FAERS - Wes John Cichosz - Saints Patience - Corner Suns - PANGEA

FAERS - Everything You Know.

Background - FAERS’ singer Steven Anderson-Howard met his future bandmates at his popular weekly indie night Club Yuck in Uxbridge in early 2015. Named after his label, the event showcases groups he’s signed alongside guest DJ slots from established bands. A bond quickly formed between the London five-piece and they released their debut EP ‘WAVES’ in October that year. Before long they were selling out shows in London and Brighton and netting support slots with JAWS, Native People and The Cribs. Having sold out Barfly, The Borderline, and single launches at The Water Rats and The Lexington, alongside appearances at the Y Not, Penn and Camden Rocks festivals, 

FAERS are rapidly growing a loyal fanbase thanks to their intriguing melange of afrobeat and psychedelic indie. Staunch wireless support has come from John Kennedy at Radio X and Gary Crowley on BBC Introducing. Throughout the coming year FAERS’ fanbase will undoubtedly grow. Their raw, visceral sound and effortless songwriting is channelled through their electrifying chemistry when they perform together. With a host of new material that will showcase new frontiers for the group, FAERS may well prove to be one of the most vital acts in the capital, and by extension, the nation.

Sounding like an instant summer festival classic with its high-octane riffs and explosive band chemistry, ‘Everything You Know’ is an adrenaline-inducing dance floor anthem. Loaded with hooks that stay with you long after the song has ended, FAERS have lit upon an invigorating brand of psychedelic afro-funk tinged indie rock. ‘Everything You Know’ is the first release from a crop of tracks created during songwriting sessions late last year. After a week of jamming at an undisclosed location far from any towns and cities in the UK, FAERS ventured to Gothenburg to capture the new sounds they’d constructed with alongside Warner-affiliated producer and long-time friend Anders Largerfors. 

Whilst there, they engaged with the thriving local scene and invited Pale Honey vocalist Tuva Lodmark to sing on the song. The result is an infectious and eclectic pop classic that highlights the effortless cohesion of its writers. Website here, Facebook here, live details on Beehive Candy's tour page.

'Everything You Know' combines intense guitar fronted indie rock with a twist of funk, alongside some feisty vocals that sound just right. Fresh and full of hooks.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wes John Cichosz - Everybody Says.

Background - Wes began playing on the Chicago club scene at age 15 with a variety of jazz and rock acts. Shortly thereafter he received a full scholarship to University of Illinois at Chicago where he won the prestigious Bar Association Music Award. During this time he also had the opportunity to play in the orchestra for the lost Duke Ellington musical, Jump for Joy.

In the 90's he was a part of Chicago's Wicker Park music scene performing regularly with members of Tortoise and Wilco.  As a regular studio musician at Gravity Studios he performed on numerous recordings including the Grammy Nominated, self-titled album Studebaker John and the Hawks. More recently, Wes played a tenor sax solo for Phil Collins on a tribute record for his dear friend legendary songwriter, John Martyn. Wes has played with or opened for War, Ziggy Marley, Maceo Parker, Smashing Pumpkins, Guster, 3 Dog Night, Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel), Adrian Belew, Oz Noy, Dave Weckl, Tony Williams, Umphree’s McGee, Andrew Lloyd Weber, Tributosaurus, Robert Irving and Richard Patterson (Miles Davis), and Rolling Stones sidemen Jack Leavell, Tim Ries and Bernard Fowler (and many more).

A competent multi-instrumentalist, Wes performs in various capacities including solo vocal/acoustic, blues trio, and jazz quartet. Some groups he is integral to include ChiNola (Chicago Blues meets New Orleans Funk and Soul), The Improbable Thursays (Experimental Groove/Jazz) as well as his own progressive-rock-meets-singer-songwriter group, WJC. Chicago DJ Richard Milne of WXRT 93.1 once described Wes's music as "...unlike anything going down in the town." Wes has recorded/produced numerous artists over the years including Dave Tamkin, Scottie Long, Typhanie Monique, and Cameron McGill. A capable arranger, he is currently the music director/guitarist/singer/saxophonist for Arlen Music Productions 17 piece orchestra, Evolution. Wes resides in Chicago and continues to write, record, produce and perform hundreds of dates per year. 

In The Moon Threads a Needle, guitarist/saxophonist/singer/songwriter Wes John Cichosz (Chee-Hoas) seamlessly weaves elements of rock, blues, jazz, and folk into an intensely personal album. Website here, Bandcamp here.

The first of thirteen songs on the new album is 'Everybody Says'. The album embraces so many musical directions, that this track is just a small taste of what follows. The above description that states " Wes seamlessly weaves elements of rock, blues, jazz, and folk" is absolutely spot on. Individual songs can morph across genres, or take on a specific style as an anchor point. Quality and feeling dominate the whole album, it's creative and passionate, and worthy of listening to in full.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saints Patience - Taste Of You.

Background - About ‘Taste Of You’. A certified funk-rock fusion treat, ‘Taste Of You’ is a candid declaration of love and lust which, according to Saints Patience frontman Mudibu, is “about opening up to someone and letting them know your secrets and desires; asking them to let go and trust their instinct”. This he expresses in a vocal both hugely soulful and raw – “Heaven knows, forever you’ll be close to me” – while a wonderfully rotund bassline, shuddering synths and wah-wah guitar coalesce into one distinctly disco-flavoured belter. ‘Taste Of You’ is essentially a sexy, catchy pop song with a chorus hook that’s primed for the airwaves. Don’t touch that dial.

About Saints Patience and ‘Weather The Storm’ “We’ve created something epic, something exciting and captivating.” Essentially the project of two London-based musicians, multi-instrumentalist Spencer and vocalist Mudibu, Saints Patience place melody and groove front and centre in a thrilling audio format that mixes the classic and the contemporary by following the lead of such timeless artists as Queen, Otis Redding, Led Zeppelin and The Wailers. Their songs, enhanced live by artisanal musicians taking on rhythm section duties, are cohesive amalgamations of Spencer’s prolific guitar jams and improv sessions in his home studio, which Mudibu, formerly of Mantilla, Lostchild and The Jezebel Sextet, enhances via his rich and powerful voice. 

This intuitive pair – “You know it’s good when you just look at each other and smile” – have now collected the best of their writings into their debut album ‘Weather The Storm’, recorded using valve amps and minimal gear at Spencer’s studio and thus exuding a fresh and dynamic analogue vibe. Indeed, to control the sound during recording the band used loads of old duvets and blankets, covered up the windows and warned the neighbours. Proper old-school! In Mudibu’s words, the album captures “an expression of emotions that are both political and relational in context. It's a sifting through of what really resonates with oneself and the surrounding environment. The same emotions can be individual but they are experienced by many in varied contexts. The notion of bravery in the face of these emotional challenges is implied in the album title "Weather The Storm’. Website here, Facebook here.

Back in July of last year we first featured Saints Patience and without hesitation it's a delight to do so again. New song 'Taste Of You' is a fabulously funky affair which manifests soulful vibes against a soundtrack that is seemingly on fire. Floor filling and mood lifting, this is a band to watch out for.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Corner Suns - The Rattle In The Room.

Background - Brandon Carr of folk-psychedelia band The Earlies and John Dufilho of experimental pop group The Apples In Stereo and indie rockers The Deathray Davies have joined forces to create Corner Suns.

Combining neo-psych and baroque pop the Dallas based band released their eponymous debut via ??Idol Records in ?January 2017 after Dufilho tempted Carr back into music following a period during which Carr says he'd "given up on it". Corner Suns' memorable melodies, catchy hooks and insightful lyrics, influenced by the likes of The Zombies, Magnetic Fields, and The Shins, are all evident on new single 'The Rattle in the Room', providing ample proof that this is a musical pairing worth coming out of retirement for.

Asked about Corner Suns' sound, John says "To me, Corner Suns sounds like The Deathray Davies, The Apples in Stereo, The Earlies, John Singer Sergeant, CLIFFFS – all rolled into one record. It’s actually beyond that. Dallas bands I’ve played with and loved, recording engineer friends of mine I’ve learned from… I’m lucky to have people like Brandon to collaborate with, as it’s a million times better than on my own. More fun, too." The Rattle in the Room is released in Idol Records on 12th May 2017. Website here, Facebook here.

'The Rattle In The Room' is a vibrant and snappy song, with a tuneful soundtrack providing the back drop for some upbeat vocals and breezy harmonies.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PANGEA - Something Bad.

Background - “Something Bad represents the self-destructive search for passion. To find a love so consuming that it will drive you to insanity; it’s about wondering how far you can go before you break.” Slye, PANGEA.

Ever felt so intensely about something or someone that you’ve been driven to actions you deeply regret? That’s the consequential dilemma at the heart of ‘Something Bad’, the smart debut release from Liverpool quartet PANGEA. Dropping with a taut groove, punctuated with Nile Rodgers-like guitar chops, tasteful lead licks and on-point vocal harmonies, ‘Something Bad’ is a slice of crisp indie funk blossoming into a deliciously catchy chorus. 

By the time those exuberant riffs kick back in after the tune’s refined breakdown, it’s clear from the dexterous drum fills, full-blooded guitar lines and hook-heavy vocals that PANGEA are four musicians lost in their music – and this is our invitation to join them. ‘Something Bad’, produced by AQ, was recorded and mastered at Liverpool’s renowned Parr St Studios.

PANGEA have a refreshingly direct mission statement for a band of indie inclinations – make the people dance. A supertight unit forged at the University of Liverpool, the four-piece meld slick yet visceral funk grooves with euphonic pop melodics. Slye, Levi, Paul and Kieren bring something new to the contemporary soundscape by channelling the energy of Seventies and Eighties greats into songs of relevance to the fledgling 21st-century. 

Shades of US titans like Prince, Chic and Funkadelic colour PANGEA’s material, as does the dynamic edge of the modern British indie scene, notably bands such as Foals and Two Door Cinema Club. The resultant songs are primed for their listeners to move to – and be moved by – as notions of unity, passion and introspection are transmitted through immersive grooves and intelligent lyrics. Here is a band founded on a policy of arch yet danceable pop, and with their irresistible debut single, PANGEA are taking that message to the masses. Facebook here.

Immediately the song begins, a funky and appealing musical foundation is laid. 'Something Bad' certainly delivers on the bands intention to provide good danceable music, they also clearly have a informed ear, for melody and memorable music.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------