Officer have a new video for 'Heavening (Watch Out Bottles)' recorded as a live session in London. Taken from their forthcoming 'Night Tennis' album this is a fabulous taster from a very talented band. === Todd Warner Moore has just released his new album 'Path Overgrown' which is a gorgeous collection of modern folk songs with some refined musical arrangements throughout. Joseph Martone releases the initial single 'The Deal' ahead of his first solo album due in March, his distinct vocals are notable on this moody & atmospheric song.
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Officer - Heavening (Watch Out Bottles).
Irish London-based, dark indie soundscape group, OFFICER, announce the live London session of their new heartbreaker single, “Heavening (Watch Out Bottles)” from their forthcoming album NIGHT TENNIS, due out February 28, 2020. The album and its singles explore deeply personal experiences from the life of central songwriter and figure, DC Logan. It is awake with emotional intelligence and spans Irish folk, singer-songwriter, alt-country, soundscape, and electro influences to create a signature indie sound. This song is a marker of an album where Logan has managed to create something very unique that can actually be called his own sound, which is a rare enough experience these days that it’s a little shocking to come across.
This is a truly unique and enchanting love song overflowing with the guts and glory of real experiences of deepest commitment that carries you on a stunning journey of hurt, loss, redemption and hope: What happens after first love, when life throws everything including the kitchen sink at you and you have to come of age, grow up, get your hands dirty, commit yourself to the triumph and turmoil of a relationship? What happens when love demonstrates to you that you need to examine your heart and head and take on the war of changing from the inside out? There’s a real struggle with your own self and demons in this gorgeously melodic, organic vs mechanic, soundscape song, that features mobile phone recordings of waterfalls, London Underground tube trains, distant conversations, automated tannoy announcements, studio fumbles, night shelter cooking noises and door bells, and city snow blizzard winds.
Logan explains the new single’s inspiration: “It's a song about having been brought to a place of being very lost from both yourself and the one you love, where you feel you're totally on your knees. Where you feel the one you love is on their knees. Where you feel your relationship is on its knees. Where you’ve taken a lot of knocks and you’re wondering ‘Can I, can we, get back up again this time?’. It’s a song about being forgiven and forgiving… about hitting stop on the overwhelming mania of overworked city life, retreating to a peaceful place together, and choosing to work on things.”
Hong Kong based acoustic folk singer songwriter and modern poet Todd Warner Moore infuses more zen wisdom, mindfulness-in-action, lyrical wit and rhythmic play into his profound new full-length collection Path Overgrown.
This release is equally recommended for fans of Alan Watts and Eckhart Tolle as well as songwriting icons Sufjan Stevens & Simon & Garfunkel.
Undoubtedly prolific and constantly inspired, Path Overgrown is the fifth album Todd Warner Moore has written and recorded in just eighteen months (the first was Birdsong in June 2018). And the songs keep coming. Todd is currently working on several new releases, ever expanding into new musical and experimental territory.
"The Deal" is the first single taken from "Honeybirds", the first solo album for the Italian/American songwriter Joseph Martone, already known for a bunch of full-length released in the past decade as Joseph Martone and the Travelling Souls.
The desertic on-the-road setting of the video are a perfect introduction for Joseph's nomadic spirit, and well reflect his love for Ennio Morricone's "spaghetti western" soundtracks. “The Deal” video was directed by filmaker and visual designer Salvo Delle Femmine. Special guests are Ilaria Graziano (Yoko Kanno, Francesco Forni) at vocals, Taylor Kirk at electric guitar, Ned Crowther at bass, Pietro Amato at keyboards / french horns and Jonathan Maurano (Epo) at drums.
The album "Honeybirds" will be released worldwide March 20th, 2020, and it's been produced by Taylor Kirk from Timber Timbre.
Joseph Martone is an Italian-American songwriter who draws on the sounds and rhythms of these two environments and cultures to create his own unique style of music. His songs are honest, often painful explorations of his childhood and adolescence spent between Italy and the USA, painting pictures of his extraordinary life and featuring a colorful cast of characters who have contributed to his story. These are songs of love, pain, family, friendship, betrayal, time and memory.
For Honeybirds, Martone has enlisted Canadian musician Taylor Kirk (Timber Timbre) to produce, and used the help of long-time collaborator and co-writer Ned Crowther (The Fernweh, Smokey Angle Shades).
Honeybirds was recorded between Napoli (Trail Music Lab Studio) and Montréal (at Sky Barn Studios owned by Richard Reed Parry from Arcade Fire). It was mastered by Harris Newman (Wolf Parade, Frog Eyes, A Silver Mt. Zion, Vic Chesnutt, Astral Swans, Carla Bozulich). The themes and sounds of the record have taken a darker, more reflective direction, with Kirk bringing a majestic, wide screened scale to Martone’s work, delivering a true emotional weightiness to the performance of the songs.
Francesca Brown has just released 'Hashslingin' Blues' a gorgeous and classic sounding country song, with a fresh modern production and beyond the refined vocals, a splash of pedal steel guitar seals the deal. === We have the Radio edit for Torgeir Waldemar latest song entitled 'Heart and Gold', it's been a while since we last featured him, that said his brand of rock remains bright and pleasing. === The Rebels Of Tijuana do Garage Rock French style on the new E.P. 'La Dominicaine' and they do it very, very well with plenty of swagger and a whole load of hooks.
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Francesca Brown - Hashslingin' Blues.
Singer-songwriter Francesca Brown is a California girl, steeped in the sound and visual traditions of the Southwest. Her love for old timey country and folk is offset by an inherent Laurel Canyon hippie vibe and a deep appreciation for the Blues stemming from her shared midwestern roots. All of these influences coexist in her evocative soundscapes, which fall somewhere between Joni Mitchell and Loretta Lynn.
Brown’s early life wasn’t always easy being raised in an unstable environment moving between California and Illinois. Home life was a serious challenge and in many ways Francesca raised herself, waitressing as a teen. “Waitressing was my financial stability, but I also had my dreams,” she reflects. “I never expected to be working in restaurants this long.” Around 2012, Brown’s sister passed unexpectedly, and soon after her mother fell ill with cancer. She became her mother’s primary caregiver while simultaneously raising her infant son. It was a trying period for Brown whose priority was to maintain stability for her son, even though at times she felt overwhelmed with anger and sadness.
Music became her lifeline, and after she weathered the storm, Francesca was able to channel her grief into a debut LP, Collide, and began spreading her classic folk vibes through the California desert and mountain towns. 2016’s Collide was followed by the Whiskey Barrel Blues EP in 2017 and the single “Honey I’m a Woman” in 2018. These were fiercely independent proclamations from a woman coming into her own and were soon recognized with airplay from the likes KCSN and Nic Harcourt's “9 O'Clock News.” “I see that there is such a deep fear for women to really unwind and just be, the way a man can,” Brown says. “I really try to speak my truth as a woman, even if it’s ugly and vulgar. It’s more important to be strong and empowered than to be accepted as pretty and delicate.”
Brown’s latest single deals with the reality of hustling waiting tables while holding faith her dreams come to fruition. The track glistens with an upbeat twang and weary steel pedal guitar - a plaintive throwback country song, in the vein of Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” single. “Hashslingin’ Blues’ is all about having paid your dues and finally being recognized for what you’re passionate about,” Francesca asserts. “Not all those other side hustles we musicians and artists must do to survive.”
Norwegian troubadour Torgeir Waldemar will release his new album 'Love' through Jansen Records on 17th January. Produced by Anders Møller and Torgeir Waldemar and recorded at Subsonic Society Studios, Oslo, 'Love' follows the loud, fuzz-drenched 'No Offending Borders' (2017) and his melancholic debut 'Torgeir Waldemar' (2014).
Following first single "Leaf in the Wind', Torgeir has now shared 'Heart and Gold', a new track taken from the upcoming album. Of the soul-searching song, he said: "It is a look in the mirror on how I’ve dealt with love throughout the years and how I feel about where I've ended up in life".
Inspired by Brian Wilson's 'Love and Mercy, Waldemar reflects on the album's title, "Love is the driving force behind all our actions. But love isn’t necessarily beautiful or pleasant – it contains too much – everything from self-destruction to crimes of passion. We need to take care of one another, but also the world around us. We've been acting out of love, even if it’s love of money or status. As a consequence, the oceans are dying and the forests are burning. Is this the way we show future generations what love is… Love requires commitment and also has consequences."
Having played in several semi-successful Norwegian rock bands while also working at an institution for people with drug problems, Torgeir Waldemar had seen the darker sides of both the music industry and life in general by his mid-30s. Anxious to try something else and inspired by a batch of new songs, going solo seemed like the obvious choice. The three-track EP 'Take Me Home' was released in 2012 and, although it didn’t catapult Waldemar to stardom right away, it made some waves eventually attracting the attention of local record label Vestkyst Records. It also landed him support slots with several more famous artists, as well as a handful of festival bookings.
For those who hadn’t already been paying attention, Waldemar’s self-titled debut album seemingly came out of nowhere in 2014 and took Norway by storm. The critics went wild and a few, very loose, comparisons with Neil Young, Gene Clark and the Laurel Canyon scene followed. The album spawned an unlikely underground hit with 'Streets' and Waldemar was nominated for the Spellemann Awards (the Norwegian equivalent of the Grammys) in both 'Country' and 'Newcomer of the Year' categories.
Widespread touring ensued and, having signed a new deal with tastemaker label Jansen Records, Waldemar was ready to release his sophomore effort in 2017. A louder and more forceful album than his introspective and contemplative debut, 'No Offending Borders' addressed Norway’s inhumane immigration policy and right-wing government. The album landed him another Spellemann nomination and launched Waldemar's career outside Norway with rave reviews in the UK, Germany and Benelux. This summer Torgeir Waldemar recorded his third full-length album, 'Love'. A meditation on love and its wonderful and terrible aspects, the album is Waldemar’s most ambitious work to date.
After "Asile", their very pop and cinematic 4th album (end of 2018), The Rebels Of Tijuana are back with a freshly titled EP "La Dominicaine". A story about a girl under the sun gone wrong. Again recorded on analog tape at Back To Mono Records by sound guru and all time friend Christain Hierro, 10 years after their first collaboration. Here are 4 Detroit styled garage tracks with fuzz and street like spirit, all wrapped in the tongue of Ronnie Bird.
With their new EP, The Rebels of Tijuana are going back to their yéyé and psychedelic roots (J'adore ce flic, Un foutu hippie...). La Dominicaine will be out on December 20th.
Hyperactive on stage and in the studio they are stockpiling albums, singles, EP's, compilations, European tours, festivals (Paléo, Printemps de Bourges...) and openings for Jon Spencer, The Charlatans or Sallie Ford to name a few. The Rebels of Tijuana have made themselves a solid restless rock n roll reputation, known and praised by french and international press (Rock&Folk, Les Inrocks, Canal +, France Inter, FIP, RTS, CISM & CIBL…).
Founding group of Le Pop Club Records, The Rebels of Tijuana add another string to their bow with their music being featured on soundtracks for American and Australian TV series ("You're the worst", "Beyond", "Offspring", "Very bad girls") and a British TV add for Orangina.
The Hempolics return only a couple of weeks after we shared 'Full Of Surprises,' with their second single from their second album due in April next year, this time we have 'Play On' where the soulful vocals, reggae vibes and more are simply splendid. === JES shares a video for an acoustic version of 'Imagination' with her melodic vocals and a whirling guitar giving the song a very different feel. === This Time have released 'Runaway' a sprightly alt rocker that has a no nonsense rock vibe and is tight and polished. === We finish with three artists from the Waterfall Of Colours record label beginning with InBetween Movies and a video for their recently released and gorgeous dream pop song 'Murmurs'. === From Beach SCVM we have 'Summer Jobs' a lo-fi pop song with hints of shoegaze and plenty of hooks. === Finally Soften have released a refined indie folk piece entitled 'True Love' which gradually adds a little more musical richness as it unfolds.
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The Hempolics - Play On.
The Hempolics unleash ‘Play On’, the second single from their upcoming second album ‘Kiss, Cuddle & Torture: Volume 2’, planned for release in April 2020 through their own record label Zee Zee Records via Kartel Music Group. Following the recent release of their trip-hop meets dub-influenced single, ‘Full of Surprises’, which saw support at radio from BBC 1Xtra’s David Rodigan, 6Music’s Steve Lamacq, Don Letts and 6Music Recommends, ‘Play On’ examines the game-like aspect of some relationships, mashing up soul and reggae with horn hooks and electro dub flourishes.
Born from a studio session with Juno Awards-winning Canadian reggae and electronic artist Dubmatix, the new cut is the result of a different approach to music writing for the band; “we wanted to make something fresh and with an instant upbeat feel”, recalls the band’s mainman and producer Grippa Laybourne - who has previously worked in the studio with a variety of international top acts like Mattafix and Faithless - “I wanted the band to be more involved with the writing process, it’s the only track they found, wrote and recorded their own parts before I arranged it and finished it off adding horns and keys overdubbed”.
Vocalist Nubiya’s infectious soul-pop vocals and empowering lyrics show one of the main strengths of The Hempolics, the capacity to talk about sensitive topics while channelling their own struggles into something positive and exciting. The Hempolics’ blend of Reggae, Hip-Hop, Dancehall and Pop has already been heavily supported across UK national radio by BBC Radio1, BBC 1Xtra, BBC Radio 2 and BBC 6Music, where the band had three playlisted singles. They went on to have 6Music ‘Album of The Day’ and were subsequently chosen by Liz Kershaw's pick for 'Album Of The Year', after an impressive live session for Lauren Laverne.
‘Play On’ is The Hempolics most captivating offering yet. And with a new album coming out next year the band is set to cement their status as one of the most interesting bands of this generation. The Hempolics are Grippa Laybourne (Dub FX, Keys), Nubiya Brandon (Vocals), Dandelion (Vocals), Harry Collier (Vocals, Guitar), Leon King (Guitar), Lorenzo (Bass) and Craig Boorman (Drums).
JES continues her series of impromptu live performance videos, with a guitar-based version of her Billboard #1 hit Imagination. Proving that a compelling performance requires nothing more than true talent, JES accompanies herself on a dreamy sounding electric guitar to deliver an entirely new performance of the dance classic.
“I’ve always loved performing up close like this, the raw emotion comes through without any barriers,” she said when asked about what prompted the acoustic series. “It’s more representative of what inspires my songs and I’m excited for everyone to hear these new authentic versions”.
JES’ highly anticipated “Memento” future-spective album is set to drop early in the new year. It will be followed by an acoustic-only album as part of the package and looks set to be a must-have release in 2020.
Second time’s the charm! With a couple of decades, many guitars, and a chance reunion, Andy Vogan (guitar, vocals) and Sean Gazeley (guitar, lead vocals) formed “This Time” in the fall of 2016. Lifelong friends and musical collaborators, they cut their teeth performing thousands of live shows together, writing songs and developing a style unique to their outlook on life. The band calls Kingston, Ontario home and this is where the creative juices started flowing again, reigniting their love of music and melody in a truly Canadian way!
In the two years following the formation of their collaboration, they tossed into the mix three extraordinarily talented and diverse musicians, Rick Moniz (drums), Colin Bowe (lead guitar and keys) and Scot Mulligan (bass), with an equal passion for original music to complete their lineup. With the help of a super cool “genius” recording engineer at the most “HIP” studio in Bath, Ontario, they put it all together in an atmosphere that has already produced many great Canadian bands.
In 2018 This Time Band recorded and released their first studio album, “One”. And now, the band is ready to release their follow up studio album entitled “Two” which features the lead single and video called Runaway', created in a live off-the-floor approach that captures the fun and energetic style of their music.
Waterfall Of Colours Records 2019 - Various Artists.
2019 was really a cool dreampop- and indie-year at Waterfall of Colours. In case you've missed some our latest releases we're happy sending you our 3 current singles.
InBetween Movies (CH) - In late summer, Zurich-based electro-shoegazers Inbetween Movies have landed a small indie hit with their debut single 'Lava'. It has broken the 50'000-plays-mark without much support on Spotify and Youtube. Now the four-piece release another great dream pop-track. 'Murmurs' declares love to all gentle rumours that everyone spreads on a daily basis. And of course, this can set you up (sometimes at least) as it can be annoying. Beach Scvm (FR) - Beach Scvm brings back the summer. With sweet melodies, so wonderful they could have been created by Temples as well. Or by Dinosaur Jr and The Jesus and the Mary Chain. Ther melodies are carried by subtle beats that are never intrusive, but still indispensable. That's exactly how good Lo-Fi-Bedroom-Pop is meant to sound. By mixing this sound with wild Shoegzae, Beach Scvm has created a brand that sounds both relevant and timeless. 'Summer Jobs' is the first track by Beach Scvm being released through indie label Waterfall Of Colours. Some more cool – sunny – music is set to follow. Soften (CH) - It's getting cold now, winter's ahead of us. May the first snow fall! Soften makes the ice melting anyway. By listening to the multi-instrumentalist's wonderful and folky indie-sound you'll forget that winter's knocking at our doors. Soften from Lausanne/Switzerland sends all his warmth with his enchanting new single 'True Love'.
Dream Wulf have today released their new single 'Last Know Purple'. With a blasting riff kicking things off, the vocals riding high above a bluesy rock backdrop this is one stand out track. === Another song released today is fromJason Sees Band with the sensitive and thoughtful alt rocker 'Make You Smile'. === boerd feat. Stella Explorer have shared a live session of 'Before We Drown', it's a gorgeous song and fabulous all round performance. === It's not often we feature a record label however Stockholm's Rama Lama Records 2019 'Various Artists' compilation is well worth a share, in fact you may recognise some of the artists and songs as the label has been a regular supplier of music we have featured this year.
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Dream Wulf - Last Know Purple.
"We wanted to feel something different - something that drove us and at the same time something we could let go of and let it take control of us. Jessica and I were living in Austin, Texas writing the demo for this album. We had written and recorded a song a day every day for the last two days. I asked her to write a love song - and the rest is history!"
This song is about the synergy that touches us all. It is, in turn, about the incredible energy that lifts the spirits from within and pulls you to what some may call a destiny- if one listens. Capturing the connection and fervent prospect of the twin flame energy. The Last Known Purple, is an alternative love song about both the journey through life and the mirror souls you meet a long the way, teaching you to see where you are and pushing you to be better. The song is about being mystified by life itself and the magic we come across daily. We can all feel magic when we align with our purpose and continue to listen to the wind and the power within - howling with unbridled creativity, desire, and passion to be let out.
The LP, All Things Unconsidered, is a collection of work expressing the frustration and sorrow for all the world we love and live in. It is about the chaos that ensues us all, and therefore that ensues the world. We are without acknowledgement lost within the constraints and construct of time. It is said, that creativity lies within the eyes of a child. The album echos the desire to not lose that creativity, that is often stifled with age. Throughout the album, lyrical and musical compositions mirror the push and pull of experiencing a society craving magic, all the while revealing the power for radical and creative change has always been our own hands. All Things Unconsidered, is planet positive and dares you to open personal prospective and perspective. The music plays with dark and light energies through the medium of frequency and lyricism.
The title of the album, All Things Unconsidered, describes the left behind, the subconscious thoughts and feelings that have been pushed aside and forgotten. The album itself dares to resurface those thoughts and pushes to challenge uncomfortable topics.
Dream Wulf is a blend of alternative, stoner, psychedelic, dark dream, and bloom gloom rock and roll music. They are based out of Portland, OR. The band is unsigned, as founding members and visionaries, John Villadelgado and Jessica Bahl, enjoy exciting their dream in their own way. They are joined by, prog metal and jazz trained drummer, Glenn Walters, and psychedelic punk enthusiast Kyla Maunakea on her headless bass.
Dream Wulf’s sound is fiercely psychedelic. Powerful female vocals, melting guitar riffs, intricate time signatures, and captivating dark undertones, that leave you guessing in wonder. They create a riff- that flirts between the push and pull of light and dark energy. Creating the constant synergy of a positive message with a dark delivery. Magnetically charged, their live performance are captivating and dreamy, radiating a unified intensity which lives up to their pack name.
Seattle indie artists Jason Sees Band are releasing a new single today Dec 20, 2019. Song Bio: 1.4 million Americans attempted to suicide in 2019. Almost 50,000 succeeded. Unfortunately, these statistics hit home for Jason Sees Band on a personal level this year. As a result, Jason retreated to his personal studio once again to emerge with another indie release that offers solace and hope for the challenges of the human condition. "There are no easy answers to our challenges on this journey. The battle with our own mind is guaranteed to be a plodding struggle through the dark. But nothing worth fighting for is free."
Jason Sees Band is an indie alternative rock group based around the songwriting of Jason Sees. Since 2009 many musicians have come and gone through the orbit of Jason’s songwriting. However, two constants have remained the same; drummer David Campbell and bassist Shaun O’Neill. Since joining forces, the trio have 9 releases under their belts. “Dave and Shaun really are the foundation of our music; I can always fall back on their talent” Jason states. Other musicians that have (or currently) circle in and out of Jason’s music endeavors include Alex Wilson (Broockies), Adam Williams, Julia Sarewitz, Joe Reineke (Orbit Audio), Danny McMahon, Winston McFarlane (Vision Music), to name a few. “I know lots of musicians around the city, and I like having the flexibility to bring in the appropriate talent for the needs of individual songs. It also keeps things fresh and allows me to ensure my music covers a broad spectrum.”
That last point is notable as Jason appears to be perfectly willing to venture across any genre that he sees necessary. His work with indie producer Broockies (Alex Wilson) ventures deep into techno pop, Adam Williams brings a riff laden 70’s rock guitar, and noted Seattle producer Joe Reineke has taken Jason’s songs into the realm of well produced alternative dream pop. Jason says, “At my core I’m a traditional troubadour, songwriting is what I enjoy most. Most of my songs, with notable exceptions, start with a pen, paper, an acoustic guitar, or piano.”
Jason Sees Band appear to be on a journey, if you delve deep into their catalog evolution is apparent. 2014 release A Single Frame Passing Through the Light was a grief ridden production completed with the aide of Joe Reineke after the passing of Jason’s wife due to cancerous disease. Since then Jason has traversed the musical landscape releasing an intoxicating EP called monochrome, self-produced Grizzly Bear EP, and the playful Robot Dance EP. Jason Sees Band’s latest releases are guitar riff rock melodys that delve yet again out of the norm for this band. “Got to push your comfort zones” Jason says with a sly smirk, “if you’re not moving forward your moving backwards.”
boerd feat. Stella Explorer - Before We Drown (Live Session).
Swedish downtempo producer boerd has just released his new album with Anjunadeep last week and is carving his own unique path in electronic music fusing classical undertones with downtempo electronica. The Swedish producer, who is a classically trained musician performing as part of the Royal SwedishOpera moonlights as an electronic producer signed to London’s infamous Anjunadeep.
Before We Drown features fellow Swede Stella Explorer on vocals. Following his first introspective single with Stella Explorer, ‘Before We Drown’, which demonstrated his capacity for emotive songwriting and live instrumentation, boerd now returns with second single ‘Look’. A showcase of intricate sound design, ‘Look’ features nuanced percussion amongst a warm experimental fog of synthesizers.
As a regular member of the Royal Swedish Opera, Swedish Radio Symphony, and Stockholm Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Ericson has also proven himself as an accomplished bass player for numerous ensembles around the world. Touring Tokyo, Stockholm, and New York, the producer performed in the Philip Glass opera ‘Satyagraha’ earlier this year (including four sold out shows in Brooklyn’s illustrious Harvey Theatre). Bård also recently contributed as a member of Andrea Bocelli’s orchestra throughout his Scandinavian tour.
Rama Lama Records 2019 Collection is now out now on all platforms.
A collection of the best music put out on the Stockholm label during 2019
Tracks from Melby, Steve Buscemi's Dreamy Eyes, Julia Rakel, Delsbo Beach Club, Cat Princess, Guds Pengar och Lilla Parasit.
Tracklist - Rama Lama Records 2019
1. Melby - VCR from "None of this makes me worry" LP
2. Kluster B - Wild
3. Delsbo Beach Club - Cryin' (Such a disgrace) from "Two burgers and an LP"
4. Cat Princess - Me and Brigitte Bardot from "Forbidden Items" LP
5. Steve Buscemi's Dreamy Eyes - Change of Heart from forthcoming "Sweetie" LP
6. Julia Rakel - People from "indie fEElz" EP
7. Lilla Parasit - Feather Soul from forthcoming "Lilla Parasit" LP
8. Delsbo Beach Club - Another Day from "Two burgers and an LP"
9. Steve Buscemi's Dreamy Eyes - Moon from forthcoming "Sweetie" LP
10. Julia Rakel - PDFILWM from "indie fEElz" EP
11. Cat Princess - Rocko's Theme from "Forbidden Items" LP
12. Guds Pengar - "Borttappad"
13. Lilla Parasit - Gaslights from forthcoming "Lilla Parasit" LP
14. Melby - Stalker from "None of this makes me worry" LP
ØZWALD have shared 'Lies In Disguise' a refreshing & unique sounding indie pop/rock song with some gentle vocals and a delicious musical backdrop. === From Thessaloniki, Greece we have the new album by Arrakis entitled 'Technontology Vol 1.' (hear it in full below). The band deliver some gorgeous rock that mixes stoner & psychedelic styles together, their own musical stamp being firmly in place. === Rodrigo Leao is described in the accompanying promo as one of the giants in Portugal. The new song 'A Bailarina' is one of those pieces that is worth sticking with, as it builds into a magnificent and creative affair, one that crosses borders with ease.
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ØZWALD - Lies In Disguise.
Comprised of Jason Wade (Lifehouse) and Steve Stout (former-Lost Beach/Blondfire), Nashville-based ØZWALD doles out everyday wisdom on an indie platter.
A departure from their first record, Sweet Delirium, ØZWALD’s new LP Born In A State is inspired by their environment in the heart of Tennessee. These songs tell stories from the perspective of two creatives pondering the value of art and music in a world of likes and follows. Truly Nashville, this collection is organic, quietly eccentric, and full of nostalgia.
Roughly five years ago, Stout was called in to play as the guitarist on an international Lifehouse tour that would eventually have its US route canceled, but a bond began to form between Stout and Wade on the overseas run. Following the tour, Wade needed an engineer to assist him in his California studio where they both lived at the time and called Stout.
What began as an artist/engineer relationship quickly evolved to an artist/artist partnership and the two immersed themselves in the inspiration of something new as they set a goal of completing three songs in two weeks. The duo amassed a total of twelve songs which made up their first record, Sweet Delirium.
They have since moved from Los Angeles to Nashville and quickly found the change of scenery influencing the way they approach writing songs, with the aesthetic of their surroundings really bleeding into the music. Deeper and more colorful, Born In A State probes the melancholic world of Art Pop and Indie Folk, conjuring up the work of Wilco and Foxwarren while retaining their signature levity.
Formed in late 2012, Arrakis is a three-piece band from Thessaloniki, Greece that plays an infectious brand of riff-based stoner rock with some psychedelic influences.
Purely instrumental, their songs are based around groovy riffs that straddle a fine line between head-banging/foot-stomping stoner rock and trace-inducing psychedelic jams, robust bass lines and thunderous drum beats.
The very first jams at the rehearsal room led to the creation of two self-released demos, in 2012 and 2013, and to the release of "Sanatorium " EP, which was released in by Deathforce Records in 2014. At the same time, they tested themselves in the live circuit with a number of gigs in Greece, including an appearance at Fuzztastic Planet Festival. Motived by the incredible reactions to their sound, the trio spent most of 2015 crafting and recording their first full-length “Ammu Dia”, which was met with great critical acclaim.
Just one after the release of their debut, Arrakis released their second full-length “Electricon”, which was met with great critical acclaim and now the Greek trio are back with a new effort titled Technontology Vol. I that sees Arrakis the trio further evolving their groovy and psychedelic stoner rock sound. If you enjoy anything from Hawkwind to Karma to Burn then you are definitely going to enjoy this album.
Rodrigo Leao may not be a name you are familiar with but in his native Portugal he is one of the giants of the music scene. His latest project is set to change that, with the first release from his new album introducing an artist who is both innovative, daring and spiritual.
A Bailarina demonstrates not only Rodrigo’s deft expertise of neo-classical techniques but also such unusual ingredients as a lyric sung by his daughter in a completely made-up language. An ingenious lullaby for the 21st century, A Bailarina will be followed by the BMG International worldwide release of Rodrigo’s new album, O Método, released in February 2020.
Firstly gaining fame as keyboardist in the hugely successful band, Madredeus (amassing over 3 million album sales worldwide), he has since forged a solo career which has seen him perform with such innovative artists as Portishead’s Beth Gibbons; The Divine Comedy’s Neil Hannon; Tindersticks’ Stuart Staples, not to mention Ryuichi Sakamoto and Ludovico Einaudi and composing three major film soundtracks.
His latest project is O Método (trans. The Method), already being spoken about as the pinnacle of his output so far, an album which sees him takes his minimalist, ethereal soundscapes to new frontiers, both comforting and challenging the listener with questions which don’t necessarily have answers.
ROCH returns to Beehive Candy for a fourth time this year with her latest single (and album title track) 'Via Media'. Accompanied with a cleverly matched video the imaginative singer songwriter, has a musical backdrop that is atmospheric, whilst once again her distinctive vocals are just captivating. === We are always on the search for music that's just a little different yet engaging and The Ah and his lead single from the 'Mere Husk' album, due in January fulfils all of that with the wonderful piece 'Watermelon Tears'. === Indie quintet On-The-Go (feat. Naadia) have just released 'High' a superb and hook laden song with fabulous vocals and harmonies surrounded by a gorgeous musical arrangement.
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ROCH - Via Media.
London based singer, songwriter, and producer ROCH shares a new video for latest single plus album title track ‘Via Media’. A slinky, melancholic pop song, partly inspired by a small drawing of a violin by the Polish artist Franciszka Themerson – the video examines people's perception of space in the world we live in. Directed by Linda Dorigo, speaking on the video ROCH said: "I saw the creation of a music video as an opportunity to invite the viewer in to a space I momentarily inhabit. I’m interested in our perception of space and the people within it, which compliments the songs themes of communication and placement."
“Untangle our selves from what’s feared,” she sings, breathily, over soft synths and a staccato beat. “We are tipping / While we’re missing / Sounds of violins and roads / Keeping our distance yet welded so deep."
With a sound that is completely unique, ROCH’s (aka Kate Miller) spiralling electronic pop creations are truly something to treasure. Fascinated by crossovers of space and language, and by rethinking the “mundane and ubiquitous ideas” found in every day life. The bridging of grand scale and domestic scale is a concept Miller has been exploring in her work since her time studying performance and sculpture at University of the Arts London’s Central Saint Martin’s college, and continues to probe in the impassioned synth pop she makes as ROCH.
Miller’s interest in the lofty versus the mundane stems from her religious background as well. Roch was Miller’s confirmation name, after St. Roch, the patron saint of the plague. Miller grew up going to Catholic school and studied 13th and 14th century medieval art history in school. She’s captivated by medieval art, patron saints, and religious paraphernalia, and the way those emblems manifest in every day life. “The music is influenced in a lot of ways by sacrifice,” Miller explains. In line with depictions of Catholicism and sainthood, the songs on ROCH’s debut album, Via Media, often deal with sacrifice of the body—taking that quintessential religious image into the every day. Instead of the sacrifice being for God, it’s for family, career, or comradery. “Rather than this saintly sacrifice being these dramatic Catholic ascension-type scenes, it's work, labour, pregnancy.”
The Ah today announced his sophomore full-length Mere Husk will be released on January 31st via NNA Tapes. The lead single "Watermelon Tears" is out now and provides a glimpse into the imaginative and playful solo work of Jeremy Gustin, a sought after drummer, musician and composer who has worked with David Byrne, Albert Hammond jr, Kimbra, Delicate Steve, Rubblebucket, Marc Ribot, Sam Amidon, Daniel Rossen, and many more.
Jeremy also shared thoughts on creating the track: "I knew I wanted to add sounds or samples in the middle section and I experimented a lot with no luck. Ironically, as the songs title has tears in it, laughter seemed the best fit for the track. But having one person laugh wasn’t quite right so I started experimenting by adding baby’s, old people, and even some animals laughing. Somehow that seemed to work. Perhaps watermelon tears are the kind of tears you get when you laugh really hard. Sweet tears." The release of Mere Husk will be celebrated in conjunction with Gustin's forthcoming photography book Foundscapes (being released with 11A Records) at Brooklyn NY's Step Bone Cut on February 1st.
Jeremy Gustin is a one-of-a-kind drummer who has toured and recorded with Rubblebucket, Okkervil River, David Byrne, Marc Ribot, Delicate Steve, and Albert Hammond Jr.. He has long been in demand for his ability to bring a touch of the unorthodox to highly structured and improvised musical settings alike, so it should come as no surprise that on his own solo project, The Ah, Gustin explores the outer boundaries of his imagination to the fullest.
The Ah's new album Mere Husk, the follow-up to 2017’s Common Bliss, sees Gustin once again crafting animal noises, water sounds, miscellaneous found audio, and his own playing into a harmonic language that straddles the line between his love of pop songcraft and his equally strong attraction to the abstract. Rather than employ gurgling fish tank bubbles and dolphin calls for their ambient properties alone, for example, Gustin bends them beyond recognition so that they mimic synths or serve the role of instrumental parts in an arrangement that falls together like a classic "song" --- whether Gustin includes vocals or not. "I love songs and melody," says Gustin. "As much as I like unusual stuff, I'm a song guy at heart."
Having shared stages with the likes of Jungle, The Big Pink and Foster The People, indie quintet On-The-Go have put together an eclectic album with enough uplifting tunes to keep the wolf from the door this winter.
Influenced by pop, folk and electronica, the band combine progressive time signatures, an ecstatic energy and crystal-clear production. Complex arrangements, delicately layered textures and heartfelt lyricism result in an affecting, nuanced record.
The band tells us that “we wanted to make sure that each song is based on specific ideas and lyrics with the rhythm and melody forming around the subject.”
The songs tackle subjects such as looking for balance in relationships in the ever-changing and unpredictable world, the conflicting emotions around raising children within a political climate of fear and hatred, and the changing nature of memories as our current experiences increasingly conflict with the beliefs we held in the past.
This is evident on tracks like ‘Happy’ (feat. Kate NV) which explores the effect of mental health on relationships, and the moral dilemma of trying to help or be supported by a loved one while trying not to be dragged under yourself. Title track ‘Unsaid’ deals with the regret surrounding the things we wish we were able to tell the people we care about but were never able to. Unsaid is available everywhere in February 28, 2020.
Sharone recently shared a couple of videos for 'Turn Back Time' and 'Closer To Love' both taken from her third studio album released just a few days ago. Although I note that metal (usually a personal turnoff) and goth genres are mentioned in the promo below, I have to say plenty of the songs carry melodic hooks and the vocals are natural and distinct, whilst the Gothic overtones add atmosphere. === Danish singer songwriter Nikolaj Grandjean has just released 'Seven Wild Horses' a mixture of Americana and indie folk, and plenty of originality particularly with his refined vocal delivery. === From Alabama we have the pleasure of introducing Caldonia and a couple of songs namely 'Oh Say' and 'Taxi'. Taken from their forthcoming debut E.P (due 27 December) the article below says "Their music testifies to the Southern traditions of soul, blues, rhythm and blues, and other American “roots” music", well on the strength of these to tracks I cannot argue with that!
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Sharone - Turn Back Time / Closer To Love.
Channeling chaos into art, Sharone erupted onto the Denver music scene as a solo artist in 2014 playing local DIY venues; since then she has gone on to play venues such as Marquis Theater, Bluebird Theater, and Gothic Theater, playing festivals, and opening for bands such as One-Eyed-Doll, The Birthday Massacre, Fuel, Saving Abel, Davey Suicide, Tantric, Hell’s Belles, and Stitched Up Heart. The atmospheric and melodramatic music of Evanescence and the psychedelic blues of Black Sabbath inspired Sharone to start performing her music live, and to eventually release her 2017 demo album, Storm.
Despite sustaining a dark and nearly melancholy tone on recordings, the gothic artist’s live shows are nothing short of energetic, full of heavy piano riffs, pulsing rhythms, and enthralling theatrics. From emerging from a coffin to jumping off of monitors and captivating contortions, Sharone captures the interest of each audience member through her piercing stage chemistry with her live musicians, and her ever-growing theatrics.
In the spring of 2017, the singer left her mark on the Denver music scene with the release of her first rock album ‘Storm’. Following the release, underwent a complete lineup change in her band, and came back stronger than ever with the reincarnation of her dark sound: ‘Enchiridion of Nightmares’ (2018).
Sharone followed up the release with three exhilarating summer and fall tours, reaching audiences across the western, central, and eastern United States, and is currently working on her third studio album. This unique rock artist is destined for success in the metal and goth rock realm. Sharone's third studio album, 'Reflection', was released December 7th, 2019.
Danish singer-songwriter nikolaj grandjean releases the first title track from his upcoming EP, “Seven Wild Horses“ (release: 7th of February from Embassy of Music). “Seven Wild Horses“ is the artist’s latest musical offering since his second studio album Together, released in 2014.
“Seven Wild Horses“ longs for the one and only; it longs for a soul mate, the complications that come along with the depth of that partnership, and the beautiful steps along that journey. Nikolaj unmasks the duplicity of making yourself suitable for your vis-à-vis and reveals a certain kind of insecurity behind the process. The single repeatedly questions if we’re enough, underlying a vacant confidence.
Nikolaj grew up in Copenhagen in a total matriarchy. Educated by his mother and her partner, he owes his alternative perspective and modern world outlook to the situation he was born in. The similarities and differences between all humans dominate the theme running through his creative work.
The singer-songwriter began making music early on and exhibits significant milestones; among them, a Grammy nomination, headlining festivals Placebo, and a deal with Sony Music earlier in his music career. Nikolaj describes his music as a mixture between Americana, lo-fi and indie and is deeply inspired by Townes Van Zandt, Willie Watson, Bruce Springsteen and the emotionally brave.
The six members of Caldonia grew up in small towns in Alabama, where, to quote their website, “revival tents and liquor stores both testify their own truths about the Deep South.” Their music testifies to the Southern traditions of soul, blues, rhythm and blues, and other American “roots” music. They cite James Brown, Wilson Pickett, and Ray Charles among their many influences.
Caldonia has upcoming show dates in their hometown Huntsville; Jackson, Miss., and other Southern towns and cities. Band members hope to extend that reach with their debut EP “Caldonia . . . is Hurtin’ for You,” to be released Dec. 27 on all major music streaming platforms.
Caldonia is Keyton Fike on vocals, Daniel O'Donnell on saxophone, Calvin Montgomery on trumpet, Matthew Gravitt on drums, Carl Kasper on bass, and Jason Wright on keyboards. Listeners who grew up on the sounds of Stax Records and Motown will feel an instant kinship with the four songs on this record. Fans of younger artists who carry on these soul and R&B traditions — such as The Black Keys, The Alabama Shakes, and Vintage Trouble — will also enjoy this debut EP.
With Wright’s opening keyboard flourishes, O’Donnell’s saxophone, and Montgomery’s trumpet lines, the tune “Oh Say,” a Caldonia original, offers listeners a modern take on this classic soul sound. Fike’s fine vocal delivery and a spare solo from Wright on organ really bring home this slow ballad.
“Taxi,” another band original, is a workout for the horns, while the rhythm section of Kasper on bass and Gravitt on drums makes this a rhythmically infectious funk tune.
Two other compositions on this recording pay homage to the late Eddie Hinton, the legendary songwriter and member of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section that worked with so many soul and R&B artists. The arrangement of “Brand New Man” is a rocking scorcher, with the right amount of requisite guttural delivery from Fike. Fike’s vocals are perfect in conveying the emotions of Hinton’s ballad “Hard Luck Guy.” The horns and keyboard make the final chord ring.
Caldonia pay homage to Hinton’s legacy in yet another way. They recorded this debut release at historic FAME (Florence Alabama Music Enterprises) Studios in Muscle Shoals, where Aretha Franklin, Clarence Carter, Etta James, and other legends recorded. The history of FAME created the sound of “Caldonia . . . is Hurtin’ for You,” which band members call a “retro, raw, and reverb-soaked vibe ….”
Katie Burden shares 'Edge of Sleep' an imaginative art rock piece, she disappeared off our radar after we featured 'I Can See It Clear' back in 2016, so it looks like I have some catching up to do. === From Maybird we have a new video for 'In Technicolor' a smooth and refined psychedelic rock song with the video making a splendid accompaniment. === Singer songwriter Michael Colton has a brand new single entitled 'Brother' where the blues rock artist is more immersed in a folk vibe, his rich voice resonating beautifully. === Returning for a seventh time on Beehive Candy Frederick The Younger have released the song and video for 'Something Real'. Their ability to develop melodic and engaging alt pop (with or without a retro vibe) is consistently incredible. === Lake Jons have really impressed us this year and now we have a video and third song from their current album as they share 'Circle' where the duo are possibly spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing an album track to build a video around.
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Katie Burden - Edge of Sleep.
Katie Burden's atmospheric art rock has an ineffable, visceral quality to it. Her taste for the theatrical and shamanistic delivery often conjure up the ghost of Jim Morrison but in a modern context, her sound falls somewhere between Perfume Genius and CocoRosie.
After being raised in a small hippy town in Colorado, Burden spent her formative years bouncing around NYC and San Francisco. In 2012 she moved to LA, and after attending a meditation retreat, synchronistically fell in with a group of blue chip musicians including Jennylee and drummer/producer Norm Block (L7, Jennylee, Ghost Recon Breakpoint) who became the catalyst behind her future output. Together they recorded Burden's 2014 debut EP My Blind Eye and the 2016’s full length KP Strange Moon, which garnered overwhelmingly positive press from tastemakers such as Magnet, Noisey, Nylon and Flaunt.
In 2017 Burden moved to Long Beach, composing new material in a house behind a periwinkle fence while studying to become an art therapist. The songs that would eventually come to make up the Edge of Sleep EP were initially inspired by dreams, liberally taking unexpected twists and turns without needing to conform to songwriting norms. “There’s that ancient Toltec wisdom that describes our conscious life as a waking dream that we sort of project into the world,” Burden reflects. “Edge of Sleep’ refers to an occurrence that shakes one from their waking dream and brings about a new perspective or way of seeing.”
Back in the studio with Norm, the two artists began the process of committing this collection of versatile and inventive songs to tape, looping field recordings, playing handmade bells, and sifting through a sea of tones to find the correct colors to flesh out the songs. The final recordings are like insulated worlds, pregnant with moody little moments and cathartic performances, dark and unusual, brave and innovative. “People tell me that when they listen, it stirs something inside them that they can’t quite put their finger on,” says Burden. “I love the idea that this music is soliciting a hard to define pang of emotion for people.” Edge of Sleep is due out this January is under Cautionary Tail Records.
The new video for Maybird's "In Technicolor (For The First Time), from their album Things I Remember From Earth has just been released. It's a psychedelic journey that is strikingly contemporary, invoking early Tame Impala and Unknown Mortal Orchestra, while tastefully referencing genre trailblazers The Beatles and Electric Light Orchestra.
Shortly after uploading a few songs to SoundCloud in 2016, bandleader and frontman Josh Netsky received a cold call from Danger Mouse, the Grammy-winning producer and songwriter behind such hit records as "The Grey Album" (a mashup of Jay-Z's "The Black Album" and The Beatles' "White Album"), Gorillaz's "Demon Days," Beck's "Modern Guilt" and Adele's "25."
The band quickly released their Turning Into Water EP for 30th Century that same year, followed by the four-song Unraveling EP produced by Patrick Carney of the Black Keys. 2019 has seen the band deliver their first album, Things I Remember From Earth. It's an immaculate debut, showcasing a band with real songwriting chops and effortless hooks. On the album and final single, Netsky writes -
"Our new album is called Things I Remember From Earth, and that title was inspired by Kurt Vonnegut’s novel The Sirens of Titan. So were many of the themes in the songs. Human purpose, holding on to memories, and losing control of your mind/memory are all themes in the book that found a place on the album. “To You” took its inspiration from the philosophy of human purpose. It’s about following your instinct and identifying what matters most to you personally. Don’t let anything get in the way of that… it’s something that I think everyone needs a reminder of from time to time.”
Singer/songwriter Michael Colton is set to release a new single titled “Brother” that both pays homage to a trusted family member and that also serves as a ballad inspired by a future son. It’s a poignant track that shows a softer side to the blues rock troubadour. Having garnered significant accolades for his more country inflected work in the past, Colton has streamlined his sound which seamlessly blends rock and blues traditions and is anchored by his striking vocals and serious guitar chops. Produced by noted film and television composer/producer Brett Boyett, “Brother” features Colton on vocals and guitar. Producer Brett Boyett brought a groups of studio musicians to round out the production. Song will be available digitally December 13 and an EP will be released in the coming year.
Says Colton: “’Brother’ came to me when my wife and I were talking about having a second kid. At first, I was on the fence and it was my relationship with my brother that made up my mind. My brother and I live pretty far away from each other and we don’t talk as much as either of us would like but I kept thinking that whenever we get together it’s like no time has passed. The part that really drove the nail home for me was the idea that when both of our parents pass away (they’re still with us) he’s literally the only person I shared that part of my life with. I realized that I wanted that for our son.
Colton burst onto the scene in 2010 with a striking blues-rock track titled “Sugar.” Following that up with a deep dive into the songs of Robert Johnson in 2012, Colton continued to hone his blues guitar cred. With a flurry of single and EP releases beginning in 2016, he immediately caught the attention of outlets such as The Boot, Popdose, Huffington Post with an evolved sound that seamlessly combined elements of rock, country, R&B and blues that are anchored by his otherworldly guitar chops. Earlier this year, Colton released two EPs collecting some of the best moments from 2017 and 2018-- Qualified and California Blue.
When I sing “Something Real” it feels like a weight has been lifted. It feels like a cathartic release every time. I’ve spent my whole life feeling unfulfilled, like I should be doing something more. Desiring the next big thing. This song is about the inward search for freedom. The music itself feels like an emotional release. It’s earnest but also groovy and sexy. Kind of David Lynch meets Neil Young.
We’re all just spinning in circles of time and space. Retro-pop band Frederick the Younger lasso various transitory states and tensions of the heart on their upcoming new EP "Fever." Across six songs, the Louisville-based songwriters -- Jenni Cochran and Aaron Craker -- seek for something real and dissects such issues as regret, love and letting go.
In 2018 they found creative kinship in drummer Meg Samples and bassist Shelley Anderson and started working on the followup to 2017's Human Child. Producer Kevin Ratterman (My Morning Jacket, Ray LaMontagne) couples the vivid, visceral lyrics and equally-emotive arrangements with a slick, yet dreamy, quality. And it’s never at the expense of the innately imposing stories. Lead single “Back to the Wall” untangles the push and pull of a relationship that’s undergoing an inner struggle. “You could say you love me / But you leave me with my back to the wall,” Cochran casts off her frustrations as a snake shedding its skin.
Their willingness to be so vulnerable serves as the EP’s foundation. “Erased,” featuring Craker’s magnetic, raw vocal, and “Deepest Blue” are other sterling highlights, the latter witnessing Cochran hitting an emotional rock bottom and writing a song about it. “I hate regretting things I’ve done, and I know when I’m in that space that I shouldn’t be doing it. I waste time, and I get carried away. This song is me trying to sing myself out of that funk,” she says of the song.
Cochran and Craker are not only the creative core of the band, but they complete each other on a deeply personal level. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Cochran grew up writing songs, yet never played them out. She initially had ambitions to go to school for anthropology but after working overseas, teaching in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam, she returned to the states with a newfound drive to pursue music. She relocated to Louisville, and a two-month stay turned into a permanent move when she met Craker through an improv group.
Lake Jons, hailing from Helsinki and born from the woods by the darkest waters as their namesake reflects, is comprised of Jooel Jons and Mikko Pennanen, who walk a fine line between producer-tandem and full-on band. Since their formation in 2014, the Finnish duo has come through with delicate folktronica-tinged dream-pop. Following from their self-titled debut, which the band performed on their live circuit during the last year, and championed at festivals across the Nordics as well as by Ja Ja Ja, who showcased the band across London, Berlin and Hamburg.
On their recently released sophomore full-length ‘The Coast’, Lake Jons reconnect with their roots, leaving the city and delving into the viridescence of their moniker’s birthplace, the Towars forest. Thematically, the album is Jons’ endeavour to dismantle life, space and time. They present parts of rough instrumentals, layering them with harmony-laden toplines, while each of the singles’ overall structure seems to assemble again seamlessly.
Commenting on the final single lifted from the new album, which was released ahead of the record, Jooel Jons ruminates over the simultaneous perfection and delicacy of existence; “Circle is such a complete shape. The essence of existence in is so full of intricacies, both delicate and powerful, and the circle of life is among them. It’s something that is maintained, even through humanity’s efforts to break everything. The song tells a small story about a boy who lived by the waters of Lake Jons and one day decided to leave the woods. It’s a letter to a dear friend; life’s a mysterious circle.”
He speaks more about the accompanying visual; “Directed by Raimo Saba, the video does a great job of portraying the theme of the song. I have my uncle Pekka, who is an actor, featured which makes this video a little more personal to me. Seeing the finished version for the first time, it almost allowed me to gain a new perspective and experience of the song. Raimo has managed to capture and convey the emotions interwoven in the song.”
And the Director, Raimo Saba adds; "Thinking about freedom in itself brings with it subconscious limitations. I think the concept of freedom is more valuable than one can even understand. It is not just an external concept. It is bound to be a state of yourself and where outside factors have no effect on your state of being. Lake Jons released the accompanying visual for ‘Circle’ 13th December.
Ruthie has a new lyric video for 'Twenty Forty Seven' as she makes her fourth appearance on Beehive Candy this year. Her beautiful voice once again pleases on this gentle and rather stripped back track. === With a band name likeWorld/Inferno Friendship Society and a song title such as 'All I Can Do To Help You With Your Nightmares Is Keep You Up Late V1' the song itself had better be good and it is, as these genre mixers splendidly deliver. === Whyte Horses along with the vocals of La Roux have just released 'Mister Natural' which is a gorgeous indie pop cover of a 1974 Bee Gees song. === Another band making their fourth appearance here are Post Louis with the latest song release 'Descender' where we find the art rock band in melodic and reflective mode. === Michael Malarkey has released a second single from his forthcoming album ' Graveracer' in the form of 'Shake The Shiver' which is another refined and atmospheric Americana song. === We are always in search of originality and imaginative material and so Alex Dowling and his new song 'King Of Thumbs' really is a breath of fresh air. It might take a couple of listens because this gorgeous piece has so much to take in.
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Ruthie - Twenty Forty Seven.
This year has seen Ruthie make a compelling introduction, which culminated with the release of her debut EP ‘Universal Heartbreak Now’. She’s recently been named as One To Watch by both The Observer and HMV, which adds to radio support at Radio 1, Beats 1, 6 Music and BBC Introducing, plus playlists including Spotify’s New Music Friday UK, Amazon’s Fresh Indie plus Dazed, NME and DIY.
Now Ruthie shares a new lyric video for the EP’s closing track ‘Twenty Forty Seven’. While ‘Universal Heartbreak Now’ focuses on the finer details as a relationship slowly unravels, this instead reflects on the aftermath. The pain might not be as overwhelming as was expected, but there’s still nostalgia and a yearning for what might’ve been. The song allows Ruthie’s emotive vocal to take centre-stage, with a sparse backdrop of slide guitar, understated piano and stripped back percussion
"‘Twenty Forty Seven’ is about the stories that we tell ourselves after a break up,” explains Ruthie. “We imagine that we’ll never find love again, and instead linger every evening in Tesco, waiting for an ex to show up. These stories play in our heads like old B-movies, implausible and ridiculous but very real."
Ruthie also used that idea for the track’s accompanying lyric video. She made the visual by constructing a collage of clips from various low-budget retro horrors, in the process crafting a playfully OTT backdrop for her revealingly honest lyrics.
Having recently supported Shura and The Magic Gang, Ruthie ends the year by playing London’s Servant Jazz Quarters ahead of a homecoming show at the Brudenell Social Club in Leeds. She’s also just confirmed her first festival date for 2020 at Hit The North, with a whole host of shows to be follow next year.
World/Inferno Friendship Society - All I Can Do To Help You With Your Nightmares Is Keep You Up Late V1.
World/Inferno Friendship Society are back with a new single from their upcoming All Borders are Porous to Cats LP. The album is set to be released on January 17th 2020 via Alternative Tentacles. In addition to a New Years Eve show in Brooklyn, you can catch the band on tour throughout January and February!
World/Inferno Friendship Society's long awaited new album dares you to try and decipher it’s multi-layered, encrypted message, while dragging you kicking and screaming through a succession of flashbacks, alternate realities and drug and alcohol induced delusions. While World / Inferno is known for its utter disregard for boundaries of genre, All Borders are Porous to Cats deliberately pushes the limits of what could possibly be perceived as punk rock. It scores tales of fugitives, arson, larceny, perjury, drug addiction and freedom with elements of soul, funk, latin, polka, and classical music, as well as World /Inferno’s signature punk cabaret sound. 3 years in the making, 4 missed release dates, 5 lost band members, many a bridge burned, and a defamation lawsuit waiting to happen, The World /Inferno Friendship Society invites you to enjoy the fruits of their perpetual torment.
Take it as a promise, and a patent fact: All Borders Are Porous to Cats. The World/Inferno Friendship Society’s 7th full-length LP finds the collective reset and reinvigorated, behind the lyrics of Jack Terricloth, apparent possessor of the punk rock fountain of everlasting style and rage. The album follows Cat in the Hat (no relation), an undocumented refugee who is framed for a crime and requires the assistance of a ragtag gang of miscreants, academics, orchestra-caliber musicians, and radical insurgents—sometimes art does in fact imitate life!
First single “Freedom is a Wilderness” was fitting first available on an a compilation benefitting Chelsea Manning upon her initial release. The band is uncertain if New Romantic 2 Tone ska is an available generic distinction, but they damn well gave it a shot, and the haunting echo of “who woulda thought?” reminds the listener that for political prisoners like Manning, freedom is a relative concept at best. Upcoming single “Nightmares” improbably adds to the list of genres the band attempts, offering a horn and gang vocal driven shuffle somewhere between Fela Kuti and Elvis Costello. The remainder of the album sees the band at its most expansive musically—covering everything from Bowie-esque ballads to Balkan punk stomps—and inflammatory lyrically, with tales of romance, righteous indignation, and resistance.
Building up to the release of their latest album - Hard Times is out January 17th 2020 (CRC Records) - Whyte Horses have just released a new single featuring guest vocals from La Roux. The track is a cover of "Mister Natural", originally by the Bee Gees from their album of the same name released in 1974 (styled as Mr. Natural).
Speaking about the collaboration and choice of track, Whyte Horses frontman Dom Thomas shares: “I vividly remember watching a Bee Gees documentary late one night. By the time it got to the mid seventies era the band were talking about how everything was going wrong and they were close to quitting. It cut to some footage of a gig in Melbourne which was meant to be a low point but my ears pricked up when I heard the first few bars of Mister Natural. It was one of the best Bee Gees numbers I'd heard, right up there with Massachusetts and the golden sixties era ballads, in my mind this was an instant classic.
“I sent it to Elly and we decided to do a version at our Royal Festival Hall gig. It's one of those songs we both just connected with and we thought we should record it, this was before the idea of doing an album of covers, maybe it sparked the idea. “It's got a certain charm that's hard to quantify like all the best Bee Gees songs, it's melancholic and a little bit melodramatic" Whilst Elly Jackson (La Roux) adds: “Me and Dom share a love of this song, so it was a lovely opportunity to work with him on the track”
Whyte Horses are an elusive, psychedelic dream-pop collective from Manchester and Hard Times is a “fantasy mixtape”, shape-shifting and re-imagining songs from an eclectic mix of musical backgrounds. Alongside La Roux, an esteemed list of vocal collaborators guest throughout the record from Badly Drawn Boy to Chrysta Bell (Twin Peaks), Gruff Rhys to Melanie Pain (Nouvelle Vague) and more. The album’s grandiose title track features guest vocals from John Grant and was released alongside the album’s announcement earlier this year.
“A few years ago, I basically rolled straight off a tour bus and through the double glass doors of a massive office block to start a new job. It was a shock. I worked for endless hours in that place, often well into the night, calculating figures and writing emails at the heart of the corporate machine” says Stephanie Davin, lead singer of exciting five-piece art-rock band, Post Louis. The band garnered critical acclaim for a string of singles sporadically released throughout the last 18 months, and now their iridescent debut album is announced for release on 28th Feb 2020, with lead single and title track Descender.
Descender is about the churn and confusion of working through the day and the night and then back into the daylight, and what this does to one’s mind, body and relationships. “I don’t think people talk about labour enough in pop music, but almost all the musicians I know have done the strangest and most varied jobs alongside making music” says Davin.
And this is the driving force that lies at the heart of the album. Desperate exhaustion – both through mental and physical labour. While the band's previous EPs - This Could Be a Bridge and Uptight were preoccupied with the ways in which people can damage one other, Descender extends this gaze, taking in questions about love, labour, effort and blame.
Written from the perspective of a young woman internalising the effects of the Me Too movement – a burning rage, suppressed by the daily grind of life. “A couple of Christmases ago I was feeling overwhelmed by all the turmoil produced by the courageous disclosures in the Me Too movement. The Brock Turner witness statement had been published in the summer of 2016. That act of bravery occupied my mind, alongside a relentless looping mental image that I couldn’t shake, of Emily Doe (Chanel Miller) lying in the road. I wanted to link that image to the idea of heat, rage and being burnt out - whether by work or aspiration or fury. Fiery anger is often apt, but it can be exhausting as well as empowering.”
Multi-faceted musician and actor Michael Malarkey (The Vampire Diaries, Project Blue Book) unveils another dose of indie-laden Americana with ‘Shake The Shiver’, the second single from his upcoming second full-length album, ‘Graveracer’ due for release on 10th January 2020 via Cap on Kat/Kartel. Alongside standard DL, CD and LP, the album is available as a limited signed LP and CD format for pre-order here.
Ahead of the album release, Michael will play an exclusive in-store show at Kingston’s Banquet Records on 8th January. Fans can purchase a copy of the album with tickets from Banquet Records' website. The talented artist has also announced an extensive UK and European headline tour, kicking off at Manchester’s Deaf Institute on 9th January and coming to London’s Bush Hall on 10th January. To buy tickets please visit Michael Malarkey Official.
Written in Michael’s trailer between filming Project Blue Book, ‘Shake The Shiver’ was conceived on Arturia’s KeyStep - which combines step sequencing with keyboard control – to layer the sounds and melodies he wanted before heading into the studio to re-record them, although some of the original demo sounds made it through to the final cut.
Best known as the charismatic Enzo in the CW’s television series The Vampire Diaries and Captain Michael Quinnin Robert Zemeckis’ executively produced Project Blue Book for History. The British-American talent has simultaneously cultivated a body of work that established him as a distinctive and captivating crossover talent, winning over audiences in both the music and acting arenas.
Irish composer Alex Dowling today shared new single and video “King of Thumbs” from his forthcoming debut album Reality Rounds, due out January 31st, 2020 via Carrier Records.
Reality Rounds was written for four vocalists (who each use customized wireless controllers to manipulate their AutoTuned voices in real-time) and synthesizer (performed by Grammy-nominated composer/pianist Pascal Le Bouef). The album was recorded and filmed live, and in full, at Princeton University by Four/Ten Media.
Dowling built “King of Thumbs” around an imagined deck of cards that the performers recite at the beginning of this ritual. Halfway through, a startling interruption transports the listener to a new sonic environment where the choir’s whistling is transformed into a flickering texture, a type of artificial birdsong. The music has echoes of Aphex Twin or Oneohtrix Point Never seen through the prism of Bjork’s Medúlla.
The full album and video of Reality Rounds will be released digitally and on CD January 31st, 2020 via Carrier Records.
