Cuddle Magic - Baron Minker - Castle Black - Andria Piperni - Freya Beer

Cuddle Magic have given us a feel for their forthcoming album with 'What If I' and its an exquisite chamber pop song, we've received two other tracks and I have to say this is a very promising album. === Baron Minker shares the addictive new song 'Anthem of the Rich and the Bored' his genre mixing music, is impressive and some. === Brooklyn's Castle Black have a new video for 'Dead In A Dream' where the bands post punk influences combine with some powerful rock vibes. === Montreal singer song-writer Andria Piperni just released 'Coming Home To You' and it's one of those songs that stands out in the seemingly crowded Neo Soul/R&B world. === We are a little bit proud to have been ahead of the crowd with Freya Beer and her last single and are equally content to just share her latest song 'Arms Open Wide' which is equally hook filled and wonderful.
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Cuddle Magic - What If I.

Cuddle Magic—the New York/Philadelphia-based chamber-pop sextet—today announced their upcoming full-length Bath is releasing on Northern Spy Records. The album's lead single "What If I" is out now and, like the full album of single takes, was recorded entirely in a bathroom nestled amid 23 microphones and the space's natural reverb.

“What if I” is the first and only song in 15 years of being a band that every member of Cuddle Magic wrote a song together," says Cuddle Magic guitarist/vocalist Benjamin Lazar Davis. "The track started when Cole Kamen-Green brought in this amazing seed that was a little loop he found in a Johann Sebastian Bach chorale.

Then Christopher McDonald joined us to work on another section that would later become the bridge. Much later, Kristin Slipp and I took out the old seed and soon had the chorus melody, & it was that night that Alec Spiegelman and David Flaherty showed up and together we would complete the lyrics to the song and put the finishing touches on the melody and form."In keeping with the spirit of the album, Cuddle Magic will be announcing a contest this week wherein fans enter to win essential bathroom supplies such as bidets, squatty potties, and toilet paper simply by following the band’s Spotify page.

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Baron Minker - Anthem of the Rich and the Bored.

A beautiful, dreamy endeavor - Baron Minker carves out a thoughtful balance between worlds both savage and serene. What results is a sound like the singularity. An underground cadre of Terminator-like cyborgs who long not for violence, but for love and existential cohesion. It’s Skynet’s art rebellion. It’s an exercise in restraint and self-indulgence. The collective dissonance the album paints comes together like a scene of androids and humans together in search of meaning amid the unfolding of a new universe.

Blending indie sheen with understated vocals and a penchant for eclectic absurdity, Baron Minker delivers liquid sonancy with vivid, imaginative landscapes that melt into deep, reflective pools of sound. This self-titled debut weaves in and out through a sparkly mix of shoegaze and 70’s psychedelia and by the time you’re out the other side, you’ve traveled lightyears. The journey across these electric cosmos stretches space and time and lands firmly on satisfying ground. Simply put, this album is a lot of fun.

The album traverses the world it creates with urgency and attentiveness. Lyrical explorations of the ever changing nature of human interactions, both within society and the self, texture the tracks. There are moments like ‘Anthem of the Rich and the Bored’ saturated with dread and hysteria that move into electro-grooves of the dystopian ‘Covered in Concrete’. Allowing itself moments of tranquility, ‘Dodgeball’ is a rippling, well placed refueling in this interplanetary journey. The ethereal and self-reflecting ‘Cocomo Hum’ blends beautiful, swirling vocals with electric smoothness that feel like a conversation between a moon and nearby satellites, while the closing track ‘Nice Chompers’ addresses despair and the hope that rises from it’s conquering. All in all, Baron Minker offers up a smooth, deep, personal, connected electricity (a connectricity, if you will) that grows more pleasant with each listen.

Stay tuned as Baron Minker announces more material leading up to his June release, and watch “  "Anthem of the Rich and the Bored,”” to get a taste of what the future holds!

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Castle Black - Dead In A Dream.

Brooklyn's Castle Black are thankful that they can share their new video for “Dead in a Dream” during a time of social isolation, when they otherwise would not be able to create a music video in quite the same way.  Their original plan to have a live show event with special video screening has been canceled, but they can still celebrate the video through online means to mark the occasion.  Bars are closed, more shows are canceled, and music fans and bands alike are adjusting to our new reality.  The video, shot last August in Brooklyn, NY, was filmed and directed by the talented Jeff Allyn Szwast, who also filmed and directed their videos for “Dark Light” and “Broken Bright Star.”

Castle Black has been steadily releasing widely praised EPs over the last several years, and are a band now known for their unique post-punk math-grunge style, relentless work ethic, intense live performance, and love of the road.   With their March tour canceled, and shows for the foreseeable future canceled, the band, and bands in general, are operating in a completely new environment.   For a band as busy and productive as Castle Black, this is a time to think of new ways to reach people, especially people who are feeling the emotional effects of social isolation.

This week the band premieres a new visual star, with their music video for "Dead in a Dream," which comes off Castle Black's EP Take Her My Life, released last November.  The EP received wide adoration and accolades from both fans and press alike.  “Their songs defy the average and are powerful and hard-hitting, always focused on hitting that trademark hook you’re waiting for.” – PureGrain Audio  “[Dead in a Dream] is a creepy, saber toothed masterpiece … It’s one of the half dozen best songs of 2019 so far …” – NY Music Daily

The video unexpectedly soars with social relevance, giving viewers an ebb and flow among various states of dream and reality.  Social isolation can bring about the need for a strong imagination, as well as a strong reliance on memories to re-create emotions that may not be easily accessible during this time.  Celent notes, “Having this video, which is like a relic of a time now seemingly so far in the past, is really special for us, because we are now living in a vastly different environment.  We could not make this video now.  We have no idea when things will be even slightly back to normal to make another video, let alone to get back to playing shows and to recording an album.  The recurring lyric in ‘Dead in a Dream’ – ‘take me back in time’ – has taken on new meaning in this new world. This video, for us, is a brief jaunt back in time, a brief reprieve from everything horrible that is happening.”

The themes in "Dead in a Dream" further explore Castle Black’s love of challenging reality and exploring dark themes in a cinematic way, as can be seen in their two other music videos also directed and filmed by Szwast, “Dark Light” and “Broken Bright Star.”  Once again, Szwast shows his artistic prowess in “Dead in a Dream” when it comes to framing, mood and elevating ambiguity, to perfectly match the music. The band chose to use masks from the very talented Carolyn Watson-Dubisch of Artisan Masks; these handmade paper maché masks lend an eeriness and a mysterious quality that completes the dream aesthetic of those scenes.

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Andria Piperni - Coming Home To You.

Montreal singer-songwriter Andria Piperni blends neo-soul, R&B, and jazz to create a sound that feels both fresh and familiar. Her love for creative expression started as a young girl, often found dancing and singing to R&B sensations such as Alicia Keys and Janet Jackson.

While spending much of her time training and teaching as a dancer, scribbling lyrics in notebooks, and learning piano from her father, she developed a deep passion for storytelling and human connection through music. Inspired by both the intricacies of everyday life and the narratives of her vivid dreams, Andria’s music combines authenticity and fantasy to craft a compelling and meaningful experience.

In November 2018, her debut single Say Something made its way onto Canada’s R&B/Soul iTunes chart and garnered acclaim from EARMILK, Vents Magazine, Bong Mines, and more. Andria has since released three singles, earning spots on major Spotify playlists such as New Music Friday Canada and Just Vibing, and has collaborated with a variety of artists including writing and featuring on house DJ Andrew Pololos’ hit single Never Be The Same, which spent several weeks on Spotify’s Viral 50 Canada chart. Her music has also been played on CBC and Stingray radio stations worldwide.

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Freya Beer - Arms Open Wide.

Follow up to January’s magnificently received Dear Sweet Rosie, receiving great support at 6Music notably by Lauren Laverne and Marc Riley (who had Freya in for a live session), Freya Beer returns with new single ‘Arms Wide Open’ (produced by Pete Hobbs from The Boy Least Likely To who also produced Mostar Diving Club).

Alongside Freya’s tender vocals and thick guitar tones, it features an incessant, tribalistic driving drum beat from I Am Kloot drummer Andy Hargreaves.

Regarding the this new release, Freya says: ‘I tried to convey a ritual style sound accompanied by a tribal drumming beat which drives the track forward.

The tubular bells helped contribute towards the overall ceremonial atmosphere of the song. Lyrically, I’ve experimented with exploring the subject of talking about the darker undertones of a relationship’.

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Terra Lightfoot - Lomelda - The Harpoonist & the Axe Murderer - Castle Black

Terra Lightfoot - Paradise.

Background - The artist’s strengths as a songwriter, vocalist and performer, memorably showcased on her last studio outing, Every Time My Mind Runs Wild, are even more evident here. With New Mistakes, Lightfoot offers up something rare: the kind of genuine document that can only come from a road-tested breed of songwriter and performer. The song premiered today at American Songwriter.

Terra creates soulful rock that has landed her on stages alongside Gordon Lightfoot, Built To Spill, Guided by Voices, + more. Her most recent LP Everytime My Mind Runs Wild was released last year to critical acclaim and has already accumulated hundreds of thousands of streams. This new album sees her focusing her rock, blues, and soul influences into a clear creative vision.

Terra Lightfoot on “Paradise”: For me, “Paradise” is about letting go of perfection in love. It’s not wrestling with the problems and missteps in our relationships but embracing them. I think it's a more realistic way to look at love and it gives me some comfort to know I'm not standing there with rose-coloured glasses on.  “Paradise” actually started out as a different song called “Thunder” that was a huge hit at our shows. On the last day of tracking the record, I had this crazy idea that I wanted to change the words because I wasn’t happy with all of them, so I set up a pillow fort and a guitar in the tracking room, went to work… and ended up with a new verse melody and completely different lyrics. Gus and Werner liked the new verse so much they said, “Okay, now go write a chorus to match that verse” — and “Paradise” was born!

"Paradise" is the lead single from Terra's upcoming LP New Mistakes, out October 13th on Sonic Unyon. Photo credit - Dustin Rabin, Website here, Facebook here.

Our third feature for Terra Lightfoot in less than a year, this time with the new track 'Paradise'. It's a foot stomping rocker where Terra's powerfully melodic vocals, carry enough rock'n'roll edge, to blend seamlessly with the soundtrack.


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Lomelda - From Here.

Background - Lomelda has shared "From Here," the latest from her upcoming album, Thx. She has also been announced for Mirrors Festival taking place on 28th October in London. Venue and stage time TBC.

Hannah Read, who performs under the moniker Lomelda, makes music that is textural and spacious. Her words are suggestive snapshots of loosely knitted observations, depicting quiet moments between friends and lovers and half-remembered celestial occurrences. In her songs, the memory of the past and glimpses of future stretch out on either side of you, and the present is unsteady and always shifting. 

If you were to ask Hannah Read what Lomelda means, you'd probably end up with some kind of non-answer and a new topic. It is a guarded secret reserved for those who really pry. It is a high school attempt at describing something vast and powerful yet uniquely quiet and complex. And it is ever-changing. Lomelda is about memory, intimacy, and the tragedies of distance. As a band, it has appeared in several forms over the years, but always, to Hannah, Lomelda has been about discovering friendship and connection. Close collaborators have become closer friends. And when you see Lomelda, when you hear it, it is apparent that Hannah cares deeply about the connection made with the people on stage, the connection with you. Bandcamp here, Facebook here.

We featured Lomelda back in July stating then that "her vocals are gentle, a little vulnerable perhaps and beautifully melodic, supported by some fresh, intricate and understated music."  'From Here' carries a little more weight or body to the soundtrack, and Hannah Read's vocal delivery trades up accordingly to the increase in energy, doing so without losing any of her fabulously intense charm.


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The Harpoonist & the Axe Murderer - Get Ready.

Background - Armed with a sack of harmonicas, a mess of foot percussion and a road-worn Telecaster, Shawn Hall (The Harpoonist) and Matthew Rogers (The Axe Murderer) kick out raw and primal blues while electrifying the genre with a lightning bolt of new life. Hall and Rogers limit their sound to whatever they can play between them, using only their mouths, hands and feet. Hall provides soul-tinged vocals and blues harmonica, while Rogers simultaneously lets rip on guitar and foot percussion.

These days it feels like our world is on the verge of collapse. But it’s with near-end times in the breeze  that we plunge deeper into the pleasures of sex, revelry and entertainment. ‘Apocalipstick’ begins with  the doom-laden warning call of ‘Get Ready’ (to be released as a UK single). Set to a contrastingly  bouncy drumbeat, Shawn Hall alerts us to “Get ready for the hard times / Get ready for the heavy load  / Get ready for the who knows what”. “Ben Rogers [guest vocalist] first sang ‘Get Ready’ to us by the  piano in the basement of my home,” says Hall. “It was instantly familiar to us and embodied this loose  campfire-like group vocal thing, which carried right into the recording sessions. The beauty of this song is the impression of hopefulness it leaves you while layered in a bed of chaos.” With the fate of  the world certainly in question, ‘Apocalipstick’ delves into lustful begging with ‘Pretty Please’,  summons complete heartbreak in ‘Treat Me Kind’, while ‘Nancy’ and ‘Forever Fool’ touch on themes of bullying and revenge. 

Framed by psychedelic landscapes and world-ending jam-outs, The Harpoonist & The Axe Murderer ignite the gritty, blues-rock grooves they have been acclaimed for by adding drummer John Raham  (The Be Good Tanyas) and keyboardist Geoff Hilhorst (The Deep Dark Woods) into the melting pot as  well as the golden voices of Dawn Pemberton, Andrina Turenne, Alexa Dirks (Begonia), Ben Rogers,  Khari Wendell McClelland, Erik Nielsen and Ricardo Khayatte. Add equal parts soulful, sweaty vocals  and biting guitar and you have an album perfect for any doomsday date-night. Website here.

Some chunky rhythmic rock vibes, provide just the right musical arrangement for the vocals and soulful harmonies on 'Get Ready'. It's a catchy rocker where energy and passion are there in equal amounts!


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Castle Black - Trapped Under All You Know (EP).

Background - NYC’s female fronted punk-rock/grunge outfit Castle Black  have just released their new EP Trapped Under All You Know. With gritty female vocals backed by powerful but masterfully layered instrumentation, their music demands to be heard. Reminiscent of famous acts such as Sleater-Kinney, The Dead Weather, Hole, Savages, and Bikini Kill, Castle Black brings an infusion of genres and influences to their music, hurtling through social anthems and pure emotion.

The album kicks straight into gear, with the first track “Seeing In Blue” providing a driving anthem, full of lively drums, hooky melodies and demanding lyrics. The track premiered earlier this month via The Big Takeover. The album’s intriguing title, Trapped Under All You Know, comes as a line from the song “Blind Curtain”. “That line/title was decided upon because it best represented the themes of this album and the trajectory of the songs as ordered on the album,” shared vocalist/guitarist Leigh Celent.

Celent described the EP as a cohesive project, which provides a story experience when consumed in its entirety. Despite this purposeful intention, she also invites listeners to take away their own interpretations. “…while I may have written a song from a certain perspective, that doesn’t mean the words can’t be emblematic of other situations. There have been times that I’ve started writing a song about one thing, but by the time it was done, it was about something else, or a different perspective on the initial topic.”

In addition to their talented instrumentals, Castle Black utilizes vocal harmonies heavily throughout. “It’s been a running joke in the band, that if we want to add something outside of the three instruments, just ask Lisa to vocalize it! So, some of her vocal parts end up being these wordless vocals for this very reason and we like how it contributes to the overall vibe.” Website here, Facebook here.

From the first song 'Seeing In Blue' the band set out to ensure the new EP 'Trapped Under All You Know' doesn't disappoint. The mixture of frenetic punk orientated pieces alongside some hook laden grunge keeps the four song collection powerful and pleasing throughout.

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