Wild Rivers is both beautiful and emotional, a song from the heart, where both the band and the harmonies naturally and skillfully connect. The new song from Magnetic Skies is a taster for three E.P's due this year and bodes well with it's subtle melodies and lush musical arrangement. The Indica Gallery have a style that spans decades and yet is fresh as the band carve out a distinct and highly likable sound.
Wild Rivers - Moving Target.
2018 was an incredible gift. We toured North America extensively and met people who share a connection to our music. However, the reality of being touring musicians means that we often find ourselves in unfamiliar situations, far away from the things – and the people – that provide love and comfort.
Our new song, “Moving Target,” is the message you leave for the person back home. It’s about what we do to protect ourselves when relationships get difficult, and the realization that cutting yourself off can do more harm than good.
“Moving Target” was recorded live off the floor with our producer, Dan Hosh. After playing it night after night on the road last year, we really wanted to hone those sensations of vulnerability and earnestness.
We’re back home now, busy writing for our next project and gearing up to headline some shows (dates below!) around Canada and the States. As we sink our teeth into some new songs, our excitement to build on what’s next grows.
Synth-rock band Magnetic Skies’ debut EP, “Dreams And Memories”, is released on 22 March 2019 via ReprinT Records.
Magnetic Skies formed in early 2018 when singer-songwriter Simon Kent and vocalist/programmer Jo Womar were commissioned to collaborate for a one-off arts/charity live show. During rehearsals the pair discovered that they had a common love for electronic music and mapped out dates to experiment with writing songs for a potential band project. Simon’s latest solo album had received airplay on national radio, and live shows included touring with established artists like Echo & The Bunnymen, Emma Stevens and The Christians - but things went so well that he decided to take a hiatus to concentrate on the new project.
Simon says, “the Magnetic Skies songs took on a life and direction of their own, everything just flowed. Although I had a great band and backing at radio, sometimes you just have to follow your instinct and your heart. And this is where my heart wants me to go.”
Songwriting over the summer resulted in a selection of songs ranging from melody-driven electronic pop to atmospheric ambient songs which form the basis of 3 EPs the band will release in 2019, with a full-length album to follow. Jo says, “writing the songs has been a really exciting adventure! I have a really cool collection of analogue and digital synthesizers, which are the foundation for the tracks. Simon can play a bit of everything, so he was able to contribute keys, guitars and bass to finish everything off.”.
The new single from Liverpool quintet The Indica Gallery ‘Wait For Your Love’, came out Monday via Someone Great Records/PIAS.
Formed in early 2018, The Indica Gallery have a blossoming sound that blends 60s and 70s pop with modern psychedelic overtones and poetic Northern grit.
‘Wait For Your Love’ is a love letter personified in a 50’s-esque torch song.
Having spoken highly of her music on a number of occasions, along with sharing a good few of her songs, it's a pleasure to feature Rosie Carney once again, this time with the brand new album 'Bare'. Coco Bans mixture of synths, rhythmic guitar and gorgeous vocals works beautifully as this addictive song demonstrates. Twain's inviting voice and carefully matched musical backdrop ensures everything stands out with refined clarity, the piano adding even more. Our last inclusion today are Freedom Fry who have a three song E.P with plenty of variety and a whole load of hooks to enjoy.
Rosie Carney - Bare (Album).
Building on over 30 million Spotify streams and 1.8 million monthly Spotify listeners, breakout singer-songwriter Rosie Carney’s long-awaited, deeply personal debut album Bare is out now via Akira Records.
Bare is already receiving early rave reviews from the likes of Mojo Magazine who calls Carney’s music “haunting” and “the sound of a troubled soul finding her voice” while Earmilk describes it as “astonishingly beautiful,” “delicate but unwavering.” The Irish Times praises the record as “a gorgeous cycle that runs the whole gamut of life, love and loss.”
In support of the release, Carney will embark on a 26-date tour of the U.K and Europe with Benjamin Francis Leftwich.
Of the highly anticipated record Carney says, “I hope these songs encourage people to go into themselves. I hope they somehow find parts of themselves when listening to them. I definitely found parts of myself when writing them. I hope they experience that—that intimacy with themselves.”
From Iowa to France, the voice of Coco Bans weaves around the globe with pop anthems and intimate hybrid folk songs – the effects of which stay with you long after listening. The American singer-songwriter, having already collaborated with some of the biggest and most promising artists (Lil Wayne, Julian Perretta, Fakear, Kiddy Smile, Jabberwocky), stormed onto the scene in October 2018 with debut single “Make It Up” and a packed MaMA Festival show in Paris.
Coco Bans’ debut EP ‘Fantasy & Parables’ will be released on February 28th, 2019. A collection of songs that explores the internal worlds we cultivate and the stories we tell ourselves to survive. A narrative of 6-parts, ‘Fantasy & Parables’ documents struggle, determination and triumph over a magical folk-gospel landscape. With support from Rolling Stone and Pop & Shotamong others, Coco Bans is set to be one of the key breakout artists of 2019.
‘Fighting Feathers’ opens with airy vocals and synths which create a dreamy sonic landscape, accompanied only by snappy lead guitar which gives the track percussive momentum from the outset. The verse instrumental stays restrained, making room for a lead vocal that commands the listener’s attention. Coco Bans lures you into a magical trance before a distorted bass kicks into add punch to a musically inventive outro that builds to a soaring height and fades out slowly, practically demanding you to press repeat.
Twain's highly anticipated double EP is out now on Keeled Scales. Titled 2 E.P.s, the 13-track collection represents two distinct moments in the artist's recording history. Side A is New Miami Sound, unreleased material from the Rare Feeling album sessions.
Side B is Alternator, an intimate recording of Davidson performing a selection of his songs in a van; it is the first fully solo Twain music to be released on vinyl. Since its announcement, 2 E.P.s has garnered fervent attention from tastemakers including NPR, Brooklyn Vegan, Hype Machine and more.
Twain will tour this spring, first with critically acclaimed label-mate Buck Meek then with art pop legends Rubblebucket.
Freedom Fry have just released their first of the year - The Seasons EP. The title track might be their most “radio-friendly” song to date, whilst “A Beautiful Day” is another original to set the year off and “Hey Moon” is a beautiful cover of Molly Nilsson’s original.
"The Seasons" is about how people's moods are more up in the Summer and down in the Winter. It's also about time passing and watching the seasons of your life go by.
We wanted to write something upbeat with a strong bass-line. The verses are dark like Winter and the choruses are feel-good and bright like Summer.
Hobby Club serve up a bright indie pop song with some fabulous vocals and a crisp musical backdrop. Rue Snider has impressed us in recent years, his ideas and musical creations are always met with keen anticipation. London alt rockers Heavy Heart mix melodic vocals with some natural rock vibes. From Italy Amycanbe have a distinctive sound, with plenty of detail in the musical arrangement and soft enticing vocals gliding above. Last today we have our second track share from Lily & Madeline ahead of next months album release and it's another beautifully crafted and hook laden song.
Hobby Club - For Maurice.
London based indie-pop duo Hobby Club release their debut single ‘For Maurice’ from their first EP ‘Video Days’ released 8th March on Manchester tastemaker label Heist or Hit (Her’s, Pizzagirl).
Beth Truscott and Joe Rose’s sound is as unique as their vision of the world – sharing an unusual eye condition they only discovered after meeting each other. Inspired by Arthur Russell, The Beach Boys and Kate Bush, the duo craft a lyrical domesticity that evokes harbours and mills towns, polyester and chip wrappers, bus tickets and slate grey skies.
‘For Maurice’ is Hobby Club’s anthem for leaving home, named after a local celebrity in Joe’s hometown Barrow, the “brash and absurd, yet sensitive and creative” Maurice G. Flitcroft, who “at all times was striving for something more than his humble origins would allow by studying art and literature and becoming the self-professed best at anything he put his mind to.”
The track becomes the duo’s rebellion of limited small-town life: “Like my own Dad,” Joe describes, “Maurice begrudgingly worked in the shipyard but never let the narrow opinions of others corrode his delusions of grandeur.” Subverting this tradition, Joe now uses an abandoned canteen in the shipyard to record the jangle-pop of Hobby Club, proving “that no matter how absurd your goal is, you can just tell yourself you’re the best and that everybody else is wrong”.
Rue Snider - Tripping On a Raft With Girls/Go Back To Carolina.
Go Back To Carolina is a brand new track by Brooklyn, NY based singer songwriter Rue Snider that has an indelible hook punctuated by biting electric guitars and organ reminiscent of the louder side of early alt country favorites like Uncle Tupelo, Whiskeytown, and Vigilantes of Love. The lyrics address the concept of psychological triggering, which in this story comes in the form of an Avett Brothers song.
“'Go Back To Carolina' is an attempt to illustrate the idea of psychological triggers in a funny, sort of profane way that most people will be able to understand even if they haven't been introduced to the concept before. Once I started to grasp the role that my past plays in my current life and began to have compassion for myself for some of my triggered responses, and once I started to really identify what those triggers were, I was able to begin the process of rooting them out."
Tripping On a Raft With Girls celebrates the need for community that feels built into human DNA. It details a psychedelic experience that the narrator undertakes with a group of friends. The lyrics are his inner monologue. It features Jon Estes on guzheng.
Both songs have lyrics that make a stab at humor and are a bit absurd but dig into serious topics. They fit together sonically as they're both loud rock songs and lyrically as they both take place inside of someone's brain.
London alt-rockers Heavy Heart share deeply emotional new cut Bed Bug, the first of three tracks mixed and co-produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Gabe Wax (The War On Drugs, Fleet Foxes, Soccer Mommy).
Starting out as a bedroom project in a tiny South London flat, the quartet have since capitalised on their early promise with widespread praise throughout the online community (NME, The Line Of Best Fit) and across the airwaves (BBC Radio 1, BBC 6 Music, Radio X), with their introspective and intimate soundscapes earning plenty of fanfare.
Touching on profoundly relatable themes of love, loss and finding happiness, Bed Bug showcases elements of Alvvays and Wild Nothing nestled deep within their sound, coupling luscious melodies and cascading guitars with a vivacious blend of dreamy, atmospheric noise.
Detailing their upcoming single, the band stated: “Bed Bug is a nocturnal love song exploring obsession and lethargy, sex, blood and dirty sheets. It’s about staying in bed all day and staying awake all night, feeling your skin crawl and your nerves itch. It’s also about the beauty and agony of loving someone to the point of self-destruction; picking the wounds open again just to feel the way it felt the first time”.
Born and based in Cervia, Italy, Amycanbe was formed by Mattia and Marco until 2005 when they decided to add Francesca and Paolo to the lineup, and this the quartet Amycanbe was born. Amycanbe has had some slight lineup changes throughout the years, but they currently consist of Francesca Amati (vocals), Mattia Mercuriali (bass, guitars, keys), Marco Trinchillo (drums, keys) and Mattia "Matta" Dallara (keys). With 3 albums and several EP’s behind their name, their 2011 album ‘Mountain Whales’ garnered significant success with their hit ‘Buffalos’ gaining a lot of traction from fans and critics alike.
Inspired by legendary acts across the genre spectrum such as Nina Simone, Radiohead, Pink Floyd, Portishead, Aphex Twin, and David Bowie, it is clear that Amycanbe prefers to surround themselves with only the best influences. With dream pop being rooted in elements of alternative and psychedelic rock ‘n roll with a blend of pop, it’s evident that any fans of The xx, The Naked and Famous, or The Cocteau Twins will enjoy Amycanbe’s music as part of their collection.
‘White Slide’ reimagines the ethereal song with hard hitting bass while the wobble in the bassline ensures a groove between each bar. Francesca’s tender voice is only complemented by the intricate, yet subtle production elements that can be heard throughout. ‘White Slide’ demands multiple listens as the undiscovered concaves of this track are revealed to the listener upon every repeated listen. A stellar track that aims (and succeeds) in transporting the listener to a cosmic realm where Amycanbe controls every facet of this musical plane. True performers by nature, this live version is a testament to their electrifying performances.
US sister duo Lily & Madeleine are pleased to share their new single "Analog Love", which is taken from their forthcoming album Canterbury Girls - out on 22 Feb via New West. The album was recorded in Nashville and produced by Daniel Tashian and Ian Fitchuk, the team behind Kacey Musgraves' Golden Hour. Although the bulk of the album's songs are burdened by personal angst and the weight of expectations, "Analog Love" is a sweet romantic plea.
As Lily and Madeleine explain: "We wrote "Analog Love" with our dear friend, songwriter Lucie Silvas. The song is an attempt to capture the feeling of an uncomplicated and reassuring romantic relationship. Being on tour a lot of the time, nearly all relationships we have become long distance at some point. Communicating over the internet is a great way to continue to share your love, but after a while, its monotony makes you wish you could just be face to face with the person, communicating without any distractions. In the studio we wanted the song to feel whimsical and nostalgic with lap steel, acoustic guitar, and soft, tender vocals. We don't write many love songs, but "Analog Love" was written so easily with Lucie, and captures a special feeling of uncomplicated love."
Lily and Madeleine Jurkiewicz explore the conventions of 21st century womanhood on the ten-track Canterbury Girls, named after Canterbury Park, located in the duo’s hometown of Indianapolis, Indiana. The songs were all written or co-written by the sisters, which, despite the album's poppy veneer, boasts some of Lily & Madeline's densest and most intense lyrics to date.
With a gorgeous musical arrangement and beautiful vocals Stephanie Rose's 'Luxury' is a timeless country song. South London's Roman Harris has a distinctive and engaging voice that is accompanied by a refined musical backdrop on his latest track. Fling exude psychedelic charm, the vocals add some grit, whilst the band add layers of psych goodness. Once again ElectroBluesSociety and Boo Boo Davis serve up some classic blues rock with their natural take on Little Red Rooster. Odetta Hartman exquisite vocals glide above a stripped back guitar driven soundtrack whilst the hooks dig deep. Melodic and gentle, Small Forward take us on a dreamy indie journey where the vocals and harmonies are notable and the music precise and atmospheric. Finally we have our second helping of Business Of Dreams this month, with a vibrant & catchy indie rocker to conclude today's new music picks.
Stephanie Rose - Luxury.
A storyteller beyond her years, Stephanie Rose is an old soul with a new sound. Her new single Luxury is a perfect example of using real life experiences as fodder to blaze a lyrical trail. Rose embraces the true reality of love amidst the hardships of life.
Nominated for two categories at the 2018 Saskatchewan Country Music Awards, small town Stephanie Rose has had a big year. Releasing her single “Crushed” on February 5th, 2018, she cracked the Top 100 on both the BDS and Trax national radio charts, which was the launching pad to a great season.
Playing multiple shows throughout the spring of 2018, which included a packed-house performance at the Professional Bull Riding circuit in Nipawin, SK. Stephanie shared the stage with her fellow Saskatchewan artists at the Songwriters Café at the 2018 SCMA awards weekend. With the release of her sophomore album EP “Sprout” (Sept. 28th, 2018), produced by RyLee Madison (ECMA Country Recording of the Year) and Clay Krasner (touring bass player for Terri Clark) of 7-17 Music, Stephanie Rose will be bringing her new songs on the road again in 2019 and to both Commercial Country Radio and the international media.
Roman Harris is a singer and songwriter from Brixton, South London. With his guitar in hand, a voice of raw emotion and heart on his sleeve he crafts songs of simplicity enriched with depth and feeling.
In 2016 Roman achieved song writing credits on the Snakehips ‘Money On Me’ EP with the track ‘Falling’ followed up in 2017 with his first feature as an artist on the track ‘Moving Again’ produced by Cr3on & Marcus and released through Dutch record label PM Recordings.
Influenced by Indie, Folk and R&B, Roman now releases his debut single ‘The Smell of Heather’ a truly heartfelt ballad influenced by a poem of the same title from the book ‘Heather’s Book’ written by the poet Vivian Anglin.
Roman is now looking forward to a year in which he intends to let the world hear his sound and warm the ears and hearts of many. That starts with ‘The Smell of Heather’. ‘The Smell of Heather’ will be released on all platforms on 25th January, 2019 with a house concert at a secret location taking place that night in celebration of the release.
Psych-rockers Fling are set to release debut album ‘Fling Or Die’ via Dance to the Radio on 22nd February. Ahead of this they tease with one final SoundCloud only single, Revolution, an upbeat fuzz-bass driven psych stomper, with a colourfully cathartic chorus. The quintet’s kitchen-sync approach to instrumentation comes to the fore, a glittery wall of noise ramping up the decibels throughout.
The debut LP release comes off the back of a year of sold-out hometown shows, appearances at Live at Leeds, Swn Festival, Neighbourhood Festival and singles supported by Steve Lamacq (6 Music), Huw Stephens (Radio 1), Gideon Coe (6 Music), Tom Robinson (6 Music) Radio X, Beats 1 across radio, and Wonderland, The Line of Best Fit and Clash at online press.
Describing themselves as ‘Wonky Pop’, the 5-piece from Bradford comprise of Charles McSorley (Vocals), Jack Winn (Guitar), Billy Fielding (Drums), Jake Lees (Bass) and Sam Malynowsky (Keyboards).
The quintet explain the feelings they’re chasing: “This album for us, is a coming together of our collective imaginations, through themes of longing, wonder and hedonism. It feels like an audible representation of a brief moment in our lives and how we evoke the best emotions in each other. There’s an overall positive undertone to the record that definitely reflects on us as people, and it feels good to be able to share it with everyone.”
Following the release of her critically acclaimed album 'Old Rockhounds Never Die', Odetta Hartmam has shared a new video for track 'You You', to mark her return to the UK and Europe at the end of January. Inspired by the fuzzy double vision of first love, 'You You' dances through a pastoral adventure while celebrating a young woman in bloom. In this wild, wonderful and warm landscape, Odetta Hartman explores the superpowers of romance on a sultry summer night.
'Old Rockhounds Never Die' is a bonanza of beautiful contradictions: intimate yet fiercely internationalist, spiritual and yet tangible, sweet and also sexy. It convenes with the ghosts of the past while marching relentlessly forwards.
Drawn from experiences as far-flung as riding a train from San Francisco to Chicago with an old-style, rootin'-tootin' cowboy for company ('Cowboy Song'), to experiencing the intense natural beauty of Icelandic waterfalls ('Dettifoss'), it’s a record that taps into the musical traditions of the past while being a collection of songs about living in the moment.
Raised by pioneering parents on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, NYC, Odetta’s milieu was a “colourful culture of artistry,” that included early exposure to community activism, renegade film screenings, poetry readings and trips to CBGB's. Inchoate punk and hip hop were aural wallpaper, as were the 45s spinning in the household jukebox featuring her dad’s extensive collection of soul and afrobeat records, as well as her Appalachian mother’s classic country selections. A classically trained violinist with a penchant for back-porch banjo, Odetta combines these variegated sounds of her childhood with her personal passion for folk music and the musicological legacy of Alan Lomax. Lomax is writ large on 'Old Rockhounds...' at least in spirit anyway. Odetta plays all the instruments on this and her debut '222'.
While attending college in Los Angeles, songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Michael Stevenson and Rounak Maiti converged on a desire to collaborate and meld their love of Americana and pop music. Informal bedroom jam sessions resulted in hours of demos, constructed from the duo’s rudimentary yet textured take on songwriting. After condensing their work down to four downtempo, home-recorded songs, they self-released an eponymous debut EP in 2014. From hazy, forlorn atmospheres to more heart-on-sleeve folk, Stevenson and Maiti worked with Campbell Scott (bass) and Nick Waldram (drums) to craft rich, full band arrangements.
From 2015-16, Small Forward began developing their live act, playing with a full band across the Los Angeles area. During this time, they began recording The Moon You Stand On, the band’s debut full-length album. Here, Maiti and Stevenson’s lush, folk-inspired ideas were rounded out by a prominent rhythm section, where Scott’s dulcet bass tones dot Nick Waldram’s jazzy, intrepid approach to percussion and drums. Together, the four wrote, recorded and produced the album entirely in their shared home, over the better part of a year. Self-released in October 2016, Deli Mag described the album’s sound as “timeless, teeming with multi-layered guitars and chugging beats that lend a uniformity to their quietly resplendent melodies.”
The band began recording another project, Affections, in early 2017. They channeled 70s psych-rock and AM pop with the first single, “The Reservoir”. The release was met with praise from Gold Flake Paint and Buzzbands LA, the latter describing it as a “soundtrack to (their) reverie.” The resulting collection of 6 songs, released on Forged Artifacts in October 2017, saw left-turns and plenty of new texture, decorated with their customary take on sweet wistfulness. With live performances across the greater Los Angeles area and a southwest tour under their belt, plus two new singles on the way, Small Forward is alive, kicking and ready for 2019.
Following on from the lovely "Keep The Blues Away," Slumberland Records and Business of Dreams are psyched to share another song from their forthcoming album Ripe For Anarchy. "N.R.E.A.M." is a tune about the fashionable negativity that seems rule the mood and discourse of the day.
Says the song's writer Corey: "This song was my attempt to write something fun for the album. Of course it had to be the one song focusing on negativity but I think a dose of cynicism is quite healthy these days. Humanity isn’t exactly passing its classes lately so I decided to poke a little fun at the more coarse side of our nature. It’s my version of “Ring-a-round The Rosies.” Ashes, ashes we all fall down! Wee!"
The Day share a catchy and imaginative dream pop song. Kopper provides us with a six minute epic piece that is full of passion and power. A firm favourite of Beehive Candy is Sarah P, who has impressed us since her days with Keep Shelley In Athens, the new E.P. is a real treat. Short Shadows vocals are a splendid affair as is the fabulous musical backdrop and finally we have Jess McAvoy whose addictive bluesy rock song is given extra edge by her guitar licks and fabulous voice.
The Day - Grow.
"'Grow' is quite literally about growing up through different phases of life and your very personal 'pursuit of wisdom'" says Singer Laura Loeters. The song is about farewells" and realizing how you grow older yourself by watching close people around you getting older.
Laura adds: "Like many of our songs when I came up with the first idea it sounded more like a quiet more folky song. But when I picked it up on electric bass with our drummer at rehearsals it became much more of a grooving pop song than we first intended."
The Day are Laura Loeters from Utrecht/Netherlands and Hamburg based Gregor Sonnenberg. Since meeting at 'Hogeschool voor de kunsten' in Arnhem the two keep reconciling distances, differences and always new approaches and perspectives. What runs like a thread through all of this is the interest to take charge of things themselves, try out and grow on it together.
The Day is where whimsical Dream Pop meets a DIY ethos learned from hardcore. A sparse, springy and rapturous dynamic alternates with a wildly imaginative dream-pop harmony, rock and synths create just as inspiring contrasts as the refreshing, reduced postpunk references.
Kopper is the brainchild of visionary London musician and experimental filmmaker Jon Williams. Born in a soporific small town in Kent, the artist packed up to London to build something louder, fiercer and more anthemic. Jon is joined by his fellow provocateurs, artists and all-round renaissance men, band members: Ed Smith and George Town.
Elegant, emotional, energetic – the early dusk of a November evening has enticed London artist Kopper from hibernation. Their debut single, Winter Sun (released on January 10, 2019) evokes the inner warmth of a cold evening through soulful guitar and exploding electric soundscapes. Its big heart and dreamy scope enchants like a burnt dusk skyline, delivering something that will glow through your stereo on bitter nights.
The track’s sierra tones tell a story drawn from romance, heartbreak and old lives passing into the dark. Inspired by the likes of the National, the War on Drugs and Arcade Fire, it’s littered with moments of tenderness and contemplation ripped apart by glorious, cinematic melodies. This sumptuous and exciting song from one of London’s extraordinary talents is the first from Kopper’s debut EP Fading Fires, due for release in Spring 2019.
Maenads is a triumphant return for Sarah P, where the artist explores the theme of female power – its magic, strength, and imperfect perfection.
With her debut album Who Am I (2017) praised amongst music lovers and tastemakers alike, Sarah P. returns to celebrate feminine power and her Greek heritage with a transcendent collection of songs known as Maenads. The former frontwoman of Keep Shelly in Athens does not shy away from revisiting the past as she uses music, aided by magnificent, self-directed visuals, to divulge her endless accomplishments: be it her openness about mental health and the creation of her monthly zine EraseRestart aimed to wipe out the stigma that surrounds it, to the lobbying for the protection of artists’ rights as an active member of IAO (International Artist Organisation).
“This record is the link between my previous work and what’s coming. Free symbolised my rebirth as an artist, Who Am I helped me discover different music paths and Maenads is representing 100% me, both musically and as an individual. I’m not big on classifying my music in genres, because I believe that this process is taking away from the magic of listening. I think that Maenads is way more accessible than my previous work, yet mysterious and uncommon.” (Sarah P.)
Short Shadows - Nothing Good Comes Out Of Preston.
Short Shadows, a self-professed short-ass, middle-class, north suburban smart-ass punk with a piano has written the soundtrack to your public transport journey. The alter ego for Andy Coates; a singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist from Melbourne, War Anecdotes From The Northern Suburbs takes indie rock, hip-hop, jazz and punk and blends it all with wry observations, punchy horns and suburban soundscapes that are epitomised in lead single Nothing Good Comes Out Of Preston.
Coates has entertained audiences Australia wide while fronting his nine-piece band Frankie Wants Out. FWO, who brought original party-swing back on to the music scene, could play a classy cocktail bar one night, then a grungey pub next and worked hard gigging, recording and touring for over ten years. While still paying tribute to his love of swing music, Short Shadows is a step away from the jump-blues and focuses on the peculiar styles of suburbia.
With the recent release of her newest single “Do What You Want,” Jess McAvoy just released the lyric video. Harkening back to the golden oldies with an infusion of rock, pop and blues, Jess McAvoy delivers “Do What You Want” with an astute lyricism that is seldom heard in music today.
Coming about in a playful way, McAvoy wrote the single when she seeing someone even though her heart wasn’t quite open to a romantic commitment, but both she and her partner were open to having a good time together.
Even though her friends were all up in arms over the idea of it, Jess’ outlook was very much towards the idea that good things happen when we all feel good. So, from a law of attraction standpoint, it’s important to move towards things that make us all feel the most like ourselves, even if it’s not meant to last forever.
Hajk are polished, melodic and with some R&B vibes rather catchy on their new song. It's been some time since we featured Marble Mammoth and the alt rockers return with a stunning couple of tracks. Henry Jamison's beautifully crafted songs continue to impress, whilst Porteau offer us an exquisite piece that exudes both feeling and quality. Living Hour's vocals are gorgeous and the musical backdrop is a perfect complement on this wonderfully lush song.
Hajk - Breathe.
Hajk have released a brand new single entitled 'Breathe', the third and final single from the upcoming album 'Drama' that is out on February 15th on Jansen Records. The track is a soaring, emotional R&B-tinged song with an instantly infectious melody guided by Sigrid Aase’s powerful vocals that enthrall throughout.
Behind the sheen though, the band's Preben Sælid Andersen has explained that 'Breathe' is actually, "about the ability to believe in yourself and the ones close to you. It’s about trying to hold on to something, but deep down you know it's already too late. Breathing is also something we have talked about a lot during the making of this album, and it now serves as a theme throughout the record, in the lyrics and with actual breathing sounds hidden all over. Being able to take a step back and take a deep breath can be the only right thing to do sometimes."
Henry Jamison’s upcoming album ‘Gloria Duplex’ is out February 8th on Akira Records, and is shaping up to be not only a formidable follow-up to his stellar debut album ‘The Wilds’ (which has over 90 million streams on Spotify alone), but also an insightful deconstruction of what it means to “be a man” in 2018. And this week Henry has unfolded another chapter in his exploration of masculinity by releasing the fourth single from the upcoming set, “American Babes”.
If album cuts like the previously released “Boys” and “Gloria” acknowledge the ways young boys are enlisted into a “toxic fraternity” by society, “American Babes” is a mini tableau of that society as a whole. As Henry describes it, “The verses are about a group of students that I saw on the train from New York to Vermont years ago and about a homeless man who I talked to once in Baltimore. The juxtaposition isn't totally worked-out, but it's loosely about young people who still feel some trust in institutions and an old man who felt utterly failed by them. When the structures of our lives crash down, what can we lean on?”
Do we really have a choice? Does instinct guide us home? These are the questions posed in “River Song,” the first single from Water’s Gate, our forthcoming debut album. At the time, the lyrics were simply poetry I wrote in a journal during summer evenings spent in a remote Alaskan village. We were independently writing ideas/songs that neither of us necessarily intended to combine together; we weren’t trying to write a record. This poetry was a catalyst, and “River Song” as a whole naturally revealed itself.
I found myself inspired to write “River Song” while watching salmon swim in the streams. Their journey back to spawn is magnificent – one that brings life, but ultimately ends in death. Using the earth’s magnetic field, like a compass, the salmon return to their final resting place. I was struggling to wrap my head around accepting the natural cycle of life. Seeing the salmon’s instinctual guidance drawing them back to their place of birth helped me discover where I needed to be “River Song” is not a story with a concrete ending. Ask yourself – do we really have a choice? Does instinct guide us home?
Winnipeg’s Living Hour shares "Water," the second single from their upcoming album, Softer Faces. The band teamed up with filmmaker Ryan Steel for a short film to accompany the song.
Steel says: "'Water' is a video about winter in Winnipeg. The video was shot covertly on the streets and in the homes of friends and grandmothers. Liminal spaces such as buses, shopping malls, and arcades all percolate together. Periods of rest and the textures of winter were captured on the outdated medium of 16mm film."
Everything about Winnipeg’s Living Hour has been expanding since their humble basement beginnings in 2015. What started with dreamy love songs inspired by the cinematic sky of their hometown has transformed into even more sprawling and expansive expressions on their latest effort, Softer Faces due March 1, 2019.
Still catching up on some bands and artists whose new tunes came our way a few days ago. Running Red Lights atmospheric and gentle song exudes emotion, And The Kids serve up a hook filled indie rocker with a message, whilst Rina Mushonga continues to consistently impress us with her distinctive and charismatic music. Melbourne's Money For Rope share some timeless psych rock with plenty of determined attitude, and Budapest's Ivan & The Parazol are rocking with style and class. Finally we have the first of four fine songs from Popincourt's new E.P, a refined and charming collection of material.
Running Red Lights - Calls of Prudence.
Nostalgia is an addictive comfort to snuggle up to when the present day seems intolerably bleak.
“Calls of Prudence” is a moodier, more sorrowful track in comparison to our previous, most recent releases. It was penned during a moment where I felt myself longing for the vibrancy of youth, the thrill of experiencing things for the first time.
One day, I was feeling particularly nostalgic and found myself reflecting on the days when I was young and could get blissfully drunk without having anyone or anything to answer to, without regard for the time that I was wasting. I curled up on my sofa with my notebook, my grief and my imagination, and I did what made sense – I began to write.
I hope you can find some solace in “Calls of Prudence.” - Scarlett of Running Red Lights.
And The Kids have shared a new song from their upcoming album When This Life Is Over out February 22 on Signature Sounds (Lake Street Dive, Josh Ritter, Dustbowl Revival). “No Way Sit Back” is a rollicking indie rock attack of the media and the toll it takes on minorities. While it's written from the queer perspective, the message isn't limited to one viewpoint. The joyful melody clashes against a stabbing line, "The world was never made for, Made for us." When This Life Is Over is the beloved Northampton group's third full-length and the most dynamic declaration of their distinctly rambunctious sound to date.
Since their earliest days as a band, And The Kids have embodied the wayward freedom that inspired their name. “When Rebecca and I were teenagers we just lived on the streets and played music, and people in town would always call us kids—not as in children, but as in punks,” says Mohan. On their third full-length When This Life Is Over, the Northampton, Massachusetts-based band embrace that untamable spirit more fully than ever before, dreaming up their most sublimely defiant album yet.
Rina Mushonga released a new single For A Fool on January 16th through [PIAS] Recordings. The Dutch-Zimbabwean pop innovator unveils the latest track from her imminent second album In A Galaxy on February 15th. Listen to For A Fool here
Having played a handful of low-key London shows towards the end of 2018, Mushonga makes her first UK live foray of 2019 when she plays London’s Shacklewell Arms on March 19th. Tickets go on sale on Wednesday 16th January and are available to purchase here.
The track unraveling into shape at the end of the album sessions having existed in various guises over the years. Explaining the origins of the track, she says; “this is an old love song or rather heart-ache song. Old, in the sense that it was plucked into existence over a period of time- in parts fictional in others less so.” Mushonga adds further; “in a way it chronicles a betrayed lover tormented by the desire to trust again whilst acknowledging that everything has been tainted and can’t go back to how they were.”
Melbourne psych-rockers Money For Rope will release new album ‘Picture Us’ on March 8, 2019, following international tours which have previously taken in shows across Primavera Sound, Glastonbury & SXSW, alongside support slots for Courtney Barnett (also an early champion of the band). Details of a 2019 UK headline tour from Money For Rope in support of the new album are soon to be announced. The band are trailing the album announcement with lead single, ‘Actually’.
Spawned from the same fertile Melbourne music scene which has fostered not only Barnett but also other friends including King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard, The Goon Sax and Rolling Coastal Blackouts Fever, Money For Rope are releasing ‘Picture Us’ off the back of a dogged touring habit which has kept them on the road near constantly for the last four years. Entirely self-produced, mixed & mastered by the five piece - comprised of Jules McKenzie (guitars, vocals), Rick Parnaby (keyboards), Erik Scerba (drums), Chris Loftis (drums), Ted Dempsey (bass) - ‘Picture Us’ was recorded over the course of a single summer in Victoria, Australia on the coastline of the Southern Ocean.
Following the release of the laid-back, West-Coast-influenced ‘Nr. 1003’, ‘Changin’’ showcases another dimension of Ivan & The Parazol’s creative prowess. Energetic from the start, the second single in the lead up to the band’s third full-length uses the saturated sing of distorted guitars and grooving basslines as an invigorating platform for frontman Iván Vitáris to deliver vocals bursting with character and colour. Rhythm-led verses let loose into a youthful, melodic chorus which is deserving of a place as the soaring opening of a coming-of-age indie film.
Ivan & The Parazol, a four-piece Budapestian band carrying the spirit of 70s glam-rock and incorporation of modern psych-rock instrumentation, making for an amalgam reminiscent of a Brian May-Kevin Parker compound, with their flamboyant guitar solos and overdriven octave-pedals on guitars. The upcoming album ‘Exotic Post-Traumatic’ was produced and recorded by Grammy Award-winning Wil Anspach (Muse, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Justin Timberlake, Frank Ocean) at the renowned EastWest studios in LA; hallowed grounds where Sinatra, Michael Jackson and Foo Fighters are just a few of the notable names to have recorded their material there.
Following an album "A New Dimension To Modern Love" (2016) and a couple of singles (including one for a Jam Tribute), Popincourt is back with a new 4-track EP - featuring Susanne Shields on backing vocals and Olivier Bostvironnois on electronic arrangements. The EP contains four ballads, one for each season, exploring new sounds in the studio and mixing acoustic guitars, vintage keyboards and loungy electro vibes.
The ideal soundtrack for a picnic alongside of the Thames, the pure pop of Popincourt, an Illegitimate child of Paul Weller and Roddy Frame, makes it seem like you are traveling. His new EP looks like a postcard written during a blue winter. In the spring, we wander in the alleys of Hyde Park, serenaded by the clean guitars of "Green Spring". Then begins the red summer, conducive to romances that are come and go on a Brazilian beach. The final scene is a landscape of William Turner lit up by the fantasy colors of autumn. Crossing the Channel to the sound of this '4 colours 4 seasons', is the guarantee of a "voyage that will last a whole year", to paraphrase another lover of the London sound.» Pierre Mikaïloff.
We commence with some fabulously sweeping shoegaze from Misty Coast, plus a no nonsense rocker and brand new single from Jenny Teator. Distant Stars are synthy, mysterious and seductive, whilst LAGS offer up some potent and almost furious post rock. Geppetto and The Whales add refinement to the collection with a beautifully crafted song, and to round off today's selection Scottish band Acrylic share a catchy and fresh alt rocker.
Misty Coast - Backseat Warriors.
Misty Coast is the dream-pop, shoegaze amalgam from Linn Frøkedal and Richard Myklebust (previously part of the Norwegian noise rock act The Megaphonic Thrift). September 2017 saw them release their critically acclaimed debut full-length, attaining a Norwegian Grammy nomination. The Bergen-based duo now gears up for their sophomore album Melodaze, which the band themselves has simply described as their “Berlin rebel album”.
The entirety of the second full-length was written under the brutalism of the German capital’s architecture, during their two-month stay in the locality of Schöneberg through winter 2018. Stationed in an icy-cold outpost, observing local smoky beer joints and the groaning of car exhausts through the sub-zero night, Misty Coast have created something reminiscent of the bleak optimism of Cocteau Twins, where heavily distorted guitar hooks and pulsating bass lines meld with Frøkedal’s effervescent vocals.
Surrender is about lust and curiosity. It talks about the primal want you get when someone comes into your life and they leave you wanting MORE. It’s more than just “I’m attracted to you”. It was this powerful gut feeling that took over my body, creating thoughts of what it could be like with this person. I think we are quick to disregard those moments and immediately feel “dirty” or “wrong” for thinking those thoughts. I’m saying, embrace it. We are only human. The possibilities are endless y’all. - Jenny Teator.
Jenny Teator is a St. Louis native who’s made her move to Nashville sharing her soul through her guitar and vocals. Performing for over a decade, Teator’s music shows her strength and confidence both in solo shows, collaborations, or when she performed with her long-term group Jenny Teator and the Fevers – a sexy blues/rock band that rocked Columbia, Missouri for years. Inspired by singers Grace Potter and Susan Tedeschi, Teator has a very straight forward lyrical style and the music follows the feelings of those words verbatim.
The Melbourne/Caen 2 piece (named after Ultravox lyrics), deliver 5 tracks of warped pop that spill their minimal/dark/cold waves over the edge of the infinity pool.
The title track is the final release on Detonic Recordings "Minimum Viable Product" singles series, it is featured as track 3 on the vinyl compilation LP.
"cerveau facultatif
mémoire en périphérique
disques durs externes
perd pas ta plaque à induction magique
robots do it better
my computer does it better
no need for you anymore
outdated format"
Italian post-hardcore band LAGS have announced their return with their new single 'Knives and Wounds'.
Speaking about the 'Knives and Wounds', frontman Antonio Canestri says, "‘Knives and wounds’ is the opening track of our new album and is the first song we wrote for the new album. It’s a song written in collaboration with our former singer (Luca de Santis aka SUVARI) and addresses two very important themes in the record: a disease and the search for a cure; the difficulty of being sabotaged by our own body, the failure in breaking down the "walls" in our mind, that most of the time we build as a form of self-defense from others and also from ourselves. The video is based on the concepts expressed in the lyrics and it was written by the director Stefano Pedretti: “I am my own fears, that’s what I’ve become.”"
Here’s a new video that sets the bar high in terms of being incredibly beautiful. It’s from Geppetto & The Whales’ long awaited new album ‘Passages’ out yesterday on PIAS:
The track is called ‘Faust’ and is set in a lo fi production oozing with honey-like pedal steel, subtle jangly guitar and restrained strings, conjuring up picture-esque campfire and log cabin reflection.
The accompanying video is an exploration of the innocence and freedom of youth with stunning visuals of a young inquisitive man investigating a forest, playing with fire, cigarettes and insects as the track softly soothes the imagination, a perfect ode to the misunderstood. Some great guest musicians feature on the album including Ben Lester (Tallest man on Earth), Rob Moose (The National, Arcade Fire) & Trever Hagen (Bon Iver).
Glasgow's Acrylic prepare to kick start 2019 with the release of their infectious new single I've Got Too Many Friends, out now and premiered via Clash with early features on Tenement TV, Netsounds, and BBC Rapal amongst others.
The single is a soaring slice of indie rock from the offset, filled with jangling hooks, sweeping guitars and effortless harmonies throughout. Frontman Andreas Christodoulidis' rich baritone vocal feel instantly reminiscent of the likes of The National's Matt Berninger, giving the track an undeniably defiant and endearing sound. Talking about the single, Andreas elaborates "I've Got Too Many Friends is about feeling as though you've found yourself in an ideal situation, with all the pieces falling together, and knowing that you've still going to mess it up. It's about a rift developing in a relationship and explores the naive idea that sex will resolve your issues, even though it will, in fact, be a colourless and sad affair and will most likely send you straight to the abyss."
