SUSTO - Burning Jacobs Ladder - Melody Moko - Lawn Chair - Holly Henderson
SUSTO will return with My Entire Life July 28 via New West Records. The 12-song set was produced by Wolfgang Zimmerman (Band of Horses) and SUSTO’s Justin Osborne and Johnny Delaware. My Entire Life follows their critically acclaimed 2021 album Time in the Sun which Holler said “provides proof that Osborne and his bandmates are an important voice in today’s conflicted world,” while No Depression called it a “fluid and engaging listen.” Ink 19 said “It’s a great example of SUSTO’s ability to create true lyrical and musical masterpieces so fresh you simply cannot turn it off” while the Bitter Southerner named it one of “The Best Southern Albums of 2021.”
A season of drastic change is what brought SUSTO frontman Justin Osborne to the band’s new album. There was a divorce, difficulties re-building his band after the pandemic, and the pain and helplessness of witnessing family members struggle with addiction and mental illness. Despite these challenges, Justin ultimately found himself in a new landscape, with new love and a deeper perspective, all of which is masterfully projected into My Entire Life. As a whole, the album documents Justin’s personal journey through highs and lows in his life, with many of the details on full display. He narrates the demise and aftermath of an almost decade long relationship, while celebrating the joy of falling in love, and the hopefulness of starting over.
The video for the album’s title track and lead single, “My Entire Life,” is a song with an urgency “to keep living.” Director Luke Pilgrim says, “We at Sozo Bear Films ventured into the relatively unknown world of AI art. We took inspiration from the lyrics, SUSTO’s entire catalog, as well as Justin’s previous musical endeavors to create visuals that represent themes from his entire life. We used stable diffusion to create a mind-bending psychedelic experience. Stable Diffusion is a type of deep learning generative neural network with the ability to prompt, render and process AI imagery.”
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Following the release of his debut EP EP/1 in 2021, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Jake T Johnson’s project Burning Jacobs Ladder has just released the long-anticipated single ‘Fickle Bones.’ Hailing from the Gold Coast, swinging dark Spaghetti Western melodies infused with hauntingly passionate vocals of Jake, ‘Fickle Bones’ is an eerily familiar track. The unwavering rumble of drums, soaring guitar licks and a looming chorus of vocals hang in the air.
Stripped to raw reality and bare bones, Jake’s authentically emotional storytelling surpasses his lyricism as ‘Fickle Bones’ sounds unearthly. Winding through the single, each component brews, creating an all-encompassing tale between a young man and child.
Throughout his catalogue, Burning Jacobs Ladder delves into very personal discussions about mental health, escapism, and anxiety and 'Fickle Bones' is no exception. Regarding the single, Jake states: “It’s the emotional burden people carry on their shoulders from past experiences. It’s becoming numb to extremes, emotional detachment and living a life for someone else when they can’t.”
Widely received by the likes of The Music, Scenestr, AAA Backstage and The Live Wire to name a few, the experimental powerhouse has put in the work. Written, performed, mixed, and mastered entirely by himself, Jake’s project Burning Jacobs Ladder shows his immense talent and wide skillset as a recording engineer and singer-songwriter.
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“Ain’t What You Used to Be” sees Melody reacquaint herself with her inner rock attitude and channel it into a biting, Americana anthem. “First of all - the guitars on this track slay! They are probably the best guitar parts on any Melody Moko song ever”,says Melody. “I’d been listening to an intense amount of Sheryl Crow here, you can hear it”.
Recorded in Nashville and completed in Brisbane, “Ain’t What You Used to Be”, features the incomparable Jen Mize on the sweetest harmony vocal which not only turns the song on its head but blends oh so beautifully with those Sheryl-esque guitars.
In the song, Melody calls out a woman who disregards the feelings and concerns of others in order to get what she wants. And the big question – is it about anyone in particular? “It’s not! It’s actually about a fictionalised version of a future self who lets ego get the best of her”, says Melody.
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German-American art punk band Lawn Chair have released their new EP, Eat The Beans and Wear The Jeans. To celebrate the release, they have also shared a brand new music video for EP focus track 'I Can Change'.
Ever since their stage debut in late 2021, Lawn Chair have relentlessly rehearsed, recorded and played shows, including appearances at showcase festivals such as Reeperbahn and Waves Vienna. The band, fronted by Seattle-born Claudia Schlutius, has quickly gained recognition in the German indie scene with a guitar-driven energetic sound, Schlutius’ powerful stage presence and meticulous songwriting. A string of punchy singles have so far garnered the group early support from the likes of BBC Radio 6 Music and DIY as well as comparisons to bands like Gustaf & Bodega.
After releasing a self-produced debut EP in the spring of 2022, Lawn Chair returned to the studio in the autumn to record their follow-up. Eat The Beans And Wear The Jeans! was recorded with the help of esteemed producer Olaf Opal (The Notwist) and L.A.-based mixer Chris Coady (Beach House, Future Islands, TV On The Radio), who helped take the songs to the next level. The new songs present a new and interesting twist to timeless topics like unrequited love, the despondent boredom growing up in the countryside and the hardships of show business. With this new EP Lawn Chair are underscoring their rightful ambitions to a much larger audience.
Atmospheric ballad and new single ‘I Can Change’ offers a tempo switch from the bands previous offerings. Drenched in gorgeous reverb, words of self-doubt echo through a monotonous beat interwoven with tasteful melodies only to later culminate in an otherworldly epic Radiohead meets Sonic Youth guitar drop.
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London based Holly Henderson returns again with the fourth single from her critically acclaimed sophomore album “The Walls”. “Headfull Of Soil” is an infectious vintage sounding gem that wraps the listener in a hazy dream. With quirky harpsichord break downs and soaring harmonies, the track blends ethereal folk with psychedelic explorations to great effect. It’s a breezy ear-tingling affair that will make you want to return straight away for more.
“I wrote Head Full Of Soil about the way we convince ourselves that everything is fine, when it is in fact, fantasy”, says Henderson. “The more we pack in the soil, the deeper we bury the delusions. As the song progresses a flower never blooms - but it may, at the right time.” she explains.
The song is reminiscent of a wild garden, layers of vocals, harpsichord, guitars, bass, percussion - tamed only by the way they weave tightly together, in a vibrant burst of whimsical Sunshine Pop sensibilities. Synths wash over as the rain comes, and the song reveals paths we couldn’t have predicted as it descends into a river of colour.
While her debut album, “Monday Green” featured Henderson’s impressive rock guitar work and alternative pop anthem prowess, “The Walls” shows a more introspective, and slightly more delicate side to her songcraft. Recorded in a farmhouse in the English countryside, Henderson’s new album brings her full circle from her previous Los Angeles recorded album. Finely crafted arrangements, sonic musings, and playful themes take us on a journey with Henderson as she deconstructs her Brit Pop and classic influences and reassembles them into progressive-folk wonderment.
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