Norwegian indie-folk act Louien has shared new single 'Second Best', the second cut to be shared from her forthcoming EP Figure Me Out. Emerging from Nesodden, a peninsula in the Oslo fjord, Live Miranda Solberg (Louien) fuses the fiercer elements of Feist and Sharon Van Etten’s songwriting with the timelessness qualities present in the work of Carole King and Gillian Welch.
We last heard from Louien in the summer of 2021 when she shared her highly-acclaimed, liberating EP No Tomorrow. An attempt to write from a less serious perspective, it was the antidote to her 2019 debut album None of My Words which dealt with the trauma left behind by her father’s death. Out September 16th via Jansen Records, Figure Me Out is in many ways a sequel to last year’s No Tomorrow.
Thematically, the EP is about how characteristics we think of as cool, such as aloofness, are often the reverse and that it’s much cooler and, indeed, stronger to be yourself and choose vulnerability when you know it might bring pain.
“I’ve found that so many people try to stay mysterious in order to seem interesting, when in reality it’s being open and candid that’s the most attractive, at least in the long run,” explains Louien. "So many of my relationships have had this deep insecurity in their core, creating a very intense and very toxic dynamic,” she continues.
Her new single, 'Second Best', showcases Louien’s truly arresting vocal abilities. It speaks of the journey Louien has taken towards accepting her own emotions.
Of the song, Louien says “I grew up learning that some emotions are good and some bad. Later in life I’ve learned that emotions are emotions, and that they only become dangerous when we label them as such and let them scare us. This song came from my process of understanding this, and from meeting people who’d been taught that it’s safe to be emotional from a young age.”
Indie singer/songwriter Brooke Annibale has just released her new single "Be Around." The latest peek at her forthcoming album Better By Now (out Sept. 30th through Nettwerk Music Group), "Be Around" finds Annibale leaning more into her pop sensibilities with a simpler thematic approach and a straightforward love ballad about just wanting to be in someone's company as much as possible. Under The Radar called it "an irresistible pop groove."
"On the surface, this is a simple song about falling for someone and just wanting to be around them," said Annibale. "But it's also about having the confidence to say so. I've been feeling a lot more confident in my own skin, and the way this song turned out is a reflection of that."
She continued, "I learned an Oasis song ('Champagne Supernova') and loved how the verse was all open chords and then when the chorus hits it has this big lift because of the full major chord. That's why it feels so great. I went for that feeling on this song."
"Be Around" follows the relase of the title track "Better By Now," a stark reflection that merges personal emotions with the roller coaster of current events, praised by Melodic Magazine as "intoxicating" and The Revue who called it "A terrific tune from an underrated singer-songwriter." Earlier this summer, Brooke teased the “immediately catchy” (FLOOD) lead single “What If You” and the “soaring, ethereal pop song” (Brooklyn Vegan) “5 AM” accompanied by the Genéa Gaudet-directed video. In celebration of Pride Month, Brooke also shared an inspiring op-ed via Atwood Magazine on representation, equality, authentic connection, and her journey to self-acceptance.
A fearless new collection of songs, Brooke has both emboldened her sound on Better By Now as well as entered a new phase of life after making significant strides in her mental-health journey and saying “I do” to her wife. Produced by Christian “Leggy” Langdon (Joseph, Amos Lee) and Matthew E White (Natalie Prass, Dan Croll), Better By Now features 10 blossoming indie-pop tracks that Brooke describes as a “spectrum of emotions.” In her trademark layered approach, the Pittsburgh-born, Rhode Island-based artist reflects on love, anxiety, depression, and how two seemingly opposing forces can exist at once. “The album is basically half about falling in love and half about mental health.”
This is Sam Clark and Yasmine Shelton of the folk-duo Basset. We call Toronto home, and this gritty, massive, in-your-face, messy place is woven deep into the music we create.
After graduating from university we took a big trip to Italy. I (Sam) was coming out of the worst burnout of my life, and had made the decision not to continue with school, and pursue music instead. Yas was in a similar boat, and had decided to take some time off as well.
I couldn’t believe how much Italy looked like a movie; it was so beautiful it was almost ridiculous. While we were in Florence we got caught in the rain, and not a little shower, it was a total downpour. We were soaked in seconds, but we didn’t mind at all. We had nowhere to be, and the rain wasn’t cold, so we just stood there while the water made rivers in the streets. Later that night we took a walk, with the street lights reflecting off the canals and the wet cobblestones. It was total catharsis, and the perfect thing to mark that transition in our lives.
The water’s so warm In this change of time
We find the closer we stand next to each other, the better we sound. Because of this, we had always wanted to record a song around a single microphone. So we set up in a barn in rural Ontario with our friend and fellow songwriter, Benjamin Dakota Rogers. It was the high heat of summer, and there was no air conditioning in the barn, no windows. We cooked and sweated our way through that session, and you can see the heat in that video. But we really captured the heart of the song in this recording.
Produced by Joshua Van Tassel (Sarah Slean, David Myles), the ten songs on our debut album, In The Clay (Sept 30), explore various themes of life in change, our travels around Northern Ontario, the Canadian and American prairies, our lives in Toronto, and the characters – from all walks of life – who have crossed our paths.
Lauren Monroe - singer, songwriter, and healing artist - announces a September tour in support of Messages from Aphrodite with the premiere of a new video, “Sparrow.” This is the latest offering from the upcoming album, due out September 9th, which Monroe co-produced with the legendary Jim Scott.
Monroe, a New York-born, California-based polymath, conducts parallel careers as a gifted singer-songwriter and a renowned mental-health advocate. She approaches these intertwined roles with equal passion, her nuanced understanding of human behavior informing her music, which she sees as “a heart-based experience” that is “not just about listening—it’s about feeling and connecting.” She draws on her deep well of accrued knowledge in her songs, which she delivers in a luminous alto that resonates with empathy. Her experiential lyrics, emotionally authentic and free of pretense, are embedded in vibrant folk-rock settings, immediate in their impact and timeless in their sound.
Music and healing have always been focal points in Monroe’s life. Earlier this year, she was joined by her husband, the legendary drummer Rick Allen of Def Leppard, for a run of intimate East Coast club dates during which they also displayed their mixed-media art. The pieces were then auctioned online to benefit Raven Drum Foundation, an organization they founded with the mission to serve, educate and empower veterans dealing with PTSD and combat trauma, people in crisis, and other at-risk individuals.
And in 2021, she staged the first Big Love Benefit Concert, which featured performances by Billy Idol, Wynonna Judd, and the Allman Betts Band, among others. Proceeds from the event, which brought financial and mental health support to music-industry professionals affected by the pandemic, were donated to the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund. “Being of service is a way of helping yourself as well,” she reflects. “And the healing power of music is profound. Everything I do is part of a journey of healing.”
Los Angeles-based Artist Bel-la showcases her original brand of ethereal indie rock on the powerful new single with a universal theme of loss - "Nothing's Gonna Get You Back", out now via Dime Dash's BLUROC Records. Bel-la's vocals are captivating and almost dream-like, even when singing about heartbreak or sadness, and the music is appropriately atmospheric and driving. The results is both understated and profound.
Based on her artistic approach, it's no surprise that Bel-la finds much of her inspiration and songwriting ideas in dreams. Whether someone close to you has passed away or you've experienced the loss of a serious relationship, the music and lyrics should relate to nearly everyone. Musically, this darker shade of Indie Rock should appeal to fans of Wolf Alice, Lana Del Rey, St. Vincent and Hope Sandoval.
"The inspiration for this song was really the sentiment of loss in general, loved ones passing, relationships ending etc and how even though these things are no longer in a physical form they still exist so strongly all around us and in our memories, and the fabric of our vast lives."
Hohnen Ford has just released her debut single "Infinity" via Young Poet (Conor Albert, WOOZE, Carmody). Hohnen Ford is the solo project of singer-songwriter Ella Hohnen-Ford who counts the likes of Joni Mitchell, Bjork, Big Thief, Fiona Apple and Sarah Vaughan as inspirations. Prior to the release of any music, Hohnen Ford found a corner of the internet in which to really express herself on Reddit, where she regularly commands the attention of up to one million viewers on her live streams, with the associated Kudos to reflect such viewership. Hohnen Ford has recently taken her live experience “offline” and has sold out venues including Vortex and St Pancras Old Church in London.
Debut single "Infinity" was written and produced by Hohnen Ford and mixed by Tom Carmichael (Matt Maltese, Porridge Radio, Wu-Lu). The song is a delectably sparse treatise on serenity, written at a make or break moment in her life where Hohnen Ford was searching within herself for answers and a breakthrough in her own self-discovery; in her lyrics she muses on the loneliness of youth as she embarks on her exploration: "I haven't found it yet / maybe I never will but I'll tretcher on / It's a lifetime skill".
Speaking more on the lyrical inspiration of the new single, Hohnen Ford described "Infinity" as: "A stream of consciousness in a quiet moment when the world felt overwhelming. A note to myself as I was reflecting on what was bubbling around in my brain at a time of crossroads in my life."
Hohnen Ford is a native of North London, by way of a brief stay in San Francisco where a next-door neighbour (who shared her house with a chatter of Parakeets) introduced her to her first instrument, the flute. From that colourful introduction, music seeped into Hohnen Ford’s world from almost every familial angle. A baptism into the world of Northern Soul came via her father; her mother flooded the house with classical piano pieces and the family has leaned into music’s healing qualities by reciting a grandfather’s favoured jazz repertoire to help him find calm in the stormy waters of dementia.
Hohnen Ford’s path almost inevitably led to the doors of The Royal Academy of music where she studied “Jazz Voice” (one of the few young women to do so). A self-confessed explorer, Hohnen Ford’s ambition is to “fill rooms around the world with people who want to be there, making them really feel something so they get lost in the music”.
Indie singer/songwriter Brooke Annibale announced today her new album Better By Now will release on September 30th through Nettwerk Music Group. A fearless new collection of songs, Brooke has both emboldened her sound on Better By Now as well as entered a new phase of life after making significant strides in her mental-health journey and saying “I do” to her wife. She also shared today the title track and official video for “Better By Now,” a stark reflection that merges personal emotions with the roller coaster of current events.
“I wrote this song in early January 2021,” stated Brooke. “We had literally just put the christmas tree out on the curb, and I felt this terrible sentimental feeling for it. This was also the same week as the Capitol attack. We had pushed through 2020, looking at 2021 as some kind of savior, but once it arrived nothing really changed. There was still the same intensely hostile political discourse and the pandemic continued raging on. It felt like things were getting worse somehow, when I hoped for it to be better by now. Reflecting on that time, it taught me that expecting a perfect external outcome will not lead to feeling better. I’ve got to do the internal work to have any kind of peace with the roller coaster of life.”
Produced by Christian “Leggy” Langdon (Joseph, Amos Lee) and Matthew E White (Natalie Prass, Dan Croll), Better By Now features 10 blossoming indie-pop tracks that Brooke describes as a “spectrum of emotions.” In her trademark layered approach, the Pittsburgh-born, Rhode Island-based artist reflects on love, anxiety, depression, and how two seemingly opposing forces can exist at once. “The album is basically half about falling in love and half about mental health.”
Last month Lawn announced Bigger Sprout, their new record which is due out July 15th on Born Yesterday, the up and coming Chicago label that is home to bands like Moontype, Cafe Racer and Caution. Written, rehearsed, and recorded under a month-long period, Bigger Sprout explores a feeling of urgency as a theme and a catalyst: urgency to get out of uncomfortable situations, urgency to take relationships more seriously, urgency to work on themselves, urgency to play shows again, urgency to record, urgency to start a family, urgency to make plans and leave old settings behind, urgency to grow up and become more in tune to your surroundings, urgency to quit old habits and pick up new ones. The EP, co-written with former drummer Hunter Keene, is a document that embodies the anxieties of change, for better or worse. Now the band are sharing a second single from the record, a track called "Night Life".
Lawn's Mac Folger and Rui DeMagalhaes share lead vocal duties in the band, and while the jangly and melancholic first single "Down" was sung by Folger, DeMagalhaes takes center stage for "Night Life", a more wirey, punky track (with drums performed by Hunter Keene) that was based on an encounter with a former Todd Rundgren crew member in a DC bar.
"I was at a bar in DC shortly before the pandemic started when I met this washed up dude who said he had been a live tech for Todd Rundgren," DeMagalhaes explains. "A few drinks in, he went on a tirade against what he perceived as “weak manners” among millennials and Gen Z musicians, saying that we’ve gotten lazy and soft. He offered to show me around his favorite dives, saying that he was in aa constant search of the night life. The song is written from the perspective of a character loosely based on him, a Don Quixote-like figured who has overstayed his welcome but is oblivious to this.
"On an added note, he complained that Rundgren fired him for being a booze hound and an overall liability. He still seemed pretty resentful about losing the gig, but also played in a Rundgren cover band around the area. To be honest, I don’t know how truthful this man was, but I suppose it does not matter."
Keep Shelly In Athens pays tribute to groups that fought against the Nazis during WWII on a pair of new songs. "White Rose" is the first of these and will be released on May 27.
"The White Rose was a non-violent, intellectual resistance group in Nazi Germany. Their activities started in Munich on June 27, 1942. The group conducted an anonymous leaflet and graffiti campaign that called for active opposition to the Nazi regime. The core members of the group who carried on distributing the pamphlets, faced show trials by the Nazi People's Court (Volksgerichtshof) and were executed by guillotine four days after their arrest, on February 22, 1943."
The ethereal and swirling sounds of Greece’s Keep Shelly in Athens capture the transient feelings of city life and the inevitable passing of time. With lush melodic beats and dreamy vocals Keep Shelly’s production is an accessible and lighthearted entry into the world of down-tempo electronica. With previous releases on labels including Forest Family Records, Transparent Records, Planet Mu, Cascine and Friends of Friends, the duo have already transported their whimsical arrangements and soothing productions across the globe, including performances at Coachella Festival, Parklife Festival, Brighton’s The Great Escape Festival, etc. In addition to their own releases they have also done official remixes for Tycho (Ghostly International), Blood Diamonds (4AD), Steve Mason (Domino) and many more…
Indie singer/songwriter Brooke Annibale announces a new single called “5 AM.” The latest peek at her forthcoming album, “5 AM” is a slow-burning, ethereal song inspired by long conversations that stretch into the early morning hours and the first blush of new love. "5 AM" is available everywhere this Friday, May 27.
“It’s completely about falling in love with my wife,” stated Brooke. “It's when we realized, ‘I think that we might like each other a little bit, that we would stay up this late talking. It's the journey of falling in love. The first verse was basically me envisioning, what would our wedding day be like? And what do I want on that day? I was like, I wanna dance. I wanna cry. I wanna laugh. It sounds kind of corny, but those are all things that ended up being very true on our wedding day.”
“5 AM” follows the release of “What If You,” the first single off her upcoming album debut with Nettwerk Music Group. A lush and dreamy track, “What If You” serves as the perfect introduction to her evolving sound as she digs into the mixed emotions and gentle balance of maintaining her music career while acknowledging the complicated nature of new love. FLOOD called it “immediately catchy” while Brooklyn Vegan described it as “a dreamy, folky song that kinda feels like the middle ground between Weyes Blood and Beach House.”
Brooke's expressive and beautifully thoughtful songwriting creates a dreamy and enticing sonic landscape. She has been a favorite among music supervisors and featured in such media as Stereogum, Wall Street Journal, Billboard, NPR/World Café, Consequence, Paste, Under The Radar, American Songwriter and more. She has also shared the stage with artists like Mt. Joy, Iron & Wine, Lucius, and Rufus Wainwright. She joins Nettwerk’s expanding label roster, which also includes artists like Old Sea Brigade, Bre Kennedy, SYML, Luke Sital-Singh, Aisha Badru, Wild Rivers and more.
Dubmatix Meets Future Dub Orchestra - Heavy Stepper.
The sound of Future Dub Orchestra meets Dubmatix is a hybrid of “Cinematic Electronica” and “Leftfield Chill" deeply rooted in Dub, merging into lush vibes, low-end love, and atmospheric layers.
Initiated by J.T. Clarke of FDO (Future Dub Orchestra) when he approached Dubmatix about doing a collaboration of two songs turned into an E.P. with accompanying dub versions. Dub On Dub
The “Innerblues” of Bristol (Future Dub Orchestra) meets the “frontline dub” of Toronto (Dubmatix) in a very exciting and upgraded sound experience.
A delectable showcase full of versions, vibrations and vocal mutations, madness and method, drum and bass, roots and future II.
Indie singer/songwriter Brooke Annibale announced that she has joined the Nettwerk Music Group roster. She also shared the first taste of new music from her upcoming album, details forthcoming. The lush, dreamy and "immediately catchy" (FLOOD) single “What If You” serves as the perfect introduction to the Pittsburgh-born, Rhode Island-based artist's redefined sound as she digs into the mixed emotions and gentle balance of maintaining her music career while acknowledging the complicated nature of a new love.
Brooke says, “I was wondering whether or not I could carry on making music the way I had in the past. I thought, is diving back into my music career gonna knock out any mental-health progress I've made? Can I put out a record, be vulnerable, and do the whole cycle again? And then I realized: It's a double-meaning metaphor. What if everything that I loved loved me back? What if I just did this? And it worked.”
Brooke's expressive and beautifully thoughtful songwriting creates a dreamy and enticing sonic landscape. She has been a favorite among music supervisors and featured in such media as Stereogum, Wall Street Journal, Under The Radar, American Songwriter, NPR/World Café and more. She has also shared the stage with artists like Mt. Joy, Iron & Wine, Lucius, and Rufus Wainwright. She joins Nettwerk’s expanding label roster, which also includes artists like Old Sea Brigade, Bre Kennedy, SYML, Luke Sital-Singh, Aisha Badru, Wild Rivers and more.
“This song started out as a slow acoustic ballad, reflecting on our frustrations with the drag of the 9-5 workday. Making music is what we love, but our day jobs are a "necessary evil" in order to put food on the table while we shift our careers from typical corporate and government jobs into the music industry. The lyrics are a daydream of a future in which we are saying "goodbye" to our desk jobs and shifting into a career in music.”
For Brooklyn-based modern folk duo emily + shawn, the stuff in life that makes a difference requires heavy lifting, and careful attention to detail. This includes craft cocktails, artisanal baked goods, and well-written songs. These varied interests and a soulful sense of purpose imbue the pair’s adventurous spin on the folk tradition.
The twosome’s music is an authentic reflection of emily + shawn’s lives. The pair are, in fact, a couple—but don’t expect sappy love songs—Emily Welch is an immigration lawyer, and Shawn Welch works in the renewable energy field. emily + shawn’s songs are informed by their ethics, their myriad of experiences and interests, and their day to day interactions which they characterize sweetly as “healthy clashes.” Today, emily + shawn’s are issuing a series of singles that will eventually be bundled together as an EP produced by David Baron (Lumineers, Meghan Trainor, Shawn Mendes).
“Homegrown and multi-faceted are concepts that are really important to us. We take a deep interest in nuances and exploring,” Shawn shares. “Our songs are often vignettes of our life, or they capture some moment in time or give insights into specific feelings,” Emily says. Shawn adds: “The passing of time and a nostalgic quality are common themes in our music.”
The frequency is the feeling of ascending arrival in the altered state – being in love, in longing and belonging, it is soothing and alive.
Our new single takes inspiration from the desire to step outside the limits of ourselves, of our realities, and into a limitless waveform that instead connects us to everything else.
It is a calling on the ethereal to take on form, on music to bring touch and connection over the frontiers of physical walls and distances.
In chasing the feeling of connectedness for this song, it naturally evolved into a full band sound. Dan Lissvik (Studio, Atelje) added live bass and drums to a formerly electronic track.
The alchemy of more contributors and instruments resulted in the feeling we wanted for the song.
Nutrients, the Toronto-based group renowned for their gentle melodies and jangly pop songs are today sharing their new single, "Window Seat" which is out via Earth Libraries. The group – who have previously opened for Luna Li and Jaunt as well as performing at Boise's Treefort Festival – has slowly but surely grown into something more elaborate than their humble beginnings and this is evident with this new single.
Nutrients is often compared to various 90's bands for their slacker delivery and sometimes likened to certain contemporary bedroom pop artists for their oddball pop leanings. Periodically, but decreasingly so, they are noted for their occasional dissonant digressions. Taylor Teeple, the primary songwriter in the band, began the band as a modest home recording project deep below Boulevard St-Laurent in Montreal. After relocation to Toronto, the group’s membership eventually grew to include pianist, Iulia Ciobanu, bassist Sean McKee, and guitarist Will Hunter.
The new single finds the band mixing bouncy guitar lines and driving percussion with gorgeous vocal melodies, somewhat reminiscent of contemporaries such as Barrie, TOPS and Andy Shauf while drawing inspiration from the likes of Haircut 100, Steely Dan and China Crisis. The new single arrives with an excellent visual accompaniment further emphasizing the track's breezy notions with panning shots of vast landscapes lifted from the band's time on the road. Speaking about the single, Teeple says: "This is a quick guitar pop song that harkens back to songs Nutrients used to write. The guitar interplay is actually just two guitars playing this one-string riff at the same time with some minor deviations. The riff kinda sounds emo-adjacent almost."
After releasing a series of homemade tapes from 2016 to 2018 and early albums released on beloved Birmingham, Alabama label, Earth Libraries, the band is today returning for the first time in the 20s. Having spent the pandemic mining for fresh and forgotten sounds alongside a new member in multi-instrumentalist Ben Fukuzawa. The fruits of their labor are proudly on display this new single, "Window Seat". Teeple and Hunter’s guitars, once the center of attention, are overshadowed on this release by McKee’s basslines, Ciobanu’s ghostly harmonies, and Fukuzawa’s steady cadence.
Wilsen return with their new single 'Align' just ahead of the album 'Ruiner'. We have already shared a couple of tracks from the new collection and the latest again promises that we are in for a real treat. === We have to go back to October 2016 for the last time we featured Anna Atkinson, however she is back with her new project Linaire and the beautiful song 'Feeling' accompanied by her rich sounding Omnichord. === Another artist making her third appearance here isBrooke Annibale with 'I Will'. We don't feature that many cover versions but Brooke really does give this Beatles song her own stamp. === Micra have released 'Chemical Freedom' accompanied by a video, the dream pop duo really have created a gorgeous song (and it's welcome back here for a third time as well!).
Today, the Brooklyn-based trio Wilsen released a new single "Align" ahead of their new album Ruiner out this Friday, February 21 via Secret City Records / Dalliance Recordings.
"'Align' is about the weight and occasional jolting effect of eye contact. That rare experience when connecting eyes throws you into a narrative," explains Tamsin Wilson. "The song was arranged with drummer Gabe Smith who helped us trim the excess and stabilize dynamics. His involvement was crucial in our record-making process. We tracked the basics at Douglass Recordings and Johnny’s guitar overdubs at Black Lodge studio, using the original bedroom demo vocal percussion to kick off the song."
For the follow-up to their acclaimed debut I Go Missing In My Sleep, the trio comprised of Tamsin Wilson (guitar/vocals), Johnny Simon Jr. (guitar) and Drew Arndt (bass) partnered with acclaimed producer Andrew Sarlo (Big Thief, Bon Iver) and mastering engineer Sarah Register (Ariana Grande, Protomartyr, U.S. Girls).
For Tamsin Wilson, the album finds her moving towards personal self-acceptance. "I have an inherent shyness," she says. "I'm acknowledging and finding a way with it as I get older." Throughout the record, she comes to terms with her many sides, including her introversion and her inner, self-sabotaging monster to which the album title refers. On "Feeling Fancy," with her distinctively hushed vocals overpowering the track’s clamorous instrumentals, Wilson offers listeners a powerful, and celebratory, declaration that "Quiet’s not a fault to weed out."
"Making this record was somewhat of a coming of age process," Wilson explains. "We're getting older and becoming more deliberate, less precious, less measured. Overthinking less and trusting instincts more."
Linaire is the new songwriting project of Montreal-based singer, composer and multi-instrumentalist, Anna Atkinson. Linaire combines uncluttered electronic beats and ethereal synths with incandescent strings and poetically lucid lyrics to produce music that is at once spacious and full. Like plastic antiques, the songs feel both timeless and contemporary. Born out of Anna’s fascination with simple song forms and economic use of words, the songs explore themes of lineage, identity, time and anxiety.
In 2016, after a decade working as a freelance musician in Toronto, Anna took a break from performing and moved to Montreal. She took French lessons and spent months developing her knowledge of music production and live sound processing. She simultaneously began writing songs, examining the roots of her most debilitating emotions – anxiety, regret and depression. What emerged artistically was something very different from her previous records. Not only lyrically, but also stylistically, not least because of her use of the Omnichord in place of a piano or guitar. With its warm chords and simple beat box, the instrument pulled Anna in the direction of minimal electronic pop, a kind of crossing of Young Marble Giants and Harry Nilsson, two of her most significant sources of inspiration.
In the deep winter of 2019 Anna took ten songs and her Omnichord into a Montreal studio with co-producer and musician, Alexander MacSween (Bionic, The Nils). Three weeks later she emerged with an album that is certainly her most personally gratifying to date. From the very direct opener, Feeling, to the uplifting, Best I Can, and the darker meandering song, Oh Who, the album was made using a variety of synthesizers and drum machines and with an occasional appearance by Anna’s viola. The singing is at times nakedly intimate and at others almost anthemic, with floating layers of unison and harmony vocals. The album travels from beginning to end like a great collection of short stories.
In the last two years, Anna has performed Linaire in cities across Canada and in Japan and has been amassing a growing group of fans. She currently preforms solo and aims to add musicians to her live set as it becomes practical. Linaire’s eponymous album will be released later this year.
Singer-songwriter/guitarist Brooke Annibale has this week released a rendition of The Beatles’ classic “I Will.” The new single arrives just ahead of her debut European tour date.
“I first learned this song over 10 years ago for my cousin’s wedding,” stated Brooke. “My cousin and his then fiancee each chose a song for one another. They kept the songs secret, until I played them during the ceremony as a part of their vows, one song from him to her and one song from her to him. It was a pretty special moment to be a part of. I’ve been covering the song ever since, every once in a while. I thought it would be cool to record and rearrange the song a bit, make it a little darker and dramatic, but still keep the song’s sweet and well, endearing qualities.
Her first ever European tour includes stops in the Netherlands, Germany, France, and the UK. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.brookeannibale.com.
Brooke’s latest album Hold To The Light has been met with critical acclaim from Billboard, Uproxx, The Wild Honey Pie, Under The Radar, and more, featuring production by Sam Kassirer (Josh Ritter, Lake Street Dive) and guest musicians Josh Kaufman (The National), Matt Douglas (Sylvan Esso) and Zach Hickman (Ray Lamontagne, Josh Ritter). Brooke is currently writing new material for her next album that she will debut on the upcoming tour.
Tour Dates:
04/15 - Amsterdam, NL @ Cinetol
04/16 - Nijmegen, NL @ Merleyn
04/17 - Cologne, DE @ Wohngemeinschaft
04/18 - Rodenberg, DE @ House Concert
04/19 - Berlin, DE @ Auster Club
04/21 - Paris, FR @ Sofar Sounds
04/22 - Laval, FR @ Le Lardin Bavarois
04/23 - Fontenay-le-Comte, FR @ La Chopine
04/24 - St-Aubin-du-Pavail, FR @ La Grange du Pavail
04/25 - Mellionnec, FR @ House Concert
04/26 - Rennes, FR @ Bistrot Cocagne
04/29 - Winchester, UK @ Railway
04/30 - London, UK @ Slaughtered Lamb.
Sydney's Micra have today released their swirling and euphoric new single, 'Chemical Freedom' via Liberation Records. 'Chemical Freedom' marks the start of an exciting chapter for the rising dreampop duo and is a spellbinding example of their ability to turn a melting pot of influences into their own hallucinatory indie pop perfection.
A technicolor journey through #NSFW chemical-fuelled erotic encounters, the theatrics of 'Chemical Freedom' is presented in a stunning music video directed by Justin Ridler. Having worked in the past with Baz Luhrmann and Iraxta Ansa, Justin perfectly captures the essence of the track using motion capture animation through psych-tinged lens distortion. The song and video arrives as music lovers around Australia continue to battle with state governments over harm minimisation approaches to chemical consumption. Speaking on video, Justin said "I was really interested in Roger Penrose's theory of the fractal universe and I think that plays into the clip. There's also a kind of paradigm shift that's occurring in the contemporary cultural landscape around drug use which I wanted to reflect in the abstract narrative that plays out."
'Chemical Freedom' was recorded at the band's own studio and mixed by Grammy-Award winning producer Ben Allen (Deerhunter, MIA, Youth Lagoon). Speaking on 'Chemical Freedom', Micra said "It's been so frustrating to see the narrow minded attitude of Australian authorities towards pill testing and drug reform. We wanted to shine a light on that and highlight the ways in which the whole issue is actually bringing young people together."
Caroline Blind shares a second track from her upcoming album with 'Need To Say'. Described as "dark and atmospheric" it's all of that and quite hypnotic as well. === Folk meets pop with 'Susan' by Ebony Buckle a delightfully quirky song that twists and turns both playfully and beautifully. === Our fourth feature for Gaffa Tape Sandy who have shared 'My Desperate House' a hook filled, full on garage rocker. === Five piece rock band Colour Of The Jungle have a fine song and message with 'Humblebee' a powerful and determined indie rock piece. === Randall Bramblett has released 'Vibrating Strings' ahead of the 10th anniversary release of his album 'The Meantime'. The new, deluxe edition of the album includes two previously unreleased bonus tracks from the original sessions including this gorgeous one. === Stone Irr has a new video for the single 'Fine With Me' a melodic and refreshing piece with fabulous vocal harmonies. === Finally today we have Brooke Annibalewith a superb acoustic version of 'Under Streetlights' where her vocals exude emotion and feeling above a rich yet stripped back musical arrangement.
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Caroline Blind - Need To Say.
"Need to Say" is Caroline Blind's second offering of her upcoming album The Spell Between, due out in February 2020. This new dark and atmospheric composition comes a month after the release of "God Damn The Sun," an homage to the classic Swans hit. "Need to Say," sounds delicate and ethereal; it features Rich W. of The Wake in bass, and it was produced, mixed and mastered by Gordon Young.
The song is about the last few hours you have with someone you love, and it was written when one of Caroline's friends was in the process of losing one of their parents. "It reminded me of when I lost my father in 2015. The song tries to capture the moment of when you know you are (or may be) in your last moments together with someone very close to you. You try to be present, you try to be strong, and say all the things you never said, or that you want to say, or should say, but even if, and as, you find the words, you realize how futile, senseless and meaningless they are in the face of loss. Shares Blind. "Time as we know it is about to end. It's so hard to not grieve in advance, but if you can find a way to put the grieving off, you may receive the true gift, the gift of the time you ~do~ have," she continues.
"Need to Say" is one of the few original songs that will be included in Blind's upcoming album. The Spell Between is a gothic love letter to some songs that inspired Caroline throughout her career, combining covers, reworked Sunshine Blind tracks, and original new material. The record features collaborations by Rich W. of the Wake, Dave the Dramedy, David Wolfenden of Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, Ashe Ruppe from Delphine Coma, and Gordon Young from Joy Thieves/Pretentious Moi/Children on Stun/ The Dream Disciples.
Ebony Buckle is a London-based singer/songwriter. Hailing from the seaside town of Townsville, Australia, Buckle was encouraged into the entertainment industry by her parents, studying singing, violin, piano and drama and before long she completed a degree in opera singing. Taking listeners on a whimsical leftfield-pop journey with her complex harmonies and imaginative storytelling lyricism, Buckle sings about topics covering everything from romance and broken hearts to disgruntled mermaids, lonely whales and alien invasion.
Realising that the only way to be in true control of her own creativity and express herself authentically was to start her journey as a solo artist, Buckle jumped in head first and has not looked back since. She confides, “I am a naturally shy person and sometimes find it hard to be myself in front of other people, but music has really helped me connect to my true self. I feel like the songs I write come straight from my brain and they are a true expression of who I am”.
Following the release of her debut single ‘The Mermaids Said No!’, the quirky songstress is introducing her follow-up single entitled ‘Susan’. A track dedicated to her imaginary best friend and alter ego, Susan the Raptor. Mixing elements of whimsy folk, with fanciful pop melodies and infectious lyrics, all baked in to one big Ebony Buckle cake, the delightfully eccentric musician has created a delicious sound, bursting with vibrancy and charm. Emitting a joyous feeling with a hint of melancholy, the track highlights the singer’s operatic trained vocals, which shine brightly throughout. Buckle reveals, “Susan was born one night after too much prosecco and the name just stuck. She is the carefree, risk-taking and sometimes reckless side of me. I think we are all made up of many different personalities and I just decided to name one of mine! Mostly we wanted to make a really joyful track that would make people smile”.
Reminiscent of Regina Spektor meets Kate Bush, Buckle is inspired by other strong female artists who have forged their own path into the music industry. Aspiring to create music which will help others realise their most authentic self and encouraging people to always take life with a pinch of salt, Buckle confides “I hope it inspires people to be true to who they are. To not be afraid of being different and to know it's ok to express themselves”.
The singer come actress has performed in West End plays, as well as a BBC drama, where her role as a Geordie folk singer saw her music reach number 1 in the iTunes World Music Charts. She has also received extensive airplay from numerous BBC stations across the nation, as well as garnering blog attention. In the words of The Mind Monster Solution author Hazel Gale, “It’s a rare thing to find music that speaks so directly from (and to) the heart. Wonderful!” Buckle continues to feed our imagination with her beautifully kaleidoscopic music. ‘Susan’ is currently available worldwide.
Bury St Edmunds’ England resident garage rockers Gaffa Tape Sandy today share the visuals for recent offering My Desperate House, and announce news of their first ever UK headline tour, set to take place March 2020.
Following on from critically acclaimed sophomore EP Family Mammal out earlier this year via cult indie label Alcopop! Records, the riotous trio will be looking to capitalise on their growing momentum, with much-lauded displays at Glastonbury and Latitude (BBC Introducing) seeing them become firm favourites on the live circuit.
Discussing their new video and upcoming live dates, the band stated: “We really wanted something which showed footage of how much we’ve loved gigging over the last three years, from travelling to Germany and Iceland, to gigging up and down the UK with Skegss, Indoor Pets and SuperGlu, as well as some of the people who’ve helped us along the way. It’s a big kiss from us to you”.
“To say we’re excited about our first UK headline tour would be a massive understatement. To make it even better, we get to do it all with our best buds Beach Riot. We have been wanting to go on tour together for what feels like forever, so to have it all come together is rewarding, gratifying and beautiful”.
“This is super huge for us, so if we’re stopping by somewhere near you, come help us make these shows wicked. We need you now more than ever to come and shout our songs at us and dance around. We’re gonna have a banner, a van, and everything!” Produced by George Perks (SuperGlu), Gaffa Tape Sandy’s My Desperate House is out now via Alcopop! Records (Art Brut, Kagoule, ITOLDYOUIWOULDEATYOU) and available on all digital platforms.
Colour of the Jungle are a five-piece rock band, whose captivating songwriting and raucous energy has been resonating with audiences from Munich to the South coast of England. Their catchy-but-emotional, approachable-yet-raw sound is built upon sexy bass-driven rhythms and edgy instrumentation, creating music that sticks in the head and the heart.
The group of five friends initially started jamming for fun before swiftly moving to the studio where they soon discovered their true potential and recorded their debut EP The Jungle Book. The four-track release perfectly captured the complex basslines of John Harris, confident drum beats of Dan Fiford, rhythmic riff and leads of Joe Costello and Brendan McVeagh, and intriguing lyrics of Jack Evans. Colour of the Jungle succeed in combining each individual's unique styles, forming a fresh yet genuine fusion of sounds.
Following the release of ‘Steel Tray’ which garnered both critical and commercial acclaim, the band are dropping ‘Humblebee’. The single narrates the current environmental crisis and how years of ignorance from the human race has taken its toll on the planet. It highlights how our selfish acts have caused us to forget the bigger picture and are ultimately destroying our future. ‘Humblebee’ was sparked from life events and retains the feeling of authenticity and honesty throughout the lyrics. Evans confides, “My sister had gone to a bee farm after her fight with leukaemia and my friend was struggling with a cocaine habit. These events inspired my lyrics. Everyone has stuff going on whether it’s happy or not. I try to deal with my ups and downs by writing songs and each one marks that point in my life”. Showcasing plucky guitars and gritty vocals which showcase Evans impressive range, the track builds into an upbeat anthem reminiscent of The Milk Carton Kids. Their broad palette of sounds and textures allow the band to craft an engaging and diverse sound.
New West Records will release a 10th Anniversary Edition of Randall Bramblett’s 2010 studio album The Meantime on January 31st. The 14-song set was produced by Bramblett and recorded and mixed by John Keane at John Keane Studios in Athens, GA. The new, deluxe edition of the album includes two previously unreleased bonus tracks from the original sessions and will be available on vinyl for the first time. Remastered for vinyl by Jason NeSmith at Chase Park Transduction in Athens, GA, The Meantime will be available as a double LP pressed on Limited Edition Burnt Orange Vinyl and housed in a gatefold sleeve.
At the time of its release, Bramblett was best known as a multi-instrumentalist and for his appearances as a saxophonist with Steve Winwood and Traffic, Widespread Panic, the late Levon Helm of The Band, and more. The Meantime was viewed as a sonic departure for the songwriter, finding him performing some of his earliest songs on grand piano.
Bramblett states, “The Meantime reflected my need at the time to record a quiet and beautiful record with grand piano, upright bass and drums. I had all these songs, old and new, that were never going to fit into the guitar based records I had been making. Most importantly, subject matter of love, grief and yearning needed a lot of space and we dedicated ourselves to keeping the production very simple. I think we did a good job giving these songs what they needed to shine.”
Randall Bramblett’s solo career began in the 1970s with a pair of albums on Capricorn Records. Joining the rock-jazz fusion group Sea Level, he wrote & co-wrote a number of the group’s songs, including the single “That’s Your Secret.” Bramblett was approached by Traffic co-founder Steve Winwood in 1988 and spent the next 16 years touring in his band. It was on the road he began writing his own songs with newfound confidence and inspiration. Teasing his listener with unexpected humor while fleshing out fully lived-in characters with human ambition and godly stature, Bramblett continued his storied career with a continual pageant of reinvention and true conviction. 2017 saw the release of his latest album, Juke Joint At The Edge Of The World. Met with critical acclaim. American Songwriter said the album was “...so consistently captivating and creative, it’s impossible not to return for multiple listens.”
Los Angeles-via Indiana songwriter/musician Stone Irr shares the new video for his single "Fine With Me" from his latest LP Performance out now via Darling Recordings. Full of cautious energy, "Fine With Me" showcases his restrained songwriting skills and intricate vocal harmony. The accompanying video is an exploration in experimental animation with abstract visualizations.
Stone explains, “'My buddy Tyler reached out and wanted to do a CGI video for one of the tracks from my album. Fine With Me felt like the best fit since it has a noticeable dynamic range - starting off with solo guitar and vocals and building to a full ban. Plus it’s a short song - so there’s a shorter amount of visuals to render! We wanted to do something conceptually ‘out there’— essentially I gave him some references (colors, art pieces, the episode of the Simpsons where Homer eats a hallucinatory pepper) and wanted to give him free rein to interpret them as he liked. Tyler is a brilliant artist in every capacity (visually, musically, etc) and he made a video that matched exactly what had been spinning around in my head. There’s a lot of fun and beautiful imagery in this 3D world he made - all acting as little nods to the lyrics in the song."
Stone Irr’s new, second album Performance is equal parts heart-on-the-sleeve Midwestern indie and warm, West Coast pop, reflecting the artist's Indiana upbringing and recent move to Los Angeles. Stone's growth as an artist, songwriter, and arranger since his 2017 debut album Sinner is obvious on the standout track "All We Want Anymore." The song features a bright, Beatles-like melodic structure and a cascading finale of strings and horns that pushes Stone's voice deep into the mix.
That voice, often multi-tracked with layers of harmonies, is Stone Irr's defining quality. It floats through the record, at times whispered and ethereal and at others gritty and broken, reminiscent of Thom Yorke, Jessica Pratt, Jens Lekman, and Sufjan Stevens.
Singer-songwriter/guitarist Brooke Annibale announced today a new batch of tour dates for early 2020. US dates kick off in February and will be followed by her first ever European tour which includes stops in the Netherlands, Germany, France, and the UK. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.brookeannibale.com.
The announcement follows the release of a new reimagined acoustic version of her song “Under Streetlights” from 2011’s Silence Worth Breaking. Of the song, Brooke stated “We are just a few weeks away from the end of this decade, which I'm finding is causing me to reflect quite a bit. 'Under Streetlights' was written and recorded at the beginning of the decade in 2010 and has changed my journey in so many positive ways. This song was written in 2010 up in the stunning mountains of Austria.
It was been requested by so many people over the years, no matter how old it gets. It has been danced to as a first dance for a very sweet newlywed couple. It was my first song placed in a TV show. It was the first song I recorded for the album Silence Worth Breaking back in December 2010. All that to say, it has been a very special song to me, so I'm releasing an acoustic version for it today that I recorded in my house.”
Background - Singer-songwriter/guitarist Brooke Annibale will release her third full-length album Hold To The Light on June 8th. The new record marks Annibale's return following her 2015 critically acclaimed album The Simple Fear and features several major departures in terms of both songwriting and production. Annibale sheds a few layers of her folk-acoustic skin and introduces a new indie-pop direction offering a fusion of textured electronic and traditional instrumentation centered around Brooke's stunning voice and keen, soulful lyricism. This week she released her radiant new single "Glow.
The songs on Hold To The Light develop like Polaroid photos: each reveals a memory suspended between the perspective of the past with all its wistfulness, pain, and joy, and the revelations of the present. Produced by Sam Kassirer (Josh Ritter, Lake Street Dive) at his Great North Sound Society in Maine, Hold To The Light features contributions from seasoned artists Zachariah Hickman (Ray Lamontagne, Josh Ritter) on bass; Josh Kaufman (The National, Josh Ritter) on accompanying guitars; Sean Trischka on drums; and Matt Douglas (Sylvan Esso, Mountain Goats) on woodwinds. Brooke's thoughtful, layered songwriting anchors the production to explore a range of narratives working through themes of seeking truths, letting go, and reconciling the past with the present. WEBSITE.
Tour Dates: 06/02 - Newark, OH @ The Bootlegger 06/03 - Cleveland, OH @ Music Box Supper Club 06/08 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Three Rivers Arts Festival 06/15 - Philadelphia, PA @ Philadelphia Folksong Society 06/16 - New York, NY @ Rockwood Music Hall 06/17 - Northampton, MA @ The Parlor Room 06/19 - Burlington, VT @ The Skinny Pancake 06/21 - Boston, MA @ Fraser Performance Studio 07/03 - Edgartown, MA @ Harborview Hotel - WMVY Porch Concert Series 07/14 - Los Angeles, CA @ Hotel Cafe - 2nd Stage (w/ The Sweeplings) 07/15 - San Francisco, CA @ Neck of the Woods (upstairs) (w/ The Sweeplings) 07/16 - Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge (w/ The Sweeplings) 07/18 - Spokane, WA @ The Bartlett (w/ The Sweeplings) 07/29 - Allison Park, PA @ Hartwood Acres 08/16 - Fort Collins, CO @ Magic Rat.
The soft melodic vocals glide above the musical arrangement on 'Glow' a rhythmic and flowing indie pop soundtrack, where traditional instrumentation mixes alongside imaginative electronic swirls of sound.
Background - Crafting an intimate, ethereal sound, inviting you into their private world, Paper Hawk’s debut EP The Tide is released this week through Brighton’s boutique record label Folklore Sessions. The 4-track record signals the beginning of a new adventure for this emerging band. Alongside digital distribution on iTunes and Spotify, a limited run of 50 physical copies will be available in June, a month after the digital release date. Each record comes with a handwritten thank you letter, additional artwork, and a signed art print. Although new to the scene, Paper Hawk have swiftly left their mark playing across the country with sets at Glastonbury, 2000 Trees, YNOT and the Alternative Escape Festival.
Recorded in the living room of their Brighton flat the record marks a cathartic release from a tumultuous few years. From the defeated notes of ‘Trails’ - a hypnotising whisper chronicling the throes of a volatile relationship - to the comforting promise of support in ‘Northern Sky’ - The Tide is a collection of songs written with a hand-on-heart approach and striking honesty.
Produced by Josh Trinnaman (the brain of jazz-IDM fusion band, Luo), the intimate guitar and vocal arrangements are brought to life with rich soundscapes and electronic ambience, creating a dream-like atmosphere that draws you in and keeps you captivated.
Paper Hawk is an alt-folk duo currently based in Brighton, who combine intricate guitar driven melodies with hushed tones and raw confessional lyrics. A collaboration of two songwriters, Rebecca Brandler and Scott Booth, the project began after the two met a few months after both moving to Brighton to study. Rebecca heard Scott playing a cover of ‘Ocean’ by John Butler and instant musical sparks were ignited and she knew she wanted to write music together. The bond was then nurtured in a cold basement flat with muted rehearsals to avoid complaints from the neighbours but has proven to pay off, being nourished into a harrowingly beautiful EP with layers that muster unique strength, blanketed with velvet vocals.
We featured the song 'Trails' from the new EP just last month, and it is with pleasure to be able to do the same for 'Written In The Lines,' with Paper Hawk's splendid new EP being released just yesterday. The latest song features some beautiful vocal harmonies, accompanied by a refined musical soundtrack, driven along by a resonating bass line.
Background - In November 2017, Seattle-based acoustic blues-pop singer-songwriter Phillip Brousard released his debut EP, "Wavelength." The EP was dedicated to the memory of his father. First single, "Just Wanna Believe" thrust Phillip into the national spotlight, garnering critical praise and radio airplay.
Born and raised in Washington State, Phillip Broussard discovered his passion early in life, when his father brought home a guitar. His father's original intention was to play the guitar himself, but he soon found Phillip picking up the guitar, when he didn't think anyone was watching. Phillip grew up under the influence of his father's favorites, Pink Floyd, James Taylor, Jimi Hendrix, and Eric Clapton. What started as just a few chords, ignited a desire to share his new found passion with the world.
Then, tragedy struck at 18 years old, when Phillip's father, grandfather and uncle passed away within 6 months of each other. Phillip put down his guitar and enlisted in the United States Navy, in an attempt to quell his grief. Early on in his Naval career, someone handed Phillip a copy of John Mayer's cd, "Room for Squares". This album reignited Phillip's passion for the guitar. In 2007, Phillip deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. During this time, he refined his guitar skills… TWITTER.
'All Over Again' has some notable Americana characteristics to it, as the accomplished acoustic guitar playing and natural vocals of Phillip Broussard accompany each other, within this engaging and inviting song.
Background - Frog Eyes are set to release their final album Violet Psalms May 18th on Paper Bag Records, and have shared the new single "Your Boss's Shirt." 17 years after their teetering debut, the Vancouver band unveils Violet Psalms—a giddy lament; a gnashing jubilee; a rain-drenched allocution on hope vs. horror, paradise vs. pride, Marx and Brexit and bad acid trips.
It's an ending like a beginning. "We were trying to pretend it was our first record," Carey Mercer says. This is their final record, Frog Eyes' last gasp—but the art-rockers wanted to capture the energy of a debut, the freedom you feel "when there's no expectation that anyone will actually listen." They made it at home, burrowing under the house where Mercer lives with drummer Melanie Campbell. The goal was to blot out the world, focusing on what they could grow down there, four musicians in a basement. Could they squeeze out ten songs? Was there enough paste in the tube to squeeze out 10? "In the end there was. Which is rad."
No guests, no engineers. A self-invention. Violet Psalms began with its frantic, reverb-drenched guitar, squiggling over a modulation pedal. Next Mercer and Campbell concocted the drum parts—imagining them as onomatopoeia then recording them in fragments, kickdrum by kickdrum, tom by tom, with tailored effects. "The goal was to disorientate," Mercer explains, but also to work by instinct, gut—a cut-up of music and image, songs that coil back and kiss. The band pruned as they went, adding Terri Upton's bass parts, taking other parts away. Whereas past LPs used piano, Shyla Seller worked with shimmering synths—chords like bleeding watercolour, shadows casting on a wall. TWITTER.
On the 1st April we featured the track 'Idea Man' (you can also checkout the bands tour dates in that edition), and now just over a month later, we have 'Your Boss's Shirt' to enjoy ahead of the bands final album release later this month. Once again the vocals are distinct and fascinating, as the band develop some slow chunky beats and more, all of which interacts beautifully.
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