Veronica Bianqui - Rosie Carney - Koda - ONR - Chances
Background - Garage-pop artist, Veronica Bianqui is releasing a new music video for her single, "Victim". “I wrote this song when I started discovering how being emotionally co-dependent has negatively affected my life by creating a pattern of self-victimization. Now, to me, it represents the hope for addicts to escape from their cycle of addiction. I hope it serves as inspiration for addicts and their loved ones around the world that you can put your foot down and change—that you don’t have to be a victim, like my sister—and so many millions of others—unfortunately have been.”
Veronica Bianqui integrates the raw energy of garage rock with the passion of classic soul and R&B, and the pop sensibilities of 60s girl groups while maintaining an intense yet playful edge. Perhaps it’s her background in musical theatre, jazz, classical, and even Indian classical music, or her mother’s propensity for blasting The Beatles and Joe Cocker around the house, but Bianqui’s tastes and influences cross a wide spectrum of sounds. In her live show, Bianqui and her band consisting of up to 10 members—reminiscent sometimes of a revue– combine classic showmanship with a heartfelt directness that keeps the music intimate.
Before breaking out with her solo material, Bianqui made a name for herself in the LA circuit, performing in bands that toured across the U.S. and Europe. As a current member of 1960’s inspired folk/surf/psych rock outfit The Blank Tapes, she balances the two bands, often collaborating with bandmate and co-producer Matt Adams, including on her debut album that is yet to be released.
Her debut album–recorded with Mark Rains (Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Shooter Jennings, Alice Bag, Death Valley Girls)– is nearing completion, and awaits release in 2018. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.
Sixties tinged garage pop with just a little rock & roll swagger 'Victim' is a gorgeous song, with a positive message, and a whole load of hooks. It's looking good for the debut album.
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Background - Anyone coming to ‘Winter’ not acquainted with Rosie Carney’s mature-beyond-her-years songwriting would be forgiven for thinking she was some long lost contemporary of Joni Mitchell with decades worth of experiences to relate about life, love and adversity, and not a brilliant newcomer who’s barely left her teens behind.
Produced with her frequent collaborator Orri McBrearty in her hometown of Donegal, ’Winter’ follows on from her highly acclaimed singles ‘Your Moon’ and ‘Awake Me’, singles which, between them, have racked up over six million streams online and received acclaim from NPR, The Line of Best Fit, The Independent, Crack in the Road and Perez Hilton.
With her dulcet tones, organic textures and subtle, nuanced, and dreamlike ambient production ‘Winter’ is Carney at her very best. In her own words she says:
"Winter is a confessional song written about knowing when something is over. It's inspired by the brutally honest truth experienced when realising something is coming to an end regardless of whether or not that's what you want. It captures the true cold essence of winter which can be felt when letting go. It was, of course, written in the winter. The instrumentation and production were very much inspired by the cold and bare landscapes around me. Everything is raw and minimal.”
The song is just another part of her exciting year so far, having played shows supporting Benjamin Francis Leftwich, Saint Sister and Haux, co-headlining dates with Henry Jamison in the UK and Ireland, alongside festival slots at Latitude, Seven Layers, and the Bon Iver, National, and Cillian Murphy curated Sounds From A Safe Harbour. FACEBOOK.
This is the fourth time we have featured Rosie Carney and her music continues to impress me in a big way. 'Winter' is gentle, intimate and just so natural. Conjuring up images of cold, short days in my imagination, her song writing and musical compositions are pristine.
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Koda - Curse.Background - Koda shares his latest video for new single "Curse". The track is from his forthcoming album 'I Hope This Makes Us Better', which is due out spring 2018.
The grandson of a famous Haitian singer, alternative artist/producer Jordan Sudak (aka Koda) spent the first half of his life as an army brat, being yanked from city to city across the globe. Living in three countries by the age of 15, Jordan watched as his free-spirited parents turned to a radical form of born-again Protestantism, banning contemporary art and burning his Harry Potter books in the process.
After finally settling in Columbia, South Carolina, Jordan's family values took a bizarre turn as his father's close call with a heart attack triggered an 180 degree flip on religion for the entire household. His parents eventually opened for an experimental rock band called The Radar Cinema. His mom claimed Jordan to be a family cousin, and he then became the band's frontman.
Between rehearsals, Jordan would get together with the band's keyboardist to listen to doom metal and sludge records while "circuit-bending," the art of making new instruments through soldering circuit boards from toys like Furbies and Speak 'N' Spells. From there, Jordan made the deep dive into ambient and experimental music, teaching himself QBASE, a popular production software for electronic artists. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.
'Curse' has an multi-layered musical sound where synths and rhythms seem to explore and interchange elements with each other. Add in the smooth vocals and this is an intriguing and pleasing song.
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Background - Scottish artist ONR. started making waves after leaking demos through indie label Leftwing, before swiftly signing to Capitol Records in the US.
His debut single 'Jericho' was released this summer, and has received early support from Spotify, and US stations KCRW, KCSN and Live 105.
Early reviews have lauded the ‘supreme confidence’ of ONR.’s sound, drawing comparisons to Echo & The Bunnymen, 1975, Depeche Mode, Arcade Fire and David Bowie.
ONR. is currently recording with producers Mark Crew (Bastille, Rag & Bone Man), Doc McKinney (The Weeknd) and legendary mixer Spike Stent. A run of UK dates this December (including three sold-out Scottish shows) leads in to US dates confirmed for next year - including SXSW. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.
We featured ONR & the song 'Jericho' less than a month ago and it is a real pleasure to be able to share the brand new song '5 Years Time'. Once again the vocals are distinct and melodic. The music starts out with some delicate synthy sounds before building into a powerful and very catchy piece.
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Chances - Rishikesh.Background - It was in late 2016, that Montreal-based musicians Chloé Lacasse and Geneviève Toupin, both singer songwriters and pianists, along with drummer Vincent Carré, decided to come together to sketch out a few songs, just to see where uninhibited brainstorming might lead. With two well received singles already released in 2017, 'Rishikesh' is their most experimental and vibrant effort yet.
A world music/electronic music mashup that becomes otherworldly in its atmospheric builds. Catapulting rhythms, syncopated vocals, and bubbling synths envelope around a loop of singers recorded on the banks of the Ganges. Exquisite in the execution, lyrically 'Rishikesh' is all about choice and intention, and musically it's about exploration.
Here are the band's thoughts on the new track: We love this song and feel it has a certain power to it. It's about choice and intention...the intention to trust your instinct, and to align action with thought. The song's driving rhythm continually pushes forward, the vocals play off each other in a sort of call and response, the synths spark up a colourful chaos. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.
The song is tagged experimental pop and 'Rishikesh' is all of that. Vocals swirl and intertwine above a vibrant electronic soundtrack. Imaginative and impressive it's also one of those songs that quickly demands another listen.
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