Parliamo - Late July - Lilly Hiatt - BlackieBlueBird

Parliamo - Echo In My Chamber.

Perth, Scotland based 6-piece Parliamo release their new single "Echo In My Chamber",  lifted from the band's upcoming EP 'The Parliamo Manifesto', out October 7th via Modern Sky (The Coral, The Lathums, Abbie Ozard).

Drawing from a plethora of influences from The Avalanches and Massive Attack to Super Furry Animals and The Beta Band – Parliamo bring together witty social commentary–styled lyricism with a distinctive songwriting approach very much of their own.

New single "Echo In My Chamber" represents the band's most high-reaching moment to date; an armoury of joyous harmonies, crunching indie-rock guitars and a chorus to rival the very best. Speaking on the new track the band said, "Echo In My Chamber is a story of infatuation rather than love, with the lyrics telling of a dichotomy within yourself as you struggle with how you really feel about someone. The chorus is essentially a conversation with oneself, as you grapple to remind yourself not to get too carried away too quickly."

The band's upcoming debut EP 'The Parliamo Manifesto' is the culmination of over a year's songwriting and is a bold statement of intent from the 6 piece. Employing a charming tongue-in-cheek approach to some of the slightly darker aspects of life which young people face today, the record touches on the complications of religious pressure on "Catholic Guilt", spiralling addiction on "Who Needs a Reason?", mental health on "She’s Only Human" and the awkward beauty of young love on EP opener "Paul & Barry".

The baggy, swaggering sound of the band and the often darkly humorous nature of the lyrics, stands in stark contrast with some of the subject matter, echoing the band’s propensity for laughing in lieu of crying. In a world of such turmoil and uncertainty, with ‘The Parliamo Manifesto’ the band are aiming to reconcile people with positivity through vibrant, energetic music, whilst providing a relatable commentary on the modern world and the inner workings of the minds of young people.

Written and delivered in the Scottish vernacular, the record offers a somewhat unique perspective on the simultaneously charming and terrifying nature of modern life.

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Late July - Heartbeat.

Late July, is a Canadian singer-songwriter and actress. She is described variously as indie pop, orchestral pop, or alternative pop. Simone began writing music and singing at the age of 12 after an accident at school where a TV fell on her head crushing her vocal box.She is a multi-instrumentalist, playing guitar, drums, and piano.

Her debut EP, Side Swept, was released in 2010 and features the guitar, bass, and keyboard work of Adrian Ellis.From that EP, two singles were featured in the web series Out with Dad: "Side Swept" in season 1, episode 4 and "A Well Kept Secret" in season 1, episode 7. Her follow-up EP, Hospital Quiet, was released in 2011. The single "What's Left" was featured in season 2, episode 5  of the web series Out with Dad. 

The single "Truth or Dare" from her third EP, When the Curtain Falls, is on the soundtrack for the film How to Plan an Orgy in a Small Town. Her fourth EP, Marathon, was released in 2017.  Throughout 2019 and 2020, she has released a series of singles, including "Confetti",  "Calling to the Moon", and "Cloud and Crown". These singles along with several upcoming release will be included on her fifth EP, Oceania.

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Lilly Hiatt - Lately.

Lilly Hiatt will return with Lately on October 15th via New West Records. The 10-song set was co-produced by Lilly and her drummer Kate Haldrup at Death Ladder in East Nashville, TN. In celebration of “Cassette Week,” the cassette version of the album will be released a week early on Friday, October 8th. Lately is the follow up to Hiatt’s critically acclaimed Walking Proof, which was among the first records released to feel the full wrath of the soon-to-be raging pandemic that would bring the world to its knees. Despite the timing of its release, the long player was named a “Best Album of the Year” by Rolling Stone, No Depression, Magnet Magazine, Slant Magazine and more. 

NPR Music called Lilly “...one of the great 21st Century Southern Rockers,” saying, “...she’s a striving, self-made heroine of country-accented indie rock” while Rolling Stone said “Hiatt proves herself to be Nashville’s indie-rocker-to-watch on this collection of Big Star-worthy jangle anthems and introspective psych-folk.” Rolling Stone Country called the album “...exhilarating…” saying, “At once electrifying and dreamy, the follow-up to Hiatt’s breakout Trinity Lane cements her as a vital voice.” Pitchfork said, “...Walking Proof winds through moments of incandescent joy, gentleness, cathartic noise, and even unease...It’s as if Hiatt has emerged from a dark, uncertain period as a stronger, bolder artist, winding up with an album that encompasses a full spectrum of feeling as it rocks with abandon” while Paste Magazine said in their 8 out of 10 star review, “This is music to liberate yourself to.”

As each day passed following the release of Walking Proof, more events were postponed, moved, and ultimately canceled. The sudden stillness forced Lilly to take a long, deep look inside and despite having a new album just released, she went back to doing what she does best: she picked up the guitar and started to write. What could have been devastating ended up being therapeutic, and Lilly learned how to find fulfillment in quieter places versus the adrenalized life she was used to.

Today, The Boot premiered the video for the album’s title track. Lilly says, "'Lately' is all for you. I'd like to let you in on the strife and hope that came from the last year for me. The song is a dream that can come true, even if that dream changes over time. Dylan Reyes took the dream and turned it into a vivid trip for our video and here it is."

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BlackieBlueBird - The Love We Once Knew.

Copenhagen's dream pop duo BlackieBlueBird releases new single "The Love We Once Knew"

BlackieBlueBird are the vocalist Heidi Lindahl and the composer Nils Lassen; together they create delicate torch songs of reverb and echo that captivate the listener with resonating guitars, wailing harmonicas, maudlin mandolins and a choir of lonely mermaids that sporadically embraces Heidi's golden voice. The echoes of love and longing, hellos and deceiving goodbyes live within her unique and clear vibrato in a feel-good melancholic way.

The duo received great reviews worldwide for their two albums "Ghost River" and "Goodbye in July", led by the delicate and enchanting voice of Heidi Lindahl, where their sound has been compared to Nick Cave's "Murder Ballads" and Enya.

BlackieBlueBird are now back with the new single "The Love We Once Knew" which leverages the dreamy romanticism but preserves the melancholy of their previous works. The pandemic turmoil has led the duo to explore new avenues and enrich their sound with drums – a path that will hopefully lead to more songs for a brand-new album next year.

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Lost Tuesday Society - Annabel Gutherz - Charm of Finches - Sylvie

Lost Tuesday Society - Lights.

Swansea Folk-pop aficionados ‘Lost Tuesday Society’ have announced a brand new album entitled ‘Bee Skin Rug’ which will be released independently on Friday 22nd of October.

‘Lights’ the first single to be taken from the ‘Bee Skin Rug’ album is a terrific uplifting burst of energy that works as a fantastic preview of what we can expect from their new works. Harmony flooded and certainly becoming a real automatic-earworm, ‘Lights’ really excels and shows off ‘Lost Tuesday Society’s new material to a T, and accompanied with the production of acclaimed long-time friend and producer Joe Gibb, LTS are kitted out to establish themselves as a tour de force in their respected genres.

Lost Tuesday Society are Jay Browning (bass) Alfie Scheinman (guitar, flute, vocals) Sarah Birch (guitar, vocals) Darran Browning (guitar, vocals) Simon Jones (drums) Kate Ronconi (violin, vocals). Lost Tuesday Society are a 6 piece band who have collectively come from a variety of differing musical backgrounds and therefore bring with them a range of personal influences; from traditional and alternative folk, grunge and shoe-gaze, funk, psychedelia and rock.

The result is a unique blend of music with intricate compositions, strong hooks and melody lines combining in a huge dynamic sound that has people up on their feet.

With four vocalists (Sarah, Kate, Darran and Alfie) in the band the harmonies are interesting, beautiful and an important element to the Lost Tuesday Society sound. With a heavier back line and driving rhythm section ( Jay and Simon) and two accomplished guitarists (in Alfie and Darran) the new material presented today has a maturity and edge which is beautifully enhanced by weaving strings (Kate),flute(Alfie) and melodica (Sarah).

Lost Tuesday Society · Lights

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Annabel Gutherz - Wild Side / Remnant.

Today, Montreal-based singer & songwriter Annabel Gutherz releases her debut album, Loose Ends. The 11-track record includes 6 previously released singles and 5 brand new tracks. The album was co-produced by Dominique Messier, a long time band member for Céline Dion and owner of Studio Piccolo in Montreal, Quebec.

Loose Ends is stylistically eclectic yet entirely authentic. It’s a comforting record that cathartically encapsulates life’s unfinished moments: “Many times in my life, I was unable to get closure. Instead, I was left to bear the weight of the words I never said and the inescapable memories that tethered me to my past, suspending time. Understanding my need to let go of these ‘loose ends,’ I turned to song,” Annabel says.

Throughout the album, Annabel explores these complex and imperfect defining life experiences with a diaristic touch. Her ardent and perspective storytelling is on full display, complimented by honeyed melodies, layered instrumentation and full-bodied vocals. She takes listeners on a journey as she writes from the heart with raw honesty and emotional conviction.

Annabel Gutherz made her debut in 2018 with the release of “Legends,” a philanthropic song whose proceeds are donated to education-based charities. After spending the past few years honing her musical talents at Berklee College of Music, the young singer-songwriter has come into her own as a promising artist to watch. On top of her musical endeavors and academic career, Annabel is the published author of children’s picture book series, Annie’s Pajammies. A portion of the proceeds from every Annie’s Pajammies unit sold is donated to help facilitate access to education in countries across the globe.

Annabel Gutherz · Annabel Gutherz - Wild Side

Annabel Gutherz · Annabel Gutherz - Remnant

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Charm of Finches - Heavy.

Sister indie-folk duo Charm of Finches today share their new single "Heavy," which is off of their forthcoming album Wonderful Oblivion, set for release on October 22nd.

According to the sisters, "This song is an expression of the sadness and frustration we feel about the state of the world. The song reflects on how, in this modern world, we have in many ways lost our connection to nature. 

Consumerism and a culture of narcissism are coping mechanisms to fill the void where that future shock, emptiness and sadness would be." Featuring Mabel on vocals and cello, Ivy on vocals and violin, with Ledwell adding percussion, piano and synth bass, the song is beautifully melancholic and folk-inspired, delivering a timely and important message about our sacred connection with nature.

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Sylvie - Shooting Star.

Sylvie's self-titled debut EP is due out this Friday on Terrible Records, and today the band are sharing a final single from the EP, a track called "Shooting Star," ahead of its upcoming release. The EP was announced in July alongside a feature on Aquarium Drunkard and the release of a single from which the band take their name. 

That single is a cover of a song from an obscure 1970s record by Ian Matthews called Later That Same Year, and a track that serves as a partial inspiration for the band's existence. Before they adopted it as a name, the band (which is led by some time Drugdealer & Golden Daze member Benjamin Schwab and features Marina Allen and Sam Burton) started using the term "a Sylvie" to refer to "a song from the past that’s incredible but for whatever reason, is basically unknown," and the group's sound is a sort of homage to lost gems like Matthew's songs, and the recordings of Mad Anthony, the Southern California group that Benjamin's father John Schwab played in during the '70s.

The band's latest single shares a similar archival bent and an appreciation for the secret songwriting gems of both past and present Los Angeles. An unreleased song that Schwab first conceived of 10 years ago with a friend and fellow songwriter called Stanley Thiel, it's a track that took on personal significance to Schwab.

"This song was one that was floating around my world for a long time," Schwab explains. "It was conceived by my good friend Stanley Thiel a while ago. He is an unknown legendary songwriter in my eyes who has inspired me and other musicians around Los Angeles over the years. There are these songwriters like him who aren’t  in the scene and don’t really play the game, but who write incredible timeless songs. You won’t hear them unless you go looking for them. I wanted to put this song on some sort of a platform for people to hear and to acknowledge the song and him."

It was a mantra/anthem type song that our whole friend group knew and loved. It was never released, and my nostalgia for that period of my life was strong, remembering a time when collaboration and community was a lot easier than nowadays being in LA and pursuing music as a profession. The song was played many times by different people and on a lot of camping trips where we would all sing it; I always loved that it brought people together. "

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Parrot Dream - Taxiway - Eddie Davis

Parrot Dream - Red Circle.

NY-based dream-pop duo Parrot Dream are sharing a new single, "Red Circle." Parrot Dream is the Brooklyn via Santiago, Chile duo of Christina Appel and Gonzalo Guerrero. Good Eye released their debut, Light Goes, which dealt with themes of disconnected memory and loss as the partners grappled with their different senses of home.

"Red Circle" is part of a set of material that they had planned on recording in a studio in 2020 and ended up recording in their home throughout the year. It's also their first new work operating fully as a duo.

"'Red Circle' has its origins in an older song that we pulled apart and rebuilt. The central song idea for this track is one we’ve held on to for a while as it’s evolved through versions and phases. The earlier version was lighter and minimalist, and we moved the song to a bit of a more somber place with space for the melody to expand. The lyrics allude to a lush, hazy kind of love that burns bright and heavy. It’s a love that requires negotiation under seductive influences; trying to hold onto clarity while consciously giving in."

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Taxiway - Prime Meridian.

Taxiway began as a lo-fi bedroom solo pop project in early 2020. The idea came in late 2019 from a Spotify playlist Taxiway founder Mike Aurand created to listen to while traveling. Aurand says, “My wife Emily and I used to strategically choose which song we’d each listen to while our plane was taking off. It was a sort of ritual for us, the official start of whatever trip we were taking.” The comprised playlist consisted of chill electronica, trip-hop, jazz, and occasional singer/songwriter tunes. Aurand says, “I initially planned to make instrumental music that resembled the songs on my travel playlist, songs to listen to while the plane taxied down the runway, the quiet, tense moment before takeoff. When the pandemic hit, I decided to keep my mind occupied by writing real songs rather than just making instrumental loops. I began missing the thrill of traveling, which brought new significance to the name.” He drew from influences like Bjork, The Postal Service, and The XX and began recording in the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since Aurand shared a small one-bedroom apartment with his wife, who was studying for her bar exam only ten feet away, he had to figure out creative ways to make music without disturbing her. He recorded his vocal parts in a hushed manner, softly crooning into the microphone rather than singing loudly and forcefully. Gently strummed guitar replaced the abrasive hitting of the past. He omitted distortion pedals and power chords altogether in favor of reverb and delay effects. The resulting sound was unlike anything he’d previously recorded. He released a four-track self-titled EP of songs from those bedroom recording sessions.

Then something happened in late 2020 that changed things: A vaccine was approved, an actual *end* to the pandemic seemed possible, and Aurand’s musician friends started chatting about performing live again in 2021.  Aurand scrapped the EP and started from scratch. He sent the demos to his two friends, Joseph Jared (bass) and Caila Singleton (drums). They played their first show as a three-piece band at the Springwater Supper Club on July 21, 2021, which also happened to be Aurand’s three-year wedding anniversary. Their album, Absence, is set for release on November 5, 2021.

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Eddie Davis - Billboards & Barracudas.

Born Edward Davis McKenna in 1989, singer/songwriter Eddie Davis expressed a passion for entertaining at a young age and portrayed a natural ability to do so. 

Surrounded by vinyl, he was influenced by 60s and 70s era classic rock music and inspired by big vocals and colourful imaginative lyrics. 

This passion transformed into a genuine desire to emulate the monumental artists of that time through his own meaningful writings and performances. Using that passion to hone his craft, he is releasing his first solo project with his debut single, “Billboards & Barracudas”.

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Allison Lorenzen - Alyssa Gengos - Séan McCann

Allison Lorenzen - Mirrors.

Still reeling from the gut-punch of the distortion filled lead single “Vale” released earlier this year, many of us wondered what a full-length LP by the Denver based artist would sound like. Using the dystopian fever-dream of the aforementioned Midwife collaboration as a noise floor, the 8 songs on Tender spiral upwards like worried smoke against a low cloud ceiling, reaching towards the light but always within sight of the loamy earth surface. Shepherding lush, heavy compositions by way of synths, keys, guitars and subtle percussion, Tender finds Allison Lorenzen at her most vulnerable. Nursing old wounds from the end of a relationship and her musical project School Dance, Tender is also filled a renewed sense of heartbreak-made-triumphant that comes after the wisdom of solitude, allowing oneself to be taken care of by family and friends and, finally, documenting the way through.

The way through figures heavily on Tender. Imagery of passages through liminal spaces are replete. “Vales” occur as emotional valleys as well as McCarthy-inspired end times, “Mirrors” are portals into deep self-reflection, “Tentacles” keep pulling us back into old patterns, old memories. Musically, this non-linear approach to healing is explored through songs that move from light to dark and back again, often within the same song, if not within the same phrase.

Lorenzen’s voice has an uncanny choral quality to it. Taking a phrase that would have sounded quite beautiful sung straight in her smoky, ephemeral delivery, Lorenzen frequently raises the stakes by taking a single word through several octave changes within the same breath. Treading similar musical paths to Beach House in her penchant for writing quiet, world-shifting crescendos, the nocturnal, Styx-guiding Dream Pop of Julee Cruise and the heavy, distortion filled guitars and world-weary vocals of Miserable and frequent Tender collaborator Midwife, Lorenzen’s work comes alive in its own cinematic universe.

Recorded in Colorado, Tender is Allison Lorenzen’s debut full length. Originally intended to come out this summer, an unprecedented supply chain disruption has caused the album’s release date to be moved back to November 2021. Whited Sepulchre Records will be releasing a new single every month prior to the album’s release date.

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Alyssa Gengos - Mechanical Sweetness.

Brand new Egghunt Records signing Alyssa Gengos today releases her new single/video Mechanical Sweetness.

Quote from Alyssa: “Mechanical Sweetness” is a song about my immense frustration with the way we form human (and more specifically, romantic) connections nowadays. Social media and dating apps have turned human interaction into a painful game. These digital ways of communication have caused me so much stress, and my attempts at forging relationships through them have been short-lived and veiled with thin layers of politeness. 

When the charade between two people who don’t really know each other finally ends, these relationships can be exposed for what they frequently are: unbalanced, unhealthy, and lacking compassion. Sonically, this song mirrors my experiences with largely digital relationships. In the beginning, there are quiet moments of sparse communication where anxiety runs high, eventually leading to an outburst of emotion followed by a period of insecurity and self-questioning.

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Séan McCann - Shantyman's Life.

What does it mean to be a “Shantyman”? Much less know what he may do with his time? His life? Leave it to Canadian Celtic folk-rocker Séan McCann to spin the yarn that’ll provide all the answers in this, his new single available now!

Depending upon which side of the Atlantic your ancestors come from, a “Shantyman” is either a simple sailor, or a lumberjack, who leads his fellow labourers in song. Listen to Newfoundland’s McCann, and his new acoustic fable of the same name, and find yourself as both lost in the woods or at sea with an album chock full of anecdotes, and spirited arrangements.

A musician by birth, a professional songwriter since the 80s, McCann has become a tour de force in Canada’s rich musical landscape and history — not only as a solo artist, but also as a former bandmate of world-renowned and beloved folk rock band Great Big Sea, a group he co-founded and performed with until his exit in 2013.

Over his incredible career, McCann has dropped five successful solo albums, each touching on subjects ranging from life in his home-country to tackling cultural moments like the infamous Fort McMurray, Alberta, wildfires (2016) in which he partnered with the Canadian Red Cross. In conjunction with his philanthropy work, McCann also went on to organize a songwriters benefit in 2017 in support of veterans suffering with PTSD and addiction, enlisting his fellow musician friends, Joel Plaskett, Sarah Harmer and Jeremy Fisher. McCann’s good deeds would not go unnoticed – the musician earned the Order of Canada for his advocacy in 2020.

Coming to terms with the hauntings of his past, which ultimately resulted in a spiralling battle with alcohol addiction, coming clean and owning his truth has been paramount to who he’s become as a husband, a father, a musician, and a human. Armed with the strength and support of his wife, Andrea Aragon, McCann co-penned his first book One Good Reason (April, 2020). “It’s the story of how love saved their marriage, and music saved his life. It is the story of a man freed from the weight of a lie; a man who is changing his narrative and never forgetting... that he is not alone.”

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Angelina Luzi - Gone To Color (feat. Kurt Wagner)

Angelina Luzi - Beast.

Italian English independent female artist, Angelina Luzi launches a haunting new project which kicks off with single ‘Beast’ as she draws her listener in with her captivating, emotive vocals, which beguile and enchant as she bares her soul on this striking alt-pop ballad.

Being Italian and hugely inspired by British trip hop artists like Portishead and Massive Attack it’s clear to see how this passionate, cinematic soundscape has made its way to being released ahead of many more gems Angelina worked on during the recent lockdowns.

A fully creative artiste who not only writes, performs, and produces all her own songs and has been building up a dedicated loyal following since moving to London several years ago. Angelina explains on ‘Beast, “I wanted to treat the lyrics as though they were from the pages of my most intimate diary. On ‘Beast’ I fight with the addiction of a toxic relationship. One that is deeply dangerous, yet so familiar and misleadingly safe.”

Shot in Italy the video vividly explores in lush tones, the struggle of trying to escape something very intense while being caught up in self-destructive loop. Angelina employs a beautiful combination of electronic pads, soothing strings and ethereal harmonies to wrap us in a web of romance within a deceiving Parisian style cocoon.

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Gone To Color - Just Smile (feat. Kurt Wagner).

“When Gone To Color contacted me about working together I was struck by their sonics. They were pretty intense and inspiring so the work was a pleasure. At the time I had no idea who these guys were but they make good art and that’s enough for me, plus they seem to appreciate my way with words which is big and their approach in collaboration is right and true." -Kurt Wagner

Gone To Color is the rock/electronic duo of Tyler Bradley Walker and Matt Heim, formed in Cincinnati and now split between Atlanta and Washington, DC. Gone To Color’s sound has been described as “shapeshifting...subdued, dreamy, and surreal.” The duo’s eclecticism makes categorization hard to pin down; though, combinations of electronics, guitars, and vocals seem ubiquitous in the band’s aesthetic. Walker and Heim often synthesize their instrumental compositions through collaboration. Gone to Color’s latest single, “Just Smile,” features guest vocals from Lambchop's Kurt Wagner.

Gone to Color’s debut album, out October 15th, is stacked with an incredible host of collaborators, including Mercury Music Prize nominee Martina Topley-Bird (Massive Attack and Tricky collaborator), Pat Sansone of Wilco, sound designer Richard Devine, Angus Andrew of Liars, GRAMMY nominee Ade Blackburn of Clinic, and Jessie Stein of The Luyas. The record was co-produced by Brian Deck (Modest Mouse, Grandaddy).

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Nadia Vaeh - Lizzie Esau - Birdtalker - Brion Starr

Nadia Vaeh - Leap of Faith.

 A messy and distressed apartment in Los Angeles provides the unique setting for the latest music video for the song “Leap of Faith'' by conscious pop singer and Atlanta native Nadia Vaeh releasing this Friday, September 24th, 2021. Filming for the music video took place in her actual apartment as she prepared to move back to her hometown of Atlanta. The video captures the story of her leap into the music industry while dropping everything she had to jump in her Toyota Corolla and move to Los Angeles.

Filmed entirely with a cell phone the music video also tells the story of her leap back to Atlanta. Images of Nadia packing, and labeling boxes surrounded by piles of clothing reveals a real story unfolding in real-time. “There is no better setting for this story in the real place where I lived, with the real mess I had when moving out”, states Nadia. “I was stressed, homeless and forced to move. There is no better imagery to depict the uprooting of my life than reality. The apartment was a mess because I was a mess.”

The uplifting and inspirational song for the video tells the story of Nadia’s journey from Atlanta to Los Angeles and back to Atlanta; a journey that started with quitting everything, living out of her car, and taking the chance in pursuit of a career in music. After working many odd jobs, including a stint in a local Atlanta circus, Nadia Vaeh’s frustration with her career boiled over to the point where she knew she needed to take her songwriting and melodic talents to a different level and go all-in with her career. “I knew I had songs in my head and stories to share that could help others. I was at a place in my life where I knew that I needed to take a chance on myself and pursue my dream even more so than I ever had.”, says Nadia Vaeh. “It was scary to leave all that I knew and move to a different city once, let alone twice.”

Co-starring in the video is Nadia’s Toyota Corolla “Pearl”. “My car Pearl took me from Atlanta to LA and back to Atlanta. This car has helped me achieve my dreams and without my trusty Corolla I would not be where I am today", states Nadia Vaeh.

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Lizzie Esau - Caffeine.

“Caffeine is about the struggle to justify the choices you make and feeling like you need to please others around you, but still having to validate your choices inside your own head. I wanted the song to build as it progressed and it was important to me to achieve a really big indie, raw /grungy sound. 

I love the song and feel Steve has really helped me achieve the energy and power it needed. This song feels so right for me right now, and I like that my writing is reflecting where I want to be musically”.  says Lizzie

Steve Grainger who produced the record.“I wanted to build on the idea from Lizzie's demo, accentuate the lyrical themes and create an organic but powerful production. Lazy beats, simple, strong guitar riffs and bass lines with some yacht-rock and 90s grunge touches if you know where to look”.

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Photo - Jeremy Cowart

Birdtalker - I Know.

Ahead of their anticipated sophomore effort (out 10/8 via AntiFragile Music), Nashville-based indie/folk group Birdtalker released today their new single "I Know." A defiant song about learning to trust your gut, the band called it "a broad-brush narrative about the experience of being shaped to believe that wonder and curiosity may be a threat, and the eventual realization that those qualities in fact have led to a more grounded and vital experience of being alive."

"It's a song about trusting the stomach, not necessarily the uncountable programmed stories and information we receive along the way," they continued. "It's a simultaneously tentative and certain exclamation that we will give ourselves permission to listen to those fundamental pricks of the heart, and trust they'll lead somewhere with integrity."

The new single follows several songs the band have shared from their forthcoming album, including the emphatic track "Taking Control," the breezy duet ""Tides," and "Old Sob Story," a rollicking song full of bravado and sass that Rolling Stone called "at times evoking the dramatic flair of the Decemberists' Colin Meloy, at others the bravado (and glammy tones of Marc Bolan." Lead single "Better Days" is also out now, a tranquil yet stirring song that finds the quintet reawakening and optimistically looking forward.

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Photo Edouard Plongeon

Brion Starr - A Night To Remember.

NYC-based rocker Brion Starr – otherwise known as musician Brian Hill – has shared the second blazing single and titular track (listen here) from the upcoming album A Night to Remember, along with an accompanying video. The album – produced by the legendary sonic mastermind Tony Visconti (David Bowie, T. Rex, Sparks) – marks Starr’s first music since the release of his 2020 sophomore effort, the aptly-titled 2020. Out November 19th via Taxi Gauche Records, A Night to Remember will be available as a 12” gatefold vinyl, CD, tape and digitally. 

Speaking on the origins of “A Night To Remember,” Starr writes: “The track is a reflection on what was going on last summer with the worldwide protests that were happening, reflected through the prism of American sentimentality. I love the piano in this track, very special. ‘A Night To Remember’ your life, the kind of night that surpasses anything you could have imagined. The kind of night where it feels like the whole world could change.”

On the inspiration for the video, Starr writes: “‘A Night To Remember’ is a dive into the subconscious. It is a sort of fever dream in the middle of the album’s trajectory. I’ve always been fascinated by mime, how it’s neutral nature exposes the depth of human emotion. I wanted to bring out my inner Marcel Marceau for this video.

We shot it in a place I grew up going with my friends, the East River Park Amphitheater. We still meet there once in a while. That place means a lot to me, the city is trying to develop the park right now. I hope they do not succeed in their plans, the NYC of my childhood disappears a bit more each day. Check out East River Park Action to help out in stopping them.”

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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.

   

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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.

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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".

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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.

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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

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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."

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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.

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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

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