Background - Go is singer-songwriter Joy Autumn at her most vulnerable. The sparse nature of the song allows room for its listener to breathe into Autumn’s pain, intimately feeling her internal struggle between loving someone so deeply and yet desperately needing to tell them to go.
With lush strings and cinematic harmonies, Joy’s raw and breathtaking vocals float from first verse until final second. Go transports any listener back to that heartbreakingly necessary moment of convincing yourself that you can and will leave. The song is a part of Joy Autumn’s upcoming EP, Midnight, an atmospheric indie-pop record about the dark side of making it as an artist in Hollywood.
“The hardest thing you can possibly do is walk away from someone that you viscerally love and feel is a part of you. In that moment, I realized that I had to pick my own well-being, even though the distorted reality is that I perhaps loved this person even more than I did myself.” WEBSITE.
Lush and enticing vocals are all apparent from the opening moments of 'Go' a dreamy and intimate song that is both personal, vulnerable and above all, quite mesmerising.
Background - "Black Rabbit," the new Cedric Warner Sparkman song that we have the extreme pleasure of releasing, was in the works for five years. It was worth the wait. Cedric would never be accused of working too fast, but it's worth the wait.
His new concoction is a glam-tinged confection of great harmonies and killer riffs. An amalgam of T-Rex guitars meet postpunk drums and are held together by Cedric irresistable, gooey melodies. A three part pop suite awaits the listener. Three minutes later, you're going to want to go on the sonic journey again.
Cedric Warner Sparkman grew up in the small Eastern Kentucky town of Hazard. His grandfather was in The Kentucky Hilltoppers, and his father was the lead guitar player in The Cornerstones. He was involved in musical theater from age ten, which pushed his musical inclinations towards melody and drama instead of the grunge rawk and country music that his peers preferred.
Listening to his father's Beatles records and his brother's Pet Shop Boys tapes only developed that interest further. He was a member of Great Went, Varsovia, and Candidate before striking out on his own with his first solo single, PSB. BANDCAMP.
'Black Rabbit' is vibrant and rhythmic and as far as I am concerned could have been twice as long and still needed a second spin immediately. It's alt rock with a good hint of pop and it's fabulous!
Christopher Pellnat - Ode to Olivia Rhodes - ft. Erin Pellnat.
Background from Chris Pellnat - This song is inspired by the virtual reality (VR) video game, "Lone Echo," which is played on an Oculus Rift. "Lone Echo" blew my mind, not just because of the amazing visuals and the simulated feeling of being weightless in space - but also because of the immediate connection you feel with the main characters.
You play as a robot (Jack) and your companion at the space station is a live person (Olivia Rhodes). Phenomenal voice acting by Troy Baker and Alice Coulthard, respectively, really bring these characters to life. What fascinates me are multiple levels of perception, illusion, and meaning in VR, and the game raises important questions about consciousness, artificial intelligence, and human connections.
As "Jack" you are an AI robot (even though you know you're actually a human being sitting there with a VR headset on in your room) and you feel a connection with "Liv" - who is human - but of course both are actually 3-D virtual reality illusions - one of which you "inhabit". But this inhabitation is so convincing that you are completely immersed. Olivia speaks to you like you're human, so you really feel like a conscious piece of AI, and that she is your friend.
So the magic happens because you buy into the illusion - suspend disbelief. It kind of sneaks up on you. Suddenly you are Jack in a very real way. The illusion becomes all. So this song is written from Jack's perspective - as multi-layered as that is.... Chris Pellnat: TWITTER - Erin Pellnat: BANDCAMP.
Regulars to Beehive Candy may well have noticed that we have featured Christopher and Erin Pellnat both collectively and as solo artists a few times now, and whilst the music remains this good, why not! 'Ode to Olivia Rhodes' gently tells it's story, allowing the energy levels to gradually build and the melodic hooks to dig in very deep.
Background - Kentucky Bluegrass band NewTown is bringing new life to the “Old World” with their new single “Naomi Wise,” an old English murder ballad written in modern times. It tells the story of commoner Naomi Wise who falls in love with a man in high-standing and what happens when forbidden love takes a dark turn.
Written by Donna Hughes, the haunting “Naomi Wise” serves as a cautionary tale, staying true to the English ballad style. Yet NewTown brings a fresh take with progressive arrangements that harken back to Appalachian roots. The song and accompanying video is the first release from the band’s upcoming album “Old World,” expected later this summer from Mountain Home Music Company. It sets the tone for the rest of the album, highlighting the vocals of both Kati and Jr. Williams and giving listeners a taste of what the band does best — bring tradition into the modern age.
“Donna Hughes is one of the most prolific songwriters in bluegrass and acoustic music, and she has written one of the best songs of her career with ‘Naomi Wise,’” says Jr. Williams. “The classic, tragic love story is portrayed here and written so beautifully and vividly.”
Songwriter Donna Hughes says, “It was more than exciting to learn that NewTown would be recording this song! The story of Naomi Wise was a very shocking tale. The legend around her hometown of Randleman, NC, is that she haunts the area still. A young orphan teenage girl with so much hope, lends her trust to a young man of means. The story of deception & betrayal is timeless, and familiar to every generation of souls.” WEBSITE.
With a classic story telling style and some top quality duel vocals, 'Naomi Wise' is a fabulous slice of Bluegrass, where expressions such as Roots, Americana, and Timeless comfortably rub shoulders together, whilst NewTown do their beautiful thing...
Background - Indie folk newcomer Ella Grace shares evocative new cut Run, her second release via Ont’ Sofa Records focusing on the pain and heartbreak of a failed relationship and her transition to a better life. Using music to sooth and heal, the 22-year-old Londoner’s therapeutic songwriting is laid bare once more in her latest single, the follow-up to acclaimed debut effort Here We Are Again out late last year.
Having developed an impressive online following (over 200,000 Instagram followers), the young female activist touches on aspects of sustainable living, mental well being and feminism whilst sharing a very raw personal journey through her teenage years, aspects of which are firmly rooted in her music. In Run, Ella’s supreme honesty and spiritual observations on 21st century life permeate her dulcet, husky vocals, exemplifying the songwriter’s burgeoning talent ahead of her debut live shows and further releases later this summer.
Speaking ahead of the track’s release, Ella stated: “Run was a super cathartic song to write and record, it was a message to someone I loved. I wrote it during a time when I was really split between two worlds. Run was this promise to try and stay with somebody whilst my heart was pulling me in other directions. It was a really bittersweet time for me and I think this track captures it perfectly”. TWITTER.
Graceful indie folk, London style, is the first description that sprung to mind when listening to 'Run'. So I go with my first instinct on this, and just throw in a couple of superlatives like imaginative and seductive, for good measure.
Background from Lusterlit - We've created a double-A-sided single, Lusterlit's ode to Jonathan Ames' new pitch-black novella/film You Were Never Really Here, with 2 songs, which we wrote for Bushwick Book Club events that included the author in Brooklyn and LA
The twisted pop of Rolodex and and the relentlessly dark River, available now on Bandcamp, Spotify, Apple Music etc. and on vinyl 45, courtesy of Brooklynphono!
Both feature our cinematic blend of electronic and acoustic textures: vintage beatboxes, swirling guitars, Korean drum and sublimely layered vocals, all mining Jonathan Ames' noirish page-turner for more inspired songcraft about books. BANDCAMP.
Comprising of two tracks 'River' and 'Rolodex' the latest music from Lusterlit based on 'You Were Never Really Here' continues to impress me in a big way. Their somewhat darker electronic music remains at the very least absorbing, and the occasionally more "out there" moments are a delight.
Background - Oslo, Norway based Frøkedal nears closer to forthcoming second full-length album ‘How We Made It’, today releasing the album’s summer-ready lead cut ‘Treehouse’. The track is breezy, though no less brutal – as the opening line may suggest – with a visually inspired lyric that details a mischievous plot to tear down a tree-topped kingdom. “Treehouse was inspired by a six year old kid who tore his older brother’s treehouse to pieces without knowing he was being watched,” singer/songwriter Anne Lise Frøkedal explains.
“Even if it seems meaningless and silly, the joyful mischief of it feels strangely familiar.” “This idea – or this way of behaving – kind of translates to everyone at some point. Sometimes it just feels better to tear stuff up. Or maybe, tearing stuff down for others feels better than building up your own,” she says. “You’re doing something and you know you’re gonna get in trouble for it but it’s better somehow – you just want to be part of the game.”
Far from the acoustic sensibilities of her earlier material, new album ‘How We Made It’ – released August 31 via Propeller Recordings – signals an arguably more “mature” sound, combining full band with folk-leaning string sections. Though the instrumental approach feels more expansive and fully fledged, the album is thematically inspired by Frøkedal's more "immature" personal traits, by her own admission – detailing “unfiltered, impulsive thoughts and actions fuelled by everything from fear, love and deep passion to red hot anger.”
“When I started writing this new material, I was picturing different ages or stages in our lives when our vision gets a little blurred,” she says. “I wanted the songs (and the characters) to channel these critical moments when decisions are dominated by emotion and not necessarily by logic.” TWITTER.
Following on from 'I Don't Care' which we shared earlier last month Frøkedal returns with 'Treehouse' another gorgeous, fresh and modern folk song. As always the vocals are melodic and are surrounded by some top quality musicianship carefully arranged to allow everything to shine through.
Background - Melbourne's Batz swoop in to save the day again with electric new single 'Save Us'. A heady mix of razor wire guitar, propulsive percussion and glimmers of psychedelia, Chrissie Aubry's captivating vocals shine on Batz' latest offering that will chew you up and spit you out in the nicest way possible. Glittering, infectious and unapologetic, 'Save Us' teeters on the precipice of wishful thinking meets transparent actuality. BATZ aka Melbourne artist Chrissie Aubry tells the tale of earlier days spent living in London, where the nights were long and the romance was flowing. "I had flashbacks of nights out in London with my girlfriends and meeting various randoms, (some who became love interests) and thinking about scenarios where you felt like you could save the relationship. I always feel like I'm the one that can save friendships and relationships, fighting for the last hope to salvage something special", Aubry explains. Expanding to a five-piece live, Batz take their notoriously raucous show on the road this month, hitting Frankie's Pizza in Sydney on May 31st and The Grace Darling in hometown Melbourne on June 2nd in support of the new single. Recorded at Los Bomberos Studios, the track was engineered and produced by Alex Markwell (The Delta Riggs) and mastered by David Briggs (Little River Band and Australian Crawl). Batz' latest stomper that follows enigmatic single 'Gameshow Queen' (2017) and fiery debut EP, 'Night Terrors' (2016). With new single 'Save Us', BATZ have well and truly come out of hibernation, guns blazing and guitars at the ready to woo you like never before. TWITTER.
Opening with a feisty and driving beat 'Save Us' is a seductive indie rocker, with plenty of pop sensibilities, ensuring the hooks are everywhere, and the urge to listen again is soon established.
Background - “Alt Det Du Ku” is a song about standing between break-ups and breakthroughs and in the abstract of looking forward to the future whilst being back in time simultaneously. On "Alt Det Du Ku" AyOwA still have their electronic approach in focus but with more acoustic elements, the band explores new sides of their music. With an infectious rhythm and sweet affected vocal it’s quite a mysterious track.
With modular synths, old tape machines and ethereal vocals, new Danish duo AyOwA channel their Nordic roots creating their dark, electronic, atmospheric songs. Sung in Danish, but with a certain universal and dreaming approach, AyOwA combines noise pop with electronica and melodies with improvisation, in an evocative and playful mix.
Together with the duo's third member - drummer Anders Meinhardt - AyOwA has an energetic and captivating live show. AyOwA had a busy festival season in 2017 with appearances at Spot and Roskilde Festival, the opening of the Marina Abramowich Exhibition at Louisiana and extensive concert activities at many of the country's venues. Then they headed straight into the studio to work their magic on new material. TWITTER.
Well this is our fifth feature for AyOwA, I really didn't realise it had been that many, however as soon as 'alt det du ku' started I was reminded of their distinct and intriguing electronic sound. It feels a little softened this time around, which I suppose in part, demonstrates their ability to gradually move into new territory, doing so well and without losing any of their musical character.
Background - London five-piece Curse Of Lono have announced the release of second album As I Fell on August 17th, and plus new single Valentine. “Valentine is about the kind of murderous jealousy that twists you up until you don’t recognise yourself anymore. The sort of dejection that will make you do things you know you will regret,” says Felix. “I think the vocal harmonies floating over the tribal beat, distorted bass and filthy baritone guitar going through a tiny 1950’s Selmer practice amp, really capture that feeling.” Second album As I Fell, produced by Oli Bayston (Boxed In) was recorded half at Rancho V, a remote desert studio in Joshua Tree, and half at Flesh & Bone Studios in Hackney; and the album is accompanied by a documentary ‘Somewhere In Their Heads’ by Gregg Houston (Noel Gallagher, Two Door Cinema Club, Michael Kiwanuka, Foy Vance). Joining Felix in Curse Of Lono, who formed in London in 2015, are Joe Hazell (lead guitar and vocals), Dani Ruiz Hernandez (keys and vocals), Charis Anderson (bass and vocals) and Neil Findlay (drums). As I Fell is the follow-up to their 2017 debut Severed, and builds on Curse Of Lono’s deeply cinematic blend of harmony-laden Americana and driving, gothic alt-rock. It’s a sound that owes as much to old faithfuls like The Doors and The Velvet Underground as it does to more modern practitioners of the form such as The War On Drugs and Wilco. WEBSITE.
Well we featured Curse Of Lono once in 2016, once in 2017 and now for the first time in 2018, I kind of hope we might get a second crack at sharing some more of their music this year. 'Valentine' demonstrates abundantly that the band have a distinct and highly engaging style and sound, the video adds more, as the band expand on the simmering tension and focus of the song,
Background - Ahead of their forthcoming tour with kaleidoscopic Californian folk-rock janglers GospelbeacH, The Hanging Stars share their new single "For You (My Blue Eyed Son"). The track is co-written and sung by Richard Olson (The See See/Eighteenth Day Of May) and Patrick Ralla (Alan Tyler Show, Edwin Colilns). It is perhaps the most traditionally country song on their recent critically acclaimed Songs For Somewhere Else album, with two-part lead vocal continuing throughout, supported by finger-picked guitars and classic drum shuffle.
The tour with GospelbeacH starts on 28 May in Brighton and heads through Manchester, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Newport, finishing up at London's Bush Hall on 4 June. The Hanging Stars will also be playing an acoustic set at the Red Rooster Festival.
Channeling the sounds of The Byrds, Big Star and The Flying Burrito Brothers, as well as hints of Mojave 3 and The Allah Las, The Hanging Stars mainline the dying embers of the early 70s psychedelic folk and cosmic country scenes.
Recording was conducted at the legendary Bark Studios in Walthamstow with Brian O'Shaughnessey (The Clientele, Primal Scream, My Bloody Valentine) at the helm. Joining Richard Olson and Patrick Ralla in The Hanging Stars are Sam Ferman on bass, Paulie Cobra on drums and pedal steel courtesy of Joe Harvey-Whyte. They had a collective attitude to performances on the album, with additional input from US friends Collin Hegna (Federale, Brian Jonestown Massacre), Miranda Lee Richards (on the emotive duet “How I Got This Way”), and Christof Certik (Brian Jonestown Massacre, Winter Flowers), as well as Alison Cotton on viola (Left Outsides, Eighteenth Day Of May), Luke Barlow (Nought) on flute and Thomas Wake on clarinet. WEBSITE.
There are plenty of folk and country rock vibes from times gone by, on 'For You (My Blue Eyed Son)' a sumptuous and catchy affair. Whatever comparisons there might be for bands of old, this is fresh and beautiful, and thoroughly deserves the "timeless" seal of approval.
Background - The Mobros have shared a new video for their single, "Carrie Anne." “Who are we, and where do we go from here?” These were the questions on the minds of Kelly and Patrick Morris in late 2016. After bringing to an end a long but successful two and a half year tour, playing venues and music halls from small to large from coast to coast including festivals such as SXSW (twice), Midpoint Music Festival, Sweetwater 420 fest to name a few, and recording a live session with Daytrotter. Garnering new fans and attention from various press outlets along the way they averaged over 250 shows a year all in support of their 2014 debut release “Walking With A Different Stride.”
In the midst of it all, they found themselves coming to terms with the fact that they were not progressing in the ways they felt they needed to with their songwriting, and recording. Between being on the road and living in Chicago it was hard to find a permanent place to work and move forward with their music in the ways they wanted to do.
The brothers packed up and headed back to their home state of South Carolina to find a space conducive to living, writing, and recording without the limitations and pressures of time and money that commercial studios usually entail. They needed a home, somewhere to recuperate and hone the sound and conceptive direction they wanted to take with their next release. They found themselves looking in the city Charleston, SC, two hours south of their hometown of Camden, and a place they had spent some time between tours in 2014.
A year later they emerge with a collection of songs that embody the writing and production style developed during their time spent at “Leon’s Electric House.” These works follow suit with challenging the same questions they have asked themselves “Who are we, and Where do we go from here?” The first single off the upcoming release is entitled “Carrie Anne.” WEBSITE.
The video for 'Carrie Anne' is a good one as it adds some additional intrigue to the song. That said the song is just as good with eyes closed and taking in the fabulous vocals and refined rock backdrop.
Background - Los Angeles-based Cape Weather released their new single "Never Say". This is the follow up to the bands first single "Telephono", which received a great amount of blog love and major support from Spotify being added to almost every major Indie Playlist, as well as a video premiere with NPR Music a couple weeks ago. The band is a collaboration between Natalie Smith and Eric Jackowitz. They’ve both played in bands for years; Eric playing drums for Nick Waterhouse, and Natalie bouncing around the Oakland scene while silently releasing music under solo monikers. After both feeling like it was time to make something their own, the two best friends who attended Berklee College of Music together decided to start writing songs over the internet while Eric was on tour with Waterhouse and thus Cape Weather was born. "Never Say" encapsulates the simplicity of 60's pop, a nostalgic throwback whose vocal performance brings to mind Trish Keenan of Broadcast and teases their debut EP for Future Gods later this year. If interested, please feel free to reach out as we will be looking to place three more songs in the near future and obviously, we would love all the support we can get with this one. BANDCAMP.
'Never Say' is a lush and melodic dream pop type of song with some natural sixties feeling coursing throughout the piece. It's classy, addictive and deserves to be heard.
Background - Originally formed by 3 passionate female Leeds based producers, Luna Pines showcase modern electronica and refined dream pop and mix it with ambient, almost post-rock echoes. Influences ranging from Explosions In The Sky to Beach House can be felt across their debut EP ‘The House We Lived In’ that is due June 1st. This week, the band have released their new single taken from it, 'Spring'.
A deeply sensitive tone is felt in 'Spring' that serves as a spacious, indulgent moment on the EP, exploring painful issues such as death and loss in a mask of Cocteau Twins inspired melodies.
Luna Pines’ sound travels through landscapes of 80’s synth-wave & eccentric beats, to post-rock inspired, soundtrack–esque atmospheres. A deeply sensitive tone is felt in new single ‘Spring’ that serves as a spacious, indulgent moment that explores painful issues such as death and loss in a mask of Cocteau Twins inspired melodies.
Having played sold out local shows at prestigious venues like Belgrave in Leeds last year, the five piece take influence from acts like Daughter, The Japanese House, and James Blake, creating a nostalgic air of ambience, with soaring synths and heavy bass lines, reminding listeners of soundtracks similar to the brilliant ‘Drive’ score by Cliff Martinez. The band produces and mixes all their own material, making them even more of a force to be reckoned with inside of the brilliant and eclectic Leeds music scene. Having gained attention from various publications and BBC Introducing with their last two singles, they are gearing up to play venues across the UK and use this solid foundation to take their music to new heights this year. TWITTER.
'Spring' is beautifully crafted electronica that mixes gently melodic vocals and a subtle musical backdrop, which helps build the atmosphere that this song exudes with quality.
Background - Singer-songwriter Luke James Shaffer’s story is the kind of yarn that packs an anthemic dose of rock n’ roll romanticism. Seven years ago, Luke was toiling away as a server in a restaurant, longing to be a fulltime singer-songwriter. In one moment of fevered enlightenment and hope, he turned to his friend and co-worker and asked if she thought he should pursue his dream. She said yes (by the way, that wouldn’t be the only time she said yes to a crucial question—the two are now married).
Today, Luke is basking in a new era of unbridled creativity and unbounded possibility while enjoying a familial partnership with House Music Group. His exhilarating, Bourbon Street-spiked first single “Pressure,” from his debut EP, also titled Pressure, rocketed to the Top 20 on the iTunes singer/songwriter charts in January 2018. Luke has also amassed a robust YouTube audience with his live-looping cover videos and intimate renditions of popular songs, garnering over 1 million views. Currently, he’s backed by an intuitive collective of ace musicians, including Sean Mahon, piano/guitar/backing vocals, Daniel Brown, bass, and Jeremy Thompson, drums.
The key to his success? “I always strive to create positive vibes because life is beautiful even when things aren’t beautiful,” the Washington, DC-based artist says. TWITTER.
With distinct and emotive vocals Luke James Shaffer gives 'How Sweet the Sound' some real feeling. The music is of a very high quality and when it explodes into power, it really does turn things up a notch. Add in the gorgeous background vocals and this really does become pretty special.
Background - "Sound In Here" is the first single to be released from the debut album Hoick by Mikey Collins, the drummer for Allo Darlin'. Reflecting the joy and humour of his previous band, the track is a surprisingly upbeat song about tinnitus.
As Mikey explains: "This was a song that I wrote whilst thinking about the tinnitus that affected (Allo Darlin' guitarist) Paul Rains and I after years of touring. Paul, particularly, had a very hard time adjusting to having damaged hearing and a constant tone in his ears. It got me thinking about whether it was all worth it etc - of course it all was, but there were costs to all that travelling and not sleeping and loud gigs and sht. This song thinks about that. I wanted it to sound like the Cure."
With Hoick, Mikey Collins combines his love of solid grooves and joyous harmonies to create a fun and sonically varied record. Mikey played most of the instruments and mixed the record himself, with some assistance from Laura Kovic (Tigercats) on vocals and fellow Allo Darlin' member Paul Rains on lead guitar. The flicker of his previous band provided the building blocks of an upbeat, positive record, but Mikey wanted to add his own quirky, disco spin & sonic expansiveness, aided by co-producer John Winfield (who has worked with Jimmy Somerville), with the aim of making a record that people stood a chance of being able to dance to. To create this eclectic sound, Mikey draws on influences are as far flung as Dexy's Midnight Runners, Bruce Springsteen & Todd Rundgren as well as more current artists such as Night Works, Matthew E White and Father John Misty.
Mikey began working on the album while he was still touring with beloved Fortuna POP! signed indiepop outfit Allo Darlin’ and as a result it took a pretty long time to complete. The last few years were a conveyor belt of change as he; got married, had a child, bought a house, moved from London to be by the Kent coast (Ramsgate) and opened a residential studio Big Jelly Studios (where they’ve recorded albums by Girl Ray, Metronomy, Pete Doherty and the Puta Madres, Mt Wolf, Seamus Fogarty and many others including Elizabeth Morris from Allo Darlin’s new band, ELVA). In short, he grew up. The record journeys through these changes but has its roots firmly grounded in his new seaside habitat. His identity with and connection to the area is even incorporated into the album artwork – a startling photograph by local photographer Jason Evans (who has worked with Radiohead and Keiran Hebden/Fourtet), incorporating flora and fauna of the region, an outer ring of pop glow that hints at the neon din of the seaside. The idea for the image emerged after a discussion about the relationship between organic and synthesised sounds on the record and its need to represent the area.
Allo Darlin' were a fantastic band and so it's a real pleasure to present 'Sound in Here' by Mikey Collins who of course was the bands former drummer. The song is really impressive as Mikey gets to show off his talent both in song writing and playing. It's bright and breezy with no end of hooks and as a fully fledged tinnitus sufferer myself, the sentiments of the song resonate in a big way.
Background - Bodies is the second single taken from the forthcoming album Skeletal Blues. Locks tell us "Our friends Steve & Abi did the short film for us. We're really proud of it and want to share it with as many friends as possible".
(Written and produced by Abigail Hardingham (BIFA Most Promising Newcomer 2015, Nina Forever), directed by Steve Brett (most promising film-maker at Triforce film festival 2017), staring Abigail Hardingham and Steve Brett.)
"We've also just released our debut album 'Skeletal Blues' and really wanted to show you that as well. We spent a lot of time over this and finally it's here, we're having an album launch on 29th at the Finsbury in London to celebrate it".
Locks have been described as a London based "alternative skeletal strings bluesy band", they are made up of L.Geary-Griffin (lead vocal / guitar), Mike Byrne (double bass), Marian McClenagan (fiddle) and Andy Marvell (drums). TWITTER.
Locks are a band that have never disappointed me, hence 'Bodies' is our fifth feature for this creative band. The video is dramatic and works well with the song, telling the story in a fiery way (pun intended). The new album 'Skeletal Blues' is a stunning collection of songs, where Locks sound comfortable in their own musical exploration. Expect hooks everywhere, the occasional moments of edgy surprise and plenty of emotion, all wrapped up in their enticing skeletal sound.
Background - Solitaire Recordings is extremely proud to announce the release of Jonathan Something's incredible debut single 'Outlandish Poetica' as part of his forthcoming debut album Outlandish Poetica due out August, 2018.
Hailing from Brooklyn, Connecticut (not to be confused with Brooklyn, New York), Jonathan Something is the musical project of writer, producer and multi-instrumentalist, Jon Searles. His first single 'Outlandish Poetica' is a rather cheery depiction of a surreal nightmare in which Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird and the 86' All Star basketball team inexplicably ambush Jonathan Something, brutally beating him and robbing him of his money.
The track takes the best of many hallmark acts, without being able to put your finger on one particular sound. The track has the production value of The Black Keys's El Camino, the songwriting style of Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, the aura of Beck's Mellow Gold, the peculiarity of The Flaming Lips' Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots, the story telling of The Mountain Goats' The Sunset Tree and the satirical lyrics of Kimya Dawson and The Moldy Peches.
The songs' expressive imagery and vivid storytelling are a perfect preface to the forthcoming album, also named Outlandish Poetica. As anti-folk made light of folk music, Outlandish Poetica creates an almost anti-blues/anti-rock style that masters classic sounds while still mocking the perceived seriousness in the established music scenes. While on the surface, the track may feel very satirical, the song somehow takes this very quality and makes it emotive and heartwarming in it's very own, unique way.
"It was just one of those tunes that sort of came to me. I wrote it on my dad's boat on our way home from this place called Block Island. The intense humming of the engines sort of puts you in this meditative head space that I really enjoy for writing. I was just jamming on the guitar riff and that first verse, as weird as it is, popped into my head. Then from there i tried to just follow the natural narrative flow and it somehow brought me to the coda of Larry Bird stealing my money." - Jonathan Something. TWITTER.
As debut singles go 'Outlandish Poetica' is a splendid affair. Story telling in a quirky and vibrant manner, what I would give for today's Top 40 charts to be full of singles like this. I'm still scratching my head as to what genre this belongs in, what I do know is I am going to be playing this one a good few times more.
Background - Hot on the heels of their debut single "Mr Fisher" in March, British Alternative Folk band The Golgis release their next unique offering "Doc's 'Tache" on May 25th 2018, this time with added bagpipes and banjo. This follow up goes further to cement their unusual but highly accessible sound, and is a footstomping addition to their portfolio as they work their way to the release of their first album. "Doc's 'Tache" is a joint composition by the band's 2 frontmen Ade and Tony, with the lyrics and story of the song being written by Ade about a well known figure from 1970's bagpipe bands Doc Halliday, and his magnificent facial hair, as can be seen in the single's artwork. Ade also contributes a bagpipe solo to the song, one of the many instruments at his disposal, which is perfectly complimented by the rip-roaring banjo riff throughout, played by band member Avery. After completing a short tour of the south of England, The Golgis are busy getting the tracks ready for their album, and figuring out which instruments to add next. TWITTER.
We first featured The Golgis back in February describing their music as "Echoes of the past are brought right up to date in a lovable and slightly eccentric manner, this is just fabulous." The new song is another delight to share, 'Doc's 'Tache' once again refuses to sit in any one genre, folk rock indie style might be one description, whatever, this is another breath of fresh musical air.
Background - "Slow It Down," is the whismical new video from Nashville-based folk popster Sarah Clanton. The song follows the recent release of track "Silver Lining," a call to constructive conversation.
Sarah Clanton, who radiates sunshine from every pore, rocks her cello like a guitar and writes powerful tunes that help us make some sense of this strange period of time we're in. Her unique brand of cello-driven, folky intellipop is on full display in the song and its accompanying video in which she encourages us to take time to enjoy and celebrate even the smallest of life's moments against a backdrop of vivid imagery.
"Coincidentally, after leaving the studio the day we recorded 'Slow it Down,' I turned on NPR to an episode appropriately titled 'Slowing Down,'" Sarah Clanton explains. "A statistic stood out to me about how our minds wander away from the present moment almost half of the time. That's almost half our of our lives spent not living in the present! 'Slow it Down' is a positive reminder for us that life is amazing, a friendly reminder to guide us back to the present moment."
While we as humans cope with the hustle and bustle of life by spending time daydreaming and allowing our minds to wander, too much of a good thing can act against us. Why is it so hard for us to stop and smell the roses? “Slow it Down” reminds us to pause, be in the moment, and remember that life is truly a gift. WEBSITE.
'Slow It Down' is a classy, melodic folk pop song, with a refined musical arrangement supporting Sarah Clanton's beautifully engaging vocals. The video adds more, this one is very addictive.
My Pleasure - Thank You for Alphabetising My Spice Rack.
Background - My Pleasure is from Hull, UK and describes his music as "almost pop". Mostly Happy is the title of his 2nd album, out Friday 1st June, and third single Thank You for Alphabetising My Spice Rack is out now. It follows previous singles Fluorescent Jacket and These Things Take Time. A video to accompany the track, shot with absolutely no budget whatsoever and ripping off one of the greats, can be found below.
My Pleasure says of the single: "This started off as a sarcastic response to my dad's obsessive tendencies, but veered off into something a little darker. The music remained fairly upbeat though. The single is also the closest I've come so far to having what you'd call a live favourite, which is nice."
My Pleasure's previous releases, 'Domestic Bliss' (album), 'Party Popper' (an EP) and 'Your House is Made of Nothing and You Are No One' (a collection of ten singles) received support from BBC 6 Music, Radio 2, Radio X, Absolute Radio and BBC Introducing. He has supported the likes of Jeffrey Lewis, The Wave Pictures, Public Service Broadcasting, H Hawkline, Art Brut and The Lovely Eggs. FACEBOOK.
SPRING/SUMMER UK TOUR: Friday 25th May: Young Thugs Studios, York Friday 1st June: Tallbird Records, Chesterfield Saturday 23rd June: Type Slowly, Hull Saturday 30th June: Labour Club, Chesterfield Saturday 7th July: Otley Labour Club, Leeds Saturday 4th August: Humber Street Sesh Festival, Hull Saturday 18th August: Fast & Bulbous Festival, Adelphi Club, Hull Tuesday 21st August: JT Soars, Nottingham.
It really is my pleasure to feature My Pleasure again just a month or so since we shared 'These Things Take Time'. The new single 'Thank You for Alphabetising My Spice Rack' is short, to the point, instructive, and plays homage to OCD, well maybe.....
Background - Dan Rico is a Chicago-based singer, producer, recording artist and songwriter.
He writes and produces a distinctive mix of 60’s pop, soul, punk, electronica and more, drawing strong influence from Prince, T Rex, Elvis Presley and the Rolling Stones.
His album Endless Love was released on the French label Sht in Can Records as well as Chicago’s Maximum Pelt Records in 2016.
His debut was followed by the EP Nobody Knows and the single “Flesh and Bone,” both of which were released in 2017. Rico’s sophomore LP, DREAMY, will be released on cassette, CD and for digital download by Chicago label TMB Limited on Friday, June 22. WEBSITE.
The influences are noted, 'Hot To Please' is however very much Dan Rico's song. Catchy from the opening moments the song sits somewhere between pop and rock, leaving me curious to hear more!
Background - Golden Guitar Award winner and ARIA nominated Melbourne four-piece, Mustered Courage, have well established themselves in the forefront of Australia's folk and roots scene. Known for pushing the boundaries of what progressive folk-rock can be, they convinced prolific rock and roll songwriter, performer and Choirboys founder/singer, Mark Gable to record and perform 'Run To Paradise' with a bluegrass twist. The result gave the song a new lease on life engaging an entire music community that may not be so familiar with the song first made famous in 1988 by Choirboys.
After a chance meeting in the main street of Tamworth during 2012's Country Music Festival, with Mark introducing himself and praising the band for their work, never did the pair think it was the start of a magical music collaboration. "Being a young band and our first ever trip to the Festival, it really meant a lot to us," says guitarist Julian Abrahams. The pair continued to cross paths for many years in Tamworth and in 2014, the band managed to convince Mark to join Mustered Courage on stage at one of their Tamworth shows to perform a bluegrass arrangement of Gable's successful single. Needless to say, Mark was all in and the audience were in raptures.
"The chord progression lends itself very well to the traditional bluegrass sound so it made a lot of sense and Aussies love this bloody song and we loved delivering a version that the country and bluegrass people could get into as well. That audience absolutely brought the house down after we played it with Mark."
This is the band's first new recording release since 2015 and leads the way for a new album release in September 2018. Keen to involve fans in the band's next recording venture, Mustered Courage will begin a crowdfunding campaign via their official website in the coming weeks.
"We have such a ball spending time with Mark and the music video was an absolute hilarious blast to shoot. His energy and sense of humour is second to none, and what a voice," says Julian. "Mustered Courage fans are no strangers to us doing left of centre cover versions, so we think this should be a nice addition to our repertoire. Maybe even a new country anthem that opens the doors of Aussie rock fans to a genre they don't yet know they love. Time will tell... bluegrass paradise". WEBSITE.
Featuring Choirboys Mark Gable 'Run To Paradise' is my first taste of Mustered Courage and boy is it a good one! That the song brings bluegrass to a broader audience is a bonus, as this feisty and vibrant piece mixes some superb musicianship with natural sing along vocals, in a word, class.
Background by Claude Munson - Whether drenched in crystalline synths or stripped bare, I aim to write songs that tackle modern life and love with radical intimacy.
This week“Broken Stairs” is about wanting to run away but having nowhere to go. I’m singing about questioning my past and reflecting on mistakes I made. As that happens, I begin to feel the need to break out and escape reality. In that state, I ask myself to be aware of the people around me and myself. It is a personal lesson about the enticement of love and detaching yourself from love when it does not prevail.
We chose the concept of getting lost in your own city for the “Broken Stairs” video. I was inspired by teenage memories of walking and hiking around Ottawa and Hull with my friends. We would go out and discover graffiti walls, and abandoned things like the old train tracks that cross the Ottawa river and bridge Ontario and Quebec. marks the release of The Silence Came After via Ottawa's Record Centre Records, my second and most fully realized album to date.
Produced by Scattered Clouds’ Philippe Charbonneau and engineered by Sebastien Perry, The Silence Came After is equal parts lush and spare, marrying the naked soul of 70's era Neil Young with Talk Talk’s spacious expressionism, and Krautrock's motoric rhythms. The record also features members of Little Scream, Scattered Clouds, Bosveld, and FET.NAT. TWITTER.
'Broken Stairs' s a fresh sounding indie folk song with some notable and distinct vocals adding passion to a fast flowing and catchy musical backdrop.
Background - La Lusid is the Stockholm based up and coming band that will release their first album in the fall of 2018 that will follow last years well received EP ”Legend”. Together they play indiepop music with beautiful melodies and dynamic vocal arrangements.
”Safe & sound” is the third single from the upcoming album. It's filled with 60 & 70's influences and is the perfect indiepop ballad that will make you truly excited to hear more from La lusid.
La Lusid are Paulina Palmgren, Fabian Ballago, Samuel Collmar, Karl Hovmark, Johan Nilsson, WEBSITE.
Our first feature for La Lusid was just a few weeks ago when we shared 'Empty Bones' a song that we described as "An easy going indie song, the vocals come across as personal and are melodic and engaging." Clearly the band have a knack for creating refined indie pop music as the latest share 'Safe & Sound' confirms, with it's gentle and melodic ballad vibes.
Background - As The Joy Formidable prepare for their sold-out show at Meltdown Festival next month, the Welsh trio are ready to share a brand new track from their forthcoming album, and announce a UK headline date at The Lexington, London.
“Dance of the Lotus” and its accompanying video will give fans their first glimpse of new material from The Joy Formidable and will provide a special preview of a record rumoured to be their most vibrant and experimental yet. Heavily inspired by the artwork of bassist Rhydian Dafydd, the animation for the video was done by the award-winning Boston production team Trllm.
“We wanted to share this album track with the people who have supported us to give them a glimpse of what we’ve been working on, and this track is right at the heart of our new record,” says lead vocalist Ritzy Bryan. “It’s magical and lonely, like a night-time walk in the desert when you’re trying to escape from yourself and the chaos you’ve created.”
Although the album came into being as the band travelled the globe and recorded in their mobile recording studio, the music intertwines the whispering hills of Wales with the otherworldly rainbow canyons of the Utah / Arizona border. WEBSITE.
Dance of the Lotus Tour Dates: June 22nd - Meltdown Festival - London, UK August 22nd - The Lexington - London, UK August 23rd – Clwb Ifor Bach – Cardiff, UK August 24th – Leeds Festival – Leeds, UK August 26th – Reading Festival – Reading, UK.
'Dance Of The Lotus' is an intriguing mixture of rock power, softer and occasionally whispered vocals and anthem sized moments of glory. Put together this bodes very well for their keenly awaited new album.
Background from Run Maggie Run - Formed in late 2015, Run Maggie Run began as the solo project of our singer/rhythm guitarist Gavin Rees. Named after a bittersweet childhood memory, that nostalgic, rose-tinted sadness was made abundantly clear in the first solo EP that Gavin recorded by himself in his basement. While the initial recording was full of Run Maggie Run’s emotional feel, it wasn’t until we joined forces that our defining sound began to take shape.
Our debut, self-titled album is of a different era. Since its release, we’ve had a major lineup change, added a variety of new sounds to our repertoire, and have all grown so much – both individually and collectively. These developments, along with the experience gained from the first record, have us very excited for this next chapter in our career.
No song better signifies this change than “Endlessly.” We wrote this tune during the first few months following the lineup change, and the success of writing it definitely helped push us through that awkward, transitional phase. Arguably, it’s what gave us the confidence to keep moving forward. FACEBOOK.
Tour Dates: May 31 – Kingston, ON @ Bar 53 June 1 – Waterloo, ON @ Harmony Lunch June 2 – St. Catharines @ The Green Room June 3 – Toronto, ON @ Bovine Sex Club.
Fabulous and dramatic vocals and a band that are equally passionate ensures that 'Endlessly' doesn't just grab your attention, it compels you stop what your doing and just listen. If an "awkward transitional phase" leads to music like this, then those difficult moments have clearly paid off.
Background - Introducing the debut album "Music For Children" from The Jack Cades–a “supergroup” of sorts hailing from the UK. Specializing in 60’s era garage/psych/rhythm & blues, with a gob of snotty punk thrown in for good measure, the band kicked things off in late 2017 when lead guitarist/vocalist Mike Whittaker and his wife, rhythm guitarist/vocalist Elsa Whittaker, decided to record some tracks at Matthew “Mole” Lambert‘s notorious State Records Studios in Folkestone, Kent. With Mike, Elsa and Mole already veterans of numerous projects like Thee Vicars, The Baron Four, The Missing Souls, and The Embrooks–to name a just few–these early recording sessions seemed loaded with heaps of promise. The band invited bassist John Gibbs (The Masonics, The Wildebeests) to participate, and with Mole on drums, the quartet laid down the tracks that would become their debut mini-LP Music For Children, due out this coming May 18th on Dirty Water Records. While the group’s busy musical schedules initially made it hard to imagine they would have time for this new venture, their work together sounded too good to shelve, and Dirty Water Records reports they have since added bassist Alexandra of Speedball JR to their ranks. "Music For Children" finds the band showing off their vintage garage sound; but it’s also laced with that kind of rambunctious punk edge that will stop you dead in your tracks. Must be something in the water, or that ocean air, but the recordings coming out of Lambert’s State Records Studios sound like a time capsule straight from the mid-60’s–and this Music For Children cut is no exception. Shambolic and raw in the best of ways, the guitar interplay here between the Whittakers makes for that kind of wild ride that always sounds like it might jump the tracks in a fiery crash. With Mole’s galloping drumming helping to set a frenetic pace, and shout-along choruses from the group threatening to break the mics, “Music For Children" is an infectious introduction to The Jack Cades sure to have you coming back for another fix. FACEBOOK.
Those sixties garage rock vibes are there from the opening moments of the first track 'Big Fish' as The Jack Cades embark on a glorious selection of songs that make up 'Music For Children'. It's an album where new music creates instant memories of times gone by, raw energy meets the odd hint of punk attitude and the bands vibrancy is addictive and just feels so good.
Background from Mike Legere - When I’m not playing with bands like Century Thief and Places Erupt, I tend to write lyrically surreal indie-folk. I’ve been lucky enough to tour Ontario, Quebec and Eastern Canada, while recording/producing several records.
“Yourself” is the first single off my debut solo album, Ourselves in Public, set for release on June 8th. It’s a song that compares our social identity to who we are when we are alone – a song that describes a resistance to the identity forged by the expectations of family, friends and strangers, and the loneliness of standing in opposition.
Ourselves in Public was recorded in a variety of spaces throughout Toronto, Montreal and Paris; several studios, apartments (some with broken windows), closets, rehearsal spaces, on an awning during a rainstorm, public squares, restaurants and subway cars. Let me know if you’d like to hear a private, advance stream before it drops next month. This month will see me embark on my first solo tour, preceding Ourselves in Public’s June 8th release. TWITTER.
'Yourself' opens with some melodic guitar that is quickly followed by Mike Legere's distinct and pleasing vocals. The song sits somewhere between indie rock and folk, with no shortage of play me again hooks! I have chosen the clean version, it's up to you if you want something, shall we say "a little stronger".
Background - Virginia-based band of brothers Sons of Bill have shared a new track, "Easier," from their forthcoming album Oh God Ma’am. "It’s a love song, and I’m so glad Molly Parden agreed to make it a duet with me. Her voice adds a haunting depth to every song she touches," writes singer/guitarist James Wilson. Reflecting on the song's inspiration, Wilson writes "there’s a strange unspoken malaise with my generation - ironic and sad... but I think it’s important to try and sing about love and hope in some genuine way now more than ever. We have to remind each other in some way that it’s going to get easier, even if we know in our heart of hearts that that may not be true."
"Easier" follows the group's lead single "Believer / Pretender," an opening salvo that encapsulates the approach the group takes on their latest record - blending their lyrical Americana roots with a polished, driving set of songs punctuated by crystalline guitar riffs and tasteful synth flourishes.
Oh God Ma'am is the followup to their 2015 album Love and Logic, which Q magazine called "a glorious sour mash of every great Americana trope of the last 50 years-- think Dylan, R.E.M, Wilco, -- Blended with top notes of Husker Du, Big Star, and The Replacements... A family affair welcoming one and all." Recorded both in Seattle with west coast indie legend Phil Ek (Shins, Fleet Foxes) and in Nashville with Sean Sullivan (Sturgill Simpson) and mixed by Peter Katis (The National, Interpol) Oh God Ma'am moves beyond the galvanic americana-rock comfort zone of previous efforts, for a more elegant and restrained sound-- a darker, and more complexly layered rock record that manages to be the band’s most emotionally intimate and sonically expansive. WEBSITE.
Opening with a gentle and somewhat dreamy vibe 'Easier' slowly adds some musical layers. The vocals and gorgeous harmonies are centre stage throughout, as this captivating Americana piece quickly touches the heart.
Background - Guildford-based starlet Annabel Allum shares explosive new cut Em(ily), her third offering from forthcoming EP Sorry I’m Not Perceptible out later this month. Providing her latest dose of folk-style storytelling crossed with snarling fuzzy indie licks, Allum’s enigmatic personality shines through once more alongside a series of scintillating hooks, creating further anticipation ahead of her appearance at BBC Radio 1’s Biggest Weekend on 26th May.
“Em(ily) started off as a song of me taking the piss about how many times I go to my best mate asking for help / life advice / guidance”. Allum states, “I’ve wanted to write a song for her for a very long time, eventually this came out and I’m actually really proud of it. I was able to get really experimental with this one, trying things I normally don’t get to”.
Building on this buzz, Annabel has performed a number of prestigious slots in the last twelve months, culminating in supporting the iconic Beth Ditto across her UK/EU tour at the back end of 2017, as well as sharing the stage with Nadine Shah, Blaenavon and more. Sets at The Great Escape, Live at Leeds and SXSW last year brought her to wider international attention, whilst a fiery performance at her biggest headline show to date at London’s Camden Assembly earlier this year signalled a real statement of intent.
Alongside the striking sonic aesthetic of her music, her original look and self-styling has led to endorsements from Bastian Classics, Cheap Monday and various other indie clothing brands. Liam Corneloues on bass and Emma Hiley on drums complete Annabel’s trusty band, prepped to deliver raucous sets throughout the festival circuit in the UK and Europe this summer. Em(ily) was produced by Adrian Hall (Goldfrapp, Du Blonde, Anna Calvi) and is being released by London indie label Killing Moon Records on 15th May. WEBSITE.
Our third feature for Annabel Allum this year with the latest single 'Em(ily)'. Once again she continues to impress us with her enticing and emotive vocals, accompanied by a solid indie rock backdrop, this one is very catchy.
Background - With just one month to Kluster’s debut LP civic we have Afterglow, the third single from the LP. Kluster was founded by four friends and a virtual drummer in Malmö 2014, a real life drummer joined in shortly afterwards and the gang was complete. Since, the quintet has been active on as well the Malmö indie scene as playing shows in Berlin, Copenhagen, Stockholm, supporting acts such as Frankie Cosmos and Nicole Sabouné. Singles Over My Head and In Your Hometown have been featured in Line of Best Fit, Spotify's Fresh Finds, Swedish national radio P3 and more. Today, yet another piece from debut album civic is released, the stunning Afterglow.
Afterglow is another glimpse of Kluster's playful sound - a melting pot of broad influences such as pop, punk, noise, lo-fi, indie and jazz. The members have a history as academic jazz players, forming Kluster after longing for a collective process free from strict genre playbooks and narrow-minded academic rules. A process that resulted in Kluster's captivating characteristic dynamic and turning points, alternating from melodious to dissonance, complex to simple.
Debut album civic is out on June 15th via Stockholm indie label Rama Lama Records (Steve Buscemi's Dreamy Eyes, Delsbo Beach Club, Melby etc.) which also is the labels first full-length release. The LP was recorded at Malmö's famous Tambourine Studios and is a elegant showcase of the quintet's exciting ability to blend experimental and accessible in their very own way. To put it in Kluster's own words, "civic is a look into the everyday ordinary, the changeable and the constant" with eleven songs treating "situations, emotions and people in our mind at the time, consciously or not". TWITTER.
We featured Kluster for the first time just three weeks back, and the new song 'Afterglow' suggests we should be even more excited about the forthcoming album. Last time we described their music as "Indie Anything" as we struggled to put their music into any one category, it's no easier this time, but the music is gorgeous, that much I am certain of.
Background - Jessica’s Brother is the eponymous debut album from London trio Jessica’s Brother, comprised of songwriter Tom Charleston, Jonny Helm (drums, also of The Wave Pictures) and Charlie Higgs (bass, previously of Ramshackle Union Band). Channelling the spirit of the Brothers Grimm to create an otherworldly atmosphere, they weave their motley influences together making a rich and eclectic vision, with nods to Silver Jews, Jason Molina, Nick Cave, Richard Thompson and Neil Young. There are themes of joy, anger and silliness in a carefully crafted world with a colourful cast of characters.
The new single "Humdinger" is a languid indie folk track, recalling their heroes, Silver Jews. As Charleston explains, it is: "perhaps the one song on the album where the narrator is at ease with himself and the world. Though there are moments where this tranquillity is nudged by outside tremors, so we know this moment is ephemeral."
Jessica's Brother formed in October 2016. Jonny and Charlie worked together in a framing business and had often talked about collaborating in a band together. Fate intervened when Jonny’s girlfriend Jessica introduced him to her brother Tom, and they found a songwriter in waiting. The trio clicked immediately and just nine months later they recorded the album with Laurie Sherman at The Booze Cube in Stoke Newington, with input from Darren Hayman. A few other friends joined them in the studio, including Dan Mayfield (Enderby’s Room), who added a dose of Bad Seeds/Dirty Three vibes on the violin and Paul Rains (Allo Darlin’/Tigercats) lent a hint of country twang on guitar and slide guitar.
With Jessica’s Brother, we see Tom Charleston’s songwriting blossoming in to a tour de force. Influenced more by poets than other musicians, he cites John Ashbery, T.S. Eliot and Philip Larkin as inspirations. He is drawn to how they can be irreverent, unassuming and playful, as he explains; “I suppose I wanted to offer something lyrically engaging and hopefully different.” His modestly lofty ambitions have paid off, with ten startling individual vignettes telling their own stories from a variety of narrator’s points of view. FACEBOOK.
'Humdinger' is a refined indie folk song, the vocals are distinct and melodic, the music calm and assured, and the chorus packs some subtle hooks that make this one, a must share!
