Blue Nation - Blake Brown & The American Dust Choir - Fontaines DC
Blue Nation - Rich Girl.Background - Blue Nation come confidently striding out on to the streets to deliver you their brand new grooving slice of gritty sing-a-long, fist in the air, authentic rock. ‘Rich Girl’ the new single from midlands very own Blue Nation is released 23rd March. The single is taken from the brand new forthcoming album due for release later this year.
The riff-rocking Birmingham trio, pair the unrestrained emotions of music with the capricious nature of life. Front man Neil Murdoch explains; ‘Travelling on a train back from London a girl sat next to me (Neil) and began to sob her heart out. She had just left her fella as she had caught him cheating. During the journey, said cheater rang the heart broken girl and begged her to come back to him, promising to never do it again. It became obvious that the relationship was based on lies and convenience.
Said girl then started to negotiate with the cheater about what he would give her to come back to him…a car, a holiday you name it. The song is not about love but more the contractual terms that this relationship was based on.‘
Blue Nation hit the road with fellow UK up and coming rockers ‘Dirty Thrills’ this month for four shows including London, Birmingham, Manchester and Norwich. Murdoch and the boys are raring to go as he adds; ‘The tours are going to be off the scale! We can’t wait to hit the road with the Dirty Thrills lads. The audiences are going to see one hell of a show.’ WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.
Blue Nation on tour this month with Dirty Thrills:
26/02 | Factory, Manchester
27/02 | Waterfront Studio, Norwich
28/02 | Underworld, London
02/03 | O2 Institute 3, Birmingham
Whilst the video is steeped with sixties imagery 'Rich Girl' is anything but dated, the rich rock production, the superbly definitive vocals and an energised presence from start to finish, ensures this rocker stands out. Blue Nation are clearly not following the crowd, they are doing their own thing, and splendidly at that.
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Background - Denver-based group Blake Brown & The American Dust Choir shares the second track off their debut LP Long Way Home, with the song "Between The Lines."
"Between The Lines" is about growing up, plain and simple. Frontman Blake Brown says of the track, "I’ve always been taught to follow my dreams, so there’s that dichotomy that I really struggle with. Do I follow them, or move on from them? No choice is necessarily right or wrong, it’s just a deep down feeling that I’m constantly questioning. Reminding myself to hold my dreams with both hands, as to not drop such delicate things. All in all, I’m still not sure what the result is, but I think baring your truth and admitting that “I don’t know” is important in figuring it out. Only to understand that there may be a time when a choice has to be made. So what will it be? Dreamin’ is believing so start. You gotta hold them with both hands.”
Blake Brown & The American Dust Choir is made up of frontman Blake Brown (vocals/guitar), Tiffany Brown (keys/vocals), Adam Blake (drums), Jason Legler (bass), and Trent Nelson (guitar).
Long Way Home is a collection of songs that represent different periods and experiences in Brown's life. Heartbreak, healing, deception, reflection, growing up, and everything in between. Produced and engineered by Joe Richmond and mastered at Lurssen Mastering by Reuben Cohen, Long Way Home is due out March 9, 2018 on We Believers Music. It will be available on CD and vinyl direct through the website, and available for pre-order on all digital outlets on March 2, 2018. The first time they will be performing the record live will be at SXSW 2018, in an official showcase to be announced. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.
We featured 'Stop Shakin' at the end of January and just weeks later we have 'Between The Lines' another top quality alt rocker from Blake Brown & The American Dust Choir. There is a hint of Southern rock vibes on this hook laden song and an atmospheric groove that is hard to shake off, the album is looking plenty good.
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Fontaines DC - Boys In The Better Land.Background - Fontaines D.C. met as a quintet in Dublin, influenced and driven in equal measure by the rich history of their hometown’s counter-culture, their response has been to make concise and immediately authentic indie-punk that has done anything but fall on deaf ears.
The last six months have seen Fontaines D.C. release two hotly received double A-side singles, both of which were named as singles of the week by Rough Trade, and garnered early support from the likes of Steve Lamacq and others on BBC 6 Music, as well as earning feature space from every major Irish publication. Similarly, the band have played a number of shows across Europe, Ireland and the UK earning a reputation for their brooding and trenchant live performances, supporting the likes of The Horrors, Girl Band and The Lemon Twigs, as well as playing festival slots at Electric Picnic, Hard Working Class Heroes and Other Voices.
Previous singles such as ‘Liberty Belle’ and ‘Hurricane Laughter’ call to mind the likes of the Modern Lovers, The Fall, Iggy Pop and The Strokes, seamlessly blending immediate lyrical hooks with melodic golden-era indie instrumentation, and ‘70s Stooges punk thrust, all of which is strewn with defiant rock and roll overtones. On their new single ‘Chequeless Reckless’, the band have decided to delve even deeper into their influences (which they personally cite as spanning from The La’s, to The Pogues to Buddy Holly) employing hypnotic, kraut-rock infused cyclical riffs, whilst channelling Dublin into their concise and often-unassumingly poetic lyrics with a distinctive gritty Irish drawl.
Fontaines D.C. have gone from strength-to-strength with each release, and with a vast range of critical acclaim, renowned live shows and a series of sold out releases behind them over the course of just six months, ‘Chequeless Reckless’ stands as a huge statement of intent, which is not to be ignored. FACEBOOK.
Live Dates:
Fri 2nd March - Derry - Dutch Kills, Mason's Loft.
Sat 3rd March - Dublin - Button Factory
Wed 7th March - London - The Victoria, Dalston
Fri 30th March - Mayo - Garbo's - Castlebar.
Now in my modest opinion (well I think it is) Fontaines DC may very well be a band to keep an ear out for and an eye upon this year. 'Boys In The Better Land' might have just a twist of The Fall vocals wise, however they are clearly natural & not contrived. The sheer energy and desire the band display is noteworthy. The most striking feature is the ease in which the band appear to deliver their material, slick, uncompromising and very addictive.
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