The Dot And The Line - Draw Me In.Background - English duo Dot and the Line’s have released their alluring debut single “Draw Me In.” Based in Los Angeles and consisting of keyboardist, guitarist, and programmer Ned Douglas and vocalist Hetty Clark, The Dot and The Line were born from a shared love of classic downtempo electronica and dark cinematic soundscapes.
“Draw Me In” represents the pair’s enigmatic blend of analog synths, programmed beats, and Clark's hushed vocals. According to Clark, “Draw Me In” also reflects The Dot and The Line's interest in human intimacy:
“It's like watching a sketch unfold and then be redrawn in a changing social world. The song celebrates and flirts with this feeling of danger, and with the quiet allure that comes with change. It is not difficult to notice how saturated and absorbed people are in their online lives. There is a morbidity in this. In valuing a virtual life over a face-to-face life, we are generating a world of individuals who are connecting to disparate groups - but in an emotionally detached way. It’s as if the rules of relating are all being re-written before our eyes. This feels liberating and dangerous when you scratch the surface.”
Douglas explains that the duo’s songs are “often moody in atmosphere because we are both drawn to cinematic soundscapes. We appreciate music that is expansive and full of tension.” Inspired by Jean Rhys’ belief that “you need a dark background to show the bright colours,” The Dot and The Line insist that “if a song has a dark vibe, the darkness can act as a background out of which something euphoric can emerge.” Facebook here.
'Draw Me In' mixes dusky and richly layered synth sounds with some equally down tempo and darkly dramatic vocals. The shadowy video catches and amplifies this mood, on what is an outstanding debut single.
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Background - Get A Life is a band inspired. It comes from a drive to keep pretending life won’t start keeping score till you decide. Get A Life is reactionary. In a world where everything is a facade and nothing actually works (How is Spotify busted?!), Get A Life pulls the curtain back, sets it on fire, gets naked, reaches out for a hug and says, “Come as you are. PLUR. Who’s hungry?”. Get A Life is family. With Our Band Could Be Your Get A Life, the band’s debut album, they are forcing themselves into the guitar music narrative by interrupting the conversation to talk about themselves. Get A Life needs you. Get A Life is your narcissistic friend with incredible hair who is constantly asking, “How’s my hair?”, just so you can pad the stats with the retort, “PERF!!!”. Get A Life is V Get A Life.
The recordings are rare. When Chase DeMaster (Very Jazzed, children of pop, Deep Cuts) met Yuuki Mathews (The Shins, Sufjan Stevens, David Bazan) at a house party he only had a handful of demos. It wasn’t until Yuuki got excited about doing an album that the project turned into a real thing. How could you say no to making a record with one of your idols? More songs turned to demos, demos turned to stems, stems to final mixes, Cody Smith jumped onboard for mastering and now we have a Lo-Fi record of incredibly refined taste. Sometimes the band humorously pretends to be sophisticated by replacing the word “Get” with the word “Take” during practice. EX: They refer to their hit song, “Get A Job”, as, “Take A Job”, or change the band name from, "Get A Life”, to, “Take A Life”. See, Get A Life can be serious too. Seriously Rad... AF.
"This was a really fun song to make. From the jump, I wanted to make a banger. I wanted the drums to blast out of people's speakers and create an instant groove on a feel-good-to-be-around-friends tip. I had the chord progression from a leftover song, as well as bits and pieces of melodic content. Lyrically, the song is reflects on the balance of work and play. It feels good to indulge when justified by healthy productivity, but as the song unfolds, in a kind of Shakespearean twist, you hear what happens when you play too much. That's when the guitar takes the baton. It pushes things up and over the edge with a rippin' solo, a fit of noise and technique not unlike something from the FUGAZI x Sufjan Stevens school of sound." - Get A Life
On August 4th, Get A Life releases, "What You Deserve", their debut single via #veryjazzed / Frenchkiss Label Group. Website here, Facebook here.
With a chunky rhythm, fuzzy guitars and potent vocals all colliding together 'What You Deserve' should on paper equal chaos. It's the passion and energy that gives it some order, alongside a very deep hook, that almost urges the listener to hit replay.
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Fastball - Behind The Sun.Background - Fastball released their 6th album, Step Into Light, earlier this summer and immediately set out on an extensive North American tour with Everclear. The new album is available through the band’s own 33 1/3 label and is the first Fastball collection to get a vinyl LP release. The band is now launching their own headlining tour beginning July 20th in Atlanta with multiple stops across the country through October.
With nearly 20 years of musical explorations and milestones under its belt, Fastball remains one of the most consistent and continuously celebrated rock bands on the road today. The group recorded the new album Step Into Light in their hometown of Austin, Texas, with the three bandmates co-producing with longtime friend Chris "Frenchie" Smith.
The resulting collection extends Fastball’s widely-loved body of work, which encompasses such acclaimed albums as their 1996 debut Make Your Mama Proud, their 1998 platinum breakthrough All the Pain Money Can Buy (which spawned the Grammy-nominated Top Five hit "The Way"), 2000's The Harsh Light of Day, 2004's Keep Your Wig On and 2009's Little White Lies. Website here, live dates on Beehive Candy's Tour News page.
Is it just me or does 'Behind The Sun' remind you of The Beatles at least in part? See that as a compliment, this is a fabulous song, from a well established band. That they can turn out a very catchy song, make it seem simple, and at just over two minutes ensure I want more, is for me at least, pretty cool and some..
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Background - The Summer of Love was an extraordinary moment in history - a hedonistic blast of glamour, ecstasy, and Utopianism that drew 75,000 people to the streets of San Francisco in 1967.
The Vietnam War was raging, anti-war protests were surging, civil rights had morphed into Black Power, and the Beatles & Bob Dylan were voicing a cultural revolution on the airwaves. Psychedelic drugs were a sacrament, and everything was spiritual. The youth led the way. They opened the door, and everybody went through it. Everything changed after that.
“The songs! Wow! Will these pearls of hippie pop ever date? We don’t think so! Their original inbuilt dynamics fall and rise with such a truly instinctive yet musical confidence they’ll always arouse two things in a listener: an intellectual curiosity and a musical connection that locks indelibly into their groove.” — Jon C Butler
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Summer Of Love, Diesel Park West have recorded four of their favourite songs from 1967. Played live in the studio, this is their collective touchstone of songs – those played in rehearsal or jams right from the beginning.
Lead track ‘For What It’s Worth’ (Revisited) is surely as prescient today as it was 50 years ago in the hands of Buffalo Springfield. We’re still sitting here wondering how it's going to pan out or if it ever can. Next up is the Youngbloods classic ‘Let's Get Together’ followed by The Jefferson Airplane's ‘Somebody To Love’ - one of the first big hits to come out of the US West Coast counterculture scene. The EP closes in style with ‘Alone Again Or’ from Love album Forever Changes. Released on Strataville, the Summer of Love EP is available digitally to stream/buy now. Website here, Facebook here.
The 'Summer of Love EP' takes me back to my childhood (I emphasise childhood), the thing is that with three older siblings, it was songs like this that I grew up to. From a musical perspective I was a spoilt child, and wow was I spoilt (musically that is, keep up!). Anyhow Diesel Park West have done these songs proud, showing respect for the originals and allowing their own talent to shine through.
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Bradley Wik & The Charlatans - Lookin' At Luckey.Background - Bradley Wik & The Charlatans released their second single, "Lookin' at Luckey" last Friday. Just like Odysseus, Bradley Wik has always been too far from home, a Midwest boy searching for the music that once was and that could be once again. For the record title, Bradley takes a line from the Thin Lizzy song, "Got to Give it Up." He has lived a lot more life than his age would let on. Battling with drugs and alcohol, failed relationships, and personal struggle, this new record is a way for the singer-songwriter to come to terms with his rambling lifestyle.
Clinging closely to the belief that raw, organic music has the power to penetrate the airwaves again, Bradley has broken the mold of modern trends and gone back to its roots, recording as a band, together, in one room, to tape; and without social media.
Wise beyond his years, Bradley draws on themes of redemption. There’s an unmatched vitality that he brings to his music; it doesn’t have to be perfect, but it does have to be worth it. What makes music great? The stories. And the moment where someone listening says, “that’s me.” Bradley Wik & The Charlatans "In My Youth, I'm Getting Old..." will be available September 15th, 2017. Website here.
We featured the first single just four weeks back and the new song 'Lookin' At Luckey' is just as good, deserving to be added to our output. So the background words above might be familiar to some of you, but hey, it's hot, I've had a very busy couple of days (OK having fun), just enjoy the song, it's bodes well for the album.
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