Rhett Miller - Recitals - The Hooten Hallers - Joselyn and Don

Rhett Miller - Go Through You.

This week, Rhett Miller released a new single “Go Through You” from his forthcoming album The Misfit out September 16 via ATO Records. The 11-song collection was co-written and produced by Miller’s Hudson Valley, NY neighbor Sam Cohen (Kevin Morby, Sharon Van Etten, Danger Mouse) and continues their musical partnership that began on 2018’s The Messenger.

“Every songwriter has a favorite skin they inhabit, a story they tell over and over again. For decades I’ve been writing from the perspective of a sad sack loser, a ‘broken guy.’ He isn’t who I am in real life, but for whatever reason when I sit down to write a song I often become him, picking at old wounds, bemoaning my perceived victimization. The funny thing is that he’s, well, funny. I wouldn’t want to be the sad clown in real life, but thanks to songs like ‘Go Through You,’  I don’t have to,” explains Miller. “For the production on ‘Go Through You,’ Sam Cohen created a sonic world adjacent to Jeff Lynne’s work with Traveling Wilburys. I’m in love with the sounds he came up with. It’s all the things – hooky, bouncy, bubbly, catchy… Try listening to this song without smiling. Good luck.”

“Go Through You” follows the album’s first single “Follow You Home” that features vocals from Cassandra Jenkins and Annie Nero. The song was praised by American Songwriter, BrooklynVegan and Rolling Stone, who said, “With shades of Fleetwood Mac and dream-pop, the buoyant “Follow You Home” is anchored by its upbeat rhythm and sunny splashes of electric guitar.”

The 11 songs that comprise The Misfit are an elegant blurring of psychedelia, dream pop, and electronic-leaning indie rock, grounded by the vulnerable songwriting and unaffected vocal presence Miller has perfected as the frontman for legendary alt-country band Old 97's for the last three decades.

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Recitals - Gradient.

Recitals have unveiled the third and final single from their upcoming debut album, Orbit I. ‘Gradient’ is a dynamic sentiment that divulges the state of the world’s climate, reflected sonic-ally through the musical tensity and release - from the sparsity in the introduction, with its bare vocals and spidery synth, to the explosive breakdowns capturing the band’s potent energy.

“I remember going out to stand on the roof of my building in January 2020 to see the moon a violent red, painted that way by the Australian bushfires of the season. I remember thinking that it felt like an undeniably bad omen, the idea that we could/and were, changing the colours of our planet. It seems obvious now, as everything in the world seemed to combust, and spin completely out of control, to a point of uncontrollable dimension after that moon. I didn’t own any guitars at the time so I had to keep stealing one out of my flatmate’s room while he was away for the summer. I wrote the verses for the song and then worked with Christian and Josh to write those cacophonous 7/8 sections and that breakdown section at the end. The song kind of feels premonitory now, or like a prelude to all of this.” - Xanthe Rook.

The band have teamed up once again with director Matilda Boese-Wong, as well as editors Erin Murphy and East Abernethy to bring ‘Gradient’ to life visually. The music video, made with the generous support from NZ On Air and shot masterfully through the brilliant lens of Bill Bycroft (Aldous Harding, Womb, Marlon Williams), follows two lovers’ adventure across the land, where a chest is discovered and an otherworldly power is unlocked within.

“Xanthe Rook and I conjured up this peculiar video late one night in my bedroom. We wanted to take the viewer to a luscious alternate dreamscape, so we spent many evenings painting, cutting and gluing in order to craft this realm. With the contributions of some phenomenal artists we were able to see our vision through.  ‘Gradient’ is packed to the brim with rich instrumentation, so it was important the visuals matched that. It was blissful to collaborate with editor Erin Murphy, in order to play with all of the opulent footage shot by Bill Bycroft and bring it into an otherworldly territory.” - Matilda Boese-Wong.


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The Hooten Hallers - Cat Scrap.

Missouri's The Hooten Hallers have been around a long time and are inveterate road warriors, bringing a hard driving blend of blues, Americana, and old school rock n roll. The video is an animated tale of a scrappy old tomcat that used to live behind them in the alley and had a lot of adventures.

Back In Business Again- September 9, 2022 For the past fifteen years, The Hooten Hallers have been crisscrossing the country as inveterate road warriors, bringing their peculiar vision of Americana–a fiery rock and roll fever dream birthed in Missouri’s fertile musical heartland. 

They’ve put so many miles into the road that they’ve burned through multiple tour vans and left twisted metal and frayed rubber strewn across the road behind them. With their aptly named new album, Back In Business Again, the trio roar back on to the international stage with ten incendiary new original songs drawn from their many travels and inspired by the hardships that all touring musicians have faced throughout a seemingly never-ending pandemic. 

There’s hope in these new songs, but tinges of madness too, driven by the raw drumming of Andy Rehm, the infernal growl and swirling guitars of John Randall, and the low rolling baritone and bass saxophones of Kellie Everett. The Hooten Hallers have always been musical colliders, smashing together everything from pre-war jazz to Chicago blues with jaunts around New Orleans and garage rock explorations with hints of anti-racist punk and Oi!. It’s Morphine meets ZZ Top along St. Louis’ Mississippi waterfront. Produced by bassist Dominic Davis (Jack White, Greensky Bluegrass), Back In Business Again takes a match to The Hooten Hallers’ fuse and explodes the renegade power trio to the edge and back again, one vigorous, swinging, perfectly peculiar song at a time.

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Joselyn and Don - Deep Down.

Montana natives turned Angelenos, Joselyn & Don’s intoxicating music feels like a walk through mountain wildflowers and Southern California Joshua trees. Enter their wild garden – where blues, folk, and jazz form a dark under story illuminated with lyrical truth. 

Joselyn Wilkinson and Don Barrozo forage musical ideas from many sources and plant those seeds in rich Americana soil. These are deeply rooted songs reaching for new light.

Their 2020 debut album Soar was warmly received by critics and independent radio across North America, earning several charting positions and recognition in song contests such as Music City Song Star. The duo’s highly anticipated 2022 EP Seeds & Bones digs deep into modern roots with an urgency born of truth-seeking.

Joselyn & Don · Deep Down

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Moonpools - The Little Kicks - Fastheaven - Los Blancos

Photo - Dominik Asche

Moonpools - Damaged Goods (E.P).

Moonpools, the charming quintet from Basel fronted by singer Marcie Nyffeler, will release their new EP 'Damaged Goods' on August 19th via Young and Aspiring. On their sophomore release, the band combines emotional dreampop with driving indie rock reminiscent of international artists such as Cocteau Twins, Snail Mail or Soccer Mommy.

Moonpools were formed in 2016 by Marcie Nyffeler (vocals/ guitar), Jasper Nyffeler (drums), and Francesco Vona (keyboard) and completed by Matthias Gusset (guitar) and David Blum (bass). The latter are known from various Basel-based projects such as Sheila She Loves You, Don't Kill The Beast, Brainchild and Mastergrief.

The band released their first EP 'Turbulent Times' in 2019, which was immediately met with positive reactions: For example, the single ‘Brainbug’ was chosen as SRF Virus CH-Song of the week. After a few concerts, including support shows for Oso Oso and Prince Daddy & The Hyena or a show at the Lauter Festival (ZH), the band started working on new music.

In contrast to ‘Turbulent Times’, which was a collection of songs with differing influences, the songs on their second EP ‘Damaged Goods’ are all cut from the same cloth. The sound is inspired by artists like Hatchie, Snail Mail, Ride and Soccer Mommy and moves between Indie Rock and Dream Pop with rousing guitars and anthemic synth parts.

The concise arrangements, however, only form the backdrop for the catchy and touching vocals that form the heart of the band. Marcie Nyffeler, whose lyrics are often a balancing act between melodrama and kitsch, sings about unrequited and unexpected love, loss of control and apathy. This honest and at times self-deprecating view, together with the tumultuous music, unfurls a charm that makes Moonpools' music so irresistible and brings a smile to your lips while you are still wiping a small tear from your eye.

Moonpools · Damaged Goods

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The Little Kicks - Right To Be Here.

Right to Be Here is the new single by The Little Kicks and is released today Friday 19 August 2022. Speaking about the single, front man Steven Milne said: “Lyrically the song is about taking pride in yourself and being less afraid to put yourself out there and it was inspired by a particular incident. 

In 2017 the band were nominated as finalists for an award (“Best Musical Group”) with the chosen winners to be announced and presented to as part of a ceremony in the centre of Scotland. We deduced we likely wouldn’t win but having been invited to attend -and with a new album to promote -we decided to go along. After some awkward entrance photographs, drinks for courage and a sit-down meal it was time for the awards to start and we were first up. As our nominated name was read, I remember thinking maybe we COULD win, wouldn’t it be nice to WIN something and if we did what on earth should we say. 

Then we lost to a funk band who had won the year before. No speech required. I was surprised at how disappointed I felt, not bitterly, more suddenly very self-aware and wondering “Are we imposters in the room, sitting dressed up for no reason?” and I wanted to disappear. Nevertheless, we made a hell of a night of it, brushed itoff and got through it. However, for weeks after the event I had a weird unfamiliar feeling of rejection and an anger kept coming back to me. This incident, coupled with another set-back or two around that time, had me thinking “Why should we be overlooked?” while also wondering “Why do I care?”. 

I decided I wouldn’t let that feeling take hold and jotted down how I felt in words. While lyrically the song hasn’t really changed much since its early inception, the demos of the song were initially much more electronic. Over time the song morphed into what it is now –it’s intended to have an almost modern soul/ warm retro sound. Citing things like Pastor T.L Burnett, Marvin Gaye, Durand Jones, Richard Swift and Michael Kiwanuka as production influences when we got to the studio, Paul really helped us achieve the feel we wanted. He knew exactly what we were trying to achieve and was great at listening to our suggestions while bringing his own expertise to the session and we are so proud to bring you the final results.

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Fastheaven - Big Satellite.

Fastheaven - the newly formed band from Fribourg - creates uniquely intimate atmospheres, warm and emotional harmonies and understands the craft of songwriting. 

Many of the band's songs feature the talented New Zealand-born singer Megan Carpenter.

The wonderful melodies of the track "Big Satellite", in which synth elements of the 80s flow, catapult us into other spheres and make us dream. 

The song is about change and at the same time about the difficulty of really finding one's way in a new environment.

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Los Blancos - Chwaraewr Gorau (Yr Ail Dim) / Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

You know it’s going to be an unforgettable, endless summer when the unmistakable sound of Los Blancos fills the hot mid-evening air, kicking it’s way out of the speakers with equal amount of attitude and boundless charm. The band are back with a Double A side Single ‘Chwaraewr Gorau (Yr Ail Dîm) / Kareem Abdul Jabbar’.

These songs are tantalising glimpse of where the next album will find Los Blancos. “I wrote a rough version of Kareem Abdul Jabbar during the first lockdown, after a phase of watching loads of basketball. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the all time leading points scorer in the NBA but is also a successful actor, author and social justice advocate. The song is a tribute to him. I'm always blown away with how humble he is, especially when you consider his accomplishments. There’s references to his unstoppable “skyhook” and his cameo in the film Airplane.

"I had been listening a lot to Jefferson Airplane, Hendrix and Neil Young, and had just re-watched 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' and was trying to create a kind of 1970’s California vibe (I’m not sure if that comes through, but i liked the result nonetheless)” Dewi Jones, Vocals, Bass

“Chwaraewr Gorau (Yr Ail Dim) was written before lockdown and takes influence from artists such as Stephen Malkmus and Twin Peaks. Both have been a favourite for the band since we began. It started out as a rough Demo and it was built on during recording sessions over lockdown. The song is a portrayal of someone who's a slacker/nearly man, who can't quite catch a break. I also wanted to include some football references in the song, It includes a reference to Nick Cusack, a former Swansea City player, who was a bit of a bruiser when the Swans were in the lower divisions.” - Gwyn Rosser, Vocals, Guitar

Libertino · Los Blancos - Chwaraewr Gorau (Yr Ail Dim)

Libertino · Los Blancos - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

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Twain - Mini Trees - Florence Arman

Twain - 2 Lovers.

Twain shared “2 Lovers” yesterday, another new song from the upcoming album Noon to be released October 21. The song opens with familiar nostalgic warmth.

Songwriter Matthew Davidson shares that, " '2 Lovers’ is the oldest song on Noon, from the end of my time living in New York. The bar in the song was called Manhattan Inn, in Greenpoint. I was briefly employed there as a bar-back. There was a beautiful room in the back with tables and benches against each wall and a fucked-up grand piano in the center of the room. It was a great place to see shows, with the audience surrounding the band in a hush. I remember sets from Adrianne Lenker, Nick Hakim, Joanna Sternberg, and really special was working the brunch shift, juicing lemons in the hard sunlight while Dylan Meek made jazz music on the piano."

Davidson shares, "Something new for me about making Noon was allowing writing to be an active part of the recording process, making time each morning to finish or edit songs that we’d be working on that day. It was nice. I’m usually very fearful of not having ‘enough’ music prepared, so I corral it all together before a session takes place.” The new album has caught ears at BBC, Spotify’s "Fresh Folk" playlist, Brooklyn Vegan, and Consequence.

Twain’s fourth release on Keeled Scales, Noon, is a collection attempting to balance soul-fantasy with self-scrutiny, to erode the barrier between those two places, and to find the liminal state between the spirit’s ambition for itself and the often harsh truth of the present. Says Davidson, “Sometimes the facts of life make dreams difficult to protect. Twain is my effort to reconcile those two states… to forget that they could ever exist in opposition.” Noon was recorded by Twain’s longtime collaborator Adrian Olsen at Montrose Recording in Richmond, VA with Ken Woodward on bass and drums by Austin Vaughn.

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Mini Trees - Let Down.

Off the back of her critically acclaimed 2021 debut album Always in Motion and tours with Death Cab For Cutie, Julien Baker, Hovvdy and more, rising songwriter Mini Trees (aka Lexi Vega) today releases her version of Radiohead’s cult classic, ‘Let Down’ via Run For Cover. The release comes ahead of her newly announced UK / European tour dates with Gracie Gray.

Talking about her take on the much-loved song, she said: “I recorded this cover of “Let Down” with my friend and bandmate Andrew Goldring the day after we got back from 3 weeks of winter touring. Our van had just broken down on the way home and we were exhausted but this song had been in constant rotation on tour, and we knew we wanted to record a cover of it on the one extra day I had in town. 

“Let Down” was always a song that really captivated me, from the unexpected moment the drums come into the massive build into the final chorus and all of the beautiful melodies that weave throughout. I recently read somewhere that this year is the 25th anniversary of OK Computer, so while the timing of this cover was a complete coincidence, it feels like a good way to celebrate the first Radiohead album I fell in love with.”

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Florence Arman - Stupid Heart.

Florence Arman (UK) today launches the official video for her incredibly honest yet emotional, self-reflective alt-pop single “Stupid Heart.” Heart-on-the-sleeve to its very core and  playful lyrics now has an incredibly funny video.

Speaking about the song, Florence said  “Stupid Heart' is the first song I wrote about family stuff.  Being the youngest in my family I think I’ve inherited a bit of baggage, which is normal I think and totally fine, but then again I still want to be able to write very dramatic songs about it."

Florence’s debut EP ”Out Of The Blue” out last year was supported on BBC Radio 1, The Line of Best Fit, Clash, COLORS, and Dork Magazine.  She has since begun touring extensively in 2022 including pitstops at The Great Escape, Eurosonic, and more recently at  Mad Coo. She also toured with Dadi Freyr.  She is also confirmed for Reeperbahn and Lollapalooza, both in Germany. Florence will also support indie superstars Milky Chance on their European tour dates in October.

Florence Arman is an established singer-songwriter and no stranger to the international pop scene, having worked with artists such as Rhys Lewis, The Kooks, Barns Courtney, G-Flip, Bakermat, John Martin, filous and Harry Hudson to name a few. Over the last year she has established herself as one of the most promising newcomers with her intimate, yet witty and light-hearted artist project. 

She writes all her songs alone and works with a close team of producers to finish them. She comes from a family of English musicians, her father is a conductor and composer, her mother a vocal coach, one of her brothers a jazz guitarist and the other is a songwriter/producer. Arman released her debut EP in July 2021 is now working on another 7-track EP that will be released this year

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Natalie Holmes - Annie Keating - Tough On Fridays

Natalie Holmes - Floating TV.

Described as a consistently astounding songwriter, South West/ Bristol based singer-songwriter Natalie Holmes writes lilting, haunting and yet also invigorating Indie-Folk tinted with a hint of Pop. Now back with new single ‘Floating TV’ taken from the upcoming album ‘Vitamin Be’, Natalie once again demonstrates her honey toned vocals and incredible musicianship.

‘Floating TV’ is a prime example of Natalie’s work, bringing together gentle musical textures with dappled moments of experimentation to create a beautiful and warming soundscape. Blending the gentle folk-infused nature of her material with shuffling drums, twinkling piano, swelling guitar lines and jazz influenced double bass, the result is a stunning, multi-faceted musical backdrop. Topped with Natalie’s effortless, ethereal vocals and a deceptively catchy vocal line, the track manages to gracefully tread the ground between Bon Iver-esque raw instrumentation and accessible indie-pop in a unique and hugely effective way.

With her soberingly relatable, yet soothing lyricism, Natalie sets out to strike a conversation between the conflicting effects of modern society, and those of the natural world on our ability to be content. With mental health struggles being talked about and diagnosed more and more, Natalie felt called to write about the simple bewilderment at being a young adult in today’s society and the pressures that brings.

From the constant comparisons we make on social media, to the over-stimulated, unrelenting pace of modern life, to the money fears that leave younger generations wanting to run for the mountains, the upcoming album touches on many elements of modern life and how they can affect mental wellbeing.

Speaking about the meaning behind the new single ‘Floating TV’, Natalie explains: “I have this ever-present sadness at the way the world is becoming more limiting, constantly feeding us stimulation and keeping us needing or wanting an endless cycle of stuff and achievements. This song is about rebelling I suppose - in a sweet, naive kinda way."

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Annie Keating - Sunshine Parade.

Ahead of a fresh run of UK and Ireland shows this Autumn Annie Keating is revealing a surprise new single: “Sunshine Parade”. Released yesterday, the track is a taster of a brand new EP from the NYC singer-songwriter, ‘Twenty 22 Tour EP’, which will be exclusively available at her upcoming shows.

With its blazing Keith Richards-inspired guitar licks and vaporising lyrics capable of blistering even the most hydrated of tongues, “Sunshine Parade” is the tarmac-melting new release from Annie Keating.

Born in the daze of the New York heatwave in the summer of ‘21, “Sunshine Parade” came together as Keating found herself dreaming of escaping the city’s almost claustrophobic temperatures. As Mercury relentlessly rose, she began to play around with some phrases that were hounding her thoughts in the heat.

“It was hot enough to fry an egg on the pavement” remembers Annie. “When I was walking my dog in the thick August heat, I wanted to take myself someplace else with my imagination, to have some fun with words”

Inspired by a phrase inherited from her mother to not “let it rain on your parade”, the single offers a tongue-in-cheek inversion of that old adage, as Keating purrs:  “There’s no rain on this parade / yeah not today babe not today / You can lie down in the shade but sunshine’s what I really crave / There’ll be no rain now on this Sunshine Parade”.

AnnieKeatingNYC · Sunshine Parade

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Tough On Fridays - Growing Pains.

Tough On Fridays has proven time and again that they are experts at the big, in-your-face, wall of incendiary, alt-rock salvos. The new single by the alternative indie rock band, ‘Growing Pains’ expertly shows off the more understated, deft, and delicate side of their musical personality. Rock it still is, but rock showing its more sensitive side. 

Big rock guitars are replaced with washes of indie rhythms and almost country-esque vibes. On top of that, you’re reminded how great the twin vocals of Caleigh and Carly can be, especially when they are given the room to breathe, intertwine and beguile, that this song allows. This release marks a first for Tough On Fridays after finding their home at newly launched label Archangel Records, a subsidy of the Golden Robot Global Entertainment Group.

The ironically named single 'Growing Pains' is nothing short of sonic anarchy to trip up those who would pigeon-hole the band or the sound of them evolving, being adventurous, and spreading their sonic wings. Instead of being weighed down by expectation Cayleigh and Carly remain expertly in control, staying true to their eclectic sound and pushing the limits of genre and familiarity. As long as it is an approach and attitude that they don't lose, who needs, or indeed would want to maintain, musical comfort zones when you have bands like Tough On Fridays in the world?


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Michael McArthur - Yumi And The Weather - Olive Louise - SPECTRA*Paris

Michael McArthur - Winding River.

Singer/songwriter Michael McArthur just released another peek at his forthcoming album with his brand new single "Winding River." Originally penned years ago but never finished, the hopeful song closes out Milky Stars with a message of assurance surrounded by gently finger-picked guitar and McArthur's smooth, elegant vocals. Under The Radar featured the song and called it "a blissful dreamy folk tune, gently burnished by subtle synth lines and soulful guitar melodies. McArthur sweeps you away on the titular winding river, leaving you awash in pastoral instrumentation and fervent lyricism."

"If you’ve ever had a day that hasn’t gone your way, you’re not alone," stated McArthur. "It’s likely not the first time it’s happened and it surely won’t be the last. Like the river that winds in pursuit of an ocean, we will, all of us, get to where we’re going. So long as we bend with the bends and seize the ride. That's 'Winding River.' A gentle reminder that we're together in this life. Fighting the same fight. Figuring it out as we go along."

McArthur recently shared the "stunning" (Ghettoblaster) official video for his previous single "Run Around," which was also featured on CMT. Holler previously called the track "one of those songs that will shine brightly in the imaginations of many listeners that fall under its spell; a raw slice of bluesy country soul that brings to mind Stanley Road-era Paul Weller with the emotional weight of Colin Blunstone and the playfulness of Leon Russell." Lead single "Lady Luck" is out now as well, a gritty cry for help which features Drew Smithers (Marcus King Band) on slide guitar. The song has since spent multiple weeks in the Top 40 on Billboard's Triple A Indicator Chart and in the Top 40 on RMR's Roots Rock Chart. McArthur was also recently featured as a showcase artist at JBE SummitFest in Boulder alongside artists such as Charley Crockett, Delta Spirit, Nikki Lane, and KT Tunstall.

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Yumi And The Weather - Can You Tell.

A cautionary tale for the brave, the latest from the creative voice of Ruby Taylor is an ensnaring electro/punk proposition inspired by a series of real-life events that almost had the most calamitous of outcomes.

A song about recklessness and regrets, fate and fortune, loneliness and a longing for love, its suggestive lyrics construct a troubling narrative of a near-miss only narrowly evaded. “Let’s drive straight into the fog, All I know is this isn’t love,” lulls Yumi with all the dreaminess of someone sleepwalking into a cul-de-sac, “This could be the last road that I take, No time to go back or contemplate…”

Of “Can You Tell”, Yumi AKA Ruby explains: “‘Can You Tell’ was inspired by a very impulsive decision… It could have been the biggest mistake of my life, but luckily it was absolutely fine. This song came out of the sadness from feeling the fear I felt that overcame me when I realised I was no longer in control. Thoughts of what could happen came into my head, and I thought about what I was doing and had to have some words with myself. I lived and learnt that life is not a dream where I can just wake up when it goes bad, so I slowed down after that because trust is something you build in time, and presumption is the mother of all **** ups!”

With a laissez-faire cool somewhere between Sonic Youth and Yeah Yeah Yeahs, “Can You Tell” creates a joyride of veering sonics and compulsive rhythms that will fasten you in tight and refuse to let-go until the road runs out.

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Olive Louise - The Loveliest.

The new single from NY based whimsical indie pop artist Olive Louise is entitled "The Loveliest", the single was written in an airbnb with Olive's fiance.  She confides, "It was awesome putting into a song how much I love the person I'm with and plan on being with forever. I think it’s relatable because it’s how anyone that’s really in love feels, like, this person is amazing and you have your own language with them, and that feeling is universal." With fanciful piano under Olive's signature soul-drenched ethereal vocals, "The Loveliest" is a heartfelt alt pop lullaby. 

Olive Louise is a classically trained musician with an innate pop sensibility. The New York-based artist is a promising new voice in alt-pop, thoughtfully carving her own path through captivating storytelling and refreshing vulnerability. 

Louise possesses the rare ability to delve deep into self-exploration and still emerge open-hearted, optimistic, and deeply empathetic. This gift, paired with her natural musicality, is ultimately what has drawn listeners to her. Her poetic-yet-digestible lyrics and haunting, airy soprano are a hypnotizing amalgamation of her classical roots and indie-pop influences. In the short time that she’s been releasing music, she has amassed a passionate fan base that recognizes and appreciates her talent and authenticity. 

Growing up in Kings Point, New York (on the very estate that inspired F Scott Fitzgerald‘s novel The Great Gatsby), Louise spent her early years studying piano and violin under the tutelage of her mother, who was the lead pianist of the Long Island Philharmonic Orchestra. Her earliest memories include falling asleep to the sound of her mother’s playing and being allowed to leave for school only after mastering a Vivaldi concerto — inevitably, music is part of Louise’s molecular makeup. 

Unfortunately, Louise’s dreamy childhood was cut short by the tragic passing of both of her parents. After this devastating loss, she turned to songwriting as a way to process her emotions, eventually recording a song at a studio in her hometown. The experience showed Louise that while she loved Vivaldi and Mozart, she was capable of creating something entirely her own.

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SPECTRA*Paris - Poison Fresh.

Enigmatic Italian singer Elena Alice Fossi has released the lush single, 'Poison Fresh', which is taken from the forthcoming new full-length of her dark electro project SPECTRA*Paris. The fifth album of that band is entitled "Modernism" and has been slated for release on August 26.

SPECTRA*Paris comment: "The new single 'Poison Fresh' is perhaps the most psychedelia-inspired song on the album", singer, composer, and lyricist Elena Alice Fossi writes. "It is a journey to unknown shores, where you learn how to free yourself from reptilian and poisonous empires. Getting on that spaceship has a price and takes you away from the known side of the world. But the dream is well worth living. 'Plant your stigma on all dogma'!"

Charismatic, enigmatic, and absolutely outstanding, singer Elena Alice Fossi, who is best known for her work with Italian electro-trailblazers KIRLIAN CAMERA, presents "Modernism", the fifth album of her eclectic project SPECTRA*Paris. "Modernism" is transfiguring electronic music through the prism of Elena’s voice and several collaborations with other musicians into a beautiful kaleidoscope of stylistic colours ranging from EBM, future pop, dark electronic, art pop, and various influences more.

"Modernism" in a way is a musical child that was born out of the isolation that was imposed on Northern Italy during the pandemic. To cage a tigress like Elena and to separate her from the beloved stages and music performances probably had to result into something consequential and massive. With "Modernism" the singer and composer turned something horrible into something wonderful in a process that was liberating and empowering at the same time. Elena trapped into the SPECTRA*Paris songs all the notes that absorb her fears, her astonishment, and her sense of confusion into what she calls "a weird concoction of melancholy and rhythm".

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Nels Johnson - Louie & The Wolf Gang - Jeremy Garrett - Cassi Marie - Kramies

Nels Johnson - The Light That Guides Me.

Nels Johnson recently released the Americana single “The Light That Guides Me". It’s off the upcoming album release, “Ios,” due out October 14. “The Light That Guides Me” delves into a father/son relationship asking, “If he passed away, how would I want to remember our time together?” The single wistfully remembers and processes loss while finding hope within it all.

The single takes a nostalgic look at positive memories growing up, some real, some contrived, all of them gone and not here anymore. Johnson says, “I love the nostalgia of the first verse, of finding a picture of an old loved one in an attic and being surprised at how different and young they used to look, and just remembering them in a new and different way.” The song also looks to the past as a guide through challenges in the present, “as I travel through this distant and foreign land, longing to grow into a man.”

On “Ios,” Johnson leans into the theme of surrender, coming to grips with who you are as a person and what makes you happy. The songs embrace the human experience and stories that shape and change us along the way. A visit to the Grecian island, Ios, inspired the record’s theme. Johnson wrote three songs on the album, “Rest,” “Holy Men,” and part of “Surrender,” while on the island. He says, “It was a place of total relaxation, which freed me up to slow down, quiet all the loud voices and get in touch with what I was feeling. It’s hard to describe, but I experienced a sense of freedom and just comfort in my skin that I don’t know that I’ve ever experienced before.” Those themes are captured in the songs that led to the album being named after the island.

Nels Johnson · The Light That Guides Me

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Louie & The Wolf Gang - Hot Wheels.

Louie & The Wolf Gang have been causing quite a stir in Swiss rockabilly-scene over the last months. They have already thrilled audiences at concerts at major festivals such as the 'Tiki Bash' or 'Rockabilly Stomp' at the legendary KuFa Lyss - where they were immediately invited to play again on 23.9.22 with legendary The Polecats and others. Since spring of this year, the band have also been playing in numerous renowned clubs and festivals.

No wonder, their sound makes you dancing an partying. At the same time, the three-piece are enjoying airplay on radios across the globe - from Rete Uno/Tre, SRF1, Option Musique, BeO to countless international stations.

Just in time for their next tour dates, Louie & The Wolf Gang release their new single 'Hot Wheels'. The track is another rousing rockabilly smasher, inspired by scene-heroes like The Stray Cats, Restless and The Blue Cats.

«Hot Wheels» is a plea for a living club culture. It speaks to those who are bothered as soon as people are enjoying themselves, be it at a club-concert or rockabilly-festival. Louie & The Wolf Gang say: Celebrate instead of complaining about the «noise»! So the track is a homage to the countless clubs and festivals whose lives are made difficult by angry citizens and neighbors - which often leads to the closure of the locations. Until a new album is released in 2023, Louie & The Wolf Gang will release a bunch of new singles.

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Jeremy Garrett - I Am The River Wild.

Earlier this year, Jeremy Garrett (from the GRAMMY-winning Infamous Stringdusters) returned to the bluegrass roots that first brought him accolades and critical attention when he released his third album for Organic Records, River Wild. 

Alongside a successful tour on which Garrett was joined by some of today’s top players, the album’s first single, “What’s That You’re Doin,’” reached No. 1 on Bluegrass Today’s weekly chart and Garrett was featured on SiriusXM’s Bluegrass Junction Sidetracks segment. 

Now, Garrett has released a music video for the album’s title track. Leading off the album, the moody “I Am The River Wild” carries a double meaning, capturing the voice of the river and of Garrett himself. 

“This song, co-written by Rick Lang, is a picture of how rivers are born and become mighty. Untamed and free. Wild. Perhaps they can be held back, but not when the storms come raging in,” says Garrett. “It feels like I am describing myself as the river as I sing this song.” “We made the video for this song in a pristine part of the southern Colorado wilderness, way up in the mountains, where life to rivers begins,” Garrett told The Bluegrass Situation. “The wolf and the moose bring an amazing feeling to the video and the story unfolds nicely in that setting.”

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Cassi Marie - Starving Heart.

At just 20 years of age, Moreton Bay’s Cassi Marie has been consistently achieving success not only as a solo artist but also as a member of two impressive bands over the past couple of years.

Stepping back into the solo driver’s seat for her latest release, “Starving Heart”, Cassi again reminds us why she is one of the most exciting and talked about talents in Australian country music.

“Starving Heart” brings about a more contemporary and edgier sound to her music. Cassi says the song is about “someone who struggles to let love into their heart and finds it easier to run than to let themselves be loved”.

Cassi’s strong work ethic and bubbly personality has seen her tick many things off her bucket list. She won the Gympie Muster Talent Search at just 12 years of age, penned hundreds of songs and released her debut EP produced by the legendary Bill Chambers in 2019. More recently, releasing singles such as “Walls” and “Burn” has seen the young artist continue to evolve in both songwriting and musicianship, playing several instruments on these recordings. Since 2020 she has been working with the bands The Kindly Ravens and The English Rain, lending her voice and songwriting talents to tracks such as “Silver and Gold” and “Everywhere I Go”.

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Kramies - Owl and the Crow.

Originally written while travelling through Ireland, “Owl and the Crow” arrives as another dreamy glimpse into Kramies’ forthcoming self-titled LP. Initially just an acoustic outtake, the new single was finally recorded in one take on a late Californian night in Jerry Becker’s Oakland Studio.

As time went on “Owl and the Crow” only grew, with layers and images captured by Kramies’ on his travels. With glimmering acoustic guitar licks flirting with eerie instrumentals and compelling vocals, the new track follows “Hotel in LA” as a second taster of Kramies’ self-titled LP, arriving on 9 September 2022.

Of the new single, Kramies explains: “I’m not sure I’ve ever been able to say this before, because I can’t really understand completely how I process things without relying heavily on the emotions I use to create everything, but “Owl and the Crow” is one of the songs on the LP that means the most to me.”

“For one of the first times in my life I recognise instantly where the story and emotion from this song comes from. I rarely remember anything that isn’t emotionally heightened, if something doesn’t carry bits of historic emotional imagery then I don’t really care about it or remember it. This song has stayed with me. There are a few unspoken landmarks on this LP for me and “Owl and the Crow” is one of them.”

Set for release this September, the new ‘Kramies’ LP showcases a huge spectrum of creativity and sound in a short span of time. Produced by and featuring a whole host of special guests including Patrick Carney of The Black Keys, Jason Lytle of Grandaddy, Tyler Ramsey of Band of Horses and Jerry Becker of Train, the record also includes an appearance from Jim Bogis who has played with Counting Crows and Stevie Nicks.

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Night Swimming - The Orchids - Lilly Winwood - Girlpuppy

Night Swimming - Freight Train.

Bath-based dream pop five-piece Night Swimming are pleased to announce the release of their debut double single ‘Freight Train // A Wall’ today August 12th.

Formed in 2021, the band have spent the last year honing in on their sound at sold-out headline shows in their home city of Bath and supporting the likes of China Bears and Parlophone Records’ own Sad Night Dynamite. They were also scouted by the Close Encounters Club to be featured in Glastonbury Festival’s 2022 ‘Longlist’ - chosen to be one of their 90 top acts.

Night Swimming’s sound incorporates the ethereal, melodic elements of the early Wolf Alice EPs and Slowdive albums; combining them with the minimalism of local idols Portishead and Massive Attack.

Produced by Calum Wotherspoon at Joe’s Garage in Bristol, and mastered by Novatines’ Tom Cory, their debut release Freight Train // A Wall is instantly striking. Combining atmospheric guitars, ethereal vocals and airy synths with echoing percussion and hypnotic choruses; each individual element is equally as evocative, while perfectly blended with a sugary sweet delivery that you can’t help but get lost in.

Freight Train was written as an introductory piece to the second track ‘A Wall’. The use of trip-hop influenced rhythms and sustained atmospherics evoke a trance-like feel, conveying a strong sense.

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The Orchids - Didn't We Love You.

Sometimes it can take several years to realise what you’ve been missing.  Sometimes it can even take decades....  (If you already know all about The Orchids, well, you’re going to like Dreaming Kind a lot.)

The Orchids were making sophisticated pop music right back in the early 1990s when Sarah Records first started.  Their songs were as emotionally pure as anything else on that label, but they were always a step ahead of their peers in terms of song arrangements and musical ambition.  With a casual, unpretentious air they made writing perfect pop songs seem easy, almost accidental, and several great releases followed.  The Orchids gained a passionate following: people knew a good thing when they heard it and they hugged it close.  But now it’s time for the rest of the world to be let in on the secret.

The songs themselves are a beautiful mix of strength and gentleness.   They wrap you in a powerful embrace, making you feel comfortable and secure – and then whisper their insecurities and anxieties into your ear.  They say: ‘it’s OK to admit weakness.   It’s OK to be fragile.  That’s where true strength comes from’.  From Glasgow, and proudly Scottish, the band shares a musical lineage with other great groups from that city, from Aztec Camera to Orange Juice, Lloyd Cole to Teenage Fanclub. All bands that specialise in song-writing that that can tell big stories through small fragments, that can make the ordinary extraordinary.

Producer Ian Carmichael has helped the band create a perfectly-crafted masterpiece. He subtly accentuates the drama of the songs, with a sophisticated choreography and gloss that never overwhelms the tenderness of the music.  In ‘This Boy Is A Mess’ (the first single from the album), the lyric confesses frailty while the music gets stronger and stronger.  It is bittersweet and exhilarating at the same time. ‘I Want You, I Need You’ has harmonies as big as a house – but the yearning message remains intimate and close.  ‘I Don’t Mean To Stare’ is a sophisticated new version of the track that first appeared on the Under The Bridge compilation earlier this year.

Album opener ‘Didn’t We Love You’ daringly opens up empty spaces where the reverb of the drums is the only thing you can hear... and then floods your ears with a harmonised chorus, sweet guitar melodies and sweeping effects.  Even then, the lyrical lament, expressing the desire to live in a better place - a place unspoilt by the greedy phonies who’ve taken over – comes across as clearly as if Hackett were leaning over for a friendly chat in the snug bar of The Orchids’ favourite Glasgow pub.

The Orchids · Didn't We Love You

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Lilly Winwood - Keep It Spinning.

“They say musicians can’t always be music lovers but that, by far, is not the case for me,” says songwriter Lilly Winwood. “I think a lot of music has saved me in so many ways and this song recognizes that.” The song she’s speaking of is Winwood’s brand new single, “Keep It Spinning,” a breezy rocker that sits comfortably between a Tom Petty classic and a late 90s country radio hit. “Do you ever have one song that just really does it for you and puts a smile on your face?” Winwood quips. “And you play it over and over and over again?” She channeled that feeling, but with a spin, tying it in with relationships, her career, and even her newly found sobriety—the impetus for a number of songs from her upcoming album Talking Walls.

“I’ve been chasing that song that came right at the moment when I thought all I had was lost.”

Burned out after her last album cycle and in the midst of a pandemic, Winwood took a job to pay the bills—but she couldn’t stop writing. She knew she was on the cusp of something important. “I’d be working in a restaurant all day and then at night, come 3 a.m., I’d be pulling half-written songs out of my apron,” she recalls. “Then it all came together.”

Talking Walls captures that tumultuous period during the pandemic, with Winwood literally “talking to the walls” as she looked inward with new purpose. Penned over long sleepless nights, with clear eyes and a willingness to ask tough questions, each song takes a different tack into the introspective wind, backed by a minimalist-roots sound. The now East Nashville-based artist (and daughter of Grammy-winning British rocker Steve Winwood) simply wrote her story and brought it to her band at Nashville’s Trace Horse studio—no producer needed.

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Girlpuppy - I Want To Be There.

Last month, girlpuppy (aka Becca Harvey) announced her debut LP When I'm Alone, which was produced with Slow Pulp member Henry Stoehr and Alex G guitarist Sam Acchione and will be out October 28th on Royal Mountain Records (Wild Pink, Pillow Queens). 

The album arrives on the heels of her Swan EP, her 2021 debut on the label that she made with producer Marshall Vore who is known for his work with folk dynamo Phoebe Bridgers. The five song collection drew remarkable acclaim immediately, earning praise from outlets like NPR, FADER, Paste, Under The Radar, Coup De Main, Office Magazine, i-D, Line of Best Fit and NYLON who called her "one of indie folk's most promising newcomers."

This week, girlpuppy is sharing a second single from her forthcoming LP, a contemplative track built around a tumbling acoustic guitar shuffle entitled "I Want To Be There".

“I wrote 'I Want To Be There' about the pain I felt when my old landlord kicked me and three of my best friends out of our dream home, and all three of my roommates moved to New York," Harvey explains. "I was left all alone in Atlanta and it was a really bad time for me. I was jobless and I felt like I had no friends which made me wonder what was wrong with me, which kind of made me spiral into self-hatred. I like to call this one the “self hate anthem” of the album."

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Shannen Moser - A VOID

Shannen Moser - Paint By Number.

Philadelphia-based artist Shannen Moser announced their first album in more than four years The Sun Still Seems To Move will be released on September 30, 2022 via Lame-O Records. They also shared the official video for the album’s opening track “Paint By Number.”

“I wrote this song at a time when days truly just felt like the days were bleeding into one another. I had been experiencing a lot of change in my life and the dichotomy of monotony and chaos at the same time was really confusing - things felt slow and in that I found a lot of comfort despite the sadness and uncertainty. “‘A series of quiet moments makes forever’ you reply” - Leaning into the stillness of those kinds of feelings can be extremely humbling. This song is really an attempt at gratitude for the loved ones in my life and the experience of being able to quiet the darkness for one another,” explains Moser.

On The Sun Still Seems To Move, Moser’s third studio album, they take the arresting simplicity of their previous albums I’ll Sing (2018) and Oh, My Heart (2017) and combine it with orchestral swells and rich harmonies. What started as a simple vocals-and-guitar record soon shifted, as Moser experienced a sudden loss. Two years into writing the record, The Sun Still Seems To Move morphed into a texturally diverse and palatial sonic universe, mimicking the immeasurable scope of ever-changing circumstance. “At a certain point I was like, let’s just go for it. Let’s just really lean into the sadness of the world. I really wanted to make a thing that I had never made before, because I was feeling a way that I had never felt before,” explains Moser.

To piece together the patchwork of The Sun Still Seems To Move, Moser enlisted the help of their extended music community, including co-producer Alex Melendez, Tyler Bussey (Thank You Thank You/Strange Ranger), Julia Peters, Maxwell Stern, Tyler Carmody, Mark Nestman, Eric Muth and Josh Marre (Blue Ranger). Banjo, saxophone, cello, lap steel, woodwind and synth adorn the album, decorating Moser’s arrangements but never overwhelming them.

“Being able to have a space with my friends and make a record where I was allowed to fully make this art in the face of that pain was really, really beautiful,” they say. “The hands that have touched this record are really special.”

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A VOID - 5102.

Taken from their awaited second album ‘Dissociation’, due 9 September, the discordant new track blends clear and clamouring vocals with steady guitar lines and shadowy drum beats reminiscent of the grunge greats.

Drawing influence from the likes of Hole, Silver Chair, and Babes In Toyland, “5102” sees A VOID craft a sound that pays homage to the past while simultaneously making a hell-for-leather run toward the future.
Seesawing between calmer moments of melancholy and more emotive explosions of throbbing instrumentals and turbulent riffs, the track is rhythmic and riled-up in equal measure. Vocalist Camille Alexander explains:

“”5102” is a sombre grunge track starting with dissonant guitars that slowly progress into a deep emotional outburst. A  swim in the moonlight ending in a mermaid attack. The track’s mysterious name is ‘2015’ backwards: the year it was written, long before it was recorded. It’s about womanhood, using the metaphor of witches who have been stripped of their powers and their magic.”

The track arrives with a fantastical official video that offers a twisted take on some familiar fairy tales. Directed by the band’s own Camille Alexander, it was shot by Aeris Houlihan from Hexenhaus Productions and Claudia Du Lièvre. Starring Richard Simpson and Paige Burley alongside the band, additional footage was contributed by Neil Anderson.

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Slum Summer - Radio Drive

Slum Summer - Living In Milk / Tenderize The Night.

We first featured Slum Summer back in November 2018 describing them as a vibrant indie rock band. The two songs featured from the new album confirm all of that and more, they really do impress! From San Diego, CA, and made up of two British expatriates along with two US natives we can comfortably quote them as "a special relationship - a special new band."

Living in Milk is their second album, following up their 2019 debut, ABABO. Standing out from 99% of recent releases, this is NOT a pandemic album, having been written and recorded before all that happened, and, refreshingly, featuring no songs about isolation, staring at walls, craving human contact, etc. Instead you will find songs about houses being engulfed in flame, houses being choked by snow, hotels suffocated by storms; songs about riding the Greyhound into northern California, desperately hiding out in dilapidated cinemas; songs about dying in prison, and about listening drunkenly to the Grateful Dead. Or maybe you'll come to your own conclusions what the songs are "about," if that even matters to you.

The record builds on the sound of their debut, with indie-rock and indie-pop styles being stretched out in different directions, drawing on 60s guitar jangle, moments of punkish abandon, Laurel Canyon folk-rock balladeering, and occasional diversions into more metallic territory. You can certainly listen to the album and make some guesses about what their record collections might look like, but Slum Summer is developing a sound and style that is distinctly their own. The supple playing from guitarist Jen Edwards, drummer D.J. Anderson and bassist Grant Stewart underpins guitarist/singer Hugh J. Noble's unique writing, cryptic and rich with obscure references, strange half-jokes, and oddly unsettling imagery.

zlumzummer · 01 - Living In Milk

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Radio Drive - One Breath Away (E.P).

Radio Drive featuring Kevin Gullickson had just released a full album in September of 2021, titled “Before The Day is Through”. It was still the early winter months of 2022 in Minnesota, where Kevin lives and has his home studio. 

The timing wasn’t quite right to resume live performances, so Kevin being the ever busy musician, songwriter and recording artist, decided to record some new song ideas before the arrival of spring. He didn’t want to undertake such a huge project as a full album and yet had too many songs to just release a single, so a 4 song EP was the perfect option.

Looking for more of a pop feel to the album, Kevin worked with Steve “Mr Mig” Migliore to do the final mix and mastering. Steve has worked with several platinum selling artists, including Taylor Swift, Justin Timberlake, Beyonce and Madonna

The four songs each have a different feel and meaning. 

• I Believe I Believe: A song of faith and hope, something we all need.
• Moment by Moment: Cherishing the precious moments we have with our loved ones.
• Be Yourself Tonight: So many difficulties people deal with can be resolved by becoming their true and authentic self.
• Don’t You Know: The deep commitment of love drawing out the best in someone.

Before the official release of the EP on August 5th, 2022, songs were already gaining attention. “Don’t You Know” won the Top Finalist Award for Best Rock Song by the World Songwriting Association (WSA).

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