other angels always send special songs on my birthday. It didn’t take long into the session until we knew we were on to a special one. I always imagine me singing this while driving on a desert highway."

Written and recorded over the past two years, the record finds Monroe pushing her sound in bold new directions, layering lush vocal harmonies atop dreamy, synthesized soundscapes and sensual, intoxicating beats. Rather than make demos of songs that appear on Rosegold, Monroe tracked and co-produced the album a-song-at-a-time, bringing ideas into writing sessions and inviting her collaborators — Nathan Chapman (Taylor Swift, Lady A), Mikey Reaves (Maren Morris, Needtobreathe), Jake Mitchell (Ashley McBryde, Luke Bryan), Jordan Reynolds (Maddie & Tae, Dan + Shay), Ben West (Maddie & Tae, Lady A), and longtime producer/co-writer Tyler Cain (who co-wrote "Has Anybody Ever Told You" with Ashley) — to help build and produce full tracks in the studio.

"Every move we made was instinctive," says Monroe, "but it was also intentional. I found myself wanting to see how drastic the change from a verse to a chorus could be, or looking for places where the beat could drop out and then give you chills when it comes back in."

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Portable Radio - Hot Toddy.

Heady power pop trio Portable Radio announce the release of their debut eponymous LP on March 12th 2021 on Crimson Crow Records. Lead track and first single Hot Toddy, out now, introduces the album with its ethereal brooding pop arrangement...

Hot Toddy is the first single from and first song on Portable Radio’s eponymous debut album. It is a statement of intent for the band, a power pop love song about wanting hope and happiness, which in these crazy times who wouldn’t want to fantasise about? The band wear their influences on their sleeves; Toddy being a reference to Todd Rundgren, whose penchant for melodic hooks and luscious multi-tracked harmonies are present throughout.

The trio - Phil Anderson, Mof Gimmers & Robyn Gibson, released the debut Portable Radio EP (produced by Jim Noir) in 2020 loaded with killer hooks, washes of dreamy harmonies, and just a shrinking of cynicism because no-one is impervious to the all encompassing weirdness of the last couple of years.

Beginning as a duo, Phil had cut his teeth in the Beep Seals and MOf was a DJ and student of pop; the two created a clutch of songs that were filled with uplifting, rich harmonies - stirring power pop inspired by Todd Rundgren, Wings, Carole King, Electric Light Orchestra and, of course, The Beach Boys.

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Clara Jones - Ordinary Person.

Clara Jones is a mainstay of the Montreal music scene, having played everything from JazzFest to Osheaga with the indy-trio, Motel Raphael. After nearly a decade of work, including two studio albums and two North American tours with the band, for the first time, Clara Jones is breaking out as a solo artist, with her single Ordinary Person, a deep and emotional examination of the human experience.

Clara Jones’s music asks honest questions about what it means to live in a world in transition. It taps into social anxieties and reckons with the fact that ordinary people are just along for the ride.

Clara Jones provides a space for everybody. Her country-folk background inspires deeper dives into her music’s subject matter, with a focus on lyrical depth. But, most importantly, her songs are fun and energetic.

Clara Jones · Ordinary Person

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Carley Arrowood - Ducks on the Millpond.

One of the most distinctive features of bluegrass is the way that an artist’s vocal prowess is frequently paired with instrumental virtuosity. Carley Arrowood fits comfortably in that mold, for while she’s a compelling singer, she’s also a powerful fiddle player who’s studied generations of bluegrass stylists and forged those influences into a style that’s all her own.

For her first Mountain Home Music Company single of 2021, Arrowood is offering her distinctive take on an enduring classic, “Ducks On The Millpond.” Though it shares its name with an old-time tune, this “Ducks” traces its lineage back to a 1975 recording by Kenny Baker, Bill Monroe’s longest-tenured fiddler and a member of the Bluegrass Hall of Fame. Even so, Arrowood’s version comes from a more recent example.

“I’ve been playing this tune since I was 15 years old,” she says. “Just a green bluegrass fiddler taking lessons with Bryan McDowell. He had my mom order all these albums by different fiddlers for me to listen to and study their different styles, and one of them was Aubrey Haynie’s Bluegrass Fiddle Album — still one of my favorite fiddle albums ever. ‘Ducks on the Millpond’ instantly became a favorite, and I remember trying to learn exactly what Aubrey did. When we recorded it, we made it our own by creating an arrangement of multiple split breaks, and I couldn’t be more excited about it! It’s so much fun, and I hope y’all enjoy our take on this great tune!”

With a stellar group that includes musical partner Daniel Thrailkill on guitar, five-time IBMA Banjo Player of the Year, Kristin Scott Benson, mandolinist Wayne Benson and bass player Paul Watson, Arrowood attacks the tune with a strong bow arm and vibrant tone in classic fiddle-and-banjo style before giving way to an intricate succession of handoffs from one player to the next. The result is a neatly kaleidoscopic unfolding that brings a uniquely elegant energy to one of the most popular tunes in the bluegrass fiddle repertoire. Coming on the heels of Arrowood’s first hit song, “Ducks On The Millpond” is a refreshing reminder that she’s not just a fine singer, but an instrumental force to be reckoned with, too.

Syntax Creative · Carley Arrowood - "Ducks on the Millpond"

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Sara Bug - I Ya Toyah - Big Little Lions - The Pink Stones - Megan Wyler - Tara Vern

Sara Bug - Die With You.

Nashville songwriter Sara Bug (the name is an old family nickname due to her diminutive stature) describes herself this way, with her usual wry humor: World's finest southern-kitsch artist. born in Mississippi, raised in Louisiana, stuck in Nashville. Her songs balance that humor with deep feeling, which lets them hit hard and stay light at the same time. Add in her distinctive and fantastic vocals (occasionally sounding quite a bit like Dolly Parton, as on country standout "Back in Nashville") and you have a terrific new artist to watch. Her second single is  "Die With You" .

The ten songs on Sara Bug’s forthcoming self-titled debut album were not meant to be shared. A culmination of seven years of her life, these songs were journal entries that reckoned with defining herself. Growing up in New Orleans, Bug imagined herself to be a successful songwriter. “I was so deep in the music. ‘Oh, I'm going to be a famous musician. When I get out of high school, that's what I'm going to do. I'm going to go have a career in music,’” she explains. “I think I held on to that for so long, I had finally kind of let go, like that pressure. Now it was just fun.” This eponymous project embodies Bug’s journey away from the expectations of others and her younger self, allowing her creative freedom.

Sara Bug opens with a lush, symphonic ballad about desire. “My whole life through, I want to die with you,” she sings tenderly on “Die With You.” Romantic and a bit morbid, Bug opens with the oldest song on the album and takes us to that time when the urgency of her happiness began pushing against the pressure of others’ approval. It's easy to get lost in the dreamy guitar strums and sturdy bass lines, Bug’s voice sharp and clear against the country-psych rock combination. A close listen reveals that Bug is letting the listener into the most poignant moments of the past years with sincerity and ease. She takes us on reflective motorcycle rides, whether literal or desired, for “Rosebank” and “Ride On Sundys.” She details the loss of a family member and a trip back home from her then-residence in New York on “Lotta Pride.” Inspired by the detailed storytelling of Dolly Parton and Neil Young, Bug leads across state lines and along her timeline of personal growth with unconventional, vivid song structures.

After moving to Nashville in 2013, the pressure of perfecting a craft in a notoriously famous city for honing musical skills only added mountains of stress. “I thought, ‘Oh, this is going to be awesome. I'm going to be around other musicians all the time, it's going to be inspiring and force me to work harder on my music.’ It kind of had the opposite effect for me unexpectedly,” she admits.  “It feels hard sometimes to do your craft and your thing in a real way without feeling super judged or feeling if you're not at a certain level your art doesn't matter. And honestly, that's part of the reason I kind of grew apart from the idea of even making music at all. I didn't like the pressure in Nashville that I felt when I first moved there.”

As the album comes to a close we’re left with an ending and a new beginning. “Lift this weight off my shoulder, stop believing that my beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder,” she sings on “The Beholder.” Here, we’re witness to Bug accepting and working through insecurity. But the closer “Back In Nashville” mocks the pressure that led Sara Bug to initially question her musical chops. “I told myself, I wanted to write a cheesy country song about not wanting to be in like the most country city in the United States,” she laughs. Sara Bug captures a weird, but integral period of growth for the pensive musician. Her debut defines a period of questioning that Bug conquered in order to realize that music is exactly what she should be doing. That letting go can be a new kind of permission. - Margaret Farrell.

EggHunt Records · Die With You

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I Ya Toyah - Out of Order.

I Ya Toyah has released her latest single, Out of Order.’ The track, written, produced, and performed by I Ya Toyah and produced, mixed and mastered by Nick Palazzo, is available on all streaming platforms on February 12th. The music video for the first single, was filmed by Joel Lopez of Lumbra Productions.

‘Out of Order is the first of 5 singles of her sophomore EP, titled the same name. The EP is set to release on March 26th exclusively on bandcamp, June 18th on all streaming services, and is available for pre-order on bandcamp. Everyone who pre-orders instantly gets the streaming and download access to Out of Order the single, as well as another single in February.

This latest single features I Ya Toyah's powerful, sensual vocals, expressive lyrics, melodic guitars, aggressive synths and deep, resonating drum beats, which all come together to paint a vision of disturbia and a dystopian reality full of chaos, pain, and hope.

“I couldn't hold back, I gave it all. All my pandemic moods processed through my brain and ended up here to explode, both sonically and visually. I wrote it feeling these emotions and being unable to share them as we all used to- through the togetherness, a hug, and live music experience, says I Ya Toyah of her latest single. In the future, the pandemic will be over, but the need for this connection will remain. I hope this song will be a reminder of how we survived this dark time, and how fragile yet strong we all are- even when we are out of order.

I Ya Toyah is currently awaiting new tour dates confirmations with Stabbing Westward and her Northwest US and Canadian tour, as they got postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic spread.

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Big Little Lions - Enough.

Big Little Lions have been described as ‘a blissful marriage of new folk and sophisticated pop’. Prolific songwriting, infectious folk-pop style, and an offbeat, memorable live show. This award winning duo consists of Helen Austin and Paul Otten who, despite living thousands of miles apart, have found a way to connect and create music together. 

Despite being in two different countries, they have found common ground to share their message. Call it destiny, or call it fate, call it a necessary progression for these modern times. Helen lives in British Columbia, Canada and Paul lives in Cincinnati, OH. 

But the distance provides the necessity to create in a new way. Using technology as their ally and their differences as their strength. Their monthy single releases are their way of getting through this pandemic while all the usual album cyle release plans don’t make sense anymore. Their music is jam-packed with emotion and tight harmonies, the sound of two people working side-by-side.

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The Pink Stones - Shiny Bone.

The Pink Stones will release their debut album Introducing...The Pink Stones on April 9th via the New West Records imprint Normaltown Records. The 10-song set was produced by Henry Barbe (Drive-By Truckers, Deerhunter) and was recorded at Chase Park Transduction and the Barn in Athens, GA. Mixing elements of classic cosmic country, raucous rock’n’roll & indie rock, and fresh humor & heartaches, The Pink Stones are authoring a new chapter in the annals of Cosmic American Music and are within a new wave of young artists from the same college town that gave the world R.E.M., The B-52’s, Drive-By Truckers, Pylon, The Elephant 6 Recording Company, Widespread Panic, Vic Chesnutt, The Whigs, and more.

Frontman Hunter Pinkston explains that the track is “a metaphorical ballad” saying, “I wrote it in my first apartment in Athens. I was living alone and feeling pretty lonely—that ‘not a lot of friends in a new town’ sorta feeling that comes from moving away from home and losing people in the transition...It’s about ‘killing’ those feelings and memories that make you feel alone or lonely, while still being able to dig them back up when need be.”

Under The Radar previously premiered the video for the first single, “Blueberry Dream," saying the band "...conjures an other-worldly mix of country, indie, and barn-storming rock on their upcoming debut...The Pink Stones already are a fresh, left-of-field addition to the world of cosmic country." Naming the song one of the best of the week upon its release, Rolling Stone Country said “Athens, Georgia band The Pink Stones mine their town’s grand tradition of Southern jangle along with the swirl of cosmic country on 'Blueberry Dream,' from their upcoming debut Introducing… the Pink Stones. But rather than merely imitating those styles, the group injects them with something fresh and youthful, giving 'Blueberry Dream' a breezy, slacker-rock feel that hits like a ray of candy-coated sunshine."

Especially notable on Introducing...The Pink Stones is the band’s ability to intertwine joy, heartache and self-deprecating humor in songs. It’s a classic hat trick of country music that is all too easy to overplay and seem forced by modern Americana aspirants, but one which the band crafts perfectly. The end result is a fresh and exciting debut album from a great band.

While their average age is only 25, the band also features the music veteran John Neff, one of the founding members of the Drive-By Truckers, bringing his experience and sense of legacy to the group. The Pink Stones are Hunter Pinkston (Vocals, Guitar), Will Anderson (Piano, Vocals), Adam Wayton (Bass), Logan Brammer (Guitar, Vocals), John Neff (Pedal Steel), Jack Colclough (Drums).

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Megan Wyler - The Calling.

We have a haunting new single from singer/songwriter Megan Wyler. Her first in seven years, the song is featured as the title music for Amazon Video’s new series Tell Me Your Secrets which is premiering on Friday. It starts off slow, ultimately building to a climactic crescendo that is so so satisfying.

A California native, Wyler released her 2013 debut Through The Noise while living in London. The album was praised by the likes of Nowness, Songwriting Magazine, Indie Shuffle who described her sound as “incredibly moving and luscious,” and Clash Magazine who called her music “subtle, delicate and very beautiful.” 

For “The Calling” Wyler reunited with Through The Noise producer Adem Ilhan (Fridge, Silver Columns) as well as Grammy Award-winning mixer Mark Rankin (Adele, Florence + The Machine, Harry Styles), and multi-award-winning composer/producer Peter Raeburn (Under the Skin, Sexy Beast) who co-wrote the song.The song also features Alex Thomas on drums (Air, Anna Calvi, John Cale), and Matt Sweeney on guitar (Johnny Cash, Bonnie Prince Billy, Catpower). You can find more info in the press release below.

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Tara Vern - Bubble Girl.

Tara was the singer/guitarist in early noughties Sydney band Guddling. After spending several years in the wilderness honing her hunting skills and dabbling in electronic music as Noot Records, she has returned to the thing she loves best.

She tells us "Lockdown hasn't been all bad - I've had a chance to crank out another rollicking tune and have a second album on the way! (I am trapped in Lisbon for the pandemic - wild, right?!)"

Tara's brand new song 'Bubble Girl', was recorded in Lisbon by Leopoldo Lopes at Sound Pressure Studios, using a virtual Aussie drummer Miles Thomas, with Tara on bass, guitar and vox. She say's "I wanted it to be fast and energetic to shake off the pandemic blues".

Tara Vern · Bubble Girl

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