Showing posts with label A Shoreline Dream. Show all posts
Showing posts with label A Shoreline Dream. Show all posts

A Shoreline Dream - Bootblacks - The Beautiful Ghosts - The Pains Of Being Pure at Heart

A Shoreline Dream - Room For The Others.

Background - Colorado’s A Shoreline Dream have revealed the video for their single ‘Room For The Others’. This is the fourth track from their ever-evolving new album, with each being released digitally as stand-alone singles, one at a time.

The video features a somewhat distorted and dream-like vision of the current state of self expression. Featuring Denver's live performance duo Scissor Sweethearts, the video is somewhat of a sequel to ASD's 2016 video 'Revolvist', in that it takes both Serana and Siara past their performance element and on the streets. As the sweethearts prepare and leave their domain feeling confident in themselves, we see how the public reacts to even the slightest "out of the ordinary look" in an increasingly more stereotype driven society. 

Featuring layers of the band, dream sequences and textures, the video comes together similarly to the production of the music itself. Hazy, vivid and surreal. "Given the nature of all the amazingly overwhelming things going on these days politically, socially, etc., this track became a personal reflection on it all. Both the good and the bad. The love and the sadness," says Ryan Policky. "I found myself feeling emotions from all sides of the spectrum, and room for the others is just that... a spectrum of emotions. This song goes out to those who may have ever felt just a little bit of place... who just wanted to stand in line with the rest."

While the original wave of shoegazers chose textures and otherworldliness over conventional clarity and 90’s post-rockers opted for progressive and fluid structures rather than traditional form, A Shoreline Dream are the keepers of both of those flames. Delivering a heady cocktail of dream-pop, shoegaze, neo-psychedelia, goth and progressive rock, the new single also brings a gothic undertone set against a pulsing, energetic rhythm and is, on the whole, more in keeping with northern European atmosphere than the warm sidewalks of Denver’s suburbs. A Shoreline Dream is Ryan Policky on vocals, guitar, keys, bass and programming and Erik Jeffries on guitar. Website here, Facebook here.

It's just one day short of a year since we last featured A Shoreline Dream and the new video for the song 'Room For The Others' is very welcome. Musically it's overriding genre is shoegaze, however there are some welcome dream pop influences, that ensure the track has some fine hooks.


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Bootblacks - Hold & Dissolve.

Background - Brooklyn-based Bootblacks have shared the debut single from their forthcoming album. The band's Panther MacDonald explains that the track is about "knowing you have to leave people behind, and how hard that is. And even though letting go is difficult, you can both find the time to remember someone while remembering that it’s not over yet.” 'Fragments' is out 9/14 via Manic Depression Records.

Since the group's founding in 2010, Brooklyn-based Bootblacks have been enthralling audiences with their frenetic live shows from the U.S. to Europe. Their sounds has been described as a balance of contradictions: both pensive and buoyant, referential and modern. Fitting, as the Bootblacks name is derived from novelist William Burroughs' description of the dark underbelly of glitzy New York City.

Vocalist and frontman Panther MacDonald lists an eclectic set of influences: Depeche Mode, New Order, Simple Minds, Echo and the Bunnymen, Joy Division, Early U2, as well as The Beatles and David Bowie for lyrical inspiration.

With the addition of Barrett Hiatt (The Harrow I Automelodi) in early 2017, fans can expect an even more synth heavy, atmospheric and "bigger-sounding" Bootblacks than before, with the followup to Veins set for release in early fall 2017 on Manic Depression Records, followed by a European tour. Website here, Facebook here.

Post punk with energised synths & some fabulous goth like vocals 'Hold & Dissolve' is a stirring and atmospheric song, the eclectic influences cited above are not without merit.

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The Beautiful Ghosts - Atomic Disco.

Background - Ottawa-based alt trio The Beautiful Ghosts specialize in dreamy blends of indie rock and ambient synth pop, infused with high-energy electronic components. They don’t really appreciate such labels and prefer to be associated with other artists who defy current standards such as Joy Formidable and Metric, among others.

The trio of Butch Gerald, Catherine Sugrue and Alisha Everett formed in the early 00’s. They all either worked or shopped at a popular record store in their hometown of Ottawa. Butch was actively searching for a female to sing his songs and found that Catherine and Alisha had strikingly similar voices with separate and unique traits. Their original project, Tones For Twilight, experimented with their newfound tonal arrangement but it wasn’t until 2012, when they reformed as Beautiful Ghosts, that they began to officially release material. Their new sound, helmed by producer/songwriter Gerald and featuring the haunting vocal blend of Sugrue and Everett, culminated in their forthcoming self-titled album, out August 25th.

The album is a clear statement from a band whose sharp take on synth rock comes from a genuine love of the original format. Gerald’s infatuation with analog gear dates back a few decades, and goes hand in hand with a deep nostalgia which is rooted in ‘actually’ living through the 80’s. “Seeing kids these days try to connect to the simplicity and innocence of past generations is interesting. They’re trying to explore these retro qualities but still seem to be slaves to new mediums.” Butch asserts, citing The Beautiful Ghosts music as an authentic alternative to the hype. “Songwriters tend to identify with what moves them and for me, it often reaches into a very sacred place”. Facebook here.

'Atomic Disco' mixes swirling synths, rhythmic vibes and fabulous vocals and harmonies, this is a catchy alt pop song that also doubles as a mood lifter.


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The Pains Of Being Pure at Heart - My Only.

Background - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart have long set the benchmark for big-hearted, idealistic pop songs. With The Echo of Pleasure, The Pains push beyond their many inspirations and embrace their role as indiepop heroes in their own right. Showcasing the deft songwriting of frontman Kip Berman, The Pains’ fourth album is their most confident and accomplished. After three critically-acclaimed records, 2009’s The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, 2011’s Belong and 2014’s Days of Abandon received praise from The New York Times, Pitchfork, The Guardian and Rolling Stone, they have put together a collection of songs that possess a timeless grandeur, deeper and more satisfying than anything the band has done since their iconic debut.  

From their earliest days of C86-worship to Alternative Nation-sized anthems to a matured, “Simple and Sure” pop refinement, The Echo of Pleasure is what Berman describes as sounding “heavy and hopeful, like love.” It’s an album that reflects the band’s most joyous moments while maintaining Berman’s candid and critical lyricism, free of the self-abasing insecurity of youth. “The album is loving. The music is heavier, more expansive,” he says. “To me, songs about love shouldn’t be thought of as light. Love is big - sometimes it’s emphatic, overwhelming or simple - other times it’s tense, anxious or just exhausting. But at its best, it makes you want to be something better.”

In their decade long career, Berman has stood at the center of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, and with a changing lineup, it’s become more apparent. “On [the last album] Days of Abandon, I was on my own. There was no one in the room making decisions with me. It felt strange experiencing that isolation while trying to make sense of it through writing,” Berman admits. “That album was about loss, and I think it conveyed that feeling well –  but I’m glad to move on from that place.” On The Echo of Pleasure, he’s learned to take full agency of something he’s always owned. “With this record, I’ve made peace with the fact I am Pains. It’s always been my band, but I haven’t been super comfortable saying that, partly because I’ve enjoyed working with so many talented friends, and also because the songs I wrote seemed to mean more than anything my actual life could live up to.”

The Echo of Pleasure navigates variability and safety without unraveling. Berman is no stranger to fragility; here, it’s structured with warmth, the kind found after life-altering moments. It’s reflected in the album title, too: “The Echo of Pleasure could be the near-symmetry of love,” he explains. “It’s the reflection back and forth, modulating over time, of two people who are together. It’s not a mirror - but a perpetual answering and asking. When one person is absent, that echo ceases or, as the title track laments, ‘fades into these silent days.’ In that sense, remembering is a kind of echo, each instance slightly less vivid than the one before.”

The record is augmented by guest vocals featuring previous Pains collaborators: Jen Goma on “So True” (A Sunny Day in Glasgow), bass guitar by Jacob Danish Sloan (Dream Diary), and horns by Kelly Pratt (Beirut, David Byrne, St. Vincent). The Pains of Being Pure at Heart live band consists of long-time guitarist Christoph Hochheim (Ablebody, ex-Depreciation Guild), bassist Jacob Danish Sloan, drummer Chris Schackerman (ex-Mercury Girls, ex-Literature) and vocalist/keyboardist Jess Rojas.  The band will tour the UK in late May, returning to New York for Northside Festival in June with more selective dates set to be announced shortly. The Echo of Pleasure arrives later this summer. Website here, Facebook here.

The first of nine tracks on the new album 'The Echo of Pleasure' is 'My Only'. Vibrant and richly layered indie pop manifests itself throughout this hook filled album, the featured track sets the pace, and it's a fabulous ride from there on in.

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Weekend Wonders: Skybaby Siren - A Shoreline Dream - Touché Amoré - John K. Samson - Ptarmigan

Skybaby Siren - Day By Day (feat. Elia).

Background promo - Hailing from Sydney but now residing in London, producer/songwriter Craig Beck, aka Skybaby Siren, has been an established artist and writer for years. After finally deciding to start investing in his own music, he began releasing tracks periodically as an outlet from his usual work producing music for others. A multi-instrumentalist he see's the value in collaborating with singer-songwriters to enhance the music he composes and hopes that this somehow strikes a chord with music lovers.

Skybaby Siren’s latest release is ‘Day by Day’, featuring the vocal stylings of Elia and showcasing what the band self-describes as their brand of Sonic Psychedelic Rock Pop. It’s a sleekly produced track, that shows off the act’s typically 80’s influenced style, with hints of the serene pop of modern dream rockers DIIV. Elia’s cool vocals float through the song, ushering in the infectious harmonies of the track’s smooth chorus.

‘Day By Day’ is about being in a relationship where one person is more ahead with feelings than the other. It's about wanting to stay in the relationship but getting scared and wanting to control the pace.

The previous release, ‘I Love Everything About You’ - was cowritten and was the first Skybaby Siren track to feature Elia. Elia is a singer/songwriter from Melbourne. A graduate of the Australian Institute of Music, Elia's music style is mellow electro containing influences of Contemporary Jazz and Popular music. Since her first release in 2013, Elia has been composing all genres focusing mainly on top line work. It was through this work she began collaborating with Skybaby Siren.


 The band not only are releasing this brand new single, but an accompanying music video. The promo video explores the life of Neon, a young agoraphobic girl who lives "day by day" in a wardrobe taken care of by her very loving and understanding boyfriend Sam. Frustrated by the lack of human touch and the need to want to help Neon find her happy place Sam devises a very clever and cute solution to encourage Neon out of her little tiny house. (View here).

'Day By Day' definitely benefits from the inclusion of Elia on vocals, on what is a smooth, catchy pop/rock song. It's a collaboration that works, leaving us with a polished melodic piece.

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A Shoreline Dream - Whirlwind.

Background - 'Whirlwind' is the third single from the ever-evolving new record by A Shoreline Dream, which is being released song by song before its completion. This new track dives into the harsh reality of the constant changes occurring around us and the fact that everything continues to speed forward throughout our short lives. Originating in Barnum, Colorado, A Shoreline Dream is Ryan Policky (vocalist/guitarist/producer) and Erik Jeffries (guitar). Together, the two crafted this latest 'Whirlwind'.

With the recent death of singer Ryan Policky's father, and a murder occuring right next door to where A Shoreline Dream writes, practices and records, the motivation to finish and release this track was high on the band's to-do list for the summer. Riding a fine line between alternative rock, goth and post-punk and with a bass heavy overtone, the song dips and dives into layers of guitars and vocal chants, heavily influenced by the changing of seasons, and the speed of life for this band now celebrating its 10th year of music experimentation.

As autumn comes and the release of 'Whirlwind' hits, new music will be developed that brings in the next wave of what’s to soon become A Shoreline Dream’s first vinyl album. A Shoreline Dream makes what is best described as “progressive shoegaze”, combining lush sampled textures, organic instrumentation and vocals layered like a synth. Their sound is an invigorating mixture of sounds from the likes of Bauhaus, Ride and Sigur Rós mixed with early Dead Can Dance.

Over the past decade, the band has produced numerous acclaimed releases under their own label (Latenight Weeknight Records) and has intensively collaborating with legends such as Ulrich Schnauss and Mark Kramer. Recently they landed distribution by cult UK indie label Rocket Girl Records while recording with Ulrich in Leytonstone, and have also remixed an Engineers' song for progressive label gods K-Scope.


It's been a few years since we featured A Shoreline Dream, the song 'Whirlwind' confirms their consistent status of creating sonic delights. They can develop something nearing a wall of sound, and yet leave enough room for melodic hooks, that for me ensures a compulsive second listen.

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Touché Amoré - Skyscraper.

Background - 'Skyscraper' is the closing track off the band’s new album Stage Four, out September 16. In addition to front man Jeremy Bolm singing melody, the song also features guest vocals by acclaimed singer-songwriter Julien Baker.

As Jeremy Bolm explains “I'm a Leonard Cohen fanatic, and I feel he figured out early that his range can be brought to life with the accompaniment of a beautiful female voice over his. So taking a page from his book I asked Julien to join me on the track. I adore Julien and her talent. I couldn't have been more excited when she was down to do it.”

'Stage Four' is the band’s follow-up to their 2013 critically-admired album 'Is Survived By…' . It was recorded in Studio City, California with producer Brad Wood. Fans can pre-order 'Stage Four' at toucheamore.com and receive previously released tracks 'Palm Dreams' and 'Displacement' as instant downloads. Pre-order bundles are also available at toucheamore.com.

Since forming across 2007 and 2008, the Burbank, California band’s sound, with its melodic sonic assault and impassioned vocals, has grown tighter and more refined throughout their upward-moving career. Lead singer Jeremy Bolm, guitarists Nick Steinhardt and Clayton Stevens, bassist Tyler Kirby, and drummer Elliot Babin have created a trajectory for themselves through hard work and dedication. And now with Stage Four, their fourth and biggest album to date, they are cementing their status as one of rock music’s most talented, relatable, and visceral acts.


'Skyscraper' may have a hint of Leonard Cohen about it vocally and the inclusion of Julien Baker is a master-stroke, however this is an original song in it's own right. It is also a massive tease as we have to wait another four weeks for the album.

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John K. Samson - Postdoc Blues.

Background - Singer/Songwriter John K. Samson Enlists The Rhythm Section From His Renowned Band The Weakerthans For Much of His Second Solo Album,  Winter Wheat, Available From Epitaph/ANTI, October 21st, 2016.

Inspired by the search for connection and community, his hometown of Winnipeg, and our individual and collective struggles with addictions to drugs, screens, and fossil fuels, John K. Samson’s new full-length album, Winter Wheat, is a sprawling, masterful and timely work by a writer at the peak of his powers.

Winter Wheat was produced in garages and homes through a Winnipeg winter by Samson’s partner and collaborator, Christine Fellows, and his Weakerthans co-founder and drummer/multi-instrumentalist Jason Tait, and mixed in the spring in Toronto by Robbie Lackritz (Bahamas, Feist). The spare and thoughtful arrangements also feature Greg Smith of The Weakerthans on electric bass, Ashley Au on double and electric bass, Leanne Zacharias on cello, and Shotgun Jimmie on electric guitar.

Several of the 15 songs, most directly Select All Delete, Vampire Alberta Blues, and VPW 13 Blues, are inspired by Neil Young’s enduring 1974 album On the Beach, and that record’s honest and unvarnished spirit is evident throughout Winter Wheat. Postdoc Blues follows an aging student struggling to maintain faith in the possibility of a better world, while Fellow Traveller is loosely based on the life of the British art critic and Soviet spy Anthony Blunt. 150 years of Winnipeg’s history is revealed in the two and a half minutes of Oldest Oak at Brookside, and Samson’s recurring characters Virtute the cat and her troubled human companion (from The Weakerthans songs Plea from a Cat Named Virtute and Virtute the Cat Explains Her Departure) make their final appearances in 17th Street Treatment Centre and Virtute at Rest.

Like the crop itself, which is planted in the fall, sprouts, goes dormant through months of snow and rises in the spring, Winter Wheat is a determined, beautiful, resilient response to difficult and extraordinary times.


'Postdoc Blues' certainly suggests that we are in for something a little special with the October album release 'Winter Wheat'. The song is gently melodic, and has a crisp, defined sound allowing all elements to shine.

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Ptarmigan - O Zephyr.

Background from the band - 'O Zephyr' is about the best example of what Ptarmigan is as a band. In the track, acoustic instruments like banjo and mandolin are layered and blended with synthesized and electronic textures. This rich layering is what we are constantly trying to achieve as a band. Lyrically, the song is my attempt to come to terms with the source of my musical creations and inspiration. I think of art as a sort of palimpsest, that is, a manuscript that is constantly written, wiped of its contents, re-written, but on which the traces of previous creations remain.

I don't think of any music as purely original, but interesting re-imaginations or tapestries of previous cultural creations. I think we've sort of learned to embrace our nerdiness as a band, which is pretty critical to understanding our music. We are all really inspired by fantasy and mythology and this definitely comes out in our music. There is a certain epicness to it, though we really try to maintain a level of good aesthetic taste. (August 26th release date, Eastern Canada tour planned for October).

Release shows:
Aug 26, 2016 - The Spill - Peterborough, ON w/ Nick Procyshyn
Aug 27, 2016 - Burdock Music Hall - Toronto, ON w/ Isla Craig
Sept 1, 2016 - Baltimore House - Hamilton, ON w/ Grey \ Water and Dizzy

I have to say I can't help but agree with the sentiments in the second paragraph above regarding the originality of  music in general. 'O Zephyr' therefore does pretty well in that it does have some unique attributes, and more importantly is one fine song. Maybe it's time for us all to embrace our nerdiness, if it leads to high quality music....

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Bumper Catch Up featuring: Rubblebucket - Mollie Elizabeth - Lilly Hiatt - The Kearns Family - WILDES and St Francis Hotel - Lucette - Caroline Strickland - Mon Rayon - Lala Salama

Keeping the comments a little shorter so we can cram a few more songs in than usual, this is our first bumper catch up of some really fine r...