2011Candy - March Edition Three

Background: The people have spoken and Beast Make Bomb came out victorious over 1000 other bands entered in Converse’s “Get Out of the Garage” competition. Female-led punk band Beast Make Bomb earned themselves a spot at the Rolling Stone SXSW showcase, sharing the stage with Queens of the Stone Age, J Masics (Dinosaur Jr.), The Black Angels, and more.

Their new EP, Sourpus, follows up their critically acclaimed freshman effort, Skinny Legs. Beast Make Bomb describes themselves as “a marriage between punk attitude and pop sensibility”. Their live shows convey these thoughts exactly. They play tightly knit punk songs with the perfect amount of messy rock exploration, catchy guitar riffs, and melodic female vocals. “Coney Island” off their new EP, is reminiscent of Camera Obscura’s early work and “Rough It Out” shows hints of hair-tossing, Brazilian girl-rock outfit C.S.S.

Hailing from all over the country, Beast Make Bomb calls NYC its home playing local Brooklyn hot-spots and historic Manhattan rock/punk venues. Their sound lies firmly on the pulse of rock and punk in a city known for spawning the pioneers of both. After sharing the stage at SXSW with some of the best in the business, they will be playing a slew of dates with the likes of Tokyo Police Club, Cold War Kids, The Whigs, and more.

2011Candy Says: Cool refreshing NYC punk meets pop in a stylish mix of tight vibes and superb vocals, this band just leave me feeling really upbeat and at my age that's some challenge!
Listen: Coney Island. Web: Official.
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Background: Featured on Beehive Candy one year ago The Lonely Forest recently unveiled a new song, "Coyote," as the KEXP Song of the Day. The song is taken from their new Trans Records label debut Arrows, which has been in stores since March 22nd. Critical acclaim for Arrows in advance of the release includes praise from Nylon, which posts, "We are in love with The Lonely Forest. Listen to them now!" and Alternative Press, which calls Arrows "the band's most self-assured album yet." Meanwhile, NPR's Song of the Day hails the band's previous single, saying "'Turn Off This Song' serves as a catchy call to arms, not to mention one of the best and most honest slices of pop music around."

The band is embarking on an extensive North American tour supporting The Joy Formidable. Trans Records is the new label headed by Chris Walla, guitarist and producer for Grammy-nominated rock band Death Cab for Cutie, who found The Lonely Forest's music so compelling he made the band his label's very first signing. Walla produced and engineered Arrowsat Sound City studio in Los Angeles, Tiny Telephone in San Francisco and his own, Portland-based studio, Alberta Court. He also mixed three tracks-"Be Everything," "Turn Off This Song And Go Outside" and "I Don't Want To Live There." The balance of the album was mixed by John Goodmanson (Girls, Nada Surf, Weezer).

"The Lonely Forest proves to me," says Walla, "In a time full of throwbacks and references and meta-references, that nothing can beat a focused, bulletproof guitar rock band with amazing songs. I didn't start a label for nothing."

2011Candy Says: One year on for Beehive Candy we revisit The Lonely Forest and are so pleased we have. The featured track has elements of Coldplay in my head, however at a level and energy that leaves me feeling positive and wanting more.
Listen: Coyote. Web: Official.
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Background: German Error Message began in 2004 as the solo bedroom-recording project of Louisiana native Paul Kintzing. In late 2008, after several musical and stylistic transition periods, German Error Message released a self-titled EP.  In early 2010 German Error Message released a full-length, To Carry Alongside, a work that signified a solidification of sound, and a movement in a more defined direction.

In January of 2011 German Error Message released SPPLIT, a 6 song split EP with longtime friends and sometimes-collaborators The Widowers. In mid-February, Kintzing released After The Warmth, a record that continued in the stylistic vein of previous releases while further refining and developing a soon-to-be signature sound.

Composed by Kintzing, and occasionally assisted by a group of friends, German Error Message makes lyrically driven bedroom indie music, combining delicate walls of sound with personal metaphorical and symbolic lyricism and diverse instrumentation. German Error Message creates songs that exist in a realm of feeling that is all their own. To date, the band has hit the blogosphere, garnering praise, and comparisons to bands like The Microphones, Bon Iver, and Iron and Wine, and was featured on a year-end list for 2010.

2011Candy Says: This is a charming featured song and sometimes charming is one hell of an achievement. We bet you play this at least twice here (and then hopefully support German Error Message as the bands name is worthy of a little extra attention regardless of the great music).
Listen: We Arose. Web: Bandcamp.
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Background: Having been in constant creative demand for over 17 straight years, pop-punk uber-band Bowling for Soup clearly has no problem kicking out fresh songs, ridiculous videos, and album after album of music that sets the bar for their genre. Even after nearly two decades together, some things are the same. They still call Denton, TX home, they still are putting out an avalanche of new music every year, and they’re still the guys you’d cut class with to get a beer and a Hot Pocket. For a band that has had only one personnel change in 17 years, which is a remarkable feat by any standards, it’s clear that the team stays tight and that ain’t gonna change. As much as things are the same, however, recent times have brought massive changes for Bowling for Soup, and some things are very, very different and completely awesome.

At the core, Bowling for Soup is still Jaret Reddick, Erik Chandler, Gary Wiseman, Chris Burney, and 3 generations of loyal, ravenous fans. As of Fall 2009, though, the partner no longer at the party is Jive Records. Jive and the guys parted ways on good terms, but sadly just four weeks after the release of Sorry for Partyin’. Away with the label went all promo plans for the album, and no single from the record was ever released to radio. Though they were shell shocked, the decision not to slow down was obvious. Rather than spend a couple years trying to get ownership of Sorry for Partyin’ from Jive so they could release it themselves, Jaret locked himself in a room for a month and wrote the songs that have become their latest release, Fishin’ for Woos.

Available worldwide on April 26th, 2011, Fishin’ for Woos is their response to being label-free for the first time in years and deciding to go balls out as an independent band with a mind-blowing fan base. “The only pressure we felt was not to make a record just to fill the space and keep things moving,” says songwriter/front man Jaret Reddick. “It had to be just as real as everything else we’ve done.” It worked. Fishin’ for Woos is the classic Bowling for Soup sound and energy, led by marquis tracks “S-S-S-Saturday”, “Girls In America”, “I’ve Never Done Anything Like This” featuring Kay Hanley of Letters to Cleo, and “Turbulence” featuring Gabriel Mann, who is 1/4 of The Rescues and composes the music for mega hit TV show Modern Family. Also making its full-production debut is “Guard My Heart,” which will make legions of fans very, very happy. Written by bassist Erik Chandler for a film called Sardines, the rough demo was leaked to fans online in 1997 and became a monster favorite around the world.

2011Candy Says: Come on it's Bowling For Soup, what can we say that has not been said before, just how long can these folk keep on form and with this level of power? Wonderful!
Listen: S-S-S-Saturday Web: MySpace.
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Background: I know nothing about Ghost Animal beyond the fact that they are a Portland based band who recently appeared at SXSW. From Oreganlive.com I also learned that Ghost Animal have only been around for a year, and both members of the group, guitarist/vocalist Michael Avishay and drummer Marisa Rowland, have been squeezing music in between their studies at Reed College. Apparently the SXSW performance was their first festival appearance and they were stunning!

2011Candy Says: Like I said above I know so little about Ghost Animal, however this just strikes a chord with me and hopefully a good few other visitors to our little world.
Listen: Young and In Love. Web: Bandcamp.
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Background: Sunday Lane is not your typical singer/songwriter who left Middle America for the City of Angels. A classically trained pianist, she writes articulate lyrics about social injustices in our society, young love, and growing up. Her soulful approach to songwriting expresses the depth of her musicianship.

“I am most in my element when my hands are on the keys,” says the 20-year-old Tulsa native. After receiving tons of critical acclaim in her home state, Sunday Lane decided to pursue the only career path that made sense… music. She is currently attending the Musicians Institute in Hollywood. Sunday has been playing some of the most sought after venues in Los Angeles and winning over new fans nationwide. Her debut EP, Bring Me Sunshine, displays her ability to write relatable songs with idiosyncratic phrases.  With a new music video for her song “Won’t Go Back Down” and her EP available of iTunes, sunshine is definitely in Sunday Lane’s future.


2011Candy Says: How many times can I get away with saying something like "a breath of fresh air"? Oh well I have and I mean it! Sunday Lane remember the name and check her out some more if you like this little taste of her songwriting skills and delivery.  
Listen: Heavy Heart Heavy Hands. Web: Official.
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Background: "Ambitious rock collection favours both quantity and quality...a remarkable body of work." - Rolling Stone

"The band entire commands a special attention from the room’s eyes and the air seems momentarily hung for the release of that all-important downbeat." - Time Off

The attitude that Drawn from Bees bring to their music-making is anything but ordinary. They chose to initiate their musical journey with the statement of a four-album concept box set in their first two years. Australian radio taste maker Richard Kingsmill recognized the potential of the band soon after the release of their debut album The Boy and the Ocean and he featured two songs from the EP on his flagship Triple J radio show.

Touring Australia at length to maximize this early exposure, Drawn from Bees soon had industry and fans alike anticipating their sophomore release, And the Blind Shall Lead the Way.Lead single “Long Tooth Setting Sun” was added to rotation on several radio stations in Australia, as well as gaining radio play on notable USA stations such as Indie103.1, KNRK, WCNR, WXPN, as well as stations in the UK, Finland, Poland and Germany.

Drawn from Bees’ live shows in 2009 mirrored their success on the airwaves, with the band undertaking several support tours and gaining a highly coveted spot on V Festival after a talent scout spotted them at a show. This success was followed by slots at the Brisbane Valley Fiesta and Sounds of Spring Festival. The band closed 2009 with their third studio release, The Sky is Falling, which also enjoyed national airplay with singles, “Cables in the Sky” and “Bus Now.”

Last year saw Drawn from Bees released their fourth album, Fear Not the Footsteps of the Departed, to critical acclaim, including four-star reviews in The Australian and Rolling Stone Magazine. The band immediately set their sights on the international stage, travelling to Los Angeles, Hong Kong, London & Perth to play at various international showcases and touring across the UK. Drawn from Bees undertook another series of shows across Australia before rounding off the year with a high-impact performance on New Year’s Eve at Woodford Folk Festival.

2011Candy Says: The platitudes above are deserved, reminds me a little of Midnight Oil (unplugged?), Drawn From Bees fly the 'down under flag' with confidence and quality that deserves respect.
Listen: Long Tooth Setting Sun. Web: MySpace.
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Background: Last month saw the latest release in the February Records free digital singles series. Baltimore-native and current Manila, Philippines resident Abby Mott released "Can't Come Back." Abby Mott has an unmistakable voice and a soulful, hooky songwriting style.

Her songs are a unique combination of Americana, indie pop, classical and blues, cleverly arranged with imaginative lyrics. Mott's twangy vocals bring to mind Jenny Lewis, Neko Case or even Zooey Deschanel. This single is unlike anything February Records has released so far.

2011Candy Says: I like Abby Mott and sincerely hope as many people as possible get to hear her, and that's on the strength of hearing just two songs from her.
Listen: Elika Ray. Web: Official.
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Background: NYC's neo-grunge trio, Baby Teardrops bring a new dimension to a fan-favorite track, "Smooth Sailing Ahead" by committing the song's larger than life idea to film. The video, directed by Serg Soza with cinematography by Andrew Lyman-Clarke, takes front man Matthew Dunehoo's "rosier than possible" mantra and puts it in motion. Shot on the streets of New York, the video follows Dunehoo as he walks, observing others as he repeats "smooth sailing ahead". Says Dunehoo, "I play the central character and in his open state of consideration and constant reiteration of the idea that everything will be OK, he seems to be open to radical circumstances going on around him. It's as if others can tell that my character is possessed of something they can't quite put their fingers on, in the midst of their own nonsense." The video is available now HERE.

"Smooth Sailing Ahead" can be found on Baby Teardrops' latest release, X is for Love,which comes out April 12th 2011, and which also includes our featured song below.

2011Candy Says: Because Beehive Candy can get a little mellow to quickly these days bands like Baby Teardrops are mandatory listening. Sometimes you just have to ROCK!
Listen: Banged In The Heart. Web: Official.
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Background: I love it when a record company are genuinely excited about a new artist or recording. Then when you listen yourself, you understand that they were not hyping the material but are indeed just getting excited over something new and worthy of some real support.

Case in point! From Indiecator Records regarding Code Pie - Love Meets Rage is one of those rare records that stopped us in our tracks the first time we heard it. As we grew to appreciate every one of its contours that awe only increased as we discovered it’s wealth of ingenuity. Of course you’re used to reading such effusiveness from overexcited labels bigging up their acts but we think you’ll be just as blown away as us when you hear this gorgeous album. Over 10 tracks Code Pie engagingly switch tact, genre and momentum but somehow it feels like a natural progression. There is a little adventure around every corner and each one is embellished with the sort of sucrose melody that will have you returning time and again.

2011Candy Says: Have been streaming this new album today and hope that some of you remember that Beehive Candy introduced you to Code Pie as our credibility rating can only rocket skywards. Quietly confident they will breakthrough this year, lets just hope so.
Listen: North Side City View. Web: Official.
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