Today is the release of the new single Up on the Mountain by #1 Belgian blues and roots artist Guy Verlinde. It is an Americana song about the "circle of life" with a river as a metaphor. Just as a small river at its source carries already all the power to flood a valley, everyone has everything inside to become the person he or she should be.
The rhythm of the drums, percussion and banjo symbolizes the rippling and flowing of the river that rises more and more towards the end of the song.
When there is no budget for shooting videos, you need to be creative. This video has a unique concept as it was filmed by the audience from every corner of the Minard theatre. It is disturbing for an artist when people try to film during a concert.
But at the end of the concert by Guy Verlinde & The Artisans of Solace in the Ghent Minard Theater, the audience was explicitly asked to film the performance during the song "Up on the Mountain" with their phones. The more than 100 videos were edited into one video clip by the young filmmaker Erno Baelus. Beehive Candy say's - This is a really fine live video for a highly notable song.
Hogleg Band, reckon they are Louisiana's own "country super group" and their new release 'How It Feels To Be A Cowboy' suggests they might have a point.
The core band consists of Grammy award winning drummer Brian Brignac, on lead guitar one Dr Mullet; keys stands Corban Barnes. "Lightnin" Lucho Bolivar from Barranquilla, Colombia on lead guitar two.
Chris Roberts, legendary bassist for Blues king Johnathon "Boogie" Long on bass guitar. Gram Rae fiddler & Harmonica player from Mississippi, with Richard Comeaux on Steel guitar Lance Woolie on lead vocals.
The band tell us that the initial release from this record is a "fast driving song called "How It Feels To Be A Cowboy" . This is a very upbeat rocking country ditty. How It Feels To Be A Cowboy is a true story told in song about being hard headed and living the outlaw life. This song rides fast and raw and has the grit and goods to back it up." We have to say, we agree!
Pop-country duo Render Sisters, composed of best friends and sisters Mary-Keaton and Stella Render, continues their blossoming maturation and obvious sisterly kinship on their new single, “I Don’t Wanna Know.” The new tune finds the sisters singing about the unpredictable nature of relationships in the modern world. Releasing everywhere digital music is available today Monday, November 29, “I Don’t Wanna Know” is the sixth single the teen duo has released since their emergence in 2020.
Mary-Keaton and Stella wrote the song with Nashville-based songwriter Doug Kahan (Trick Pony, Clay Walker, Jon Pardi) on a recent trip to Nashville, but the idea behind the song came from an actual relationship which Mary-Keaton had recently been involved in back in their hometown of Pine Bluff, Arkansas.
“I knew that I really liked this guy at the time, but I was scared that if I knew his past that I may not like him anymore,” Mary-Keaton admitted. “I wanted to get to know him for who he was, and give him a chance, but I have always been the type of person that gives someone the benefit of the doubt, too. Until they betray me, or prove me wrong in some way."
Stella was also cautious about the guy's past, and encouraged her sister to remain the same way. However, the younger of the two was the primary instigator for turning her older sister’s relationship scenario into a song.
“Every single time I tried to talk to her about it, Mary-Keaton would always reply, ‘I don't wanna know,’” Stella recalled. “So one day while songwriting, and talking about this guy again, Mary-Keaton again repeated ‘I don't wanna know,’ and then I knew we had to find a way to spin this into a song about her situation.”
Alt-pop artist Eliyanah's latest raw and cathartic offering, 'Somebody Else', delves into what it's like to handle the painful end of a long-term relationship as well as adapting to life after it. Soft grooving percussion echoes through nostalgic keys, angelic vocals, ethereal harmonies and bouncing basslines, as she blends the very best of indie, pop, alternative and electronic elements.
“The song explores the complicated and painful twists of navigating a long-term relationship's end, as well as confronting yourself in its wake.” Eliyanah shares
The song was co-written with Eliyanah’s brother Simon Woodley as well as musician Ben Scott (Tom Walker, Mahalia, Ed Sheeran). Eliyanah then worked alongside producer Hugh Fogerhill and mastering engineer James Birt to bring the track to life, Eliyanah succeeds at creating a nostalgic and introspective track that resonates with all who listen.
Background from Parks N' Rec: I am telling the story of reflection and acceptance; adaption and redefinition.
After spending nine months in remote parts of Central and South America, I landed in New York City this fall. The shock of that transition combined with witnessing a metropolis hoping for a revival was interesting. I wanted to capture that recalibration of human behaviour, and the beauty of that challenge. You'll hear a melancholic mood that comes from a place of strength.
The single artwork is taken from the Hubble Space Telescope of stars populating globular clusters. The video was produced with edits of that celestial footage. The video hopes to encourage the journey and offer new perspective.
Captivating singer-songwriter Georgia Lines has unveiled her stunningly emotive new single and video "I Got You." Layered in dreamy, atmospheric strings which floats over a chilled groove, "I Got You" is hook-laden in melody, performed by Georgia’s uniquely soaring vocals. The Tauranga-based artist is compelling in her storytelling, reflecting on change, loss, acceptance and letting go.
“At the time there were so many things in my world that were changing, including dealing with the grief of losing a family member,” says Georgia. “It felt like life was becoming a game of giant jenga with so many pieces being pulled out from under me, whilst trying to hold everything together. ‘I Got You’ is about the process of learning to let go, whilst continuing to hold onto the few things that you know to be true.”
Co-written and produced by Djeisan Suskov (BENEE, Matthew Young, Mitch James, LEISURE), "I Got You" is the very first song the now prolific duo wrote together in 2020. Written fresh out of Aotearoa’s first lockdown, the track is reflective of Georgia’s growth mindset in navigating the challenges of pursuing a career in music during a pandemic.
“Covid has required loads of adaptability, positivity and constant changes in perspective,” says Georgia. “The biggest mindset shift that has helped me navigate this unknown, has been the conscious decision to make sure that every part of the journey is enjoyable. For me, keeping this perspective along with having an incredible support network, has helped me navigate through the hard yards and all the challenges that Covid has brought to pursuing a career in music.”
Also released is the stunning new music video to accompany the single, directed and produced by Georgia Lines herself. Drawing on nature’s elements and spaces where all is falling apart, Georgia crafted the video to sit in the same visual space as the music does sonically. “Conceptually I loved the idea of creating a video that had aspects of the elements in it (water/sand/nature/grain),” says Georgia. “I loved the idea of creating beautiful graceful movements mixed with static poses amongst these big piles, and loved the idea of creating different spaces within the giant warehouse we filmed in, to bring different ideas visually to the video.”
“Working with Chelsea Jade on the Choreography over zoom was also such a highlight. I loved working with her for "No One Knows," and was so pumped to get to work with her again for this one.” With a number of upcoming live shows and tours, including performing as a headlining act at Festival One and supporting Dave Dobbyn at Black Barn, Georgia Lines is showing no signs of slowing down.
Love can fill the whole universe but sometimes it can be the size of a pinhead. Bonnie has just releasesd her new song “8000 Miles”.
This rhythmic and danceable song moves stylish between Triphop and Pop and can best be described as a love song without the happy ever after. A true rollercoaster of emotions just as real life itself.
Carried by an interchangeable rhythmus, groovy guitar and Bonnies warm, haunting voice it tells us about the highs and low of love.
Bonnie, who has found her style in Rhythm & Blues, Pop, Country and Rock best described as “Vintage Soul and Roll” releases her inner tragic diva and shows us a completely new facet as an artist.
The song has been written by Bonnie herself and Hoffi Hofstetter. It is produced by Rico Horber.
Tacsidermi & Sister Wives - A Oes Heddwch / O Fy Nghof.
Sheffield bilingual psych/post-punk four-piece Sister Wives have teamed up with Carmarthenshire’s psych duo Tacsidermi for an exciting musical union. The Double A single 'O Fy Nghof' / 'A Oes Heddwch' will be released on limited edition lathe-cut vinyl on 17th December via Libertino Records, and is out now digitally. Both bands wrote the musical backbone to a song each independently, which was then sent over and Tacsidermi and Sister Wives added lyrics and melody to the other's compositions, a truly collaborative project.
"O Fy Nghof" and "A Oes Heddwch" musically reflect the darker subject matter of depression and the quest for peace as life ebbs away. Listen to the swirling "A Oes Heddwch" and darker "O Fy Nghof."
Both bands go into detail about the lyrics they provided for each song... Tacsidermi on "A Oes Heddwch": “The song is about facing an armageddon and the panic of not knowing what to do in your final hours. There's no use hiding from the inevitable. There's no use trying to find peace. You must deal with the consequences of your actions.”
Sister Wives on "O Fy Nghof": “The song is about being in a deep depression and the helplessness which is felt in that moment. This does eventually come to an end - the heaviness lifts. However, this is often cyclical and happens again, over time. This leaves us stuck in a constant cycle, which can be hard to accept.”
Tacsidermi are Gwenllian Anthony from the Welsh Music Prize winning band Adwaith and multi instrumentalist Matthew Kilgariff, who craft sublime, evocative Balearic pop-infused psych. Tacsidermi will be returning to the studio before the new year to finish work on their eagerly anticipated debut EP out in January 2021. Sister Wives are a Sheffield-based female four-piece whose sound encompasses prog-flecked psychedelia and post-punk. They recently played at Green Man, Sensoria, and Sŵn Festivals, with more dates in Sheffield and Manchester this winter. New music is coming soon.
Swansea Sound really just can't stop making music videos. They have a new video and single "The Pooh Sticks" off their debut album 'Live at the Rum Puncheon.' The fact that Hue and Amelia who were in The Pooh Sticks singing a song about how great The Pooh Sticks are / were is a bit next level. So enjoy a bit of green screen fun and let Swansea Sound brighten up the next 2 minutes and 30 seconds of your day.
Swansea Sound reunite Hue Williams with Pooh Sticks singing partner Amelia Fletcher (ex-Talulah Gosh, Heavenly). Rob Pursey (also ex-Heavenly) and Ian Button (ex-Death In Vegas) provide the noise.
Swansea Sound: a band that came into being during lockdown and decided that fast, loud, political indiepop punk was the answer to being stuck indoors. Who needs introspection?
Hue Williams is reunited with Pooh Sticks singing partner Amelia Fletcher (ex- Talulah Gosh, Heavenly). Rob Pursey (also ex-Heavenly) and Ian Button (Wreckless Eric’s live collaborator) provide the noise. Swansea Sound are the funny, angry, gleeful and savage past, present and future of indie. The band has played just one gig in real life – but there will be more in 2022.
Catherine Britt is excited to announce a brand new signing to her boutique independent label, Beverley Hillbilly Records – welcoming Suz Dorahy to the roster. “Not in my wildest dreams did I think at this point in my life would I be standing here with Catherine Britt being signed to her brand new record label. I’m so very excited for you to hear this new music”, says Suz Dorahy.
The first of an incredible batch of new songs is being unveiled today in the form Suz’s brand new single, “Tell You”. Produced by Catherine Britt, “Tell You”, is a story of betrayal that is laid out simply and strong while revealing much vulnerability. At its core is a sentiment that is instantly relatable and full of stone cold truth.
“It took a mighty blow to crack me to the core”, says Dorahy. “It's that moment of realisation where it turns out some folk are not who you thought they were”. Suz Dorahy is the real deal. An authentic and nuanced singer and songwriter that you need to hear. But that realness didn’t come easily. It had to be earnt, nourished and developed. There were roadblocks all along the highway that needed to be overcome.
Life so often takes a dark turn and nine years ago Dorahy was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and then depression and chronic fatigue. It was a debilitating time and the songwriter locked herself away and used music as a form of escape. “I spent seven years being a recluse and just tapping into my music because it took me to another place away from the darkness of depression and PTSD,” Dorahy explains. “Music was my saviour.”
Then Dorahy bumped into an old friend, Natalie Henry, who offered her the chance to travel to Tamworth and play with her group The Wayward Henrys. The opportunity was inspiration enough to bring Dorahy back into the light. “I honestly will be forever grateful to Nat, she brought me out of depression, made me believe in myself and changed my life,” Dorahy says.
Enter Catherine Britt who fell in love with Dorahy’s new songs and signed her to the new her boutique independent label, Beverley Hillbilly Records. Suz Dorahy has emerged as a singer and songwriter of remarkable strength and presence. In her music you’ll hear the influences of those artists and styles that have inspired her. Think Sheryl Crow, Lucinda Williams, Lori McKenna, Allison Krauss, Joni Mitchell, Fleetwood Mac, old school country and western, Loretta Lynn, Jimmy Rogers, Hank Williams, Bill Monroe.
Maya Isacowitz releasing her heart-felt and powerful Electro-Pop infused single „Nature is my Hood“ (Helicon) on November 26th, 2021 coming with a beautiful video.
“This song is a love song for nature, it came out of wanting to be ok with being on my own. Finding the wholeness in myself and not depending on someone else to fill a void. It was recorded partly in my home studio (surrounded by nature), and produced together with my music partner Omry Amado. As a part of conveying a sense of freedom and innocence I recorded my nieces and nephews singing the line: "Nature is my hood, I'm alone but I'm good", and it became the main sample of the chorus.” - Maya Isacowitz
Maya Isacowitz is a singer songwriter, originally from Kibbutz Maayan Baruch, Israel, with South African roots. She initially made a name for herself performing with her guitar, capturing the ears of many, with her unique voice and vulnerable presence.
Maya grew up in a home filled with music, and a father who builds musical instruments. Her music combines a wide range of styles and influences- from acoustic folk and African groove, to edgy rock and electronic pop, all wrapped in her tender voice and poignant lyrics.
Background from the band: We are Speak Easy Circus, an indie/funk band from Glasgow. We have been loving getting back out and playing gigs after so long and we wanted to end the year with a bang, so we have decided to release our latest single, ‘Sewn Up’ on the 26th of November.
The story of the song is really the story of my favourite pair of jeans, that ripped and left me heartbroken, until I watched a YouTube video to teach myself how to sew. From then on, instead of throwing clothes away I started to clumsily stitch them up.
It made me think of all the previous clothes I had thrown out. Why didn’t we fix more things? Why weren’t we taught to sew at school? Why was sewing seen as feminine? It seemed to me there were no downsides. So, we decided to write a song in honour of my favourite pair of jeans - heavy on the horns and heavy on the funk.
The rural Norwegian countryside might not be where you’d expect to discover your new favourite neo-soul collective, but that is where 7-piece band Fieh originated from. Founded by front-woman Sofie Tollefsbøl, Fieh stormed into prominence through the release of their debut single ‘Glu’ back in 2017, earning the band early support from the likes of The Fader, DIY, Clash, The Line Of Best Fit and eventually a spot on the Fifa 20 soundtrack. In 2019 they released their debut album Cold Water Burning Skin, on which the group established their unique blend of jazz, R&B and soul. Now, they are ready to unleash new LP In The Sun In The Rain, which is slated for release on March 4th, 2022 via Jansen Records.
In the Sun in the Rain was recorded with famed Norwegian musician and producer Lars Horntveth (Jaga Jazzist, Susanne Sundfør, The Staves, Kimbra) and mixed by the legendary “Analog Ninja” Russell Elevado (D’Angelo, Angélique Kidjo, The Roots). Centered around groove, Fieh’s new album integrates the funk bangers that initially introduced the band with more experimental and orchestral songs. Citing inspirations as diverse as D’Angelo’s The Vanguard, The Roots, Joni Mitchell, Erykah Badu, The Beatles and Solange, Fieh’s new album is brimming with creativity. Much like their debut album, the song remains at In The Sun In The Rain’s core, with lyrics that revolve around everyday life, people and love – real stories from real life.
Standout single ‘Telephone Girl’ is a minimalistic soul banger dedicated to the very modern phenomenon of telephobia. “I’m not a telephone girl, that’s why I never reply when you call me” sings Tollefsbøl. “This song is a public apology to everyone who’s ever tried to call me. It’s not you, it’s me” she jokes. "I came up with the bass line in the shower back in 2019 and had a clear vision of a minimalistic soul banger. We’ve played several versions of this one live but went for a minimalistic approach in the studio," she continues.
Ben Crum doesn’t need to contend for anything; the leader of the long-running Great Lakes proved himself two decades ago on his very first outing. Contenders, the band’s seventh album, finds Crum basking in a keen sense of roots-y psychedelic Americana that recalls the fertile grounds of Upstate New York. Yet the music itself is a warm, sunny soundtrack that brings to mind road trips across the dusty Midwest and miles and miles of nothing in between. Fans of Built To Spill, My Morning Jacket, Luna, and Deserters Songs-era Mercury Rev will find much to love in Contender’s grooves.
But don’t think that because the music ambles along dirt roads that the music isn’t cerebral; Contenders’ subject matter includes philosophical wonderings on love, sex, the temporal nature of man, the frustrations of creative partnerships, and the heady, hopeful times of your late teens and early twenties, where the world seems full of endless possibilities. Contenders offers up some of the finest songs you’ll hear that take inspiration in things such as The Band, the free youth of South Africa, and “The Gambler.”
“it’s easy when you know how,” Crum sings, and it’s no boast; Great Lakes make it look and seem so easy, so seamless. In other words, they’re just being themselves.
For Contenders, Ben Crum is joined by longtime collaborators Kevin Shea on drums and Suzanne Nienaber on vocals, with contributions from The Essex Green’s Chris Ziter (vocals) , Louis Schefano (drums), Petter Folkedal (piano), Ray Rizzo (vocals) and Dave Gould (synths). The album was produced by Ben Crum, mixed by Luis Leal, and mastered by Jen Munson.
Mixing elements of bedroom pop and indie rock, Lilith Ai’s sound combines authentic lo-fi soundscapes and introspective lyrics. The artist is back with a stunning new offering ‘IRL’. Opening with a gentle guitar line and wistful vocals, the track eventually builds to an emotive climax with candid lyrics and vigorous chords. ‘IRL’ is a soft indie gem that hits you with feelings of nostalgia and melancholia.
“If you hold up a mirror to your life and realize how fucked things are, how you/me/we did this shit but at the same time we are products of this environment doing and trying our best. So in all the guilt we need empathy. this is it, we can’t restart the game, or reboot cos it's IRL. This is it.” Lilith Ai shares.
‘IRL’ follows on from two singles Lilith Ai released this year, ‘Black Cherry’ and ‘Bloodlines’ have gained huge support from acclaimed music publications such as Wonderland Magazine and Link Up TV.
Lilith Ai is a guitarist and singer-songwriter, who writes and performs poignant tales of modern life. Hailing from nowhere special, Lilith began releasing lo-fi bedroom recordings in 2016. Her first EP ‘Riot’ is full of underground anthems popular with Riot grrrls worldwide. Having honed her craft over the years, Lilith Ai has proved she is an artist only going from strength to strength.
Country and soul singer-songwriter Cameron DuBois’ unique artistry is solidified on a new single project called “The Light,” which the Alabamian songstress composed in two separate arrangements. On Friday, November 26 she’ll release the original up-tempo guitar version of the song across all digital platforms (linktr.ee/CameronDuBois), and teasing today with a new lyric video released on her YouTube. The new song came from some recording sessions DuBois had with hit-making producer Bill McDermott (Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley, George Strait) at OmniSound Studios in Nashville.
The ambitious song project also demonstrates Cameron’s ability to reimagine her music in varying styles. On Friday, December 8 she’ll release a more orchestrally inspired arrangement of “The Light,” along with a beautiful video filmed at the historic Montgomery Performing Arts Center, in the singer-songwriter’s hometown. Cameron and her piano are eventually joined by a two piece string section of Cello and Violin, for an equally uplifting orchestral presentation of the song, and highlights Cameron’s proven ability to pull her audience in with her dynamic vocals.
“I wrote this song with Rick Hansen and Bill Hinds, and I think it has a very powerful message for anyone who is in the process of losing, or who has ever lost someone close to them,” said DuBois. “We tried to capture this emotion musically, in multiple versions, to show different types of emotions we experience when losing someone close to us.”
Fronted by powerhouse vocalist/songwriter/guitarist Lily Vakili, Vakili Band has unveiled the video for their newest single, “Dreamy Dreamer.” The video comes with the announcement of their sophomore album, Walking Sideways, scheduled for release on February 25, 2022.
Born in Honduras before living in the US, Bangkok, and Puerto Rico, Vakili worked in theatre and went on to carve out a successful career as a biotech lawyer while continuing to nurture all manner of dreams, including making music. Influenced by artists such as Patti Smith, Prince, Iggy Pop, and Rage Against the Machine, Vakili Band is unafraid to explore the sonic possibilities of Peace, Love, and Justice, as evidenced on the song of the same name on the band’s first album, Oh Alright.
“Dreamy Dreamer” was originally written in response to powerful social justice issues such as the Dreamers, #MeToo, and Black Lives Matter. However, it evolved as Vakili watched her mother struggle with, and eventually pass away from, Alzheimer’s Disease. The new song, recorded and produced by David Amlen at Sound on Sound Studios in Montclair, NJ, and mastered by Grammy-award winning sound engineer Greg Calbi of Sterling Sound, is both a battle cry and a hymn for every individual who dreams of a better world.
Enjoy the kaleidoscope of magical beauty of the landscape of art created by Steven Cerio and move like a porpoise down at the local bog with Petunia and friends at a curious party that is sure to dazzle and delight.
A notable artist, filmmaker, and author, Steven Cerio created his own loving and sarcastic expressions of joy for over three decades. His unique style helped set the stage for the neo-psychedelic revival in New York City. Started in 80's zines and soon after called upon by galleries and diverse clients including Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, Warner Brothers, Fantagraphics books, Entertainment Weekly and Penguin books. He created art for music acts The Residents, Monster Magnet, Les Claypool, Renaldo and the Loaf, Moe, Widespread Panic, Negativland, and more.
Petunia-Liebling MacPumpkin is an escaped ghost from an old coloring book that was left out in the rain at some point in the 20th Century. Pinnipedia Pounce is the 13th video taken from her second album (I Left My Heart in Uncanny Valley). She also recently curated a remix album entitled All My Friends Live In Uncanny Valley, featuring the likes of Renaldo & The Loaf and Toxic Chicken gleefully rearranging her songs into strange new forms.
Visionary Filipino-Canadian singer-songwriter, Bex, has just released her brand new, debut, Indie-Pop/Rock album, “Startrails” on November 19 2021.
A powerful lyricist with impactful song writing skills and undeniable talent, Bex has earned herself a highly coveted placement on Sirius XM’s ‘The Verge’ as well as a top 10 finalist spot in the Toronto Deputy Mayors Online Talent Search. With a love for sharing her aural masterpieces with a live audience, Bex has already played numerous acoustic shows at popular venues across Toronto and was a featured performer at the 2021 virtual Canadian Music Week. Her empathetic lyrics leave listeners feeling like they have experienced the moments she discusses in her songs, and her uncanny ability to inspire relatability from her audience has drawn well-deserved comparisons between her and the female megastars of the early 2000’s pop-punk scene.
With her dedicated and passionate fanbase cheering her on from the sidelines, Bex pairs her relatable, melancholic, and hopeful lyrics with upbeat, danceable tracks in an explosive way, and uses the creative process of constructing her debut album as a form of therapy, for both herself and her listeners. By telling her vulnerable and relatable story of self-discovery, Bex encourages listeners to dig deeper within their own emotions and become more self-aware, hoping that her music will act as a piece of advice that her young listeners can always come back to when they need some words of encouragement.
“Startrails” is an authentic reflection of Bex’s creative and empathetic mind. Drawing influence from the early 2000’s era megastars Michelle Branch, Avril Lavigne, and Lights, Bex has created a perfect combination of Indie-Pop, Folk, Rock, Punk, with modern electronic production, alongside lyrics and storytelling that remind listeners of their own experiences. After performing some of her newly-written songs to a virtual audience earlier this year, Bex connected with local producer James McLeod to work together on crafting and producing the entirety of her debut album.
The Ghosts of Searchlight further innovate and evolve their signature heavy instrumental post-rock meets surf rock sound on new full-length album "Sprawl", out now. Somewhere between the roiling surf of the Pacific Ocean and the blinding lights of Las Vegas lies the expanse of the Mojave and the inspiration for the aggressive, surfy sounds of The Ghosts of Searchlight’s brand of instrumental post-rock. Guitarist Brian Horn hails from these places and the journeys in between.
The Ghosts of Searchlight were dead. A part of life that had to be discarded to make room for so many other things. But in the last year, as life ground to halt, there was time to decide what could stay, what could go and what needed to be reborn. Sprawl encompasses much of that sense of longing and taking inventory. It's what brought the Ghosts back to life.
The Ghosts of Searchlight sound is a fusion of aggressive surf melodies with modern post-rock counterpoints, which reflects the places that have shaped the band: the chaotic lights of Las Vegas, the serene beauty of the Mojave, and the siren's call to the shores of Southern California.
About "Sprawl": "Sprawl was a chance for us to take a step forward by stepping back. A chance to slow down, take our time with the music and allow moments to breathe."
"With Sprawl, we wanted to expand the Ghosts sound and branch into unexplored territory: a 4-track, some mandolin, strings, even a seven year-old beatboxing. We're usually a three-piece capturing live energy but this one was all about layering the sounds that either made up life around us at the time or haunted our dreams."
Eric Anders and Mark O'Bitz - Stuck Inside (Album).
Award-winning Singer Songwriter duo Eric Anders and Mark O'Bitz continue their expansive MTC (music in the time of coronavirus) collection with the atypically electric full-length album "Stuck Inside". "Stuck Inside" is the third installment in the MTC collection.
Northern Californian singer-songwriter, Eric Anders, and southern Californian guitarist-composer, Mark O’Bitz, will release their multiple-song collection “Music in the Time of Coronavirus” in four installments. Their single, “Careful Now My Son”--the only truly Americana song in the collection--was released in December 2020.
The 8-song album, Sirens Go By, was released in February 2021 and contains songs done in the singer-songwriter style typical of the Anders/O’Bitz duo. Their 11-song album, Stuck Inside, was recently released (11/9/21) and contains songs with a bit more edge--a more rockin’ style. The 10-song album, Variant Blues, will be released in December, 2021.
All of the songs for this collection were written and recorded during the pandemic, and all of the work so far has been done remotely. The same goes for almost all of the musicians who contributed. Eric, Mark, and Mike released a climate-change single, “Searise,” on March 5th, 2021. Soon after they released the “Searise” music video by Basque artist Joseba Elorza (Greenday). Eric and Mark wrote “Searise” with Eric’s daughter, Evelyn, when she was only eleven.
Eric and Mark released their twelve-song concept album, American Bardo, on July 31, 2020. American Bardo was recorded, produced, and mixed by Mike Butler of San Diego. All the songs were written by Eric and Mark and inspired by George Saunders’ Mann-Booker-Prize-winning novel, Lincoln in the Bardo. All the songs on American Bardo are what Eric calls “readings” related to one or more of the characters in the novel. Popmatters listed American Bardo among their top fifty Americana albums of 2020.
Eric and Mark took sixteen songs into the studio. The four songs on their forthcoming EP, This Mortal Farce, were not directly related to one of the characters in Saunders’ novel so they thought a separate EP would be a better way to release these four songs. This Mortal Farce will be Eric’s eleventh release (just counting EPs and LPs) and the duo’s fourth release.
Baltimore band Tomato Flower have introduced themselves with a new single and video off their forthcoming debut EP Gold Arc, out February 11th, 2022 on Ramp Local.
"Red Machine" is a utopian pop song that envisions global transformation. With lyrics spanning the city and country toward a vision of worldwide solidarity, the single takes the form of a compact pop single to imagine a joyous future. Fittingly, the video -- directed and edited by the band's Austyn Wohlers -- is a panoramic vision of industrial and rural landscapes, focusing on images of movement and transfer. Blending images of industrial modernity with pastoral life, the video reflects the song's imagined future of a transformed city and country.
About Gold Arc: How might a Utopia exist? If the goal is social harmony amidst free-thinking citizens, where do the moral sets and ideals come from? It might include existing peacefully and respectfully with the natural world—agriculture and industry on an equal playing field. Maybe, an earthly utopia might not be what we expect. It might not be constant, and it might only exist in minute moments. For the Baltimore quartet Tomato Flower, utopia exists in the compromise between escapism and intellectual inquiry, between conceptual philosophy and pop-rock bliss.
Their debut EP Gold Arc finds Tomato Flower at multiple crossroads. Their sonic curiosity plays with tension between sweetness and a destructive heaviness. Conceptually, Gold Arc hungers for an alternate reality. Sometimes that is a “sustainable paradise,” as drummer Mike Alfieri puts it. Or, on “Lovers Arc,” it’s a desire to be loved constantly. “It's not that all these songs are straightforwardly positive, though,” explains Austyn Wohlers. “I think all of the songs are about longing for a different world and a different future. But, they take various shapes,” she says. “The song ‘Truth Lounge,’ for example, has a lot of pain and longing for a different world. ‘World to Come,’ has maybe a cultish edge to it.”
Chrystabell shares “Midnight Star,” the enchanting title track off her new album, which releases January 21 via Love Conquered Records. Accompanied by a music video starring wayward alien lifeforms seeking redemption amongst the crystal planets, the album’s opening track marks the start of a wide-eyed odyssey into the great beyond. The video was written/directed by Polish filmmaker and longtime collaborator, Archon, and featured this week at FLOOD Magazine, who said “The single slowly progresses from a collage of spacey sounds, from ambient synths to an energized string section, before erupting into a pulsing, dance-friendly beat.”
"The lights go down, the curtains go up and the musical quest of the album Midnight Star begins with the song ‘Midnight Star,’ setting the tone of high drama, mania and ultimately transcendence,” says Chrystabell. “The trip from impending doom to cosmic dance party takes under 5 minutes, so you can do it over and over again, without a shred of space trash.”
She continues, “When I asked Archon to direct, I knew he could take it way out. I was not disappointed. He meticulously manufactured an alternate reality, literally sculpting worlds with his hands to bring the vision to life. This is one of four videos he made for the record, this grand and bizarre voyage is just getting started.”
A sci-fi fantasia assembled as a collection of episodes, Midnight Star tells the story of a beneficent being seeking to save humanity from life on a troubled Earth. Chrystabell fully transports listeners into a dimension of her own making with a collision of post-disco, synth-pop and space-age psychedelia. Her unearthly storytelling permeates with a worldly insight, offering up tender instruction for living more ecstatically. BlackBook recently praised the debut single “Breathe Into Euphoria,” declaring “the new track gleefully draws on the enduring tenets of ’80s synth-pop, landing ultimately somewhere between Kate Bush and Nina Hagen – yet also sounding somehow spot on for 2021.”
Toronto dream pop duo, Twin Rains, is about to release their sophomore album, Unreal City, but the mood is less than celebratory.
“This album almost didn’t get made,” says the band’s Jay Merrow of the new LP, the follow-up to 2016’s critically acclaimed Automatic Hand. Although the band’s first album established the duo as songwriters to watch —earning them a contract with Rough Trade Publishing and a song placement in a Seth Rogen film — the last couple years introduced physical and mental health struggles that almost unraveled the duo’s resolve to produce another work.
“It’s also been hard to find the energy to release it, to believe it even matters to put out music right now,” confesses singer Christine Stoesser. “I don’t want to add more confusion or pain to the world, but this is a ‘dark night of the soul’ kind of album. You could say I’ve been going through an existential crisis, something like that. And I don’t know if that’s relatable or just depressing and unessential.”
When vocalist and songwriter Julie Christensen first heard Nashville singer-songwriter Kevin Gordon perform, she instantly remembered the first time a song made her cry. Having built her career forging connections through song — including stints as Leonard Cohen’s backing vocalist — Christensen knows the value of a sticky melody and well-crafted lyrics. But Gordon’s artful music and cinematically sweeping, vividly drawn emotional and physical landscapes reached her on a deeper level; she recognized their terrain, because she’d traveled it, too.
Christensen and her band, Stone Cupid, recorded Gordon’s “Saint on a Chain” for their 2016 album, The Cardinal. But in 2020, she decided someone ought to record an entire collection of the Louisiana native’s songs. When she suggested it, she mentioned “someone more famous” should have the honors. “No,” he responded. “I’m glad it’s you.” The result, 11 From Kevin: Songs of Kevin Gordon, will be released on January 21, 2022 — Christensen’s birthday — on Wirebird Records.
Christensen fudged the numbers a little, turning “Heart’s Not in It” and “Down to the Well” into a mini medley. “I had 11 songs picked that I could hear myself doing,” she explains. “Then I realized I needed a song drawn from his Iowa experiences.” Iowa is one place where they literally did travel the same terrain: both attended the University of Iowa. A Hawkeye state native, Christensen majored in Asian studies there. Gordon earned a master’s degree in poetry at the prestigious Iowa Writer’s Workshop program.
“You can’t sing a poem, and you can’t read a song,” Christensen asserts. “But the way he elides his words and melodies together, they’re just really haunting to me.”
Still reeling from the gut-punch of the distortion filled lead single “Vale” released earlier this year, many of us wondered what a full-length LP by the Denver based artist would sound like. Using the dystopian fever-dream of the aforementioned Midwife collaboration as a noise floor, the 8 songs on Tender spiral upwards like worried smoke against a low cloud ceiling, reaching towards the light but always within sight of the loamy earth surface. Shepherding lush, heavy compositions by way of synths, keys, guitars and subtle percussion, Tender finds Allison Lorenzen at her most vulnerable. Nursing old wounds from the end of a relationship and her musical project School Dance, Tender is also filled a renewed sense of heartbreak-made-triumphant that comes after the wisdom of solitude, allowing oneself to be taken care of by family and friends and, finally, documenting the way through.
The way through figures heavily on Tender. Imagery of passages through liminal spaces are replete. “Vales” occur as emotional valleys as well as McCarthy-inspired end times, “Mirrors” are portals into deep self-reflection, “Tentacles” keep pulling us back into old patterns, old memories. Musically, this non-linear approach to healing is explored through songs that move from light to dark and back again, often within the same song, if not within the same phrase.
Lorenzen’s voice has an uncanny choral quality to it. Taking a phrase that would have sounded quite beautiful sung straight in her smoky, ephemeral delivery, Lorenzen frequently raises the stakes by taking a single word through several octave changes within the same breath. Treading similar musical paths to Beach House in her penchant for writing quiet, world-shifting crescendos, the nocturnal, Styx-guiding Dream Pop of Julee Cruise and the heavy, distortion filled guitars and world-weary vocals of Miserable and frequent Tender collaborator Midwife, Lorenzen’s work comes alive in its own cinematic universe.
New York City-based artist, Nisa, is now sharing "The Savior," the final advance single to be lifted from her new EP, Time To Plant Tears which is set for release on December 2, 2021. This new single follows recent tips from the likes of Consequence, Our Culture, Audiofemme and more with this body of work following on from her self-released debut EP, Guilt Trip which landed earlier this year.
Early in 2021, the 22-year-old – full name Nisa Lumaj – began work on a new collection of songs that would make up the forthcoming EP, Time To Plant Tears. The title takes its name from the final stanza of an Elizabeth Bishop poem called Sestina. Working together with collaborator and producer, Ronnie Di Simone, the songs were recorded between Brooklyn's Studio G and the Brick Box studio. The new EP demonstrates Nisa's penchant for intimate storytelling cast against the backdrop of glistening, cinematic soundscapes reminiscent of Angel Olsen, Indigo De Souza, Japanese Breakfast and Soccer Mommy. In describing the mood of the EP, Nisa has said that the songs are centered around “confrontation and focus; weathering internal and external changes; desire, and emotional rebirth.” Intersecting cinematic and poetic frames of reference, it lands between what is said and what is felt.
"The Savior," which once again finds Nisa pushing the boundaries of her own songwriting abilities finds the artist bringing in a woozy trumpet to flank her intimate guitar work and shimmering vocals. The song acts as an anthem of self-empowerment, calling for Nisa to put herself first in situtations. Speaking about the track, she says: “The Savior," is a trumpet call from within beckoning me to stop prioritizing others’ needs over my own, especially when it comes to making choices that affect me first. It's a reminder of the grounding nature of focus when the illusion of control starts to fade."
Mike Legere - Love Songs (In Fear Of Dying Penniless).
Mike Legere is a songwriter and producer based out of Toronto, Ontario, originally from Nova Scotia. After years of playing with bands Century Thief and Places Erupt he released his first solo record Ourselves in Public on June 8th 2018. He plays lyrically driven indie-rock music.
Playing with bands Places Erupt and Century Thief, Mike released multiple albums and EPs between 2012-2018. Through this process he developed an interest in production, witnessing the creative possibilities that open up in the recording and mixing process. After graduating from Recording Arts Canada, Mike began to work as an engineer at The Root Down Studio, where he’d later become lead engineer.
In May of 2018 he embarked on his first solo tour with Dante Matas, to support the release of his debut solo album Ourselves in Public, which was premiered by Aesthetic Magazine. The first single, “Yourself,” was premiered by Folk Radio UK.
To support the record, Mike booked a solo tour with Dante Matas and his band, who share members with Century Thief. Omar and Colin McNally joined him for a few songs throughout the tour, and later joined the project along with Greg O’Toole (Places Erupt). After the tour Mike decided to record two new songs live off the floor to capture the energy the band had developed. This became the single “Love Songs (In Fear Of Dying Penniless),” as well as its counterpart “Billboard.” He produced a video with Greg Francis (Century Thief) for “Love Songs.”
Shortly afterwards Mike began work on his upcoming record Memory Forming Clouds (2022).
Los Angeles artist, zzzahara, has officially announced their signing with Lex Records and today they are sharing their label debut, “they don’t know.” Watch the music video directed by Ross Harris here. Atwood Magazine described the single as “A feverish indie rock song drowning in intimate emotion and frenetic energy … an evocative and memorable moment of truth for a solo artist quickly coming into their own.” Read the full interview & premiere here.
Plenty of people come to Los Angeles looking to make their California dreams a reality. But zzzahara has always been here, turning reality into a dream. Born and raised in Highland Park, where they still reside, zzzahara (the solo moniker of Eyedress/Simps guitarist Zahara Jaime) has witnessed both gang-blighted and gentrified L.A. along the same geographical blocks. Like the transforming city itself, zzzahara has undergone massive personal changes, their characteristic stoicism giving way to a newfound sense of purpose. “they don’t know,” is their debut single on Lex Records and explores a life hanging in the balance between memory and possibility over frenetic Johnny Marr-esque guitar jangle.
Music has always been and escape for zzzahara, who struggled to feel seen as the sibling of a terminally ill brother. Z found solace in bands like My Chemical Romance, the Cure, the Ramones, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and in recording “corny acoustic parodies” about girls they had crushes on in middle school. That same absurdist humor followed them into early projects like bombastic hip-hop persona Lil Boba and post-punk quartet Zahara & the Herd, though as a queer person of color, zzzahara still felt out of place in SoCal’s bro-ish garage rock scene.
Red Leaf Hill releases her new single ‘Snow’. ‘Snow’ is her fourth single of the upcoming EP which is planned to release February 2022. Carmijn, the mastermind behind Red Leaf Hill, is building towards this release as she emigrates to Norway. Much of her music is inspired by this country, which is reflected in her homemade videos.
About what the single means to her, Carmijn says: You can lose someone, or miss someone terribly, but in your thoughts and in your dreams you can be together forever, that's what I love about this song.
Under the name Red Leaf Hill, singer-songwriter Carmijn Bakker shares the beauty of nature with the whole world. Her cozy pop songs immediately take you to majestic and breathtaking landscapes, the places that inspire Red Leaf Hill to translate her deepest emotions into music.
Red leaf Hill gets her inspiration from nature. From the simple afternoon walks in her backyard, somewhere in a rural area on the border of Germany. To shooting beautiful images with her drone in the fjords of Norway; nature is a majestic place Red Leaf Hill gladly wants to share with you. In this song, 'Snow', Carmijn is also inspired by the landscape around her. The beautiful melody in combination with her eloquent lyrics ensures that you are taken into the image that Carmijn describes.
Melbourne synth-pop band FERLA release their self-described “menacing but meditative” new single Nothing Else Matters, the third track to be taken from their new album Personal Hotspot which follows 2022.
FERLA’s unique brand of after-dark confessional pop turns the personal experience into communal release with disarming wit and pathos, with front man Giuliano’s describing forthcoming new album Personal Hotspot as “A love letter to the world…made up of the things I hate about it.” Its honest self-assessment laid bare via acerbic and often brutally unfiltered lyrics which traverse discomfiture to levity, hot damnation to cold redemption. It’s both a confronting and wholly relatable mix of the conflicted, deflated and infatuated. It’s spicy. It’s juicy.
FERLA’s new single Nothing Else Matters is an oozy croon with an earworm chorus, sound-tracked with ghostly synths and lonely whistles that lay the bed for Giuliano’s mystery-man baritone. “This song’s a bump in the night,” he says of it. “It’s like one of those dreams you have where you’re trying to run as fast as you can, but the air is thick as sludge and it’s taking all of your energy just to put one foot in front of the other. That’s this song.” The song is accompanied by a visual directed by Dan Cahill which sees Giuliano rollerblading his loneliness away.
FERLA has previously released a debut album Its Personal which was nominated for an Australian Music Prize, they have performed live on Triple J and PBS, and sold-out shows across Australia’s key cities as well as performing at various festivals including Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Cash Savage And The Last Drinks and Quivers. They have previously released two singles from forthcoming new album Personal Hotspot, the sly love song ‘Rita’ and the KCRW ‘Top Track’ ‘I See You.’
Annie Booth is an Edinburgh-based artist with a gift for mood-painting and storytelling. A seasoned singer, performer and songwriter - with a flair for the nostalgic and the melancholy - she wields a unique voice in Scotland, bridging genre and influence with ease. Her restless live performance and songs never cease to capture the listener with their haunting melodies and infectious arrangements. Recorded over several months at Chem19 Studios and Green Door, Booth’s sophomore album 'Lazybody' will be released on 19th November 2021 on limited edition vinyl, CD and download.
The debut single 'Cocoon' from the album has already received support from the likes of The Roddy Hart Show, Vic Galloway & Rapal on BBC Radio Scotland, Postcards From The Underground, Shereen & Phoebe on BBC Music Introducing, Fresh On The Net and Amazing Afternoons on Amazing Radio.
The singer-songwriter is also known for her enthusiasm for collaboration. From 2015 to 2020 she performed backing vocals and guitar with prolific dark-folk collective Mt. Doubt, touring across Scotland, England and Wales and recording on numerous records. 2020 saw the release of 'Clean Living' (Last Night From Glasgow) under the moniker Slow Weather: a vintage-infused EP of alt-rock co-written with producer extraordinaire Chris McCrory. The release garnered praise and spins from Steve Lamacq (BBC Radio 6), BBC Radio Scotland and Amazing Radio as well as features and airplay in the US. Over the years Booth has also collaborated on tracks with artists such indietronica outfit Out of the Swim and indie pop quintet Wojtek the Bear.
Rock band Mrs. Henry returns to the San Diego stage on November 28th to perform The Last Waltz at the Belly Up in Solano Beach. The Last Waltz was originally a farewell concert from The Band at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco on Thanksgiving of 1976. This performance will be Mrs. Henry’s second rendition of the show after their first recreation in 2017.
Mrs. Henry turned their last show for The Last Waltz into a full-blown celebration. Honing up to that celebration, this year's show will feature some of San Diego’s most notable musicians such as Jack Tempchin, Marc Ford, Isiah Mitchell, The Deca Dames, Mike Stax, Bryan Barbarin, Shane Hall, Jason Meyers, Clinton Davis, Murf McRee, Leonard Patton, Mike Pope, Anna Zinova, David Tcheng, and the Fresh Veggies Micro Brass Horn Ensemble.
This accomplished lineup will make for an unforgettable night. In 2019, a documentary of their 2017 performance premiered at the Oceanside International Film Festival and has since been played at festivals around the world like Belgium, Australia, Wales, and Canada. In addition to their documentary, in 2019, Mrs. Henry released a cover album dedicated to their performance of The Last Waltz, which is available on streaming platforms.
Big Little Lions continue their monthly releases with 'Extraordinary' which is out Thursday, November 18th.
Extraordinary is an upbeat, uplifting tune about becoming who you were always meant to be. It's about breaking free from self imposed obstacles, to become extraordinary.
Big Little Lions is the fabulous songwriting duo of Helen Austin and Paul Otten.
Danish indie-rock four piece Kindsight has shared new single ‘Don’t You Grow Up’. Kindsight’s music draws from 80’s and 90’s alternative rock and combines it with the shimmering Scandinavian pop that the region has become so renowned for, resulting in a sound that is both fuzzy and melodic in equal measure.
Kindsight formed when front-woman Nina Hyldgaard Rasmussen and guitarist Søren Svensson bonded over a shared love of The Sugarcubes. They went on to recruit bass player Anders Prip and drummer Johannes Jacobsen and over the past few years have earned a reputation within Copenhagen’s thriving indie scene for their exciting live shows.
New single ‘Don’t You Grow Up’, a coming-of-age indie gem, was the first song the band ever wrote together. Written in “a time when we thought to be a sunny teenage rock band, you had to write songs about teenagers in the sun,” they say. Atop jangling guitars, Rasmussen’s distinctive voice dances somewhere between that of Mazzy Star’s Hope Sandoval and Alvvays’ Molly Rankin, leaving the listener drenched in the nostalgic optimism of summers gone by.
Such sparkling talent is impossible to ignore and Kindsight is showing no signs of slowing down. Their new single comes alongside news that their highly anticipated debut album will be released on esteemed Swedish indie label Rama Lama Records in early 2022. ‘Don’t You Grow Up’ is available to stream and download now.
Prima Queen release their new single Chew My Cheeks - the song, produced by The Big Moon, is Prima Queen's first release on Nice Swan Recordings. After 18 months away from the stage, Prima Queen made a triumphant live return at this summer’s Green Man Festival, boasting a new collection of songs and an expanded 7-piece band. With Chew My Cheeks, Prima Queen once again display the subtle touches and lyrical flourishes that marked them out as pre-pandemic press favourites.
On the new single Prima Queen offer the following: "Chew My Cheeks is a song that centres on an unhealthy obsession with someone who is slightly out of reach. We wrote it in lockdown last year when we were remembering what it was like to idealise people you don’t know and to use them as a form of escapism. We ended up watching The Matrix in isolation together around the same time and were really inspired by the world in which the movie creates"
Prima Queen are an all-female indie/alternative rock band fronted by songwriting duo and best friends Louise Macphail (Bristol, UK) and Kristin McFadden (Chicago, USA). Combining vulnerable and nostalgic story telling with light-hearted lyrical imagery, their ethereal yet gritty style draws influences from artists such as Julia Jacklin, Nilüfer Yanya and Lucy Dacus.
Not to be fooled by the name, Misery is a strand of futuristic swing-pop wizardry with a cosmic piano melody and stabs of deep guitar. Described by T-Mr.9, who leads on vocals (with the Supremes-inspired harmonies courtesy of SuepLord), as “A love song disguised as a song about loss. It's about cherishing the things that matter but it's also about having the courage to say goodbye. I wanted every line to tell its own small story with different characters. They're all a bit lost but I feel like they work out what to do in the end.”
Misery’s joyful, surrealist and psychedelic accompanying video is the work of visual artist Rebecca Molloy, who says of the video “I wanted Misery to be a cross between a kids TV program and a cabaret show. So, a pink and green dog was born and thrown into a psychedelic world with a not quite right band!” With an abundance of SUEP’s playfulness, the video explores the same themes of love, closeness, and despair that the song grapples with.
SUEP are a band who dance to their own beat, creating oddball music with a taste for the theatrical storytelling. Led by SuepLord (Porridge Radio, Garden Centre, The GN Band) and Brain Wastefield (UK top model) and borne out of a near-decade of wearing silly clothes and deconstructing pop together. After relocating from Brighton to London, GN (The GN Band, Joanna Gruesome, The Tubs), Freakin' Deacon (PC World, Garden Centre), and T-Mr.9 (Head of Pastoral Care) were added to the line-up. They take turns writing songs and taking lead vocal, so each new song feels like its own unique entity, but all hailing from the playful, eccentric planet SUEP.
