Post Modern Connection - Kris Wiley - Casii Stephan - Alexander Hulme

Post Modern Connection - In The Dark.

Post Modern Connection is an indie-band that defies norms. By constantly showcasing eclectic inspirations, the band keeps you anticipating what’s next.

Their soundscape varies, the music paired with thoughtful and carefully crafted songwriting. Soulful R&B infused vocals meet catchy indie-pop riffs – electronic synths pair with classical violin – Post-Modern Connection’s ability to play with dynamics is apparent. They describe their sound best as Indie-rock meets Neo-Soul & Jazz. The Strokes meets Leon Bridges. Inspiration comes from artists like King Krule, The Strokes, Alabama Shakes, Early Eyes, Leon Bridges, Hiatus Kaiyote, and Hippocampus.

Post Modern Connections inspirations are so diverse because that’s who they are as a band. Lead singer and guitarist Tega comes from Nigeria, lead guitarist Georges: Lebanon. Their bassist Steven from Taiwan. Drummer Cam and synth player and violinist Mitch call Canada their birthplace. PMC draws on their unique backgrounds and experiences, personal histories and upbringing to create their emotionally charged music, captivating listeners.

Their live show is no different. High energy with an ebb and flow of powerful dynamics has showcased them selling out headlining performances around Western Canada, opening for top artists including Desiigner, Wintersleep, Hollerado, Dear Rogue, Moontrick, Snotty Nose Rez Kids, The Zolas, Hotel Mira and Hailey Blaise. They’ve had their singles spun on CBC Radio and The Peak Vancouver, their videos showcased on Global News, their music featured in Tenho Mais Discos Que Amigos, Canadian Beats, The Wild Honey Pie, Happy Magazine and dozens of online blogs, and have won a Kootenay Music Award for “Best Music Video” and hit an impressive 10,000 streams in one short week online and were named by Vancouver’s Permanent Rain Press Local Artist Of The Year 2019.

   

==========================================================================

Kris Wiley - Kris Wiley (Album).

Originally from Redondo Beach, California Kris quickly made a name for herself in the 90s in the South Bay and then in the rest of Southern California and across the U.S. and in Europe. She released two albums, “Old, New, Borrowed And Blue” and “Breaking The Rules” played in New York, Chicago, Nashville, Memphis and then disappeared.

And now here we are, “Kris Wiley” - produced by Carla Olson who has also produced albums by Jake Andrews, Barry Goldberg, Paul Jones, Chubby Tavares, Phil Upchurch, Joe Louis Walker, as well as individual tracks by Sugar Blue, Rocky Burnette, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Taj Mahal, Otis Rush, Kim Wilson, Brenton Wood.

For the record her inspirations were the Kings (Albert, B.B. and Freddie) as well as Albert Collins. A favorite quote, “I like jazz but it doesn’t affect my soul like the blues.”

The Los Angeles Times thought back in the 90's that “Wiley is the most promising female blues guitarist to emerge since Bonnie Raitt”. She played all the big clubs in American major cities and then.....  disappeared from the stages and the music scene. And then after a 25 year hiatus she finds herzelf back in contact with the blues and in Carla Olson's studio to record a new album.

==========================================================================

Casii Stephan - These Hard Days.

Casii Stephan is a soul pop/rock artist hailing from Minnesota. Now based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the impassioned songstress evokes subtle vibrato notes and roller-coaster-like melodies, which immediately grab the listener, while her emotional lyrics share intimate stories. She has been compared to the likes of Florence Welch, Fiona Apple and Carole King, as her vocal timbre possesses a full and warm quality.

Stephan’s voice is fierce and fearless, but this was not always the case. She grew up shy and afraid of her voice until she started writing songs on the family piano in South St. Paul when she was 16. In music, she discovered something extraordinary that allowed her to transcend everyday life and find a deeper sense of self. Stephan moved to Tulsa in 2014 with the intent to give up her pursuit of a music career, however with a little encouragement from a friend, she continued her journey and started releasing music. Her songs were promptly applauded by critics and have since been racking up a number of awards, as well as garnering acclaim from media and fans across the globe.

An underlying theme throughout Stephan’s music is hope, she explains, “Its such a cliched word and yet there are so many layers to it. Hope keeps us alive. It keeps us moving. But it also feels flighty some days like a pixie that does what it wants. But it's not a pixie. It's more like the air we breathe. Some days it's presence is stronger than we realize and some days we forget in our day-to-day lives that it's there... keeping us moving forward”. Her music combines her love for the storytelling elements of Disney ballads and the bold, brilliance of The White Stripes, as well as the soul-wrenching R&B melodies of H.E.R.

==========================================================================

Alexander Hulme - Teeth.

After making a bold impression with a string of intoxicating cuts over the last few years, which have earned him praise from BBC Radio 2, BBC 6Music, Absolute Radio, and even numerous Artist Of The Week accolades from BBC Introducing, fast-rising singer and songwriter Alexander Hulme anticipates his debut EP ‘Slow Down’, with stunning new single ‘Teeth’.

Channelling more of that warm and effervescent energy that he brings to everything he creates, ‘Teeth’ perfectly showcases what we can expect from his new release. . During the first lockdown and struggling with the production on ‘Teeth’ Alexander has pushed to teach himself the cello, which became a prominent feature on the EP. ‘Teeth’ is a fresh and dynamic effort that perfectly accentuates his bright and breezy direction

Speaking about the new track, he said, “Teeth is a song all about finding that one person in life that pushes all the WRONG buttons. I’m a fairly chill guy and it takes a lot to push me to a point where I feel I need to be confrontational but this song is all about that special someone who knows just the write the things to say and do to rile you up.”

Written entirely by the artist himself and produced by David Alexander Lomelino, ‘Slow Down’ marks the next vital stage in his growing and fledgling career. Showcasing his breadth for smooth and enticing songwriting, the new four-track EP makes for a embracing and organic listen that will see him capture the hearts of thousands, if not millions.

Alexander Hulme · Teeth

==========================================================================

Derw - The Wild Violets - Ada Lea - Rebecca McCartney - Red Leaf Hill

Derw - Ci.

Following on from their highly praised debut EP ‘Yr Unig Rai Sy’n Cofio’ in February 2021, Welsh language band Derw return with their latest single ‘Ci’, released on CEG Records.

The band was founded by mother & son duo, guitarist Dafydd Dabson and lyricist Anna Georgina, following their success in reaching the final of 2018’s Cân i Gymru contest, a national Welsh language songwriting competition aired annually on S4C.

Derw is fronted by Welsh/Iranian singer Elin Fouladi, with musicians from Welsh acts Zervas and Pepper, Afrocluster and Codewalkers involved in the recording of ‘Ci’. In ‘Ci’, Anna writes about the return of the depression that dogged her teens and how she feels better equipped to deal with it now - knowing that it will pass. The chorus is a plea to her former self that there is hope and light at the end of the
tunnel - ‘Paid bod ofn fy ffrind’ (‘don’t be scared my friend’). She says of the song ‘To face depression at the beginning of life, a time which should be full of hope but instead is shadowed by uncertainly and self-doubt, is a very different matter from facing it later in a life shot through with times of great happiness.’

The band has had a busy time during lockdown, filming a series of live videos at Acapela Studios as well as making their first festival appearances at Tafwyl and Sesiwn Fawr Dolgellau. Drawing influence from chamber pop and indie bands such as The National and combining it with Fouladi’s soulful vocals, the band have already garnered radio play from national and local radio stations across Wales, as well as features in popular Welsh publications Golwg and Y Selar.

Derw · Ci

==========================================================================

The Wild Violets - Something New.

''Something New sees The WildViolets strive for fresh ground with this soulful ballad. 

It expertly marries the string-infused elegance of 60's pop music with a passionately executed chorus, warm, jazzy strings and dreamy guitars. An acoustic version of the song and a lyric video will be released.

The song tells the tale of a hopeful longing of spending time with a special someone in one's life, knowing it will enhance their life; having created that 'Something New'.''

 

The WildViolets · Something New

==========================================================================

Ada Lea - can't stop me from dying.

In a historic bustling city where the old world meets the ever-new, young people are chatting outside of French-Canadian diners over coffee and cigarettes. They stumble over words to describe the events of the previous evening, while little old ladies walk by hunched over with grocery bags. Above, sheets hang from balconies drying in the wind. It’s partly cloudy. Just like any other city, to be alive here is to balance the realities of past and future. All inhabitants constantly move forward in time yet remain bound by personal histories, painful memories that won’t let go. This is the city of Montreal Quebec. It’s the hometown of songwriter Alexandra Levy, publicly known by the moniker Ada Lea.

one hand on the steering wheel the other sewing a garden is the name of Levy’s second album. On one hand, it’s a collection of walking-paced, cathartic pop/folk songs, on the other it’s a book of heart-twisting, rear-view stories of city life. Ada Lea has followed up the creative, indie-rock songcraft of her debut what we say in private with surprising arrangements and new perspectives. The album is set in Montreal and each song exists as a dot on a personal history map of the city where Levy grew up. The physical record, due on September 24th from Saddle Creek and Next Door Records in Canada, will be released alongside a map of song locations and a songbook with chords and lyrics, inspired by Levy’s studies in jazz bass and love of real book standards.

Roadworn and broke from a long European tour, Levy penned and demoed this batch of songs in an artist residency in Banff, Alberta. After sorting and editing she made her way to Los Angeles to record with engineer Marshal Vore who had previously worked on 2020’s woman, here E.P. With a nearly maxed-out credit card, Levy walked to and from the studio and lived off of cans of vegetarian chili. Session days were spent diving into the arrangements, playfully letting everything fall in place with complete trust for her collaborators. The resulting sounds range from classic, mid-tempo soft-rock to intimate finger-picked folk passages to night-drive art-pop. And the textures are frequently surprising due to the collage of lo-fi and hi-fi sounds that tastefully decorate the album without ever clouding the heart-center of the song. Tracks like “damn” and “oranges” feel timeless with their AM gold groove and 70’s studio sheen, while songs like “saltspring '' and “can’t stop me from dying” sound completely modern in their use of electronics, sound effects, and pitched vocals.

==========================================================================

Rebecca McCartney - Behind Closed Doors.

Rebecca McCartney returns to the city where she was raised by a family of musicians and nerds, now with her own sound and much to say. She grew up immersed in NYC’s classical music world and her early songwriting eventually led to the release of an indie-folk record under the duo name Garden Party (2020) with her close friend, Jakob Leventhal. 

Now, after a college career studying jazz and playing in an R&B band, McCartney is preparing to release her genre-bending debut EP, How You Feel. Calling on her eclectic musical influences and experiences, the upcoming record generates an edgy, ethereal sound that celebrates McCartney’s buttery vocals and absorbing lyrical insights.

Here's what she had to say about it: "'Behind Closed Doors' is about being in a relationship with someone who wants to keep you a secret from their world, but choosing to turn that quiet rejection into a dance-y celebration of yourself. It’s about reminding the world that you will not be held back or made to feel embarrassed. Let’s dance about it instead".

==========================================================================

Red Leaf Hill - Feels Like Home Acoustic Version.

Upcoming Friday Red Leaf Hill releases her new single ‘Feels Like Home’. ‘Feels Like Home’ is her third single of the upcoming EP which is planned to release February 2022. When we ask Red Leaf Hill about her single she says the following: ‘Sometimes life has its dark sides that probably everyone can relate to. When you’re not completely in your power it’s easy to be dragged along in these feelings or moments. Noticing this is usually the first step to recovery’.

’Feels Like Home’ is a song about that moment, the realization, when things start to flow again and when you find a new source of energy inside of yourself to look towards a brighter future. Water is used symbolically as the ‘place’ within yourself where things can finally heal. Letting go of the darkness, letting it flow away from you, whilst new water flows through you. New water to give strength and lightness to build a better future.

Under the name Red Leaf Hill, singer-songwriter Carmijn Bakker shares the beauty of nature with the whole world. Her cozy pop songs immediately take you to majestic and breathtaking landscapes, the places that inspire Red Leaf Hill to translate her deepest emotions into music. Red leaf Hill gets her inspiration from nature. From the simple afternoon walks in her backyard, somewhere in a rural area on the border of Germany. To shooting beautiful images with her drone in the fjords of Norway; nature is a majestic place Red Leaf Hill gladly wants to share with you.

==========================================================================

Jonny Woolnough - Namesake

Jonny Woolnough - Mayurqa.

After making his mark with a string of enticing singles such as ‘A.A. Gill’, ‘2666 (Love Is On Its Way)’, and ‘You’ve Got That Look’ in recent months, fast-rising singer and songwriter Jonny Woolnough continues the support for his highly-anticipated debut album ‘Mayurqa’ with the record’s sweeping title-track.

Much like what we have heard from him so far, ‘Mayurqa’ keeps up the warm and enticing direction that we have come accustomed to from the glittering frontman. With its rich and shimmering production layered against his magnificent and distinct vocal performance, this new effort delivers a vivid and captivating atmosphere, perfectly showcasing what we can expect from his forthcoming full-length.

Jonny will also be supporting his upcoming album with an exclusive live show at Leeds’ The Hyde Park Book Club on the 17th November. Tickets for the show are available now here.

Originally written and conceived whilst living between mainland Spain and Palma De Mallorca during 2018/19, his new album ‘Mayurqa’ documents a self discovery and emotional rebuilding of sorts. Jonny took an indefinite break from making music after forming the critically acclaimed bands Tomartyrs and The Bazaars, and as touring guitarist for Finley Quaye. ‘Mayurqa’ constantly hints at its place of conception, yet draws its deft, classic beauty from Woolnoughs obvious deep pallet of influence.

Jonny Woolnough · Mayurqa

==========================================================================

Namesake - Hole In The Wall.

Brooklyn's Namesake will release their sophomore LP Redeeming Features on October 15 via Get Better Records. Yesterday, the beachy-punk outfit released "Hole In The Wall," a tribute to DIY venues in NYC.

The video premiered at Under The Radar, which said ".“'Hole In The Wall' slows the pace down from the band’s previous single, instead steadily building from simple drum machine beats and wiry guitar lines into a heady mix of post punk grooves. Yet, the core of the track is a heartfelt tribute to special magic found in thousands of DIY venues. Namesake toasts the rundown spaces that gave them a home for years, spots where, as the band puts it, 'literally there are holes in the walls' and 'regulars got holes in their hearts.”

"I was taking classes at Hunter College in Manhattan, and I met a kid named Jeremy," says Namesake frontman Patrick Phillips. "I was new to Brooklyn, and Jeremy invited me to a place called Shea Stadium. I didn’t know what he meant, I knew he didn’t like baseball, but when I arrived on Meadow St. in an industrial area of Brooklyn, it all soon felt like home. Young kids moshing, soaked in sweat, singing along to every word, covered in makeup, completely blissed out. Shea Stadium was the first DIY venue I started hanging out at, and it led us to start our band. Here was a way to speak your truth, just scream it out into the night.

"For the past ten years, we’ve performed as well as worked at many DIY venues around NYC. The late-night aspect and instability make them difficult jobs, but ultimately, we’ve been grateful to lend labor to these spaces. Artists need spaces to be nurtured and develop, as well as find community. So to the Hole in the Wall’s everywhere, where outsiders can find their separate peace, thank you for helping people like me."

==========================================================================

The Zephyr Bones - Chris Robley

The Zephyr Bones - Sparks.

Barcelona's Spanish/Chilean psych-rock quartet, The Zephyr Bones are today sharing "Sparks". The new single marks another spangled nosedive through psych-rock arriving as the final advance installment to be lifted from their forthcoming album, Neon Body – out via La Castanya on October 22, 2021. It arrives produced by Brian Silva and Santi Garcia with the album artwork designed by the Portuguese illustrator/artist, Bráulio Amado who runs NYC's BAD Studio, has illustrated for The New York Times, and works as one of the main artwork designers for Frank Ocean and Róisín Murphy.

The new album, tipped so far by SPIN, NPR's Alt Latino, Remezcla, Beats Per Minute and more finds The Zephyr Bones, made up of Silva (vocals, guitar and synthesizers), Jossip Tkalcic (guitar and vocals), Marc López (drums), and Carlos Ramos (bass), exploring ideas centered around love, self-affirmation, loss, and hope. Musically, it finds the group tapping into their "beach wave" aesthetic once more, a style of music that they helped nurture alongside a few other groups in Barcelona back in 2017. It is sound and approach to music gravitated around spangled psych-rock reminiscent of the radiant, sunkissed environments that surround the scene.

The Zephyr Bones formed when Silva, Tkalcic, López and Ramos met in Barcelona after the former two names arrived from their home country of Chile. In 2015 they released their debut EP, Wishes/Fishes via La Castanya. That first release was then followed by the seven-inch "Black Lips b/w Surrounded by Sunflowers" released by La Castanya and the New York label Other Music Recording Co. Their debut album, Secret Place – a psychedelia and dream pop hybrid – took them on a tour around the United Kingdom, Europe and the United States, playing on all types of stages. Neon Body, their second album, expands their sound by exploring the fusion between humanity and machines.

==========================================================================

Chris Robley - A Filament in the Wilderness of What Comes Next (Album).

Chris Robley shines on his new album A Filament In The Wilderness of What Comes Next, out last Friday on Cutthroat Pop Records. Taking a close look at the nation, Robley co-produced the album with Jeff Stuart Saltzman (Lowland Hum, Typhoon, EL VY, Deer Tick, Death Cab for Cutie, Stephen Malkmus) and Edwin Paroissien (Little Beirut, Pacific Mean Time). 

Vocalists Margaret Gibson Wehr and Anna Tivel, about whom NPR’s Ann Powers said, “Singer-songwriters are often called poets. In truth, only a few deliver the deep insight and sense of the new that breaking through the predictable achieves. Anna Tivel is one.” Robley's cinematic album has scope and breadth, without losing the emotional fidelity of small, moving details. The album concludes with the belief that empathy is "a filament in the wilderness of what comes next," that simply trying to understand someone can be a radical act of love.

Here’s what we’re reading about A Filament In The Wilderness of What Comes Next: “Chris Robley beautifully captures state of the union… Robley’s weighty words — he’s an award-winning poet — are made even more powerful because they’re paired with equally engrossing melodies. It makes for the loveliest kind of blues regarding disparity, hypocrisy, racism and American retreat in a foreign land… Robley’s way with a tune is a giver of goosebumps. The melodies are as effortlessly irresistible as an old folk song, the sort sung when the stakes are high.”

Chris Robley Music · A Filament in the Wilderness of What Comes Next

==========================================================================

Wild The Coyote - Hannah Georgas - Sterre Weldring

Wild The Coyote - Silver Round Bullet.

The supremely talented Wild the Coyote has now released his newest single, “Silver Round Bullet.” The song is the first from his upcoming EP, 7 Roses. Following his previous releases, this track continues with Coyote’s unique, gritty style and delivers an electrifying listening experience. “Silver Round Bullet” is available now to stream or download on all platforms.

“Silver Round Bullet” is a fantastic reflection of Wild the Coyote’s riveting, original sound. With grungy guitar and vocals melded with rumbling percussion, this track successfully captures the outlaw country style his music listeners have come to expect. Combining iconic aspects of blues, country, and rock, Coyote skillfully makes listeners feel as though they have been teleported to the old west. Produced by Joseph Holiday, the song has a powerful and catchy melody that gives clear insight into why some have drawn comparisons between Wild the Coyote and the great Johnny Cash. 

With an edgier tone than most modern country music, “Silver Round Bullet” conveys Coyote’s difficulties growing up in Templeton, CA and the struggles he faces even now in Los Angeles. “‘Silver Round Bullet’ was written in the woods of the quiet town I grew up in, about the struggles that come with chasing a dream in LA and the daunting question of how long you can survive doing it. Only to be reminded that there could be more to risk than to reap turning around on the road less traveled,” says Coyote. The blend of his bluesy voice with heavy percussion and a rugged electric guitar melody conveys a raw, rocky vibe that characterizes the song.

==========================================================================

Hannah Georgas - Punching Bag (Acoustic).

Last September, Hannah Georgas released her Aaron Dessner-produced LP All That Emotion, on Dessner's label Brassland and Toronto indie stalwart Arts & Crafts. Though long a favorite in her native Canada with a devoted international audience, the album was the most critically-acclaimed release of her career to date, earning a wave of positive attention.

In the spring of 2021 she released an EP of alternate versions of tracks from the album, featuring contributions from friends and collaborators like Bartees Strange, Owen Pallett, The National's Matt Berninger and Kate Stables (leader of acclaimed UK group This Is The Kit), and today Georgas is returning to release a new collection that takes a different approach, a mini album of acoustic versions of songs from the LP.

Georgas' piano and vocals were recorded with Graham Walsh at Palace Sound in Toronto, but these new iterations are not solo performances, as Georgas is accompanied remotely by guitarist Christine Bougie and cellist Ben Whiteley, both of whom played on the recent LP from Georgas' fellow Torontonian The Weather Station, with additional strings from Drew Jureka (Dua Lipa, Bahamas). Though not entirely "stripped down," Georgas sees the mini album as representative of the new life the songs from the LP have taken on as she has performed them in various contexts since recording them with Dessner in 2019.

==========================================================================

Sterre Weldring - Remedy.

So what do we know about Sterre Weldring? Only that she has just released a fabulous new song entitled 'Remedy' and that it is gorgeous.

Oh! and we know some of the credits: Producer: Marg van Eenbergen, Music  Publisher: Copyright Control, Composer: Sterre Weldring, Lyricist: Sterre Weldring.

 

 

 

 

Our Propaganda - Ashley Shadow - Bailey Kate - The Weeping Willows

Our Propaganda - Fast Food At Midnight.

18 months in the making, and the start of British alt-rock quartet Our Propaganda's debut album 'Fast Food At Midnight' has just (September 17th) been marked by the release of their title track single and video, blending brit-rock riffs, driving beats and a crescendo of powerful vocals alongside striking live footage.

"'Fast Food At Midnight' is about knowing something is wrong but continuing to support it, about giving into urges over what you may think is right. Something we're all guilty of. We used fast food as the example but it's more a metaphor for buying into agendas even though they're morally questionable. Mass consumerism has quickly become the biggest issue in the world and this song addresses our almost cynical nature towards it.” - Jack Denton, Our Propaganda

Taking influences from the likes of Biffy Clyro, Royal Blood, Twenty One Pilots and numerous iconic British artists, Our Propaganda have since 2016 been taking their striking blend of alt-indie rock to the stage, having previously gigged over half a dozen countries across Europe and played countless shows around London, the South of England and their hometowns of Southampton and Portsmouth, including five years’ consecutive invitation to the stage of Southampton Pride.

The South Hampshire quartet also mark today’s release by taking to the stage at 2021's Isle Of Wight Festival at 6:20pm on 17th September, the River Stage, joining as a part of the long-awaited resurgence of live music across the UK. Though 2021 is coming to an end, September is just the start for Our Propaganda, who after signing a publishing deal with Peermusic, now prepare to release a series of singles and music videos leading up to their debut album release, recorded with renowned producer Steve Lyon (Depeche Mode/The Cure), and mixed by Grammy nominated recording and sound engineer Jonas Westling.

==========================================================================

Ashley Shadow - Catlin.

The Vancouver, B.C.-based songwriter, Ashley Shadow is sharing "Caitlin", the final advance track to be taken from her MOJO, Stereogum, Brooklyn Vegan and Beats Per Minute tipped album, Only the End which is out September 24 (CD/Digital) and October 29 (Vinyl) via Felte. The forthcoming record comes mixed by Joshua Wells (Destroyer, Lightning Dust, ex-Black Mountain) and follows her eponymous self-titled debut which found critical acclaim.

Ashley describes "Caitlin" as "a tribute song to a life lost too soon." It's a remarkably intimate yet stunning highlight from the forthcoming record, accentuated with Paul Rigby's (Neko Case) woozy pedal steel guitar and lightly picked electric guitar. The song smolders, burning gently with Shadow's mesmerizing vocal performance that nestles amongst the instrumentation.

While the songs on Only the End were conceived in contemplative solitude, Ashley invited some very capable collaborators into the studio to assist with the process of recording; alongside the aforementioned Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Shadow invited Paul Rigby (Neko Case), Joshua Wells (Black Mountain, Lightning Dust), Colin Cowan (Elastic Stars) and Ryan Beattie (Himalayan Bear). Ashley, the twin sister of Amber Webber (of Lightning Dust, co-founder of Black Mountain), has previously contributed vocals to Bonnie "Prince" Billy's album, Lie Down in the Light, Pink Mountaintop's Outside Love, The Cave Singers' Welcome Joy and more.

 

==========================================================================

Bailey Kate - Care.

Self-care can't be left out of the equation when seeking to achieve your goals. My new song, "Care," was inspired by a period of burnout in 2019.

I spent all summer that year running around trying to get organized, and the time I was supposed to have to recharge slipped away without notice. I missed out on hanging outside and appreciating the things around me because I was too caught up anticipating the next hurdles. As such, I returned to my job in the fall with an empty battery.

When plants' needs aren't meant, they shrivel, become pathetic and wilted, and the longer they remain in that state the more difficult it is to revive them. It's not always as easy to pin-point the signs of an actual human that has been missing out on taking care of themselves.

Hopefully we can be proactive in recognizing when things are happening at a pace that can't be maintained long-term.

==========================================================================

The Weeping Willows - Southern Gothic.

Tireless country-folk auteurs Laura Coates and Andrew Wrigglesworth have long made a study of the shadowy fold of Southern American musical tradition – a study that reached a high-water mark with the release of this year’s hauntingly beautiful Southern Gothic EP.

Lifted from that release, the pair’s latest single 'Southern Gothic' finds the celebrated vocal harmonists turning their hands to an original instrumental. 'Southern Gothic' is a brooking study in backwoods fiddle and dreadnought guitar and ripples with portentous feeling like so many live oaks shivering at the urging of a chill and keening wind.

Showcasing Andrew’s celebrated picking on guitar and banjo, ‘Southern Gothic’ also features in-demand multi-instrumentalist Luke Moller (Kasey Chambers, Hayes Carll) on fiddle, and veteran session player David Piltch (Willie Nelson, Mary Gauthier) on upright bass. The single was recorded, engineered and mixed by Roger Bergodaz (Raised by Eagles) at Union Street Studio in Brunswick West and was mastered by Adam Dempsey at Deluxe Mastering, Brunswick.

The Weeping Willows opened the year as winners of the 2021 Golden Guitar for Instrumental of the Year. They’ve been nominated for eight CMAA Golden Guitar Awards and supported Americana greats from Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real (USA) to Iris Dement (USA).

==========================================================================

Lily Konigsberg - Bren Holmes - Renée Reed

Lily Konigsberg - Sweat Forever.

Last month, Lily Konigsberg announced her debut solo LP Lily We Need To Talk Now (which will be out October 29th on Wharf Cat). 

Following her well-received EP from 2020, It's Just Like All The Clouds, (Pitchfork described it as a collection of left-field pop that sits "at the center of a Venn diagram containing haunted dolls, Arthur Russell, and Ariana Grande" in a Pitchfork Rising feature), and a compilation of her early solo recordings culled mostly from Bandcamp and Soundcloud releases entitled The Best of Lily Konigsberg.

Recorded (like the rest of the album) with producer Nate Amos, whose project Water From Your Eyes recently released their critically-acclaimed LP Structure, "Sweat Forever" departs from the album's guitar-based first single, instead showcasing Konigsberg in a more electronic environment in something closer to her pure pop mode, bringing her unique perspective and melodic sensibility to a song about a moment of transition.

"'Sweat Forever' was the first song successfully recorded for the album," Konigsberg explains. "It's mostly about the bad part of going through a huge change in your life and the confusion surrounding that. But now I'm in the good part, so there's something to celebrate. Sweat on brother!"

==========================================================================

Bren Holmes - You Say.

When you’ve been a professional musician for over thirty years, you can accumulate a large trunk of songs. The tucked-away tunes that Ireland-born / Los Angeles residing Bren Holmes shares on his solo debut, Everything You Never Wanted, reveal impressive singer/songwriter talents that never got fully displayed during his lengthy tenure as bassist with the Young Dubliners. While old Young Dub fans will connect with Celtic music flourishes that course through this album, they – and all listeners – also will be easily drawn into the spirited rootsy sound that fills Everything You Never Wanted, which arrives September 17, 2021 on his own Bren Holmes Productions label.

The Dublin native and long-time L.A. resident cuts across a range of genres on Everything You Never Wanted. "I don't set out to write a particular song or music," Holmes shares. "Whatever comes out, I just go with it.” Guided by a lovely lap steel guitar, the opening track, and first single, “Sweet Talkin’ Angel” leads listeners into Americana territory, while the delightful roots pop of “You Say” and “Take It All Away” suggest a roughed-up Crowded House. Holmes follows the hooky charmer “Can’t Stop Thinkin’” by taking a darker turn with the brooding rocker, “No Return,” and he mines a spare, bluesy vein - similar to the Stones’ in “Country Honk” mode - on “Love On Your Side – LC Blues.”

While Holmes states that “there’s no particular theme to the record,” he admits that this set of emotionally rich songs is “about loss and heartbreak over a long span of time." This theme might be best exemplified on “Ugly.” Featuring a duet between Holmes and former Donnas frontwoman Brett Anderson, the song ponders a “will-you-still-love-when” question in a “roller coaster ride” of a relationship. Surviving a rocky relationship also is a motif in the album’s sole cover, a catchy reworking of “S.O.S.,” which uses mandolin and guitars to remove some of the gloss from ABBA’s original.

==========================================================================

Renée Reed - Tonnerre mes chiens.

Lafayette, Louisiana musician Renée Reed shares the first single "Tonnerre mes chiens" from a new four-song EP titled J’ai rêvé out November 2, 2021. While this song with a French title is sung in English, the EP also includes two French cover songs and a second English-language original.

Renée says this about "Tonnerre mes chiens": "The title of this song is a colloquial phrase in Cajun French which literally translates to 'thunder my dogs' and is used similarly to 'god dammit.' The song is about listening to someone else’s anger while feeling that my own anger is going unheard. "

These songs were recorded during the same four-track album sessions as her stunning self-titled debut album, released earlier this year. That album garnered early praise from tastemakers Gorilla vs. Bear and Gold Flake Paint and a 7.7 Pitchfork review which describes her music as "full of dreamy, odd notes, and a sense of unreality shimmers around her songs."

==========================================================================

Still Corners - Big Little Lions - Palmaria - Ellyn Woods - Mike Etten - Jillette Johnson

Still Corners - Heavy Days.

After delivering their highly-praised album ‘The Last Exit’ in January this year with standout reviews in NME, DIY, Uncut, The Quietus, Mojo and many more, Still Corners return with the energetic ‘Heavy Days’, along with news of a big US tour and re-scheduled European tour dates.

‘Heavy Days’ continues the band’s journey through the atmospheric side of indie-rock. With rich and soaring guitars layered effortlessly against singer Tessa Murray’s compelling vocals, Heavy Days gallops forth, riding the edge of rock-n-roll and expansive desert-noir twang.

Speaking about the new song, Tessa said, "Sometimes it all can all feel a little overwhelming, there's a lot to take in reading the news all the time. We wanted to write a reminder to put the phone down now and again, get out there and live life to the fullest while you can.”

Still Corners will be heading off on tour in 2022 throughout the US and Europe to support their recent releases.

==========================================================================

Big Little Lions - Didn't I.

Big Little Lions continue their monthly releases with 'Didn't I' which is out Thursday, September 16th. 'Didn't I' is about the regret you might face if you've lived your life taking no chances and sticking to the rules of how you think life should go, therby missing out on the magic that happens in the accidents and unknown.

 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.

BigLittleLions · Didn't I

==========================================================================

Palmaria - Ocean (Live Session).

Palmaria are an Alt-Pop duo from a small town in Italy, currently residing in London. Members Giulia and Francesco have been making a name for their distinctive sound, poetically transporting listeners on a journey of dreamy landscapes and uplifting experiences. Think The xx meets Sylvan Esso, meets Little Dragon on a field trip to the Italian coast.

Their latest single “Ocean” is off of their upcoming EP, Crystallize. Co-written and produced with B-CROMA (Yendry, Fia Moon), the single stays true to their sound of delicate, hypnotizing vocals with a mix of organic sounds and utopian guitars. Taking sonic inspiration from the drums on James Blakes’ “You’re Too Precious”, the duo re-interpreted the sound through Francesco’s classical guitar.

The song is inspired by the legend of Colapesce, the magical story of a man that sacrifices his life on earth, turning into a fish to save his island, but also highlights the problem of the pollution of the ocean. “Ocean” is a call for help. The duo confides, “We wanted to give voice to our frustration; it’s been hurtful to see what is happening, especially growing up in a town almost surrounded by the sea. The ocean has always been such an important element in our lives, inspiring and healing us every time we were in need, so it’s now our turn, we have to protect it.”

==========================================================================

Ellyn Woods - Tangerine.

Ellyn Woods is a multi-disciplinary artist currently based in Montréal. In addition to being a singer and songwriter, Ellyn has a degree in Fine Arts from Concordia and a passion for illustration and tattooing. Her art and music are a direct reflection of her love for nature and all things organic.

Ellyn received her first electric guitar when she was 12. She began learning her favorite songs by artists like Feist and Angus & Julia Stone, building her familiarity with the instrument and developing her own song-writing skills.
At age 18, she moved to Toronto. Immersing herself in the city’s diverse music and art scenes, Ellyn began sharing her original material and honing her craft as a performer and artist. Her raw and vulnerable material connected with audiences and fellow artists alike. Her ability to effortlessly weave her personal experiences into her music, combined with her soft voice and songwriting instincts, lead to several collaborative projects and showcases.

In 2015, Ellyn began receiving widespread attention and acclaim for her collaborations with Montréal electronic duo Sterling Grove. The artists released three singles – “Sound of Home,” “La Vigie,” & “In the Backyard” – which have generated nearly 2 million streams. In 2019, Ellyn and Sterling Grove travelled to northern Québec to record an album. Their efforts yielded Cabin Days, a collaborative EP released June 25, 2021.

In addition to Cabin Days, Ellyn plans to release her debut solo album, All At Once, on August 13, 2021. The LP follows its lead single “Tangerine,” which gained airplay on Sportsnet’s live broadcast of the Stanley Cup Finals, CBC’s q with Tom Power, and several official Spotify playlists. Teaming up with producer/songwriter Kyle MacDougall, Ellyn weaves a colorful sonic landscape, incorporating a vast array of genres including electronic dance, indie pop, alternative rock, and R&B. Ellyn explores the complexities of love and spirituality overtop MacDougall’s brimming beats, yielding a fresh soundtrack for all your summer activities. Fans of Jungle, Men I Trust, The xx, and The Marias are sure to gravitate towards the breezy stylings of Ellyn Woods, as she effortlessly channels multiple genres and palettes all at once.

==========================================================================

Mike Etten - Saints.

Mike Etten is a songwriter, composer, and multi-instrumentalist based in New York City. One of the founders of the Brooklyn DIY venue and collective Le Wallet, Etten recorded and played in various experimental, chamber, punk and country projects throughout the last decade, including PC Worship, Ashcan Orchestra and Dougie Poole. 

Amidst extensive touring and performing, Etten started writing his long-awaited solo debut, Love Wash, a twisted slice of fringe Americana, composed of carefully crafted and self-recorded song experiments that are equally catchy and off-kilter.

Some words directly from Mike himself: "Saints was written early one morning in a bit of a blur, strumming a chord progression in 3/4 time and singing a melody and words that wrote themselves pretty quickly. I built up the arrangement around the guitar and vocal, first adding drums and then synths that play a weaving counter line. Francesca Caruso added a vocal harmony and Adam Markiewicz (LEYA) layered a violin part based on a melody I sang to him, recorded at his home studio in Ridgewood. The bridge goes into a more ecstatic heavy waltz, it comes back around for a final verse, and feels like by the end of this one I’ve communed a little with myself, people from my past, and maybe a spirit or two from some other life."

==========================================================================

Jillette Johnson - Daddy Dopamine.

Jillette Johnson released a new single “Daddy Dopamine” as she embarks on her first national tour in support of her critically acclaimed new album It’s A Beautiful Day And I Love You. The song was co-written and produced by Joe Pisapia, who produced her last album, and marks the first time Jillette has released a collaborative single. The tour with Houndmouth kicks off tomorrow in Oxford, MS and will make stops in Boston, MA, Washington, DC, and more. Find a full list of tour dates below or at her website.

“I wanted to create a spacious sonic landscape where my voice could just be, without having to really ‘perform,’” explains Johnson. It’s about the hamster wheel of dopamine addiction. We all chase highs to fill voids and soothe ourselves to make up for what we’re really after, which is human connection.”

“Speaking of connection, I’m so excited to be putting this song out right as my band and I hit the road with Houndmouth, who I happen to be a big nerdy fan of. I put my third album out in February, and it was such a weird feeling to not be able to play those songs in front of people. Making records to me is all about communication, and I can’t wait to give this body of work the opportunity to be more of a conversation than just a statement. Also, Houndmouth rules, and I’m honored to open for them. Gonna be a blast.”

==========================================================================

Benz - Lydia Brownfield - Absolutely Free - Koka - aloric

Benz - I Never Thought That This Would Be The End.

Ebba Salomonsson (Benz) grew up in her stepfather's record store where she explored endless different influences and styles. Benz have now signed to Rama Lama Records (Melby, Wy, Chez Ali etc.) and is back with another collection of songs packed with her playful and diverse psych-tinged indie folk, its a sound where Benz with big confidence lets her music both be direct and breathe - creating a musical soundscape for the listener to get swept away in.

The new EP 'This Could Be The End' is out on November 5th. Lead single 'I Never Thought That This Could Be The End', an up-tempo indie folk track about "two friends that make eachother go crazy", is out now alongside a music video made by Ebba G. Ågren (Wy) and produced by Feverish.

Thematically, the EP treats a broken relationship. But this is not your usual romantic sad-break-up-indie, as the lyrics tell the story about breaking up with an old friend. Ebba herself has compared the EP to "six seasons of Girls, a comedy-drama in a compressed format".

All the tracks on the EP are written by Ebba Salomonsson herself, produced by Wallentin Richardsson and recorded with Nathanel Salomonsson (drums), Simon Ström (bass), Olle Wahlström (guitar) and Alfon Keteli (keys).

==========================================================================

Lydia Brownfield - The Digger

Lydia Brownfield announces the release of the single “The Digger” on September 14. It’s off the upcoming album, Dig, due out November 19. The cornerstone of the album, “The Digger,” explores self-discovery before, during, after, and between relationships.

Brownfield’s voice swells and recedes within the crevices of new love, heartbreak, and the holy grail of self-discovery. The song gracefully weaves and spirals in a melodic embrace in the search for truth: “… and if you find hell, well, just dig deeper still.” Brownfield says, “Although it’s rather personal, I think other people can relate.  We all have ‘stuff.’ Stuff we don’t like about ourselves, stuff we wish we could change, stuff that doesn’t serve us well, and stuff that isn’t even ours. We were born into other people’s stuff, and we just learn to carry it along with us. It becomes part of us. All this stuff is mixed in with what’s at the core of us – and if we don’t separate it and rid ourselves of that stuff, then it just continues, on and on.”

The album travels the euphoric highs of being in love and the dramatic lows of breaking up and discovering internal power. Through genre-bending twists and turns of folk, punk, and pop, it explores the journey of getting caught up in someone else and losing sight of one’s journey of self-discovery.

The album produced by Fred Blitzer includes studio musicians Jeff Martin (drums), Andy Harrison (guitar), and Phil Maneri (bass) hand-selected by Blitzer. It also includes Brownfield’s partner, Jeff Dalrymple, on acoustic guitar. Blitzer agreed to work with Brownfield under one condition – if they used his studio musicians. Although it placed Brownfield in an awkward position and created strife with the existing musicians she was used to working with, the results were beyond expectation.

Lydia Brownfield · The Digger

==========================================================================

Absolutely Free - Remaining Light.

Absolutely Free has cultivated a decade-long reputation for an unorthodox approach to both conceiving and performing music. The Toronto psychedelic pop trio’s Polaris Music Prize-nominated debut was hailed as “breathtakingly beautiful” (Stereogum) and a “deep-space cosmic-rock odyssey” (Pitchfork) upon its 2014 release. Following an array of multimedia projects and releases, including 2019’s Geneva Freeport EP (featuring U.S. Girls’ Meg Remy), the band recently announced its much-anticipated sophomore album, Aftertouch, with that “flying wedge of art pop” (Brooklyn Vegan), first single “How To Paint Clouds.”

The album’s second single, “Interface” was a peek further into the kaleidoscopic minds of Absolutely Free, accompanied by a visual drench in vibrant neon palettes and retro-futuristic tendencies by Australian artist Benjamin Portas.

Now with the 3rd and final single "Remaining Light" the group echoes some of their heroes, from Talk Talk to Brian Eno to Steve Reich on a track that has had a five year gestation period.

The band explains: "‘Remaining Light’ expresses the frustration felt towards invincible and corrupt institutions that uphold structural inequities, including police brutality and manufactured poverty experienced primarily by racialized communities. Written during a heat wave in the summer of 2016, the song dishearteningly remains as relevant as ever today."

==========================================================================

Koka - Double Up.

Koka is an independent three-piece group from the Coachella Valley in California. Throughout their 3 years as a group, Koka has managed to perform at venues such as the House of Blues in Anaheim and Chain Reaction as well. 

All of Koka's music is self-recorded and self-produced. "Double Up" is Koka's 6th new single. 

This catchy song is filled with luscious indie pop melodies, groovy bass and hypnotizing drums!

 

 

 

==========================================================================

aloric - Poor Classes / Pour Glasses.

London-based aloric releases his first new single after a 4-year hiatus, with 'Poor Classes / Pour Glasses'.

After the initial success of his first singles 'Who?' and 'Fate', aloric received widespread positive press from Stereogum, HillyDilly, FreshOnTheNet, Overblown and was featured on Spotify's 'Fresh Finds' playlist - all as an unsigned artist who had yet to play his first gig.

His new single is a nod to nostalgia, the rise of the 'rose-tinted glasses' view of the past and the dangers that come with it. A cyclical narrative that seems to be playing out far too often, both on an individual and global scale. Inspired by the sounds of Björk, James Blake, Radiohead and Sigur Rós.

As with all aloric tracks, it finds the artist in the multiple roles of songwriter, singer, producer, engineer, performer and everything inbetween - a true 'one man band'.

aloric · Poor Classes / Pour Glasses

==========================================================================

Astrid Swan - Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters - Little Galaxies

Astrid Swan – Luxuries.

After delivering her much-loved singles ‘Not Your Mom’ and ‘Silvi’s Dream’ in recent months, Finnish singer and songwriter Astrid Swan continues the support for her new studio album ‘D/other’ with the warm and soaring new offering ‘Luxuries’.

Much like what we have heard so far, ‘Luxuries’ sees the artist transport us to a bright and atmospheric realm, filled with euphoric textures. The light and effervescent energy of her music creates a fresh and vivid alt-pop direction that compliments not only her sublime songwriting, but her bold and sweeping voice as well.

Speaking about the new release, Astrid said, “Time and life are the resources we run out of first, the most treasured luxuries. This is very clearly about being ill, knowing death is near and living life to the fullest while idealizing the state where one does not worry about each day and season because it may well be the last.”

Her new full-length ‘D/other’ finds Swan writing about motherhood, dreaming and sleeping – realising her most complete and personal musical statement yet. Composed over the course of the last five years, the stories Swan tells over the ten songs of ‘D/other’ cover themes of dream-states, mothering, loss, creativity, digital versus analogue, feminism and relationships. ‘D/other’ was produced by Swan herself. Her long-time collaborator Mikael Hakkarainen recorded and mixed the album. Along with Hakkarainen and Swan’s trusted musical partners Alina Toivanen, Veli Kauppinen and Johannes Salomaa, the Canadian visionary Owen Pallett also performs and arranges the strings for the album.

Continuing about the new record, Swan said, “I set out to write about mothering, being a daughter and a mother. I was informed by the simultaneous research process for my PhD which investigates maternal life writing in blogs and memoirs. The title D/other comes from this research. It is a mother/daughter in digital form, and a trans-affirmative concept which argues that mothering is done by anyone who performs care. In my songs, I wanted to explore sleeping and dreaming as states of unconsciousness which connect us to each other, and to different times and to those who are dead and that which is in the future. I wanted to explore the logic of the liminal and intra-active, that which slides and transforms. I focused on clear, comforting and uplifting lines, trying to crystallize what I do melodically. In this case the lyrical depths are presented in comforting pop structures.”

==========================================================================

Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters - Great Confession / Even Good Men Get the Blues.

As Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters reach the halfway point of their “deconstructed album” release with two more singles embodying the collection’s over-arching The Devil and The Deep Blue Sea concept, the singer-songwriter has chosen a pair of titles that offer complementary glimpses of parent-child relationships framed in contrasting musical settings.

“‘Great Confession’ was the first song I wrote after the birth of my daughter,” says Platt. “It carries a lot of the same themes that repeat on this album… growing up, growing old, learning more about what it means to be a parent and a child and a human. Rick Cooper plays the electric guitar, showcasing another one of his unsung talents.”

Indeed, Cooper’s contribution here fits perfectly into the song’s mellow, melancholy country-rock mood nestling next to Matt Smith’s pedal steel guitar as they glide over the bed of sustained organ chords and flashes of piano supplied by Kevin Williams and drummer Evan Martin. With its cold vocal start, swelling, steel-driven outro and meditative story line built around choruses that ask two different, yet equally wistful questions: 

“...now you're up at dawn just waiting on another great confession
don't it seem like there should be some kind of lesson?...”

“...now you're staring at the business end of all your bad decisions
don't it seem like there should be some kind of wisdom?"

Amanda Anne Platt · Great Confession / Even Good Men Get the Blues

==========================================================================

Little Galaxies - One with the Waking Sea (Album).

Little Galaxies has released their vibrant new album One with the Waking Sea, available to stream and download everywhere now. With unique instrument manipulation, emotive themes, and graceful lyricism, One with the Waking Sea is sure to entice any individual or crowd. The 10-song LP is being released on Coconut Spaceship Records.

Little Galaxies describes One with the Waking Sea as being inspired by “the turbulence of life,” just as the ocean is constantly moving and changing. “The album explores central themes like accepting fate, getting closer to what brings us joy, and learning how to co-exist in an ever-changing world that can throw us into the trenches at any moment,” explains lead singer Jeanna Fournier when describing how she translated her trauma to song.

The opening track, “Find Yourself in Orbit,” welcomes the sound of an ocean with crashing waves overcome by an ominous drone of a theremin, as if it is disrupting the calm ambiance. This sets up the overall tone for the entire album. The next track, “Waking Sea,” carries themes of both balance and uncertainty, inspired by the PTSD Fournier has experienced after a life-altering car wreck and her journey to acceptance. Adding to the intimate emotion in the song, Ken Oak brings on comforting cello alongside Phoebe Silva on the violin. These delicate and soulful instruments add to the deep-seated listening experience. Other songs to note are “Fate” and “It’s Natural,” which both carry motifs of accepting destiny and change. The listener is drawn in to appreciate the more profound meaning Little Galaxies conveys with Fournier’s powerful, soulful vocals accompanying mesmerizing instrumentation.

Little Galaxies · One with the Waking Sea

==========================================================================