Jack Ladder & The Dreamlanders - Atlantic Machine - Honey Radar

Jack Ladder & The Dreamlanders - Feel Brand New.

Background - “Feel Brand New” is the third song taken from the forthcoming Jack Ladder & The Dreamlanders album ‘Blue Poles’, out May 4 on Self Portrait Records. Capturing the sweet disposition that love can make life’s problems seem insignificant, the track takes a different direction, both musically and thematically from previous single “White Flag”.

“The bones of the song appeared on New Years Day after going to bed sober before midnight.“ Ladder says. “That day my partner and I went for a short bush walk that turned into a 5 hour trek. I was feeling a new chapter turning over.“

Jack Ladder is currently supporting Alex Cameron across Europe and the UK soon after a US run together, and will then have his own headline London show at The Shacklewell Arms on April 17th. Upon returning to Australia he will again join Alex Cameron but this time hitting the arenas as the opening act for The Killers on their national tour in April and May, following on from the band declaring themselves fans. Soon after that he will launch ‘Blue Poles’ with The Dreamlanders in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney in May. 

Blue Poles will be the fifth album from one of the most singular characters in Australian music. Sentimental and mournful, sardonic and surreal. Jack Ladder brings that towering and tender baritone to bear on tales of beauty, love, hope and redemption. A master of musical narrative, he conjures lyrics that celebrate the absurdity and sincerity of the human condition in songs that groove in subtle ways. WEBSITE.

We featured 'White Flag' just over a month ago and the new song 'Feel Brand New' is another stunning song. Slow paced, atmospheric and with Jack Ladder's definitive and enticing vocals, the production is sublime, the new album cannot arrive soon enough!


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Atlantic Machine - I Don't Wanna Be Your Friend.

Background - London duo Atlantic Machine have announced the release of new single I Don’t Wanna Be Your Friend released on 6th April along with a video for the track. Debut album Mosquito will be released on 18th May.

Atlantic Machine are Producer and Grammy award winning Engineer Jim Lowe (Stereophonics, The Dandy Warhols, The Charlatans) and Vocalist and Guitarist Tiffany Page, who first met in the studio before forming their own musical partnership.

The pairing sees the baritone voice of Jim mixed with Tiffany’s raspy tones to create a unique new wave sound. New single I Don’t Wanna Be Your Friend follows recent single Automatic and is a tongue-in-cheek upbeat track that builds with a compellingly dirty guitar riff to an alt-pop chorus. The video, featuring both Jim and Tiffany, is the perfect match to the track. The band say;

“"This song is about people that have pissed you off or hurt you and you now don't care about. Relationships consumed in arguments. This song was written with the humour of these situations, rather than the bitter taste people get left with.” WEBSITE.

Less than a month since we first featured Atlantic Machines they are back with 'I Don't Wanna Be Your Friend'  another impressive song that's is more than worthy of a share. This time we have a catchy rhythmic rocker, where once again the vocal duet adds distinction, as the duo up the power and pace.


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Honey Radar - Psychic Cruise.

Background - Are you ready to go on a Psychic Cruise, my friend?  Well strap in. Yet again, Honey Radar.  What can you possibly say by now that’s not totally redundant at this point?  Lo-fi master-class pop handyman rock sketches in the vein of Pavement or Syd Barrett.  Questions?  I didn’t think so. 

“Psychic Cruise” is the third proper single that Chunklet has been fortunate enough to release by the Philly band and is streaming now on Self-Titled.  More splayed noise.  More reverb.  More racket.  More hooks.  Repeat.  Five new jams.  Never heard before.  New Honey Radar will always be celebrated at Chunklet HQ. 

We’re told that next in the Honey Radar series will be a Fall tribute single featuring Chunklet’s Henry Owings.  What will they be called?  Henry Radar.  Coming Fall ’18. WEBSITE.

The psychedelic sixties meets modern times head on with 'Psychic Cruise' a fabulous albeit short blast of Honey Radar.

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MAWD - Atlantic Machine - Krantz - Ganser

MAWD - Dark Room.

Background - MAWD is the moniker of California musician and songwriter Madeline Matthews. Her stunning compositions fuse rock’n’roll, folk/blues and pop. The soulful, textured timbre of MAWD is diverse and ranges anywhere from a breathy and sultry folk/blues vibe, to a powerful Janis Joplin-esque/Karen O. belt. 

Her vocals perfectly imprint upon the sonic foundation laid by quivering electric guitar, haunting harmonies, classic acoustic folk rhythms, south western inspired Americana bass lines, and full percussion. MAWD is a true musician playing the piano, guitar, ukulele, bass, accordion and some banjo as well.

MAWD’s upcoming single ‘Dark Room’, profiles the feeling of isolation that so many of today’s use experience today. “I felt like I was going crazy, sitting in my dark dingy dorm room, struggling with the longing for a comforting feeling, trying to fit in, feeling like a stranger in my skin, and discovering a new dark part of my mind”, reveals MAWD. ‘Dark Room’ is an explosion of soulful husky vocals, over gritty guitars and powerful driving rhythms. MAWD has been compared to the likes of Elle King, Janis Joplin and Alabama Shakes.

Her debut self titled EP is produced by Roger Gisborne of Los Angeles based record label Sound x3 and Josiah Mezzaschi (Rilo Kiley, Kate Nash, The Jesus and The Mary Chain) and mastered by Brian Lucey (The Black Keys, Beck, The Kills). MAWD has headlined sold out shows across the globe and will be performing at SXSW this spring. ‘Dark Room’ is currently available worldwide. FACEBOOK, TWITTER.

The vocals have some fine and natural blues vibes to them on 'Dark Room' a soulful rocker that has both passion and plenty of "play me again" hooks, it's natural and desirable.

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Atlantic Machine - Automatic.

Background - London duo Atlantic Machine have released thier debut single Automatic (16th March) followed by the album Mosquito on 18th May. Atlantic Machine are Producer and Grammy award winning Engineer Jim Lowe (Stereophonics, The Dandy Warhols, The Charlatans) and Vocalist and Guitarist Tiffany Page, who first met in the studio before forming their own musical partnership.

The pairing sees the baritone voice of Jim mixed with Tiffany’s raspy tones to create a unique new wave sound. Debut single Automatic is a dark electro-pop track that builds with synths and strings to a powerful and emotive chorus. The band say;

“It’s about how we all do things automatically through our life. It can be how we automatically love someone or love someone despite being treated badly. It can be how we automatically carry on doing the daily grind. It is abstract enough to make it your own interpretation…"

Recorded in London at Jim’s home studio and Rak Studios, forthcoming album Mosquito includes collaborations with String Arranger and Cellist Laura Anstee, who has performed with Bjork, Kanye West, Adele, Jay Z and Florence & The Machine and Drummer Jamie Morrison (Stereophonics, The Noisettes). WEBSITE, TWITTER.

Atlantic Machine gradually increase the power on 'Automatic' where a seductive vocal duet is backed by an increasingly layered sound-scape, where mystery abounds.

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Krantz - Until We Meet Again / Run Away.

Background - Nashville-based, alt/psych-rock band, Krantz,  drop new lyric video, "Run Away From Me” and single "Until We Meet Again" from their upcoming EP, The Pennock Tapes, due out April 27.  The single is an anthem dedicated to feeling stuck in a rut and disheartened by living in the shadows  and realizing how  nothing is going to change unless one takes a chance.

With a retro style and influence from the golden age of rock and roll, but with a modern touch, Jeffrey Krantz and his band bring a psychedelic/pop/rock edge equipped with an in-your face attitude.

Influenced by his drummer father and the Beatles, he embraced music as an expressive medium at the early age of 12, and developed himself as a musician, songwriter and artist. Leaving his home state of Iowa, traveling the world, touring over 200 days per year with the “Effects” and opening for bands such as the Kings of Leon, Shinedown, Foreigner and the Toadies, Jeffrey made the decision to “live the dream” and eventually landed in Nashville.

Recognizing the world was in dire need of some melodic rock he continued to write, record and eventually self-produced his own self-titled album. Krantz hit the studio between tapings of MTV’s music competition, “American Supergroup” where he eventually became a finalist in the competition.

A entwinement of provocative lyrics and no-holds rock and roll, Krantz sees his music as a balanced combination of frantic ecstasy and introspective depths. Alternating between crazy antics, a dash of face paint, and a meaningful look within, Krantz feels that his music is the perfect blend of his extroverted personality. Drawing from his influences of The Beatles, Weezer, and T-Rex, Krantz looks for meaning and purpose within his rock N Roll sound. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

'Until We Meet Again' opens with some classic riffs and a gorgeous guitar sound whilst the vocals are refined and easy on the ear. With 'Run Away' we have more gorgeous rock vibes and once again the melodic hooks are there in abundance. The band clearly have a knack for catchy unpretentious rock songs, that's plenty enough for me!



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Ganser - Avoidance.

Background - “Avoidance” is the second new single and music video that the Chicago post-punk band Ganser has shared from their forthcoming debut album Odd Talk (out 4/20 via No Trend Records). “Avoidance” is a sharp pain of miscommunication, the exhaustion of trying to be understood by someone you love but your language is all wrong. Ultimately, the effort is pointless. Nadia Garofalo's voice rises and falls with synth washes over driving bass and drums, while Charlie Landsman's guitar punctuates with sharp flourishes. In the video, cars race in a sparse desert landscape towards an unknown end.

Throughout Odd Talk, Ganser’s amorphous sound takes on the form of their comedically grim, absurdist subject matter. Exercising both introverted melody and extroverted noise, the band finds meaning through echolalic shouts and murmurs. Garofalo shouts and barks with an acerbic edge, while Alicia Gaines' vocals soothe and swell. Mumbled, spit out, Ganser explores communication breakdown from beginning to end... seeking meaning in mess, they sort through syllables and signals to find the right words. “Avoidance” follows the album’s first critically-acclaimed first single “PSY OPS” (buy/stream), which came out last month.

After the bands’ headlining record release show @ Glitter Creeps’ party at the Empty Bottle on 4/16, the band will also be heading out on tour in support of Odd Talk (all dates below). They’ll be performing a string of shows with Bloody Knives before heading venturing out on their own in the Southeast. WEBSITE, TWITTER.

Ganser Tour Dates:
3/28 - Chicago, IL - Beat Kitchen (w/ Shopping, Tyvek)
4/16 - Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle (Record Release Show)
4/25 - Detroit, MI - Outer Limits Lounge %
4/26 - Pittsburgh, PA - Howlers %
4/27 - Brooklyn, NY - Alphaville %
4/28 - Philadelphia, PA - Mothership %
4/29 - Providence, RI - Alchemy %
5/01 - Brooklyn, NY - St. Vitus
5/02 - Baltimore, MD - Sidebar
5/03 - Richmond, VA - Flora
5/04 - Raleigh, NC - Slim's
5/05 - Atlanta, GA - 529
5/06 - Memphis, TN - Bar DKDC
% - with Bloody Knives

It is just four weeks since we shared the first single (Psy Ops) from Ganser, 'Avoidance' makes for a very welcome follow up. The music video is retro (just love those classic cars), the song a potent rocker packed with determination and emotion, expect plenty more on the forthcoming album, it's going to be worth the wait.


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