Kylie Odetta - Swimming Tapes - Rival Cavves - High Signs - Monogold
Kylie Odetta - Stress.Background - 19-year-old Kylie Odetta has always been able to access a musical maturity that transcends her age. By 6 she was playing piano fluidly, by 12 she was recording her own material in her own iconic style and, as of 2017, has clocked in hundreds of shows that include opening slots for Gavin DeGraw, Colbie Callait and Mat Kearny.
The slow-burning R&B that is saturating the mainstream as of late was always in alignment with Odetta’s sensibilities, culminating in 2016’s High Dreamer EP which was a pivotal moment in her musical trajectory, both personally and professionally. Its bluesy ballads accessed the lower register of her sultry voice, drawing comparisons to contemporary soul torchbearers like Yuna, Lianne La Havas and Adele and securing coverage in outlets as varied as Paste and The Music Ninja.
Odetta’s mellow yet modern aesthetic was molded from a youth spent listening to both top 40 radio while entrenching herself in the pantheon of jazz pianists: Ellington, Monk, Coltrane, etc.… The symbiosis between pop and blues has always been apparent in her unique style and is something she drew on heavily when returning to the studio earlier this year. The name of her newest EP, Undertow, plays on her intention to follow her muse and not defer to mainstream trends - moving in a direction that is different from that of the surface current.
Undertow is due out May 19th, website here, Facebook here.
If I describe 'Stress' as resplendent, beguiling and similar, I might still be accused of understating just how good this song is. Kylie Odetta is young, pretty and can sing, enough these day's to have TV talent shows falling over themselves to hype her up. A closer listen at both her vocals and piano skills, suggests there is some real depth to Kylie's musical interpretation and naturally developed talent. Resplendent, beguiling? go watch and listen (here), and decide for yourself!
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Background - London-based indie band Swimming Tapes share new track "Queen's Parade". The track was produced by Adam Jaffrey (Palace, Gengahr, Leif Erikson). Stay tuned for more details on the new EP which will feature the single, to be announced soon. The band have announced a number of UK tour dates, including stops at The Great Escape and Dot To Dot Festivals, and a headline show at The Lexington.
The now London-based five piece arrived in 2016 with a self released demo track, ‘Souvenirs’, which quickly won them acclaim from the blogging world. Follow up tracks ‘Set The Fire’ and ‘Cameos’ saw them reach the top spot on the Hype Machine chart, earned the band their first play from BBC Radio 1, and tipped them well over 1 million track streams on Spotify. Swimming Tapes rounded off the year with the release of their debut EP, named after their first single ‘Souvenirs’, on burgeoning London indie label Hand In Hive, and have firmly cemented themselves as ones to watch for 2017.
"Queen's Parade" is available digitally now via B3SCI Records (US) and Hand In Hive Records (UK). Swimming Tapes are Robbie Reid (guitar + vocals), Louis Price (guitar + vocals), Jason Hawthorne (guitar), Paddy Conn (bass), and Andrew Evans (drums). Facebook here, live dates on Beehive Candy's tour page.
Swimming Tapes clearly have an ear for a fine melody and 'Queen's Parade' is no exception. Bright indie music with some appealing vocals and harmonies, backed by some glittering guitar lead music makes for a very catchy track.
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Rival Cavves - Creep.Background - Marissa Longstreet and Matthew Lieberman first encountered one another in 2012. An LA native, Lieberman's new group Magic Bronson was looking for a rehearsal/studio space and had stumbled upon a warehouse in the San Fernando Valley that seemed to fit what they wanted. Upon arrival, Lieberman met the owner's sister who happened to be Longstreet.
Having recently moved to LA from upstate New York, Longstreet was fronting an indie dance band and just getting her feet wet in the LA music scene. Over the next 3 years Lieberman and Longstreet found themselves playing multiple shows together with their respective bands.
Fast forward to 2015 when Lieberman moved into the same North Hollywood neighborhood as Longstreet. They began to hang out more frequently and spent a lot of late nights listening to Lieberman's record collection and showing each other new music and bands. Using his vintage Roland Juno-106 Synthesizer, Lieberman began making beats influenced by these hangouts and started giving them to Longstreet.
Armed with a mic and laptop she began putting Lieberman's beats into garage band and tracking vocal ideas. Within a few weeks they had a number of songs and Rival Cavves was officially born. The duo debuted in June ’16 with the buzzed single “EZ Way Out” which Indie Shuffle called "a dream/synth-pop electronic jam that exudes LA vibes and LA swag.” Their 7 song self-titled debut expands on their unique ability to fuse dream & electro-pop in the best possible way. Lieberman’s array of glitchy synths and sweeping soundscapes provide the perfect springboard for Longstreet’s bouncy, poetic and hypnotic vocals. Facebook here.
'Creep' builds around a focused synthy rhythm and some understated and yet menacing and plaintive vocals, now there's a juxtaposition. Or in English, it's a fabulous electo song.
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High Signs - A Much Larger Ocean.Background from High Signs - We just released our new single “A Much Larger Ocean”. It’s a song about the struggle to remain positive without clinging to empty hope or unfounded optimism.
Staying present, grounded, and connected to what and who we care about is more of an action than a desire, but it is one that needs to constantly be teased out. Even if we can find this piece of mind for just a moment, it is something we can hold onto and continue to find strength in. If nothing else, it is a mindset to aspire to.
After forming in the basement of a DIY venue in Toronto, we reset our approach to music in 2016, focusing on writing songs that are honest and simple. “A Much Larger Ocean” exemplifies our process, and acts as an introduction to our full-length debut “If So, Then What?”. Recorded by Collin Young at B-Town Sound, and mixed by Jesse Gander (Japandroids, White Lung), the album will be released this summer. Facebook here.
'A Much Larger Ocean' launches itself like a whirlwind going at breakneck speed and refuses to ease off. Two and a half minutes of perfect rock uproar, now that's enough to wake a good few listeners.
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Background - Brooklyn-based Monogold have just shared their artistic new video for "Naked," taken off of their latest release, Yolk, out now via Chill Mega Chill Records.
Since the release of 2015's Good Heavens, which was Monogold's acoustic-based effort, they have torn down any preconceived notions that they or anyone else had of them. After completely stripping down their sound for Good Heavens, the Monogold boys took this new foundation of simplicity and started building with their signature, catchy power-trio melodies and hooks. They still like to go deep on the lush soundscapes, but their songs have become a bit more focused and driven by the instrumentation and the vocals.
With their new EP in hand titled, Yolk (Chill Mega Chill Records) out now, Kelly, Apuzzo, and Falotico are giving the world a small taste of what is to come in the future of the band. The four song EP is a prelude to another full-length record which is in the process of being mixed right now. As with their new found musical simplicity, the lyrical content will tackle the simple things: breastfeeding, giving birth, being born, sex, bugs, and more.
There's about two albums worth of songs written, and Monogold couldn't bear to keep them to themselves anymore. Facebook here, Bandcamp here.
An intriguing music video that's charming in it's own right, just happens to be accompanied by a fabulous and equally artistic song that is 'Naked'. Warning this is exceptionally catchy!
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