Ann'so M - Fine China - The Beaucrees - Earth Girl Helen Brown

Ann'so M - Screw You.

Background - Ann'so M in a few references: A electro-pop-rock duo not soft knee, sung by an artist reminiscent of a French Pat Benatar. Many concerts given in jails, festivals, Coffee Scenes ... Prestigious collaborations including a very nervous song that has benefited from the talent of Louis Bertignac (Telephone). Captivating riffs and a groaning six-string, all led by a voice, that of a flayed skin, with an engaged pen.

"Au coeur du système" Inspired by the events of recent years, Ann'so M offers five assertive songs raging and addictive to heady melodies. Five years after "Dans des artères", Ann'so enchants on some titles in the language of Shakespeare. From her frenglish accent, she claims her continentalism.

This EP is an invitation to think for yourself. "At a time when social networks can reveal themselves as a source of the most precarious thoughts, is religion an obstacle to reason? In the same way, the man is consumer of media, but from now on it is the media which consumes it. "(Eben Moglen) All traced? All controlled?

Attracted by electro sounds, but keeping forever and ever his rock spirit, the duo out of his comfort zone thanks to this tasty mix, sailing in the Franco-British new wave influences. On a coffee terrace in Paris, they collaborate with Joseph d'Anvers, who wrote the ballad "Zero Degree". "Au coeur du système" will be available in March 2018 , it will be possible to order it directly on the band's WEBSITE.

For "electro pop rock" I suggest focusing on rock as the key element of Ann'so M's five song EP. 'Screw You' is typical of the assertive nature that permeates this collection, don't get me wrong the other elements are there, but the sumptuous energised nature of the music is fuelled by some feisty rock & roll.


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Fine China - No Vibe.

Background - We have another single from Arizona-based Fine China who just put out a 7" out on Velvet Blue Music.

A little more about the song from the band: "No Vibe started as a simple drum machine beat and the two telecaster guitar parts that come in at the beginning of the song.  I had written the chorus guitar parts several years back but never had a good place to land them, but when this track presented itself, they worked perfectly as the chorus.  I've always loved early Cure tracks, where they just kind of go, and parts come in and out but they are more of a jam, and the dynamic parts and stops/starts are kept to a minimum, and so that is how this track evolved. 

One we started putting together the track list for the album, it became clear to me that No Vibe didn't quite fit as an album track, but I liked it and it was a bit of an oddball arrangement for Fine China, which I liked, so we kept it as a B-Side.  The production is a little rougher than the album tracks as well, as we recorded and mixed it all in my home studio, which I thought fit the song." WEBSITE.

Less than a week since we first featured Fine China along comes a second single 'No Vibe. We said that the previous song 'Not Thrilled' was "a high quality piece that bodes very well for next months album". The new single just re-emphasises our opinion and ups the stakes even higher.

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The Beaucrees - Give Them A Break!

Background - “There are all sorts of problems in the world and I know we can't stop the actions of others but I do believe that there is one problem that can be resolved. This is it. There are people sleeping on the streets in every city in the world. Some are old. Some are young. Some have simple but beautiful minds. Homelessness is not about race or religion. It's about loneliness and despair. It's about being unwanted and unneeded.I honestly believe that very few people choose to sleep on our streets.

There are people and governments that can solve this problem. We need to get them to listen. Let them know that we the people are not happy for this situation to continue. How can we all help? We must make everyone be aware that there is a problem. Today (26th January 2018) The Beaucrees, a band from the sixties, are releasing the " first record of awareness."

What's that I hear you ask? It's a record with a simple message.The message is STOP THE HOMELESSNESS. Hopefully some one might listen if we all Shout STOP the HOMELESSNESS” - Michael Kain, The Beaucrees

Formed: 1963 Walthamstow, London, England, why would you wait over 50 years to release your first single? Perhaps you’re just waiting for the right song to come along? But that’s the story of The Beaucrees; formed in 1963, worked their way around the clubs and pubs of London in and the South East in the ‘60s and ‘70s and broke up finally in 1979.

They reformed in 2012 and then Michael Kain wrote “The Game” a record to raise money for a charity that helps wounded service men and women – Help for Heroes and the great work that they do. ’Give Them A Break’ is their second single, evoking a classic 60’s sound with quality songwriting and a powerful message. WEBSITE.

Apart from the worthy message cited above 'Give Them A Break!' just happens to be a fabulous and timeless song that exudes sixties charm and yet is clearly relevant and of today's production standards. Back in the late seventies I remember some of the homeless that slept around London's west end, they always seemed to look old to me then. Nowadays they look far to young, it's not hard to see why this band feel this way, I guess it's a case of what about me, what am I going to do...


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Earth Girl Helen Brown - Chains of Love.

Background - The lead track "Chains of Love" from Venus, the final EP in the inaugural year of the planet series by Earth Girl Helen Brown. The new track features Brigid Dawson (Thee Oh Sees), Grace Cooper (Grace Sings Sludge / The Sandwitches), Kelley Stoltz, Graeme Gibson, Tahlia Harbour (The Dry Spells), Emilee Booher; and of course, Heidi Alexander (The Sandwitches / Pruno Truman).

Born a figment of Sonny Smith’s imagination in the storm of invention and tributary appropriation that formed the 100 Records project (2010), Earth Girl Helen Brown resurfaced last year in response to cosmic cultural forces seeming to demand an engaged response.  It’s no coincidence that the Center for Planetary Intelligence Band (E.G.H.B.C.F.P.I.B.) launched the inaugural EP of their 2017 planetary series, Mercury (a collection of songs dealing with the topic of “responsible fire management”), on 1/20/17 at an event dubbed Inauguration Station. The band has subsequently released one cassette EP per season in collaboration with Empty Cellar Records, each confronting a singular solar satellite, topic planetary of importance, and aspirational genre, with proceeds of each benefiting organizations committed work related to the topic at hand.  Summer was MARS (war), Fall SATURN (communication), and now the first series concludes with the Winter installation VENUS on the topic of love. Preferencing the expansive catch-as-catch-can vibe of the 100 Records project the band has hosted an ever-changing cast characters in the first year. With Heidi Alexander (The Sandwitches / Pruno Truman / The Fresh and Onlys) at the helm the band and its related media artists and technicians has included:

Jamie Barron, Jamin Barton, Eric Bauer, Aylin Beyce, Emilee Booher, Ryan Browne (Sonny and The Sunsets), Tim Cohen (Fresh and Onlys / Magic Trick), Grace Cooper (The Sandwitches / Grace Sings Sludge), Dave Cousin, Brad Caulkins, Mikal Cronin, Bart Davenport, Brigid Dawson (Thee Oh Sees), John Dwyer (Thee Oh Sees), Chris Fallon, Lars Finberg, James Finch Jr. (The Sandwitches), Davin Givhan (Chris Cohen Band), Dylan Hadley, Dustin Hamman, Kearin Harlow, Wilder Harlow, Graeme Gibson, Tahlia Harbour (Sonny and The Sunsets), Anna Hillburg (Magic Trick), Douglas Hilsinger, Warren Huegel (Daevid Allen's University of Errors), Emmett Kelly (The Cairo Gang), Nora Keys, Shannon Lay, Raven Mahon (Grass Widow), Rusty Miller, Charlie Moonheart (CFM), Jack Name, Ethan Novikoff, Tim Presley (White Fence / Drinks), Ty Segall, Dave Sitek (TV on The Radio), Sean Smith, Sonny Smith, Kelley Stoltz, Enrique Tena, Alicia Vanden Heuvel (Aislers Set / Magic Trick), Lida Vanden Heuvel and Mikey Young. BANDCAMP, WEBSITE.

A massive welcome back to E.G.H.B.C.F.P.I.B. and the latest song share that is 'Chains Of Love'. Our third feature and another gorgeous song with some addictive R&B meets soul vibes going on, it does not seem fair to miss out any of those who have contributed to this series of EP's, so there they all are above, for the story so far.

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