Trampled By Turtles - Chakra Efendi - Willie Breeding - Scratch
Background - The much-adored Minnesota sextet, Trampled By Turtles have shared their new single, ‘The Middle’, the second to be taken from their forthcoming album Life Is Good On The Open Road, due for release via Thirty Tigers on June 1, 2018 - you can listen to the new single here. After an indefinite hiatus, the band are returning with their first new album in four years following in the wake of previous Billboard-charting records which have included three No.1s on the Bluegrass and Folk charts.
Life Is Good On The Open Road is the welcome return that the group’s legions of passionate fans have been waiting for. Led by the songwriting of lead singer Dave Simonett, the new songs touch on key elements from the entire spectrum of Trampled By Turtles’ body of work, while creating something that sounds fresh and invigorated. Simonett, and bandmates Erik Berry, Ryan Young, Dave Carroll, Tim Saxhaug and Eamonn McLain reunited at a cabin in the Minnesota woods to see if the special chemistry they once shared still existed. It did not take long for the magic to reveal itself with an invigorated sense of purpose and the result shines brightly on Life Is Good On The Open Road.
After 15 years of recording and performing high-energy live shows, Trampled By Turtles have built a large and loyal fanbase that fill venues in their home of the US and here in the UK. As well as touring with the likes of Hiss Gold Messenger and Deer Tick, Trampled By Turtles have performed at festivals including Bonnaroo, Coachella and Lollapalooza, and performed twice on the David Letterman show. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.
Trampled By Turtles have a developed and beautifully crafted maturity to their music as is demonstrated ably by 'The Middle'. The bands musical competence is gorgeous and the vocals are a perfect match for the bands take on roots music, mixing Bluegrass, folk and with this track even a hint of country rock. Foot stomping and catchy as anything, this track is like a magnet pulling us towards the June album release.
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Background - Having already amassed a dedicated following in far-reaching corners of the internet, prolific 18-year-old wunderkind Chakra Efendi shares his first official release, 'Waste of Space'. Attracting streams of 100K+ on a series of demos on SoundCloud, Chakra Efendi's uniquely forthcoming, noise-tinged brand of lo-fi pop has been steadily connecting with pockets of fans around the globe. Coming to further attention last year with a collaborative track with Memo Boy, 'Insomniac', the Brisbane based artist's characteristic sullen-yet-uplifting soundscape meets heavy-lidded lyricism in this debut, 'Waste of Space'.
"I wrote ‘Waste of Space’ during a part of my life that I was experiencing dissociation for the first time. I was completely oblivious and uneducated as to what it was that I was feeling", Chakra Efendi explains. A seldom acknowledged topic often disregarded as a symptom of approaching adulthood, the track traces "a very confusing time where my world was a constant blur of artificial people and scenarios that seemed as if they had been written as the plot for a bad sitcom."
Chakra Efendi expands to a four-piece live, consisting of Marli Smales (bass), Thomas Hobbs (guitar) and Fin Marx (drums) and in their short existence, the band have supported the likes of GUM, Crywank, Good Boy, I Know Leopard, These New South Whales and featured on bills for Gizzfest, Mountain Goat Valley Crawl and Against The Grain festivals. If a debut single wasn't exciting enough news for the young Brisbane artist, he can now add a manager to his team, in the form of Mucho Bravado's own Aisling Kissane. Garnering a reputation as a must-see live act and with more music on the way, 2018 will witness the burgeoning sonic coming-of-age of Chakra Efendi. FACEBOOK, TWITTER.
'Waste of Space' has a vibrant musical backdrop that complement Chakra Efendi's vocals as he sings his lines in an almost casual manner. Collectively the song flows with gentle hooks everywhere, and a level of interpretation that is natural and beguiling, another artist to keep an ear out for.
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Background - Nashville based newcomer Willie Breeding will release his debut album ‘Big Sky’ later this summer. The melodies are rich and wavy, complementing the lyrics born from a life torn between their years in New York City, and their generations in Nashville.
Following the release of ‘Prague Spring’ from it at the end of 2017 (a lonesome ballad featuring guest vocals from Caitlin Rose), now comes next single ‘Ride On’. “It’s a song making fun of myself” Willie explains. "When I first moved to Nashville, I used to go out and often when I would walk into the bar, I would walk straight through it and out the back door.
It wasn’t a conscious thing, I almost wouldn’t even remember being in the bar. Then I would have no idea where to go or what to do. Living in New York, I always loved going out by myself. Did it for years. Nashville seemed very different. So I wanted the music to sound huge, and I had this big riff. Seemed appropriate for a song making fun of myself." FACEBOOK.
A somewhat dramatic rhythm is soon joined by some wonderfully wailing guitars as 'Ride On' gets underway. The vocals are rich and enticing on this genre defying indie something song, it's addictive and demands far more attention than just a couple of listens.
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Background - Scratch is a rock band based in New York and Perth combining diverse musical influences and comprising of Ruzbeh Irani and Avinash Lalwani.
Living thousands of miles apart hasn't stopped band mates and childhood friends, Ruz and Avi, from pursuing their dreams of making music together.
Scratch's debut album is set for release in 2018, and the duo are excited to share their creation with the world. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.
Whilst we don't have much information on Scratch we do have two fine tracks from the band to enjoy. 'Newer Things' quietly gets underway with an understated musical arrangement and some intriguing and pleasing vocals, before eventually upping the power and developing the music into something more rocky. 'Soak' is more of a fully energised rocker from the opening chords and something of a mini epic as the piece unfolds. Pretty good to say the least, for a duo with an ocean to separate them.
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