Faultress returns with her new E.P 'Creatures'. We featured her a few times last year and are delighted to share this creative and imaginative new collection of songs. === Kindsight are a new band from Copenhagen and have just released the gorgeous and melodic indie pop track 'Who Are You'. === The Gina Furtado Project return a month after we first featured them with 'Alley Cat' a vibrant and extremely catchy bluegrass song.
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Faultress - Creatures (E.P).
“I know we’ve all felt this, but the aching dullness of being locked away for months has gnawed away at me, unable to see so many people I love, unable to create. I sat alone for weeks in a fairly broken bout of depression when one day went to the park, and as I watched the birds and the insects around me, these 4 songs poured out of me.
The creatures I saw around me put a shape and words to my thoughts and feelings around loneliness, pain and the feeling of alienation, not only from loved ones, but from myself.”
About Creatures EP - Written entirely during lockdown, Creatures lyrically examines loneliness and fractured mental health and are delivered through Faultress’ voice alone, manipulated with electronics. All songs are designed specifically for headphones and are produced by award winning sound designer and producer Gonçalo Abrantes (aka Agon Branza).It is a poised and assertive performance from a musician with a masterly handle on the themes of her art.
Kindsight is a new Copenhagen based band and the first act outside of Sweden to sign with Rama Lama Records (Melby, Chez Ali, Steve Buscemi's Dreamy Eyes etc.). The young quartet today release their debut single Who Are You - a warm, nostalgic and atmospheric indie pop song.
The Danish quartet makes retro-tinged indie pop that is instantly appealing and addictive. Nina's vocals crowns the atmospheric soundscape perfectly and makes Kindsight something that's been missing in Scandinavia for a long time. Debut single Who Are You is the first taste of their melancholic beauty which we will hear a lot more of the upcoming year as the band are ready to finally share their music.
Kindsight about Who Are You: - "Who Are You is a summer song written in January - lush, light and forward-driven. Originally dismissed by the band as a stupid disco song when brought to rehearsal by guitarist Søren Svensson, adjustments were made and the song was granted life as Kindsight’s debut single."
Kindsight are Nina, Søren, Anders and Johannes and formed out of Nina and Sørens shared love for The Sugarcubes. According to the band, the two of them then recruited drummer Johannes to "drag him out of an unsettling obsession with jazz-music" and bass player Anders was chosen "only because of his looks and his ability to fit into small bags.".
Shortly after forming the band played their first gig in a parking lot to a crowd of children. The band tells us that the children "were overwhelmed by the sudden influx of melancholic beauty to the otherwise rather dull parking space. As one 7 year old kid said moments before being squashed under an unstable wheel of fortune, “Wow, they are so cool, I also prefer The Sugarcubes to Björk’s later work!”". Since then, the band have played frequently on the Copenhagen indie scene for a bit older and growing crowd.
Who Are You is out now. Kindsight consists of Nina Hyldgaard Rasmussen (vocals, guitar), Anders Prip (bass), Søren Svensson (guitar), Johannes Jacobsen (drums) and are available for interviews.
Drawing on the distinctive sound and fresh musical ideas that recently earned its namesake her third consecutive International Bluegrass Music Association Banjo Player of the Year nomination, The Gina Furtado Project shows a more playful side of Furtado’s musical personality on “Alley Cat,” the group’s latest single for Mountain Home Music Company.
The song tips its hat to Furtado’s Celtic influences with an irresistible, Irish-flavored melody that works both as a framework for sprightly unison playing by Gina and her violinist sister, Malia Furtado, and as a fitting vehicle for the lyric’s deftly prolonged metaphor:
“He doesn’t care to compromise
The alley cat with laughing eyes
And when he laid his eyes on me
The other girls were history...
A pat and scratch behind the ear
Really you’ve no business here
A little milk is all you’ll get
‘Cause I don’t want an alley cat”
As the bandleader slyly notes, "’Alley Cat’ is for anyone who has been charmed completely and unexpectedly — whether it be by a stray kitty, or any other free spirit."
With harmonies from Malia Furtado, and a gracefully grooving rhythm section of Drew Matulich (guitar) and bassist Max Johnson, “Alley Cat” is a sunny, light-hearted frolic that packs an abundance of good-humored energy into its two minutes, proving once again that, even in music, brevity is the soul of wit.
Keep Shelly in Athens return with 'Neon Glare'. It's been quite awhile since they last appeared here however the brand new song is everything I hoped for as their atmospheric beauty once again shines. === From Healthy Junkies we have the blistering alt rocker 'Last Day In L.A' a song that takes our breath away for a frantic two and a half minutes. === From the opening moments of 'Magma' to the closing of 'Tumult' the forthcoming album 'Formed At Depth' from Gold Hick is a rich electronic collection produced and arranged with notable quality, 'Up Arrow' gives us a glimpse of the whole and the non album track 'Trad Ghost' is a bonus.
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Keep Shelly in Athens - Neon Glare
The ethereal and swirling sounds of Greece’s Keep Shelly in Athens capture the transient feelings of city life and the inevitable passing of time. With lush melodic beats and dreamy vocals Keep Shelly’s production is an accessible and lighthearted entry into the world of down-tempo electronica.
With previous releases on labels including Forest Family Records, Transparent Records, Planet Mu, Cascine and Friends of Friends, the duo have already transported their whimsical arrangements and soothing productions across the globe, including performances at Coachella Festival, Parklife Festival, Brighton’s The Great Escape Festival and Austin’s Fun Fun Fun.
In addition to their own releases they have also done official remixes for Tycho (Ghostly International), Blood Diamonds (4AD), Steve Mason (Domino) and many more… Their new EP, Defy Me, is due Nov. 12. Now they have shared the first single / video from it, “Neon Glare.” Keep Shelly in Athens are RPR and Jessica Bell.
RPR notes, about the new EP, “So many things have happened since the beginning of this year which could provide material for several albums! Nevertheless, in the 5 tracks from our upcoming EP we tried to transform our anxiety about the future as well as our anger and outrage at everything that is happening right now, regarding the murder of innocent people and so many other issues, into something positive. I think this came out in a natural and unforced way, and we hope the audience will find some escape within these songs.”
Healthy Junkies are everything that epitomizes the indie punk spirit - driven, authentic, and capable of causing a riot at any moment. As they prepare to release a seminal album which mashes up psychedelic rock, punk, grunge and goth, first single ‘Last Day In L.A.’ sets the bar high. As a band that have toured relentlessly since their formation in 2011, until the global lockdown of 2020, they came into this record still firmly locked in the groove.
The album was made during the aforementioned period of quarantine and is titled ‘Forever On The Road’. It has reflections of recent tours and life beyond the road and offers a compelling record more akin to chapters of a thrilling novel rather than bubblegum throwaway rock n pop. Lead singer Nina Courson shines throughout with her Parisian drawl inflecting the Junkies’ brand of rock n roll with tones of 60s femme fatales Nico and Brigitte Bardot.
‘Last Day In L.A.’ harks back to a recent US tour which captures the strange magnetic pull of the city of angels, especially for this group of runaways from Paris and Greater London. They united together to write songs and feed their passion for music as a life-saving exercise after narrowly escaping a youth filled by gangsters, abuse and the like. Phil Honey-Jones is Nina’s writing partner and plays guitars and sings on many tracks too. Their bond was firmly formed almost a decade ago through music as a form of healing self-expression, creating their own world within a world, turning their personal horrors into sonic beauty, and out of the bizarre madness of the global pandemic have conjured a record sure to catapult them to the larger stages of next year’s major festivals. The band also feature bass player Dave Whitmore from Maidenhead, Berks who provides that extra bit of madness and creativity needed to cement their destinies together and jettison them on the journey that brought them to the recording of ‘Forever on the road’. The drums on this album were provided by an anonymous American drummer during lockdown and mixed by Phil at home. This was the only way the album could be created during these restricted times.
On this album they have further pushed the boundaries of genre using hip hop beats, piano and string arrangements, horror film style soundtracks and even reggae alongside goth, punk and grunge. The album is the soundtrack to their USA tour of autumn 2018.
Healthy Junkies also bring similar people together and have been running a monthly London night called Punk & Roll Rendezvous for nine years, which includes an annual free three day festival with 25+ bands. The event has always been held at the Unicorn pub in Camden but due to Covid-19 the band are running the festival online this year. The fanbase for this band as well as their Punk & Roll night keep growing as they continue to popularize a community spirit, the sharing of ideas, giving artists an opportunity to perform and somewhere to hang out. This cast of misfits have built a beautiful tribe of punks and rockers and look set to expand their loyal devotees as they continue to hit their stride.
Rodney Bingenheimer (Sirius XM/Kroq) has played the song ‘Last Day In L.A.’ five times already this year on his Sunday show Underground garage and it hasn’t even been released yet, but his enthusiasm after getting hold of a copy has prompted the band to lead the new record out with this single and it’s a fiery number set to have you pogoing wherever you are as Nina, “Waves goodbye to the dead end life” and “the Hollywood nights”.
Humm Recordings is excited to announce the forthcoming release of ‘Formed at Depth’ – the debut LP by Norwich’s Gold Hick.
2020. A year so far spent hunting for silver linings. For James Ferguson (one half of Norfolk electronic pioneers Broads), one such silver lining was the opportunity to develop new songs in isolation, away from the pre-covid hustle and bustle of gigging, collaborating and the daily commute. The result is a suite of eight crisp, circular tracks, gathered together with love and presented to you here as ‘Formed at depth’, the debut album by Gold Hick.
The album is preceded by a two-track digital single – ‘Up Arrow (CSJ edit)’ b/w non-album track ‘Trad Ghost’, out this weekend.
“I guess I started writing as a way to move on from ‘Ollust’, and the disappointment of the Broads shows all getting postponed due to lockdown”, explains Ferguson. “At that point I was definitely thinking that I was starting work on a new Broads record – Mark even played a couple of bits on ‘Tumult’ and ‘Leica’… but it soon became clear that I was racing ahead and pushing things in a new direction. By that stage the writing had become a sort of lockdown therapy so I picked a name (‘Gold Hick’, after the Guided By Voices song) and kept on going”.
“These eight tracks are really a distilled, purified version of what I do with Broads – lots of bright sounds, gradual layering and a loose approach to looping. But it’s also given me a chance to experiment and start to learn some new things – the cut up vocal samples [from Ta-Ra’s ‘VenusFlower’] on ‘Up Arrow’, and playing around with some ideas stolen from rave and house music were really fun processes to go through”.
Taking Gold Hick live is something that may have to wait a few months, but the idea excites Ferguson: “Weirdly given the circumstances, ‘Formed at Depth’ was written with playing live in mind all the way through – I can’t wait to get out there and get people dancing. We all need a dance, right? Broads shows are normally a bit more cerebral, but this is definitely a record to dance to”.
Derw have released 'Ble Cei Di Ddod I Lawr' today, the Welsh language song conveys genuine emotion and the musical arrangement is stylish and a fine accompaniment. === Shelley Thomas shares 'Mirror' a piece that's described as world chamber pop (a good description), it's refined, imaginative and gorgeous. === Slow Soak impressed us back in May and today's release 'Moon' sees the band deliver another stunning indie rocker. === Dolls have released their 'Eggshells' E.P online today from which we have a video for 'Hot Bodies' that typifies this delicious indie rock collection. === Katie Boeck shares 'Making Some Room', a personal song that is sung with notable passion, her refined vocals immersed in a superb musical backdrop.
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Derw - Ble Cei Di Ddod I Lawr.
Derw started as a project between songwriter Dafydd Dabson and his mum Anna Georgina, a lyricist, after they got to the final of S4C songwriting competition Can i Gymru in 2018 and decided to keep writing together. The band is fronted by Welsh/Iranian singer Elin Fouladi and their debut EP 'Yr Unig Rhai Sy'n Cofio' involves musicians from Welsh acts Zervas and Pepper, Afrocluster and Codewalkers.
Drawing on chamber pop influences like The National and Elbow, the band has a strong connection with the past and their family history and is named after Anna's father - Derwas. Their family is full of interesting stories and 'Yr Unig Rhai Sy'n Cofio' (The Only Ones Who Remember) is about making sure these stories are recorded and remembered.
The track 'Mikhail' is about a friend Derwas met while studying in Jerusalem in 1926. Mikhail grew up in Russia and his father was part of the imperial navy. One night in 1917, when Mikhail was nine and his mother was away, the Bolsheviks came to his house, took his father into another room and shot him. Mikhail then moved to Palestine with his mother and, when he was 19, met Derwas, a student from Oxford. They then spent years exploring the wilderness together and trying to find peace.
The lyrics for 'Silver', the final track of the EP, are taken from a poem written by Anna's mother in the 1930s. She loved writing and had notebooks full of poetry she'd written. She tried several times to get them published but never managed it so it gives Anna and Dafydd a huge amount of pleasure to be able to make use of one of them now.
Derw’s first single, ‘Dau Gam’, came out in May on CEG Records. It was made ‘Track of the Week’ on BBC Radio Cymru as well as getting airplay on BBC Radio Wales.
World Chamber Pop performer-composer Shelley Thomas is set to release her new single, “Mirror” on August 28th, 2020. “Mirror” explores duality and shadow psychology in the quest for integration of the true self, interlacing diverse threads of culture through sounds of oud, qanun, piano, drums, bass, violin, and cello from a ten piece microtonal chamber ensemble.
The self-produced track was recorded by Jesse Selleck and Eric Oulundsen at Banyan Studios.
Shelley Thomas blends elements of Balkan, Arabic, Hindustani, West African, Pop-Soul and Classical styles with cinematic arrangements and emotive power to create a new genre called World Chamber Pop.
Having studied and performed World Music and voice in over fifteen languages for the last sixteen years, Shelley Thomas is no stranger to the arts.
Close your eyes. And suddenly it comes back: the magic moment from the last weekend in July when Slow Soak played a concert on a roof in their hometown Basel. Romantic red evening sun. Long shadows. Cool drinks. In this atmosphere Slow Soak's haunting songs developed their magic.
They're inspired by heroes of the indie folk scene such as Conor Oberst and David Bazan, as well as by Radiohead.
But sun was out yesterday. Now the «Moon» is shining again. Slow Soak are a Who's Who of the Basel indie scene: featuring members of Don't Kill The Beast or the (now disbanded) Sheila She Loves You – two names that which known far beyond the cantonal borders.
Do you see any possibility of including «Moon» into your program and introduce Slow Soak? We are convinced that whoever writes such an intense song deserves to be heard. The band is available for interviews and live sessions.
The 2-piece, comprising Jade (guitar and vocals) and Bel (drums and vocals) packed out Rough Trade East in London to launch their first EP ‘Pop The Bubble’, however in current circumstances will be operating solely online for this release, in part because Jade is in home town of London and Bel is back in Spain. The EP was produced and mixed by Margo Broom at Hermitage Studio Works in North London.
Jade explains that the ‘Eggshells EP’ is more auto-biographical than Dolls have ever been in the past and that it is “about the struggles that we have faced in our 20’s. Losing friends, creepy men, the strive for perfectionism and day-to-day anxiety. We have written about what we feel is really important as we get older. Musically we have evolved with this EP and although the gritty garage rock is still there we’ve broadened our sound with synths, percussion and multiple vocal layers.”
The “Eggshells EP”, was released as part of Love Record Stores Day alongside releases from the likes of Arctic Monkeys, Oasis, Caribou, Belle and Sebastian, Beach House, New Order, Jungle and John Grant. Head of Doll’s label Mondo & Death Waltz Spencer Hickman explains “We're thrilled to be releasing the new Dolls EP on limited edition vinyl for the Love Record Stores event on June 20th. Record stores are suffering right now and this event is a great way for the music community to come together safely & without worry, celebrate music culture and help stores through a difficult finical time”.
"Making Some Room is about rebirth and personal transformation, about the moment after you hit rock bottom. I wrote this song in Nashville (with my friend Cheyenne Medders) after the death of my father, the birth of my son, and the dissolution of my marriage. This series of major life events triggered a dark night of the soul and landed me in such a state of codependency and victim consciousness I didn't know how to get myself out of.
I knew I would never be happy until I cleared space for new patterns of thinking and that meant I had to stop grieving the life I wished I'd had, and start creating the one I wanted. I made a commitment to never abandon myself or my dream again. Stepping into an entirely new vision for my life-free from anyone else's limiting expectations-I gave my heart and mind permission to soar."
Katie Boeck has careened through several musical careers in the past decade. Shortly after graduating from UCLA with a degree in Musical Theater, Katie Boeck formed a band and began playing open mic nights on Sunset Boulevard and LA's West Side. This led to a surreal gig as the lead singer of an all-female Bollywood-Pop group that spent several months touring across India--an Eat, Pray, Love-esque experience that inspired her first EP, Speaking of You.
Her acting career took her to NYC with the cast of Deaf West Theater Company's production of Duncan Sheik's musical, Spring Awakening, sharing the starring role of Wendla with deaf actress Sandra Mae Frank, for whom she voiced, sang and played guitar, garnering television features on Late Night With Seth Meyers, NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt, and culminating in a Tony Nomination for Best Revival of a Musical and a performance at the 2016 Tony Awards. She was featured performing her acoustic rendition of Ave Maria in the final season of HBO's critically acclaimed television show The Newsroom.
She’s known to audiences in LA, Nashville and in NYC where she’s become a regular with Broadway Sings and Élan Artists and in 2018 made her Carnegie Hall debut. Her song What Are We Waiting For was covered by Tony-winner Leslie Odom Jr. and performed at Lincoln Center. Katie resides in Nashville, TN with her 3 year old son.
Linaire shares her beautiful new song 'No Part Of Me Ever Dies' where her vocals glisten above a sublime musical arrangement. We have to go back to 2016 when Anna Atkinson last graced our pages, her new manifestation as Linaire leaves me keenly waiting for more. === Falcon Jane appeared on Beehive Candy a couple of times in 2018 and we are delighted to feature the new song 'The Other Moon' a melodic and dreamy piece. === Peach Kelli Pop have released 'Cut Me Off' and it's a catchy albeit quite short song that nonetheless digs some refreshing musical hooks in deep.
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Linaire - No Part Of Me Ever Dies.
Linaire is an album of ten tracks that luxuriate in the deceleration of time and allow for listeners to embrace complicated and conflicting emotions. It is an invitation to acceptance in an atmosphere created by moments both somber and warm. Anna Atkinson’s self-titled debut as Linaire finds the Montreal-based composer, multi-instrumentalist, and singer in a state of reflection, constructing room for herself and the listener to work through complex feelings surrounding circumstances of love, time, lineage, and loss.
For Atkinson, the adoption of the name Linaire signals a setting forth onto a new path of exploration and self-expression. She builds her musical worlds from layers of airy synthesizers, Omnichord, strings, and drum machines, approaching beauty and discomfort in a manner both direct and honest. Peeking into her soul and pushing her own boundaries, Atkinson uses lyrical repetition to slow down and magnify ephemeral moments, while the album’s thoughtful instrumentation creates a sense of limitlessness to the atmosphere of each song. Each of these ten succinct and subtely engrossing tracks—none running longer than six-minutes—seems to contain a life beyond its lyrics. This is perhaps best demonstrated on songs like “No Part of Me Ever Dies” or “Best I Can,” which address the complex relationship of the past to the present, without ignoring the future, and all the while focusing less on ideas of resolution than on trying to understand the questions raised—the final line of ”Best I Can” rings through the ambiance like both a mantra and a summation: “wasting nothing.”
The methodical crafting of each sonic gesture on Linaire reflects the patient recording and production of the album by Atkinson and Alexander MacSween (drum machines & additional keyboards) at OBORO in Montreal in the Winter of 2019. From the fluttering electronics of “Snowshoe” to the luminous vocals on “The Inside, The Outside,” the music of Linaire breathes, floats and flowers, offering a space of welcoming and recognition, while enveloping listeners in a transcendent auditory experience, never letting them fall.
Atkinson guides listeners with a soft and gentle hand that soothes and makes a way for an unimpeded journey of emotional confrontation, naturally gliding them toward new possibilites. She weaves soundscapes that focus one’s energy on taking time, “wasting nothing,” allowing those who enter to do the same.
"No Part of Me Ever Dies is about accepting one’s most difficult emotions - the old lonesome ones that feel endless and overwhelming. The song also serves as a reminder that these states eventually pass, and that they pass more easily once they are embraced."
Ontario-based project Falcon Jane – the moniker for primary songwriter of the group, Sara May – are to release their soaring new single, ‘The Other Moon’ via Pittsburgh-based label, Darling Recordings on August 26, 2020.
‘The Other Moon’, which is lifted from a larger body of material set to come from Sara May further down the line, finds the artist exploring deeply sentimental and personal themes, from death to memory, and the miscommunication that can take place between generations. May has a penchant for unpacking these emotions in succinct and comprehensible forms, making something so personal and idiosyncratic to her feel so familiar to the rest of us. Much of May’s forthcoming work found its source of inspiration in early 2019 when her songwriting synched up with a string of deaths that occurred in her immediate family; ‘The Other Moon’ pays a touching testament to her Nonna with May lacing the track’s stark honesty with swooning guitar and her enchanting vocal palette, a sound that co-director, van Olm visualized as May’s DIY journey through space.
Speaking about the new track, May says: “‘The Other Moon’ is a letter and tribute to my late Nonna whose death inspired me to start recording this album. Despite being from two completely different generations, and speaking two different languages, my Nonna and I had a very special connection. We understood each other and cared about each other, even if we couldn’t find the words to express it. My Nonna would always cheekily joke about her own death, and through her broken English, she claimed that when she died she’d be going to “The Other Moon”.
“This song is not a story about a happy-go-lucky relationship between grandmother and granddaughter,” May continues. “It accurately depicts the contrasting dynamic of a very loving friendship mixed with a lifelong trauma-ridden miscommunication. The big hole in my heart, the black cloud over our love. This song feels like the message I always wanted to send to her; pushing through the darkness to find the deep love we shared and continue to share now.”
The new single positions itself as a breathtakingly honest release from Falcon Jane, allowing her vulnerability to take center stage. We’ll have more information further new music shortly.
Peach Kelli Pop is a musical project conceived of by songwriter Allie Hanlon, who has unveiled the first single from her upcoming EP.
Peach Kelli Pop has gained notoriety for the band's catchy melodies that bring to mind American female pop music singing groups of the late 50s and early 60s, but peel back a layer of saccharine film from her tunes and there is always a lot more to discover. "Searching for it in myself, this is eating up my mind and health", is the opening line of the single, previewing some of the angst that is floating just below the surface of the twee harmonies.
"This song is about lacking the strength to walk away from a situation you know is harmful to you." says Hanlon of the track. "It's about really wanting a relationship to work (whether it be romantic or a friendship) and hanging on, but knowing deep down that it won't work out."
In 2009, in her hometown of Ottawa, Canada, Hanlon taught herself to play guitar and bass, arrange songs and record them. The band is now based in Southern California, after Hanlon relocated in 2013. Peach Kelli Pop has toured extensively both domestically and internationally, making frequent trips to Japan. With four full-length releases and a handful of singles under her belt, Peach Kelli Pop is back with her Lucky Star EP on October 7th via Lauren Records. The EP features 4 brand new songs, including a cover of "Sing And Pretty" by Tokyo's The Pat Pats.
Hannah Georgas makes her fourth appearance here this year with 'Easy' and it's another beautifully crafted song that allows her superb vocals to shine. === Westberg shared 'Simple' with us back in June and return with 'Nostalgia' where the duo are again impressive with this creatively arranged song. === Dusker share 'Quality Papers' ahead of E.P 2' set for release this coming Friday, the song itself is a magnificent mixture of alt rock with more than a little punk feeling.
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Hannah Georgas - Easy.
On September 4th Hannah Georgas who, over the years has been an active touring member of The National and Kathleen Edward's backing band, will release her new LP All That Emotion on Brassland and Arts & Crafts. Produced by Aaron Dessner, founding member of The National and producer of Taylor Swift's latest LP folklore, the album has already attracted an enthusiastic critical response with the mesmeric lead single "Dreams," the calmly enveloping "Just A Phase" and pre-announce singles "That Emotion" and "Same Mistakes," earning praise from many outlets.
Today, Georgas is sharing her final single from the LP, a slow-burning synth pop gem entitled "Easy." Introduced by pulsing arpeggiators and a subtle blend of electronic drums and organic percussion, the track builds towards a glittering crescendo, with Georgas' weaving in and out of harmonized vocal parts as she chronicles a search for closure at the end of a relationship.
“I was going through a break up around the time that I wrote this song and I felt like I kept searching for some sort of closure or definitive ending to the relationship," says Georgas. "I found myself feeling frustrated that I couldn’t communicate well with this person and whenever I tried to reach out I was left feeling more alone in the end. I was going through this hard time and it felt like they found it easy to let it go.”
“Westberg,” the Gen X duo of Ariel Westberg and Scott Bruzenak (aka Noisecastle III) announce the upcoming single, “Nostalgia” due out August 24. The single represents a dusty tale of isolation in the middle of Los Angeles, the backdrop for the midlife crisis that unfolds within the rest of their EP. The EP, Boomer Studies is due for release on September 18.
The duo approaches “Nostalgia” with the stain of cynicism. The lyric, “Nostalgia just ain’t what it use to be” threads a thematic discontent while the appearance of Townes Van Zandt’s well-to-do doppleganger is symbolic of the decay of nostalgia itself. They say, “We wrote this in his shadow, with nods to the bitter tone and dopamine-starved prose.”
Having met as classical music majors “in the weirdest school in the U.S.,” Evergreen State College, the two Angelenos had explored Avant-Garde, jazz, rock, electro-folk, chamber pop and trip-hop. But Boomer Studies was a chance to strip it down and reflect. Their 2006 self-titled album received accolades from Nic Harcourt and continues to receive support on KCRW.
An emotive, loud-quiet-loud cut from their four-track cassette, “Quality Papers” is Dusker’s magnum opus from their new work. Befitting their forerunners Cap’n Jazz and Rites of Spring, the longest piece of the record is by no means meandering into nowhere – it’s concise, powerful… emotional. Did we mention it’s emotive yet?
“EP 2” has already seen coverage at home and abroad – BBC Radio Nottingham featured first single “Leo” on their Introducing show, along with airplay from freeform radio show Aural Delights.
Japanese blog Warszawa and UK based music website Backseat Mafia have also featured the band, with Craig Young from Backseat Mafia going as far as to say the EP “… take(s) you right back to the late 90s (...) Exceptional punk vocals and drenched in delicious feedback."
“EP 2” is available for pre-order on cassette tape and digitally from MUZAI Records ahead of its official release August 28th 2020.
Speaker Face just released 'Work Friends' and it's a glorious concoction of instruments, electronics and musical styles . === Anna Krantz shares 'We Could Be High' where refined music, deep digging hooks and timeless ballad vibes naturally come together. === From Carley Arrowood we have some imaginative Americana, superb vocals and refined musicianship in the form of 'Goin' Home Comin' On'. === Rachel Angel has just released her new E.P titled 'Highway Songs'. It's a collection of five tracks, broadly described as country folk, the depth and beauty of this E.P cannot be over stated. === From London we have the duo 88/89 with 'Hit Me' a song that mixes classic synth pop and psychedelic trappings together, along with a mass of catchy moments.
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Speaker Face - Work Friends.
Speaker Face is an award winning earthy electronic band that melds the sounds of nature and machines. Combining acoustic instruments, voice and wilderness sounds with computers and synths, Speaker Face creates beats and sonic landscapes that immerse the listener in melody, groove and mood.
The palette of sound created by Trent Freeman’s layers of rhodes and violin, and Eric Wright’s atmospheric production and beats, are topped with the hauntingly honest voice of Ruby Randall.
Whether it’s a star-lit forest dance stage, an acoustically perfect soft seat theatre or the immersion of your headphones, the musical experience of Speaker Face is transportative and fully consuming.
Their latest album, Crescent, is reshaping the notion of genre, and captures the future of indie music within the building blocks of ancient sounds.
“Listen to your heart this time, come tomorrow we could be high” Anna Krantz. ‘We Could Be High’ was written on a Zoom call during the recent global lockdown. Anna Krantz, like many writers, had her reservations about collaborating over the internet for the first time, yet when all other options become suddenly stripped away, creatives get creative.
She explains, “I couldn’t write about the experience of being separated from my family and friends, in a city I had only recently moved to and had barely begun to call home when the world shut down. I wasn’t ready to tap into those layered and conflicting emotions. I wanted… no, I needed to write a song which gave me hope. A song which lifted my spirits when I sang it.”
Simon Johnson, who also co-produced the song, was the perfect choice to collaborate with on this rootsy foot tapper. He recorded his guitar parts at his home studio in The New Forest, England. Heavily influenced by her years spent in Nashville, Krantz was keen to capture elements of Americana. Though London born and bred she has a penchant for timeless American melodies and has been compared by old friends like Ed Sheeran as sounding as resplendent on record and live, as artists such as Sheryl Crow, Rickie Lee Jones, Carole King and Sara Bareilles.
Now based in Dublin, the gift of modern technology once again presented itself. Krantz contacted Nashville based drummer, Adam Box (Brothers Osborne) and Nashville based keys player, Dave Cohen (Carrie Underwood, Steven Tyler, Reba McEntire) knowing they both had their own private setups to record in. Keeping everything at an acceptable social distance!
She confides, “It felt fun to set ourselves the challenge of making this recording a global effort during a time when no one could be in the same room.”
Krantz recorded her vocals at her new home studio in Southern Ireland. She painted the artwork on a canvas delivered by Amazon and an easel hand crafted by her boyfriend out of scrap wood from the shed because, there was, of course, no way of going out for art supplies.
Mixed by one of Krantz’s go to sound wizards, Richie Biggs (The Civil Wars, The Lone Bellow) at his studio in LA, ‘We Could Be High’ is a song about taking a leap of faith in the hopes of finding the ultimate high. Be it love for another, love for oneself or simply inner calm and connection. Life favours the brave and this song is a reminder to be the bravest version of ourselves, no matter how high the risk.
Carley Arrowood is on a journey. Already, it’s taken her onto the stage of the Grand Ole Opry with an acclaimed touring act and into a new role as a singer, songwriter and fiddler recording for the Mountain Home label. Now, following the release of her self-penned ballad, “Dear Juliana” and a celtic-flavored gospel original, “Ballad of Calvary,” she’s taking a quick side trip for a little reunion and renewal in her third single, “Goin’ Home Comin’ On.”
Penned by a trio of writers that includes Jenee Fleenor — the reigning Country Music Association Musician of the Year (and the first woman to win the award) — alongside veteran songwriter Charley Stefl (“The Fool,” “All Aboard”) and producer-bassist (and award-winning songwriter) Jon Weisberger, the song is a lively portrait of a young woman homeward bound for a weekend visit. As Carley explains, she connected immediately with its theme when she heard it.
“The feeling of a ‘Goin’ Home Comin’ On’ is one in a million,” she notes. “You start that long drive, with your suitcase in the back seat (and maybe your fiddle too) and you start thinking about everybody you’re gonna see and all the things you’re gonna do. That’s the story this song tells with its rootsy, cheerful, nostalgic vibe. The first time I heard it there were vivid memories that came to mind.”
Arrowood is joined by a stellar band that includes bluegrass power couple Kristin Scott Benson (banjo) and Wayne Benson (mandolin), guitarist and harmony singer Daniel Thrailkill — and, fittingly, her sister Autumn. “When we were little girls,” Carley recalls, “my sister Autumn and I would run to our dad when he got home from work — racing to see who would get the first hug. So when I heard the line about running to daddy, I immediately knew Autumn had to sing harmony with me on it!”
Yet while she’s surrounded by a strong group of players, Arrowood’s confident performance keeps her expressive, empathetic voice and commanding fiddle work at center stage from the song’s explosive start through its energetic closing refrain. And though it’s filled with the virtuosity and down-home sentiments of bluegrass, “Goin’ Home Comin’ On” has a distinct country flavor in its varied rhythms and unfolding arrangement.
In fact, when you get down to it, to say Arrowood is on a journey may actually be a bit of a misdirection — for judging by the mature, fully-realized quality of her music, Carley Arrowood has already arrived at a place that makes her one of the fastest rising and meaningful female roots music artists today.
When Rachel Angel sings “I wanna be a renegade,” she is speaking to the experience of personal transformation and resilience, like putting on a protective coat of armor to meet the world with grace and courage. While the songs on the EP were inspired by the spirit of outlaw country, her sense of the outlaw is metaphorical rather than literal. These songs are about taking the unconventional artists' path and staring in the face of danger, fear, and pain.
On her latest EP Highway Songs, the country-folk troubadour takes the listener on a wild journey—physical, emotional, spiritual, and everywhere in between. These songs were written in the midst of a harrowing time for Angel— she was physically sick with an auto-immune disease, self-quarantined in her Brooklyn apartment, writing at a feverish pace. At the time, She was experiencing a lot of catastrophic anxiety and chronic health problems, feeling both mentally and physically all out of sorts. As she began writing the songs that would become Highway Songs, she embarked on a family trip to Mexico, with the disquieting notion that something bad was going to happen, but couldn’t determine if it was anxiety or a premonition. Within the first week of being there, they experienced a 7.1 earthquake in Mexico City—buildings around them fell, power lines went down, and everything closed. But despite feeling frightened and immediately wanting to leave, Angel decided that pushing through the discomfort would ultimately build strength.
After her harrowing experience in Mexico, Angel spent the remainder of the year touring different cities on the east coast, in the UK, and traveling around for various events and building a new sense of resilience. She was listening to a lot of outlaw country, the spirit of which filled her with a feeling of vibrancy and bravery. She finished writing and recording the content of “Highway Songs” during a breaking point and crisis period in her life, right before making her way to the other side. Angel ultimately left New York City for her hometown of Miami in need of great healing and has since been on a spiritual journey, grounding herself and writing more music to heal and nourish herself and her listeners.
Hailing from London, Jack (born in 88) and Michael (born in 89) began carving out a space between synth-pop and psychedelic rock creating a sonic landscape with no boundaries.
The duo deliver a nostalgic and psychedelic single capturing the high points of being in love. Vocally the track is evocative of bands like The Temper Trap, while the soundscape of synths and guitars are resonant with 80s neo-psychedelia and modern synth-pop bands like MGMT.
88/89 is a hybrid of synths, guitar riffs and sentimentalism. Formed in London, Jack and Michael are carving out a space between synth-pop and psychedelic rock creating a sonic landscape with no boundaries.
Jack and Michael met when both of them were trying to start again creatively - Jack after leaving Sissy and the Blisters and Michael after putting his acting career behind. Jack played some of his music to Michael in a car and then they only grew from there. They quickly realised that they are like Ginger Rogers & Fred Astaire, yin and yang.
Xanthe Alexis has released her new album 'The Offering' and we have two more songs from it namely 'Moon' and 'The Heart Needs Time' both of which typify this fabulous album. === Garrett Owen shares 'No One To Save You' following on from 'These Modern Times' which we featured in July and again the Texas singer songwriter delivers another refined slice of Americana.
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Xanthe Alexis -Moon / The Heart Needs Time.
Xanthe Alexis' new album The Offering, out this weekend, is simply stunning, from her goosebump-inducing voice to her personal and vulnerable writing; and from the indie-folk production that encompasses acoustic guitar as much as drum machines to the radical empathy she practices in her life and art.
Like so many of her songwriting sisters and brothers in a year of lockdown, Xanthe Alexis has been awaiting the summer day she can give her second album, The Offering, to a revolutionizing world. The accomplished Colorado musician was just breaking into the national scene as the world shifted under our feet in early 2020. Her experience as both a trauma therapist and a single mother of two allowed her to weather the subsequent storm with unusual grace. Even from lockdown, Alexis has offered friends and fans daily affirmations of power and hope on social media – commodities that are rare in these times of vindictive language.
The passionate and strident tracks on The Offering reflect her wise responses to this new world shorn of pretense and masquerade. Her writing on the album also springs from the aftermath of heartbreak so the music functions both to heal others after hard-won lessons in moving forward herself. She sings, “It’s going to leave you hungry, kisses just like medicine, there and then gone again, here inside The Offering, tell me what you need.”
Alexis has noticed a distinct change in what her fans want from songwriters. In the almost four years since the 2016 election, she witnessed a need for a more authentic voice within the confounding politics and more passion in equal doses. Songs like “Siren” are meant to acknowledge anxiety while bringing a soothing hope for those living in fear. Alexis has found herself reflecting on her own newfound sobriety and writing about her journey towards healing. The songs are personally vulnerable and bring a broader context to living bravely, during fearful times. The recording sessions for The Offering began in 2019 under the tutelage of Conor Bourgal, founder of Colorado Springs group Changing Colors, and a proficient sound engineer. He worked closely with Alexis to accentuate what really mattered in these songs and to develop an indie-folk sound that draws as much from indie rock drum styles as from acoustic guitars, but always hangs back to let her stunning voice take the fore.
Alexis is unmistakable for her powerful voice and enchanting lyrics. The singular aura of magic surrounding her is a reflection, in equal measure, of her birth in the Superstition Mountains in Mesa, Arizona. Her childhood was steeped in the mysticism of blended cultures and gave her a passion and sensitivity for the unseen world of Spirit. She also experienced the effects of being treated as an “other” in America. Finding her own voice in activism, at the peaceful protests for Water Protection at Standing Rock, in her work as a Natural Healer in her community and now, in the ongoing movement for racial justice. Her Mother introduced her to the likes of Linda Ronstadt, Joni Mitchell and Ella Fitzgerald at an early age, and she began writing songs just before her beloved sister died of heart disease. This gave Xanthe an additional window into the depth of pain and the need for a language in which we can speak the expanse of human emotion.
We have a fabulous new song from Texas troubadour Garrett Owen that's called "No One To Save You".
The song is about the hardships that result from a life lived on the road, inspired by a breakup he endured while on tour with Parker Millsap. The single is the newest from his forthcoming LP Quiet Lives out September 18th.
Garrett's songwriting comes from a unique viewpoint, and understandably so -- he grew up the son of missionaries in Africa, with the kind of wildlife in his backyard we'd have to pay admission to see here. His adolescence was spent playing music and being grounded in nature.
In his late teens, the family relocated back to Texas, and Garrett struggled to fit into the culture - the pain and despair from which caused him to attempt suicide. From those experiences, Garrett has learned lessons and grown both personally and musically, all on beautiful display in the grooves of Quiet Lives.
The Hengles make their fourth appearance here with the new single 'Fire In The Rain' and once again the Amsterdam trio serve up some refined and catchy indie rock. === Astrid Cordes shares her brand new song 'Portrait', the Danish artist moving from sweet indie pop to a more contemporary and imaginative style. === Mines Falls have released 'Red Moon Car Wreck' a track that sees the duo deliver some intricate, personal and beautiful music. === Charlie Nieland is no stranger to Beehive Candy having appeared here as one half of Lusterlit, his track record in the music business is also rather impressive. His new song 'Pawns' is imaginative, the lyrics splendid and as a whole it's pretty hypnotic.
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The Hengles - Fire In The Rain.
The distinguished gentlemen of The Hengles have more than earned their musical spurs in the past. The guys from Amsterdam played in illustrious 80s and 90s bands like Fatal Flowers, Treble Spankers, Supersub and Jack Of Hearts. Since 2015 they represent The Hengles, originally specialized in the better cover stuff and in addition active as backing band both live and in the studio of various artists.
Last year The Hengles have taken the next step: writing their own repertoire making pure melodic jingle-jangle Hengle rock with a twist, taking you on a trip down memory lane of more than 50 years of popular music history and blending this into their own style.
Fire In The Rain is the title of the 8th single of The Hengles. It was originally set to be released this June. However, the COVID-19 restrictions turned all that upside-down.
During the lockdown earlier this year, The Hengles released a ‘home version’ of a future new single on their YouTube-channel (let’s save that story for later!), but they also took the opportunity to strip down, edit, re-record, basically reinvent the song Fire In The Rain, to come up with an even better recording than they already had! We all need that beacon of light to guide us through difficult and sometimes perilous times. Especially now! So, if you ever asked yourself how to start a Fire In The Rain, well here it is!
As said before, 2019 has been very kind to The Hengles: entries on Spotify’s New Music Friday playlist, Apple Music’s New Music Daily playlist, Dutch National Radio NPO 5 playlist and a real Number 1 spot at Dutch IndieXL Indie chart, airplay in Germany, US and The Phillippines, to name but a few!
Since 2014 Astrid Cordes has been known as one of the two vocals in the Danish duo Shy shy shy. Now she has put the sweet indie pop aside to make room for a new solo release which points in a more gritty and unpolished direction.
”I was lucky enough to write and put out music with one of my dearest friends through Shy shy shy for a long time, but after shaping everything to fit into that frame I really felt like making something where I could put myself more on the line and be a bit more risky. I've tried to keep a curious approach to my own voice and musicality and have allowed myself to dive into more personal subjects than in the past.”
The songs are still steered by Cordes' charismatic voice and talent for telling stories, but is set in a darker, more guitar driven, mature and uncompromising environment. There is a another depth and a pressing intensity in these new tracks. The lyrics appear honest and direct, revolving around the challenges of an existence overflowing with expectations of what and who we are.
The new music has come to live in close cooperation with producer Morten Søgaard Andersen and was later mixed by Brian Batz and mastered by Brian Mørk during the spring of 2020. The same constellation Astrid Cordes used with Shy shy shy for their last release the EP ”Gloss” from 2019, which was made for the widely acclaimed Danish TV-series ”DOGGYSTYLE”. Before “Gloss” they released the EP ”Love Songs” in 2015 and the album ”Make Up” in 2018.
They had a solid foothold on the indie scene playing several tours in Denmark and festivals like SPOT festival (DK), MS Dockville (DE) and Roskilde festival (DK). The headline of their last review written by the music magazine GAFFA wrote ”Shy shy shy writes their talent and musical capability in neon” and testifies that performing live has always been and will continued to be an essential part of Cordes' career.
We are pleased to share the new track from Mines Falls, a duo of brothers Carson & Erik Lund, based in L.A, who make luxurious and moody pop music. Intricate production, a great synthesis of electronics and songwriting.
Here's a quote about the track from songwriter Carson Lund: I had been traveling quite a bit for my job when I wrote this song, touching on all corners of the country, finding myself in quiet towns I’d never heard of before, and not communicating with family and friends for long stretches.
I crave this isolation and independence, but it also distances me from people, and “Red Moon, Car Wreck” attempts to connect who I’ve become with who I was as a child. Life is a series of comings and goings, but this song is about trying to stay in one place.
Charlie Nieland's new single and video for the song Pawns, is part response to The Bushwick Book Club's celebration of Jeff VanderMeer's new A Peculiar Peril. Part response to being a captive audient to dissolution, disintegration, confinement, mysticism and megalomania.
Charlie Nieland has evolved a seamless mix of production, songwriting, musicianship and engineering most notably with Lusterlit with Susan Hwang, Soozee Hwang and The Relastics, Ronan Conroy, Her Vanished Grace, Oh Halo, with the film scoring collective Emboznik and with the production team Super Buddha with Barb Morrison.
Charlie has worked with Rachelle Garniez, John S. Hall, Palmyra Delran, Scissor Sisters, Rufus Wainwright, Debbie Harry (on her 2007 album NECESSARY EVIL, which he co wrote and produced), Blondie (co producing and writing three songs for their 2011 release THE PANIC OF GIRLS) and has scored the films THE SAFETY OF OBJECTS (starring Glen Close) and the documentary NY77: THE COOLEST YEAR IN HELL.
Charlie's breadth of skills continues to grow, with mastery of many musical instruments, songwriting, arranging, video directing and all facets of modern recording technology. Most importantly he has the special ability to connect with and motivate the wide variety of artists that he works with. He specializes in bringing out atmosphere and emotion with his production to make musical cinema.
Charlie was awarded a Gold record (UK) for his production work on Blondie's GREATEST HITS SIGHT & SOUND and achieved a Top 10 Billboard Dance Chart Position with Debbie Harry's single "Two Times Blue", which he co-wrote and produced.
