Massage - Blooms - Ziemba - Wilma Nea

Massage - I'm Going In A Field.

Just a few months after releasing their acclaimed second album Still Life, Los Angeles indie-pop band Massage returns with Lane Lines — a six-track EP out December 10 on Mt.St.Mtn. (Cindy, Flowertown, Blues Lawyer) that finds the quintet expanding on their Sarah-meets-Creation Records sound with new touches of soft psychedelia, Feelies-ish frenzy and Haçienda-era escapism.

The band didn’t plan to follow Still Lines so quickly. But after the pandemic further delayed that multi-year project, Alex Naidus (guitar, vocals, former Pains of Being Pure at Heart), Andrew Romano (guitar, vocals), Gabrielle Ferrer (keyboards, percussion, vocals), David Rager (bass) and Natalie de Almeida (drums) leapt at the chance to make music together again in real life and started gathering on random summer evenings in the tiny rehearsal-space studio of producer-composer Andrew Brassell (Susanna Hoffs) with no clear goal in mind.

Lane Lines is the surprise product of those informal sessions — a flash of pent-up creative energy that serves as both a companion piece to Still Life and an exploration of textures and influences that didn’t quite fit the full-length but have always been deeply embedded in the band’s DNA, with new echoes of 1980s artists that sought to refract the 1960s through their own skewed prisms: Flying Nun, the Paisley Underground, The Feelies covering The Beatles, “Second Summer of Love” New Order.

“The songs on Still Life and Lane Lines seem to straddle the line between indie and pop without exactly being ‘indie pop,’" Romano says. “To me they feel more like descendents of ‘college rock’ — a moment that lasted from about 1986 to 1991, right before the underground and the mainstream converged, when it seemed like any scrappy indie band might stumble across a hit.”

Mt.St.Mtn. · Massage - I'm Going In A Field

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Blooms - Focus.

Blooms first burst onto the scene in 2014 with her dark blend of electro-pop and debut EP, ‘If’. Since then the Irish born artist has won the acclaim of the likes of Wonderland Magazine, Noisey, Complex and Clash Magazine. Having honed her craft over the years, Blooms now returns with an ethereal new offering ‘Focus’. The dark indie-pop track incorporates hushed vocals and frosty synths which capture the emotion and longing behind the track’s meaning.

"It's about loving someone but not knowing if you're in love with them. It's about questioning why you can't focus on them or feel the love they have for you, about feeling guilty for not being grateful for what you have" - Blooms shares

The new release follows on from Blooms’ most recent offering ‘Text Me When You Get Home’, a haunting and poignant track that sought to raise awareness on the issue of women’s safety. The track highlighted the hard-hitting reality of all the actions that women and girls feel they must take themselves to try and stay safe in a culture of male harassment and violence against them.

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Photo - Ian Torres

Ziemba - Set In Ice.

El Paso-based artist, Ziemba – a moniker for songwriter, producer, vocalist and pianist, René Kladzyk – is today sharing a duo of singles, "Set in Ice" and a cover of the holiday favorite, "I'll Be Home For Christmas," the latter of which arrives with a technicolor video directed by Kladzyk. These two tracks follow on the heels of last month's release, "Fear" arriving as another installment of Kladzyk's forthcoming album, Unsubtle Magic which is due out next Friday, December 10 via Sister Polygon Records.

The holiday season is a horrible time to be grieving. Family gatherings and omnipresent nostalgia can amplify a loved one’s absence, becoming constant reminders of what is lost. René is acutely aware of that feeling. After Kladzyk’s father suffered a stroke in December 2019 and died on January 2, 2020, Christmas associations were radically and permanently transformed. Unsubtle Magic navigates the holiday season through the lens of grief; journeying “a year and a day” from the initial loss through the following Christmas, a grim anniversary.

"Set in Ice" and "I'll Be Home For Christmas" provide two crucial cornerstones to the record. The former is a reinterpretation of a song that her father wrote in December 1974 while he worked as a touring musician under the moniker Aurel Roy. 

When discussing "Set in Ice," René explains: "He [my father] wrote hundreds of songs during his 12-year music career, but when my mom got pregnant he quit music entirely and got a 9 to 5 job at an automobile manufacturing factory in rural Michigan. Growing up, he seldom talked about that chapter of his life -- as a kid I was always curious about it and would try to pry stories out of him. He mostly would just say he didn’t remember, or that it felt like another life. But when I started working as a touring musician he was so proud of me, something I think is a rarity for parents of broke musicians. He would comment on how difficult what I was doing was, and started to share more stories from that time in his life with me. Beyond being his kid, we formed a new bond around our shared trials as working musicians. He was a trusted (and sometimes brutal) advisor and a constant cheerleader. After he died, his songs and lyric notebooks became an important gateway for me to continue expanding my relationship with him. His version of "Set in Ice" was an unadorned piano ballad, but I reimagined it as a driving song, picturing him at the wheel on long solo road trips. It has an endless quality to it that I identify with: “get up every morning just to sing these songs.” Covering his songs feels like a form of magic, a way to bring him back for just a moment, or to catch a glimpse of a version of him I never knew in this life."

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Wilma Nea - Days Like This.

With her dynamic expression, shaped by influences from Fiona Apple, Ane Brun and Kate Bush, Wilma Nea debuted with the EP "Issues" in 2020 and quickly received a warm reception from a united group of critics, including The Line Of Best Fit, NBHAP, Aftonbladet and Dagens Nyheter. As Wilma gets ready to release her debut album "This Too Shall Pass" on March 4th, it's with an equal force. 

Now she releases the single "Days Like This" taken from the upcoming album with an accompanying music video in a moody 60's setting. In the video we see Wilma portraying entrapment and being stuck in old patterns.

"It was really fun to shoot all the scenes, especially the dancing. I love the world we built and I think all the scenes really speak. For example, at the end there's a little sequence where I control myself as a puppet with hand movements, which I think represents taking control in a cool way."

The video is directed, filmed and edited by Ebba G. Ågren, based on concepts from Wilma and Ebba. It was filmed in the summer of 2021 at Studio Stor in Malmö. The choreography is by Monica Malmén.

On the upcoming album "This Too Shall Pass", where Wilma also debuts as a producer, we hear an artist exploring stories about daring to communicate her needs, daring to let go and start breathing again. An honest, raw and naked portrait of relationships, the importance of self-respect and growing as a person.

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Black Bordello - The Sully Band - Chrissi Poland - Mae Mae

Photo - Lou Smith

Black Bordello - Drones.

Peckham, London based band Black Bordello today release new single "Drones" and announce their new EP 'White Bardo', out March 2022 via Hideous Mink Records (Opus Kink, Fake Turins, Body Horror). With inspirations ranging from PJ Harvey and Björk to Aphex Twin and David Bowie, Black Bordello's carnivalesque blend of art-rock, punk, jazz and Turkish psychedelia is a wholly unique aural experience.

Recently supporting the likes of Goat Girl and L.A. Salami as well as being handpicked by The Libertines to support them on their November UK tour, Black Bordello are a truly captivating live proposition. Regularly appearing on the London underground circuit alongside fellows risers Opus Kink, Blue Bendy, Modern Woman, Malady, Honeyglaze and Robbie & Mona, they have organically garnered a reputation as one of the most exciting live acts in the country.

The band's self-titled debut album was released in 2020 to a small but fervent wave of acclaim from publications including So Young Magazine ("It takes very little persuasion to fall under Black Bordello’s spell") and Loud And Quiet ("...simply calling Black Bordello's self-titled debut album 'genre-defying' doesn't do it justice. This album is an exercise in world building.")

The band announce their first body of work since their debut album, new EP 'White Bardo' - out next March via tastemaker indie label Hideous Mink Records. The announcement coincides with the release of new single "Drones" along with an accompanying video directed by Lou Smith. Written during lockdown 2020, (somewhat illegally) in a basement underneath a closed pub, "Drones" opens with a theatrical descending bass line, before erupting into a roar of magisterial brass, fizzing synth runs, and frenzied percussion.

Discussing the initial inspiration behind the track, vocalist Sienna Bordello said: "The idea for 'Drones' came about after I watched a documentary about a Drone pilot. He was a gamer who had been headhunted by the US military and recruited into the military workforce. He was given a gaming station with Xbox-like controllers and vintage screens which showed simplistic colours, much like the platform arcade games of the 80s and 90s. He was given missions like ‘cut the grass’, ‘trim the weeds’, ‘tidy this area’. After his service was done, he suffered PTSD when the realisation that he’d been controlling the distribution and attack of drone missiles on civilians sank in. I thought of this as an interesting subject matter for the song, namely because we were in a global pandemic and all life as we knew it had been halted, yet at the same time the UK and US (amongst others)  governments had put more money into military than ever before, and had recruited more troops to attack parts of the middle east throughout our so-called ‘international emergency’. I was gobsmacked that they were passing needless military operations whilst the world was distracted by the pandemic. Every person in this situation is a puppet, but who is pulling the strings?"

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The Sully Band - When The Battle Is Over.

On March 11, 2022, The Sully Band, voted Best Live Band at the 2020 San Diego Music Awards, will release their debut LP, Let’s Straighten It Out, conceived in the hallowed halls of Henson Recording Studio in Hollywood, California (formerly A&M Studios). With Let’s Straighten It Out, Sully and his bluesy, nine-piece beast of a band take us on a journey through the ups, downs, and all-arounds of love by way of 10 classic ‘60s and ‘70s soul, blues, and R&B tunes. The album will be released via Belly Up Records, and marketed and distributed by Blue Élan Records.

This labor of love album was recorded in only five jam-packed days, with “mostly-live” versions of carefully curated love-themed songs that made a mark when they were originally released and yet also feel relevant today. Sully’s soulful, heartfelt vocals cut across layers of horns and guitars that take the listener on an emotional arc of joy, disappointment, struggle, and redemption.

Multiple Grammy Award-winning producer Chris Goldsmith (Blind Boys of Alabama, Ben Harper, Charlie Musselwhite, Big Head Todd) provided the musical curation that makes up Let’s Straighten It Out. Treasured tunes like Billy Preston’s “Nothing from Nothing” and Jackie Wilson’s “Higher and Higher” share the tracklist with lesser-known nuggets like “Hallelujah, I Love Her So” by Ray Charles; the title track, first recorded by Latimore in 1974; Shuggie Otis’ “Ice Cold Daydream”; and “I Wish It Would Rain,” first made a hit by The Temptations. Acclaimed San Diego soul singer, Rebecca Jade, shared vocal duties with Sully on Mac Rebennack (aka Dr. John) and Jessie Hill’s “When the Battle Is Over,” while on “If You Love Me Like You Say,” the late Albert Collins is evoked by Anthony Cullins, the 20-year-old guitar sensation from Fallbrook, California.

Anchored by Grammy Award-winning slayer of the bass, James East (Eric Clapton, Elton John, Michael Jackson, and many others), The Sully Band is composed of seasoned, accomplished players who hail from diverse locales like Japan, Panama, and the island of Lemon Grove. The horn section features sax-flute-harp-man Tripp Sprague (Kenny Loggins, The Little River Band, Smokey Robinson, The Temptations, The Four Tops) and trumpet and flugelhorn player Steve Dillard (The Righteous Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd).

Sully himself is an enigma. He caught the music bug at age six after picking up a nylon-string guitar and playing the first few chords of “Sitting on the Dock of the Bay” with his dad. In high school, the barrel-chested, all-American football player rocked out to Boston and Foreigner with his buddies, starred in every show-tune-laden musical theatre production through college, and ended each day with James Brown or Stevie Wonder on his Pioneer receiver.

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Chrissi Poland - Destination Home (E.P).

Becoming a parent completely changes one’s perspective. Singer-songwriter Chrissi Poland chronicles her journey through music and motherhood in her upcoming EP Destination Home. Vocalizing the raw balance of being an active touring musician and a new mom to a two-year-old baby girl, Poland speaks her truth about life within her contemporary styled tracks.

Poland’s passion for music was fueled when she was born into her musically inclined family and has only flourished since then. Rooted in Poland’s shift of view when she embarked on motherhood, Destination Home shares how this journey has influenced her music and all aspects of life. The songwriter’s honest mid-tempo EP highlights the universal ups and downs of parenting while striving to achieve one's dream. Hoping to inspire parents across the globe with this intimate project, Poland shares:

“When I began to write the songs for what would become Destination Home, I was a new mother and had just come off of my first tour since my daughter had been born. After growing and carrying this little human, suddenly she was out in the world, and then a handful of months later, I was out in the world, without her. What an unsettling, strange and often at times debilitating feeling, to suddenly be away from her for stretches of time. And so goes the plight of every working mother around the world, no matter what field of work.” Poland continues, “I remember being on a plane with tears streaming down my face as I wrote the words to 'Destination Home,' grappling with feelings of guilt and anxiety, of general unease."

A personal and yet recognizable sentiment, the multifaceted musician aims to let her story be heard while inspiring others to believe in their own dreams as well as in themselves. Poland shares: “The whole EP turned out to not only be a letter of love to my daughter, but to mothers and caregivers. To all the mothers and caregivers everywhere who are forging ahead with their careers and also being loving parents and guardians, I see you! This is for you.”

Chrissi Poland · Destination Home

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Mae Mae - Apple Boy.

Atlanta-born and Los Angeles-based singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Mae Mae will soon announce the release date and track list for her debut EP, Gummy Heart Eyes. 

She has released the second single from that record, “Apple Boy” a fizzy pop song with a stylishly groove.

“Apple Boy” joins Mae Mae’s previously released debut single from Gummy Heart Eyes, “Squishy” a song that Consequence called “an easy, playful, sunny ode to a happy afternoon” and lies “somewhere between cutesy and dreamy.”

 

 

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Pastel Blank - Mild Orange - Wild the Coyote

Photo - Bella White

Pastel Blank - Picture Perfect.

Victoria, British Columbia experimental art-rockers Pastel Blank released their latest single, “Picture Perfect,” as they continue to tease material from a debut record, due in 2022.

Discussing the track, guitarist/vocalist Angus Watt, noted, “‘Picture Perfect’ is about infatuation and idealization; how the heart sways the eyes. Starting with a few fragments inspired by Jobim’s ‘Aguas de Marcos’, the bulk of the song was written by myself & Oliver (Hollingshead) in one sitting, with Oliver playing the drum part on his lap. Unlike most of the songs we’ve worked on, this one was simply recorded in my apartment using a Tascam 388 tape machine that producer David Parry (Loving, Alice Phoebe Lou, Jons) lent me.”

Formed in 2019 in Victoria, Pastel Blank pull influence from the jerky rhythms and genre-blending curiosity of Talking Heads as well as the interlocking guitar-work of post-punk luminaries Women. Their music cloaks experimentation in pop-minded song structures. Skeletal, wobbly guitars squeeze around the propulsive engine of thumping bass and drums, driving the beat forward as Watt’s percussive vocals weave a stream of cryptics into tongue-in-cheek wordplay reminiscent of heroes such as Stephen Malkmus or Dan Bejar.

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Mild Orange - What's Your Fire? / Hollywood Dreams.

Formed in 2018, Mild Orange are made up of childhood mates, frontman Josh Mehrtens and lead guitarist Josh Reid, with bassist Tom Kelk and drummer Jack Ferguson. Their internet-cult following has reached fans from Cairo to Cape Town, Lima to LA, Seoul to Sydney, London to Ulanbutar giving them close to 50 million YouTube views alone. Together they create energetic, summer-bummer psychedelic rock complete with compelling lyrics and are known for their relaxed and buoyant sound. Their music has racked up close to 50 million+ YouTube views combined and on Spotify millions of streams including 16 million+ alone for their breakout single, ‘Some Feeling.'

"We recognise that everybody's 'fire' is going to be different, so we would like to leave this song up to personal interpretation, whether that 'fire' be political, societal or one's personal motivations. For me, 'What's Your Fire?' came from a time in my life where I was trying to figure out who I am, or who the person I want to be is. 

It asks oneself some intense questions, though hopefully helps oneself find light in the idea that there is always something that you can do to improve yourself or the world around you - no matter how big or small. It's when we ask ourselves these questions that we consider a potential answer. We have been playing it as an encore at our concerts and festivals in NZ for over a year now, and since then, it has been a highlight of our live sets with it always being the main takeaway from the set when we talk to fans after the show.

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Wild the Coyote - Under the Weather.

Wild the Coyote has released his newest single, “Under The Weather,” from his upcoming EP, 7 Roses. The EP’s second song revives the heavy and powerful experience that Coyote brings to the country music world. “Under The Weather” is available now to stream and download on all streaming platforms worldwide.

“Under The Weather” pairs strong guitars and emphatic vocals to create a unique sound only Wild the Coyote can deliver. The western, outlaw-country track adds rock, alternative, and blues elements to give the record its distinctive edge. Produced by Joseph Holiday and engineered by Tito Woods, the song covers a harrowing topic that shook Wild the Coyote to the core. “Under The Weather” follows the story of a man trying his best to keep it together for his family, but can’t shake the troubles of drugs and alcohol that are tearing his family apart. "I had never been inspired to write a song the way that I was with ‘Under the Weather,’ and in a way, I’m not too proud of that,” says Coyote. Listeners can feel the emotion radiating from the lyrics through his powerful storytelling. 

“With this song, I was at the wrong place at the wrong time and witnessed a devastating argument between family over drugs and alcohol destroying their relationship,” says Coyote. “It was painful to see the destruction those two poisons can have on a relationship, especially when there are kids in the picture. I’ve had my share of troubled run-ins with alcohol, so I went and wrote a song that hurt me to the core.” His ability to bring an immersive story to life through music has led him to create a unique and original listening experience.

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Guy Verlinde - Hogleg Band

Guy Verlinde - Up on the Mountain.

Today is the release of the new single Up on the Mountain by #1 Belgian blues and roots artist Guy Verlinde. It is an Americana song about the "circle of life" with  a river as a metaphor. Just as a small river at its source carries already all the power to flood a valley, everyone has everything inside to become the person he or she should be. 

The rhythm of the drums, percussion and banjo symbolizes the rippling and flowing of the river that rises more and more towards the end of the song.

When there is no budget for shooting videos, you need to be creative. This video has a unique concept as it was filmed by the audience from every corner of the Minard theatre. It is disturbing for an artist when people try to film during a concert. 

But at the end of the concert by Guy Verlinde & The Artisans of Solace in the Ghent Minard Theater, the audience was explicitly asked to film the performance during the song "Up on the Mountain" with their phones. The more than 100 videos were edited into one video clip by the young filmmaker Erno Baelus. Beehive Candy say's - This is a really fine live video for a highly notable song.

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Hogleg Band - How It Feels To Be A Cowboy.

Hogleg Band, reckon they are Louisiana's own "country super group" and their new release 'How It Feels To Be A Cowboy' suggests they might have a point. 

The core band consists of Grammy award winning drummer Brian Brignac, on lead guitar one Dr Mullet; keys stands Corban Barnes. "Lightnin" Lucho Bolivar from Barranquilla, Colombia on lead guitar two. 

Chris Roberts, legendary bassist for Blues king Johnathon "Boogie" Long on bass guitar. Gram Rae fiddler & Harmonica player from Mississippi, with Richard Comeaux on Steel guitar Lance Woolie on lead vocals.

The band tell us that the initial release from this record is a "fast driving song called "How It Feels To Be A Cowboy" . This is a very upbeat rocking country ditty. How It Feels To Be A Cowboy is a true story told in song about being hard headed and living the outlaw life. This song rides fast and raw and has the grit and goods to back it up." We have to say, we agree!

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Render Sisters - Eliyanah - Parks N' Rec

Render Sisters - I Don't Wanna Know.

Pop-country duo Render Sisters, composed of best friends and sisters Mary-Keaton and Stella Render, continues their blossoming maturation and obvious sisterly kinship on their new single, “I Don’t Wanna Know.” The new tune finds the sisters singing about the unpredictable nature of relationships in the modern world. Releasing everywhere digital music is available today Monday, November 29, “I Don’t Wanna Know” is the sixth single the teen duo has released since their emergence in 2020.

Mary-Keaton and Stella wrote the song with Nashville-based songwriter Doug Kahan (Trick Pony, Clay Walker, Jon Pardi) on a recent trip to Nashville, but the idea behind the song came from an actual relationship which Mary-Keaton had recently been involved in back in their hometown of Pine Bluff, Arkansas.

“I knew that I really liked this guy at the time, but I was scared that if I knew his past that I may not like him anymore,” Mary-Keaton admitted. “I wanted to get to know him for who he was, and give him a chance, but I have always been the type of person that gives someone the benefit of the doubt, too. Until they betray me, or prove me wrong in some way."

Stella was also cautious about the guy's past, and encouraged her sister to remain the same way. However, the younger of the two was the primary instigator for turning her older sister’s relationship scenario into a song.

“Every single time I tried to talk to her about it, Mary-Keaton would always reply, ‘I don't wanna know,’” Stella recalled. “So one day while songwriting, and talking about this guy again, Mary-Keaton again repeated ‘I don't wanna know,’ and then I knew we had to find a way to spin this into a song about her situation.”

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Lauren Marsh Photography

Eliyanah - Somebody Else.

Alt-pop artist Eliyanah's latest raw and cathartic offering, 'Somebody Else', delves into what it's like to handle the painful end of a long-term relationship as well as adapting to life after it. Soft grooving percussion echoes through nostalgic keys, angelic vocals, ethereal harmonies and bouncing basslines, as she blends the very best of indie, pop, alternative and electronic elements.

“The song explores the complicated and painful twists of navigating a long-term relationship's end, as well as confronting yourself in its wake.” Eliyanah shares

The song was co-written with Eliyanah’s brother Simon Woodley as well as musician Ben Scott (Tom Walker, Mahalia, Ed Sheeran). Eliyanah then worked alongside producer Hugh Fogerhill and mastering engineer James Birt to bring the track to life, Eliyanah succeeds at creating a nostalgic and introspective track that resonates with all who listen.

Eliyanah · Somebody Else

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Parks N' Rec - the year that everything changed.

Background from Parks N' Rec: I am telling the story of reflection and acceptance; adaption and redefinition.

After spending nine months in remote parts of Central and South America, I landed in New York City this fall. The shock of that transition combined with witnessing a metropolis hoping for a revival was interesting. I wanted to capture that recalibration of human behaviour, and the beauty of that challenge. You'll hear a melancholic mood that comes from a place of strength.

The single artwork is taken from the Hubble Space Telescope of stars populating globular clusters. The video was produced with edits of that celestial footage. The video hopes to encourage the journey and offer new perspective.

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Georgia Lines - Bonnie

Georgia Lines - I Got You.

Captivating singer-songwriter Georgia Lines has unveiled her stunningly emotive new single and video "I Got You." Layered in dreamy, atmospheric strings which floats over a chilled groove, "I Got You" is hook-laden in melody, performed by Georgia’s uniquely soaring vocals. The Tauranga-based artist is compelling in her storytelling, reflecting on change, loss, acceptance and letting go.

“At the time there were so many things in my world that were changing, including dealing with the grief of losing a family member,” says Georgia. “It felt like life was becoming a game of giant jenga with so many pieces being pulled out from under me, whilst trying to hold everything together. ‘I Got You’ is about the process of learning to let go, whilst continuing to hold onto the few things that you know to be true.”

Co-written and produced by Djeisan Suskov (BENEE, Matthew Young, Mitch James, LEISURE), "I Got You" is the very first song the now prolific duo wrote together in 2020. Written fresh out of Aotearoa’s first lockdown, the track is reflective of Georgia’s growth mindset in navigating the challenges of pursuing a career in music during a pandemic.

“Covid has required loads of adaptability, positivity and constant changes in perspective,” says Georgia. “The biggest mindset shift that has helped me navigate this unknown, has been the conscious decision to make sure that every part of the journey is enjoyable. For me, keeping this perspective along with having an incredible support network, has helped me navigate through the hard yards and all the challenges that Covid has brought to pursuing a career in music.”

Also released is the stunning new music video to accompany the single, directed and produced by Georgia Lines herself. Drawing on nature’s elements and spaces where all is falling apart, Georgia crafted the video to sit in the same visual space as the music does sonically. “Conceptually I loved the idea of creating a video that had aspects of the elements in it (water/sand/nature/grain),” says Georgia. “I loved the idea of creating beautiful graceful movements mixed with static poses amongst these big piles, and loved the idea of creating different spaces within the giant warehouse we filmed in, to bring different ideas visually to the video.”

“Working with Chelsea Jade on the Choreography over zoom was also such a highlight. I loved working with her for "No One Knows," and was so pumped to get to work with her again for this one.” With a number of upcoming live shows and tours, including performing as a headlining act at Festival One and supporting Dave Dobbyn at Black Barn, Georgia Lines is showing no signs of slowing down.

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Bonnie - 8000 Miles.

Love can fill the whole universe but sometimes it can be the size of a pinhead. Bonnie has just releasesd her new song “8000 Miles”.

This rhythmic and danceable song moves stylish between Triphop and Pop and can best be described as a love song without the happy ever after. A true rollercoaster of emotions just as real life itself.

Carried by an interchangeable rhythmus, groovy guitar and Bonnies warm, haunting voice it tells us about the highs and low of love.

Bonnie, who has found her style in Rhythm & Blues, Pop, Country and Rock best described as “Vintage Soul and Roll” releases her inner tragic diva and shows us a completely new facet as an artist.

The song has been written by Bonnie herself and Hoffi Hofstetter. It is produced by Rico Horber.

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Tacsidermi & Sister Wives - Swansea Sound - Suz Dorahy

Tacsidermi & Sister Wives - A Oes Heddwch / O Fy Nghof.

Sheffield bilingual psych/post-punk four-piece Sister Wives have teamed up with Carmarthenshire’s psych duo Tacsidermi for an exciting musical union. The Double A single 'O Fy Nghof' / 'A Oes Heddwch' will be released on limited edition lathe-cut vinyl on 17th December via Libertino Records, and is out now digitally. Both bands wrote the musical backbone to a song each independently, which was then sent over and Tacsidermi and Sister Wives added lyrics and melody to the other's compositions, a truly collaborative project.

"O Fy Nghof" and "A Oes Heddwch" musically reflect the darker subject matter of depression and the quest for peace as life ebbs away. Listen to the swirling "A Oes Heddwch" and darker "O Fy Nghof." 

Both bands go into detail about the lyrics they provided for each song... Tacsidermi on "A Oes Heddwch": “The song is about facing an armageddon and the panic of not knowing what to do in your final hours. There's no use hiding from the inevitable. There's no use trying to find peace. You must deal with the consequences of your actions.” 

Sister Wives on "O Fy Nghof": “The song is about being in a deep depression and the helplessness which is felt in that moment. This does eventually come to an end - the heaviness lifts. However, this is often cyclical and happens again, over time. This leaves us stuck in a constant cycle, which can be hard to accept.”

Tacsidermi are Gwenllian Anthony from the Welsh Music Prize winning band Adwaith and multi instrumentalist Matthew Kilgariff, who craft sublime, evocative Balearic pop-infused psych. Tacsidermi will be returning to the studio before the new year to finish work on their eagerly anticipated debut EP out in January 2021. Sister Wives are a Sheffield-based female four-piece whose sound encompasses prog-flecked psychedelia and post-punk. They recently played at Green Man, Sensoria, and Sŵn Festivals, with more dates in Sheffield and Manchester this winter. New music is coming soon. 

Libertino · Tacsidermi & Sister Wives - A Oes Heddwch

Libertino · Tacsidermi & Sister Wives - O Fy Nghof

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Swansea Sound - The Pooh Sticks.

Swansea Sound really just can't stop making music videos. They have a new video and single "The Pooh Sticks" off their debut album 'Live at the Rum Puncheon.' The fact that Hue and Amelia who were in The Pooh Sticks singing a song about how great The Pooh Sticks are / were is a bit next level. So enjoy a bit of green screen fun and let Swansea Sound brighten up the next 2 minutes and 30 seconds of your day.

Swansea Sound reunite Hue Williams with Pooh Sticks singing partner Amelia Fletcher (ex-Talulah Gosh, Heavenly). Rob Pursey (also ex-Heavenly) and Ian Button (ex-Death In Vegas) provide the noise.

Swansea Sound: a band that came into being during lockdown and decided that fast, loud, political indiepop punk was the answer to being stuck indoors.  Who needs introspection?

Hue Williams is reunited with Pooh Sticks singing partner Amelia Fletcher (ex- Talulah Gosh, Heavenly). Rob Pursey (also ex-Heavenly) and Ian Button (Wreckless Eric’s live collaborator) provide the noise.  Swansea Sound are the funny, angry, gleeful and savage past, present and future of indie.  The band has played just one gig in real life – but there will be more in 2022.

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Suz Dorahy - Tell You.

Catherine Britt is excited to announce a brand new signing to her boutique independent label, Beverley Hillbilly Records – welcoming Suz Dorahy to the roster. “Not in my wildest dreams did I think at this point in my life would I be standing here with Catherine Britt being signed to her brand new record label. I’m so very excited for you to hear this new music”, says Suz Dorahy.

The first of an incredible batch of new songs is being unveiled today in the form Suz’s brand new single, “Tell You”. Produced by Catherine Britt, “Tell You”, is a story of betrayal that is laid out simply and strong while revealing much vulnerability. At its core is a sentiment that is instantly relatable and full of stone cold truth.

“It took a mighty blow to crack me to the core”, says Dorahy. “It's that moment of realisation where it turns out some folk are not who you thought they were”. Suz Dorahy is the real deal. An authentic and nuanced singer and songwriter that you need to hear. But that realness didn’t come easily. It had to be earnt, nourished and developed. There were roadblocks all along the highway that needed to be overcome.

Life so often takes a dark turn and nine years ago Dorahy was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and then depression and chronic fatigue. It was a debilitating time and the songwriter locked herself away and used music as a form of escape. “I spent seven years being a recluse and just tapping into my music because it took me to another place away from the darkness of depression and PTSD,” Dorahy explains. “Music was my saviour.”

Then Dorahy bumped into an old friend, Natalie Henry, who offered her the chance to travel to Tamworth and play with her group The Wayward Henrys. The opportunity was inspiration enough to bring Dorahy back into the light. “I honestly will be forever grateful to Nat, she brought me out of depression, made me believe in myself and changed my life,” Dorahy says.

Enter Catherine Britt who fell in love with Dorahy’s new songs and signed her to the new her boutique independent label, Beverley Hillbilly Records. Suz Dorahy has emerged as a singer and songwriter of remarkable strength and presence. In her music you’ll hear the influences of those  artists and styles that have inspired her. Think  Sheryl Crow, Lucinda Williams, Lori McKenna, Allison Krauss, Joni Mitchell, Fleetwood Mac, old school country and western, Loretta Lynn, Jimmy Rogers, Hank Williams, Bill Monroe.

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Maya Isacowitz - Speak Easy Circus - Fieh - Great Lakes

Maya Isacowitz - Nature Is My Hood.

Maya Isacowitz releasing her heart-felt and powerful Electro-Pop infused single „Nature is my Hood“ (Helicon) on November 26th, 2021 coming with a beautiful video.

“This song is a love song for nature, it came out of wanting to be ok with being on my own. Finding the wholeness in myself and not depending on someone else to fill a void. It was recorded partly in my home studio (surrounded by nature), and produced together with my music partner Omry Amado. As a part of conveying a sense of freedom and innocence I recorded my nieces and nephews singing the line: "Nature is my hood, I'm alone but I'm good", and it became the main sample of the chorus.” - Maya Isacowitz

Maya Isacowitz is a singer songwriter, originally from Kibbutz Maayan Baruch, Israel, with South African roots. She initially made a name for herself performing with her guitar, capturing the ears of many, with her unique voice and vulnerable presence.

Maya grew up in a home filled with music, and a father who builds musical instruments. Her music combines a wide range of styles and influences- from acoustic folk and African groove, to edgy rock and electronic pop, all wrapped in her tender voice and poignant lyrics.

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Speak Easy Circus - Sewn Up.

Background from the band: We are Speak Easy Circus, an indie/funk band from Glasgow. We have been loving getting back out and playing gigs after so long and we wanted to end the year with a bang, so we have decided to release our latest single, ‘Sewn Up’ on the 26th of November.

The story of the song is really the story of my favourite pair of jeans, that ripped and left me heartbroken, until I watched a YouTube video to teach myself how to sew. From then on, instead of throwing clothes away I started to clumsily stitch them up. 

It made me think of all the previous clothes I had thrown out. Why didn’t we fix more things? Why weren’t we taught to sew at school? Why was sewing seen as feminine? It seemed to me there were no downsides. So, we decided to write a song in honour of my favourite pair of jeans - heavy on the horns and heavy on the funk.

 

User 460127902 · Sewn Up

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Fieh - Telephone Girl.

The rural Norwegian countryside might not be where you’d expect to discover your new favourite neo-soul collective, but that is where 7-piece band Fieh originated from. Founded by front-woman Sofie Tollefsbøl, Fieh stormed into prominence through the release of their debut single ‘Glu’ back in 2017, earning the band early support from the likes of The Fader, DIY, Clash, The Line Of Best Fit and eventually a spot on the Fifa 20 soundtrack. In 2019 they released their debut album Cold Water Burning Skin, on which the group established their unique blend of jazz, R&B and soul. Now, they are ready to unleash new LP In The Sun In The Rain, which is slated for release on March 4th, 2022 via Jansen Records.

In the Sun in the Rain was recorded with famed Norwegian musician and producer Lars Horntveth (Jaga Jazzist, Susanne Sundfør, The Staves, Kimbra) and mixed by the legendary “Analog Ninja” Russell Elevado (D’Angelo, Angélique Kidjo, The Roots). Centered around groove, Fieh’s new album integrates the funk bangers that initially introduced the band with more experimental and orchestral songs. Citing inspirations as diverse as D’Angelo’s The Vanguard, The Roots, Joni Mitchell, Erykah Badu, The Beatles and Solange, Fieh’s new album is brimming with creativity. Much like their debut album, the song remains at In The Sun In The Rain’s core, with lyrics that revolve around everyday life, people and love – real stories from real life.

Standout single ‘Telephone Girl’ is a minimalistic soul banger dedicated to the very modern phenomenon of telephobia. “I’m not a telephone girl, that’s why I never reply when you call me” sings Tollefsbøl. “This song is a public apology to everyone who’s ever tried to call me. It’s not you, it’s me” she jokes. "I came up with the bass line in the shower back in 2019 and had a clear vision of a minimalistic soul banger. We’ve played several versions of this one live but went for a minimalistic approach in the studio," she continues.

Jansen Records · Fieh - Telephone Girl

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Great Lakes - Baby's Breath.

Ben Crum doesn’t need to contend for anything; the leader of the long-running Great Lakes proved himself two decades ago on his very first outing. Contenders, the band’s seventh album, finds Crum basking in a keen sense of roots-y psychedelic Americana that recalls the fertile grounds of Upstate New York. Yet the music itself is a warm, sunny soundtrack that brings to mind road trips across the dusty Midwest and miles and miles of nothing in between. Fans of Built To Spill, My Morning Jacket, Luna, and Deserters Songs-era Mercury Rev will find much to love in Contender’s grooves.

But don’t think that because the music ambles along dirt roads that the music isn’t cerebral; Contenders’ subject matter includes philosophical wonderings on love, sex, the temporal nature of man, the frustrations of creative partnerships, and the heady, hopeful times of your late teens and early twenties, where the world seems full of endless possibilities. Contenders offers up some of the finest songs you’ll hear that take inspiration in things such as The Band, the free youth of South Africa, and “The Gambler.”

“it’s easy when you know how,” Crum sings, and it’s no boast; Great Lakes make it look and seem so easy, so seamless. In other words, they’re just being themselves.

For Contenders, Ben Crum is joined by longtime collaborators Kevin Shea on drums and Suzanne Nienaber on vocals, with contributions from The Essex Green’s Chris Ziter (vocals) , Louis Schefano (drums), Petter Folkedal (piano), Ray Rizzo (vocals) and Dave Gould (synths). The album was produced by Ben Crum, mixed by Luis Leal, and mastered by Jen Munson.

HHBTM Records · Great Lakes - Baby's Breath

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Lilith Ai - Cameron DuBois - Vakili Band - Petunia-Liebling MacPumpkin

Lilith Ai - IRL.

Mixing elements of bedroom pop and indie rock, Lilith Ai’s sound combines authentic lo-fi soundscapes and introspective lyrics. The artist is back with a stunning new offering ‘IRL’. Opening with a gentle guitar line and wistful vocals, the track eventually builds to an emotive climax with candid lyrics and vigorous chords. ‘IRL’ is a soft indie gem that hits you with feelings of nostalgia and melancholia.

“If you hold up a mirror to your life and realize how fucked things are, how you/me/we did this shit but at the same time we are products of this environment doing and trying our best. So in all the guilt we need empathy. this is it, we can’t restart the game, or reboot cos it's IRL. This is it.” Lilith Ai shares.

‘IRL’ follows on from two singles Lilith Ai released this year, ‘Black Cherry’ and ‘Bloodlines’ have gained huge support from acclaimed music publications such as Wonderland Magazine and Link Up TV.

Lilith Ai is a guitarist and singer-songwriter, who writes and performs poignant tales of modern life. Hailing from nowhere special, Lilith began releasing lo-fi bedroom recordings in 2016. Her first EP ‘Riot’ is full of underground anthems popular with Riot grrrls worldwide. Having honed her craft over the years, Lilith Ai has proved she is an artist only going from strength to strength.

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Photo - Alex Berger

Cameron DuBois - The Light.

Country and soul singer-songwriter Cameron DuBois’ unique artistry is solidified on a new single project called “The Light,” which the Alabamian songstress composed in two separate arrangements. On Friday, November 26 she’ll release the original up-tempo guitar version of the song across all digital platforms (linktr.ee/CameronDuBois), and teasing today with a new lyric video released on her YouTube. The new song came from some recording sessions DuBois had with hit-making producer Bill McDermott (Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley, George Strait) at OmniSound Studios in Nashville.

The ambitious song project also demonstrates Cameron’s ability to reimagine her music in varying styles. On Friday, December 8 she’ll release a more orchestrally inspired arrangement of “The Light,” along with a beautiful video filmed at the historic Montgomery Performing Arts Center, in the singer-songwriter’s hometown. Cameron and her piano are eventually joined by a two piece string section of Cello and Violin, for an equally uplifting orchestral presentation of the song, and highlights Cameron’s proven ability to pull her audience in with her dynamic vocals.

“I wrote this song with Rick Hansen and Bill Hinds, and I think it has a very powerful message for anyone who is in the process of losing, or who has ever lost someone close to them,” said DuBois. “We tried to capture this emotion musically, in multiple versions, to show different types of emotions we experience when losing someone close to us.”

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Photo - Jacob Blickenstaff

Vakili Band - Dreamy Dreamer.

Fronted by powerhouse vocalist/songwriter/guitarist Lily Vakili, Vakili Band has unveiled the video for their newest single, “Dreamy Dreamer.” The video comes with the announcement of their sophomore album, Walking Sideways, scheduled for release on February 25, 2022.

Born in Honduras before living in the US, Bangkok, and Puerto Rico, Vakili worked in theatre and went on to carve out a successful career as a biotech lawyer while continuing to nurture all manner of dreams, including making music. Influenced by artists such as Patti Smith, Prince, Iggy Pop, and Rage Against the Machine, Vakili Band is unafraid to explore the sonic possibilities of Peace, Love, and Justice, as evidenced on the song of the same name on the band’s first album, Oh Alright.

“Dreamy Dreamer” was originally written in response to powerful social justice issues such as the Dreamers, #MeToo, and Black Lives Matter. However, it evolved as Vakili watched her mother struggle with, and eventually pass away from, Alzheimer’s Disease. The new song, recorded and produced by David Amlen at Sound on Sound Studios in Montclair, NJ, and mastered by Grammy-award winning sound engineer Greg Calbi of Sterling Sound, is both a battle cry and a hymn for every individual who dreams of a better world.

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Petunia-Liebling MacPumpkin - Pinnipedia Pounce.

Enjoy the kaleidoscope of magical beauty of the landscape of art created by Steven Cerio and move like a porpoise down at the local bog with Petunia and friends at a curious party that is sure to dazzle and delight.

 A notable artist, filmmaker, and author, Steven Cerio created his own loving and sarcastic expressions of joy for over three decades. His unique style helped set the stage for the neo-psychedelic revival in New York City. Started in 80's zines and soon after called upon by galleries and diverse clients including Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, Warner Brothers, Fantagraphics books, Entertainment Weekly and Penguin books. He created art for music acts The Residents, Monster Magnet, Les Claypool, Renaldo and the Loaf, Moe, Widespread Panic, Negativland, and more.

Petunia-Liebling MacPumpkin is an escaped ghost from an old coloring book that was left out in the rain at some point in the 20th Century. Pinnipedia Pounce is the 13th video taken from her second album (I Left My Heart in Uncanny Valley). She also recently curated a remix album entitled All My Friends Live In Uncanny Valley, featuring the likes of Renaldo & The Loaf and Toxic Chicken gleefully rearranging her songs into strange new forms.

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Bex - The Ghosts of Searchlight - Eric Anders and Mark O'Bitz

Bex - Startrails / Here for You.

Visionary Filipino-Canadian singer-songwriter, Bex, has just released her brand new, debut, Indie-Pop/Rock album, “Startrails” on November 19 2021.

A powerful lyricist with impactful song writing skills and undeniable talent, Bex has earned herself a highly coveted placement on Sirius XM’s ‘The Verge’ as well as a top 10 finalist spot in the Toronto Deputy Mayors Online Talent Search. With a love for sharing her aural masterpieces with a live audience, Bex has already played numerous acoustic shows at popular venues across Toronto and was a featured performer at the 2021 virtual Canadian Music Week. Her empathetic lyrics leave listeners feeling like they have experienced the moments she discusses in her songs, and her uncanny ability to inspire relatability from her audience has drawn well-deserved comparisons between her and the female megastars of the early 2000’s pop-punk scene.

With her dedicated and passionate fanbase cheering her on from the sidelines, Bex pairs her relatable, melancholic, and hopeful lyrics with upbeat, danceable tracks in an explosive way, and uses the creative process of constructing her debut album as a form of therapy, for both herself and her listeners. By telling her vulnerable and relatable story of self-discovery, Bex encourages listeners to dig deeper within their own emotions and become more self-aware, hoping that her music will act as a piece of advice that her young listeners can always come back to when they need some words of encouragement.

“Startrails” is an authentic reflection of Bex’s creative and empathetic mind. Drawing influence from the early 2000’s era megastars Michelle Branch, Avril Lavigne, and Lights, Bex has created a perfect combination of Indie-Pop, Folk, Rock, Punk, with modern electronic production, alongside lyrics and storytelling that remind listeners of their own experiences. After performing some of her newly-written songs to a virtual audience earlier this year, Bex connected with local producer James McLeod to work together on crafting and producing the entirety of her debut album.

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The Ghosts of Searchlight - Taste Of Freedom.

The Ghosts of Searchlight further innovate and evolve their signature heavy instrumental post-rock meets surf rock sound on new full-length album "Sprawl", out now. Somewhere between the roiling surf of the Pacific Ocean and the blinding lights of Las Vegas lies the expanse of the Mojave and the inspiration for the aggressive, surfy sounds of The Ghosts of Searchlight’s brand of instrumental post-rock. Guitarist Brian Horn hails from these places and the journeys in between.

The Ghosts of Searchlight were dead. A part of life that had to be discarded to make room for so many other things. But in the last year, as life ground to halt, there was time to decide what could stay, what could go and what needed to be reborn. Sprawl encompasses much of that sense of longing and taking inventory. It's what brought the Ghosts back to life.

The Ghosts of Searchlight sound is a fusion of aggressive surf melodies with modern post-rock counterpoints, which reflects the places that have shaped the band: the chaotic lights of Las Vegas, the serene beauty of the Mojave, and the siren's call to the shores of Southern California.

About "Sprawl": "Sprawl was a chance for us to take a step forward by stepping back. A chance to slow down, take our time with the music and allow moments to breathe."

"With Sprawl, we wanted to expand the Ghosts sound and branch into unexplored territory: a 4-track, some mandolin, strings, even a seven year-old beatboxing. We're usually a three-piece capturing live energy but this one was all about layering the sounds that either made up life around us at the time or haunted our dreams."

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Eric Anders and Mark O'Bitz - Stuck Inside (Album).

Award-winning Singer Songwriter duo Eric Anders and Mark O'Bitz continue their expansive MTC (music in the time of coronavirus) collection with the atypically electric full-length album "Stuck Inside". "Stuck Inside" is the third installment in the MTC collection.

Northern Californian singer-songwriter, Eric Anders, and southern Californian guitarist-composer, Mark O’Bitz, will release their multiple-song collection “Music in the Time of Coronavirus” in four installments. Their single, “Careful Now My Son”--the only truly Americana song in the collection--was released in December 2020.

The 8-song album, Sirens Go By, was released in February 2021 and contains songs done in the singer-songwriter style typical of the Anders/O’Bitz duo.  Their 11-song album, Stuck Inside, was recently released (11/9/21) and contains songs with a bit more edge--a more rockin’ style.  The 10-song album, Variant Blues, will be released in December, 2021.

All of the songs for this collection were written and recorded during the pandemic, and all of the work so far has been done remotely.  The same goes for almost all of the musicians who contributed. Eric, Mark, and Mike released a climate-change single, “Searise,” on March 5th, 2021.  Soon after they released the “Searise” music video by Basque artist Joseba Elorza (Greenday).  Eric and Mark wrote “Searise” with Eric’s daughter, Evelyn, when she was only eleven.

Eric and Mark released their twelve-song concept album, American Bardo, on July 31, 2020.   American Bardo was recorded, produced, and mixed by Mike Butler of San Diego.  All the songs were written by Eric and Mark and inspired by George Saunders’ Mann-Booker-Prize-winning novel, Lincoln in the Bardo.  All the songs on American Bardo are what Eric calls “readings” related to one or more of the characters in the novel. Popmatters listed American Bardo among their top fifty Americana albums of 2020.

Eric and Mark took sixteen songs into the studio.  The four songs on their forthcoming EP, This Mortal Farce, were not directly related to one of the characters in Saunders’ novel so they thought a separate EP would be a better way to release these four songs.  This Mortal Farce will be Eric’s eleventh release (just counting EPs and LPs) and the duo’s fourth release.

Eric Anders and Mark O'Bitz · Stuck Inside

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