2015 - Out Of Our Inbox - June - One

Closet Straights we are told are - a young, scrappy team of talented multi-instrumentalists from Melbourne, Australia. The quintet were born out of troubadour front man Alex Lashlie's desire to have his ethereal compositions fleshed out for a live environment.

Individually, each member of Closet Straights brings their own inspirations and inclinations that reach from the far out regions of jangle-pop to the vast plains of true-country ramblers. As a unit however, these differences cum together to create a melting pot of true fusion.

They first worked together in late 2013 and have now arrived at a point where their music has been described as 'heavy pop'. Well heavy, jangly, or whatever else, their recent single release 'Zadie' is a fine song to kick off this edition. It has that ethereal feel around it, I like the word ethereal, so only award it when justified, yep - ethereal heavy pop will do nicely. Bandcamp HERE.

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So what do we know about Bunnygrunt? Well first of all we know that whoever wrote their promo has a superb way with words, we read - They started off twee but spent so much time on the road that they learned how to rock. The missing link between Teenage Fanclub and Teenage Wasteland, like a bat out of hell baby, Bunnygrunt was born to run. They’ve been tearing it up for years now—legends of the underground teaching the indie kids how to rock and the rockers how to weep. Fueled by the kindest dog in St. Louis, the immortal Rusty, Bunnygrunt’s spent their lives stuck in the middle of a nowhere that used to be a somewhere (the gateway to the west that’s now seen as a hateway to the rest), and you can hear it in every note of their beer-soaked, hopefully desperate and hopelessly hopeful, music.

And just like the union men who built the schools and the fire stations of St. Louis all those years ago, Bunnygrunt does their work and moves on. No glory necessary, no need to thank them.

What can we add to that, other than listen, no even better, turn in up unsociably loud and share with your neighbours. Bunnygrunt Volume 4 is released July 17th 2015 and it's a corker!

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Fox And Fowl are a Brisbane based indie pop trio. They have a really catchy song 'Spark' that we are able to share, one with a little storyline as follows - A song with a surprising meaning, singer and keyboard player Lachlan explains that 'Spark' is based on the worldwide uproar surrounding Brazil's preparation prior to hosting the FIFA World Cup last year.

"We wanted to highlight the fact that the Brazilian government and FIFA were spending millions of dollars on Cup, while millions of Brazilians were living below the poverty line and struggling with their every day life. The country was "just a spark away" from igniting in uproar and riots," he says. 

'Spark' is the next step in an exciting new direction for Fox & Fowl with politically charged undercurrents and a fresh new sound emanating from the trio. Whatever the story this song hooked me in straight away, so enjoy!

The band have some live dates:

Friday June 5 | Brighton Up Bar, Sydney - w/Polish Club and Special Guests

Saturday June 6 | Grace Darling Hotel, Melbourne - w/The Sand Dollars, DIET. and Louis Spoils

Saturday June 27 | Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane - FREE SHOW w/Denpasar.

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Sometimes just the background to a band that we receive sets the tone and expectation very high, so when I read the following about The Cheap Thrills, I was hoping for something exciting.

The Cheap Thrills' release their new single 'Rusty' on July 13th, encapsulating the band's energy and youth with an added Psych/Pop vibe. 

Aged just eighteen and nineteen, the band have already headlined 02 Academy shows, have been selected as winners of the coveted Liverpool Sound City Youth Award 2012 and played the Calling Out stage of Kendal Calling in the same year. Since then, The Cheap Thrills have played successful gigs in London, as well as supporting Cast, The Rifles, The Moons, The Jezabels, Wave Machines, Skaters and Superfood.

Regulars on BBC Introducing Merseyside, the band have also been featured in The Guardian's 'Breaking Bands Column'.

No anti-climax with this band, the featured song has a level of maturity that surprises, they have that 'natural energy level' that carries on after the song has ended.

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We have been hearing quite a lot about Sasha McVeigh this year and share the excitement around her album release 'I Stand Alone' due out imminently on June 8th. Just some of the notable points regarding Sasha are:

·  Tipped as one to watch by Taste of Country. UK country singer who has been embraced by the US country scene.
·  Performing alongside some of the biggest names on the circuit in America (inc. Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton and Keith Urban)
·  Recently played to a packed crowd at C2C at the O2. Sold out main stage performance at Hay Festival, screened by BBC Worldwide.
·  Chosen as Best of the Best by Mark Forrest & BBC Introducing.
·  Been booked for six main stage slots at country music festivals this summer in the US.
·  Opened the ACM awards kick-off concert in Las Vegas with Hunter Hayes.
·  Announced by anti-bullying designers Amour Propre as their new ambassador.

Not bad eh? so enjoy the video for 'Someone To Break My Heart' if the video appeals, the album's a must!

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There has been some real 'buzz' around May, who is based in Melbourne, Australia. Yesterday was the release day of her new single 'I Could Have Been Someone' (written by May), her second release for 2015.

The press release quite rightly describes May's singing and musical accompaniment - With orchestral blends of contemporary soul and dark pop, May pairs hauntingly beautiful melodies with evocative vocals to create a distinct and powerful sound.

This is one of those songs that casts it's shadow across a range of musical styles and genres and yet flows along with grace and beauty. You can gather from that, I like it. It's on iTunes HERE.

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With a rather crammed 'Inbox' check back soon for more new gems, and follow us on Twitter for all the latest Beehive Candy updates!