Childcare - Levi Parham & them Tulsa Boys and Girls - Sugar Candy Mountain

Childcare - Big Man.

Background - Pushing beyond the echo-chamber, Childcare follow the slinky art-rock of Put Down Your Pen with the bold and brooding Big Man, an alternative take on dealing with bubble-breaking disagreement and family friction.

The second single from their upcoming ‘Luckyucker’ EP, Big Man seeks to address the difficulties of contrasting world views, immigration and accusations of liberal elitism, all in a tidy 3 minutes and 53 seconds. Frontman Ed Cares explains:

"There's a place for fighting and affirming the values you stand up for, but too often we ridicule and dismiss those we disagree with. I'm bored of broad-brush Tory bashing and of hearing that everyone who voted for Brexit is stupid. This song is a reminder that we need to listen and try and understand those who believe differently from us."

The band will head out on a two week UK headline tour in October to support the release of the ‘Luckyucker’ EP. With a sling of festivals including the legendary Reading and Leeds and a recent Radio 1 Maida Vale session tucked safely under their belts, the band’s vivid and visceral live show shouldn’t be missed. TWITTER.

This is our fifth feature for Childcare, I had not realised they had been on here so many times, so clearly they resonate well with Beehive Candy. At the centre of 'Big Man' are some refined vocals and harmonies that are added to, by a vibrant and punchy musical backdrop. Also a note of respect for the subject matter, that many artists I expect, would shy away from.

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Levi Parham & them Tulsa Boys and Girls - My Finest Hour.

Background - May 18 will see the release of "It's All Good" a brand new album by Levi Parham. One of the most talented Okies around (Jimmy Lafave mentored him and produced his break through album "These American Blues"), Levi gathered an all star Tulsa band and took them to the iconic Muscle Shoals Sound Studio (now called Portside Sound Studio) to record 8 brand new songs. The outcome is an exciting mix of Tulsa swing, Southern grooves and mean guitar battles,  almost bringing Derek and the Dominos back to life.

In Parham's own words: "I’ve always been an admirer of the music that’s come out of Muscle Shoals, from Aretha Franklin to The Allman Bros. After visiting a studio there last year while on tour, I got the idea to bring a group of Tulsa musicians, still carrying the torch of the legendary Tulsa Sound, and toss them in that iconic space and setting along the Tennessee River and see what would happen.

What happened in August 2017, with musicians Paul Benjaman, Lauren Barth, John Fullbright, Jesse Aycock, Dylan Aycock, Aaron Boehler, Dustin Pittsley, Michael Staub, and Lauren Farrah, was a combination of mean soulful guitar riffs and loose vibey grooves, with hints of inspiration and influence from Derek And The Dominos, The Band, The Rolling Stones, The Allman Bros, and even Oasis." TWITTER.

It's All Good Tour - NL 2018:
Zo. 29-4 Hengelo - Cactus Cafe (band)
Ma. 30-04 Amsterdam – Paradiso (band)
Di.1-5  Leiden - Qbus (band)
Wo 2-5 Utrecht – Tivoli (band)
Do 3-5 E’hoven – Vunderke (solo)
Za 5-5  Ospel – Moulin Blues (band)
Zo. 6-5  Goes - Buunder Kunst (solo)
Ma 7-5  Oss – Railroad Roots (solo).

'My Finest Hour' is just so good! Lovers of southern rock, blues rock, Americana and the better side of classic rock need to give this album a listen. It's passionate, slick, bluesy and builds on the above cited influences, to a point where it exceeds expectations by pretty much any measurement. Have a virtual thumbs up, this album belongs in many a rock fans collection.

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Sugar Candy Mountain - Crystalline.

Background - Sugar Candy Mountain shares second track "Crystalline" off upcoming album, Do Right. Part travelogue, part response to the current, turbulent climate, Do Right gives voice to the deeply nested anxiety of modern times attempting to offer a balm.  Nature it seems, is where the band often goes to calibrate it’s moral compass so frequently upended by the daily news-cycle. 

Sugar Candy Mountain invites you to join them on this journey singing “There’s a quiet place I go when I need to find my way/ There’s a quiet place inside/ Come on in just knock and a door will open”. Musically, the band remains rooted in 60’s and 70’s rock, with their signature honey sweet vocals. Do Right leans more heavily on synthesizer than the band’s previous records lending the album a more modern feel.  The album pairs the ephemeral orchestral arrangements of The Beach Boys with the pop sensibility of George Harrison on “All Things Must Pass”. 

Oscillating between the hazy psychedelic pop of Mild High Club, the driving energy of Dungen and the danceable familiarity of The Supremes, Do Right is a perfect cocktail of old and new, imploring the listener to take a ride into the sunset with Sugar Candy Mountain. WEBSITE.

Tour Dates:
04/27 - Boulder Creek, CA – DIO Fest
05/02 - Santa Barbara, CA – Soho
05/05 - San Luis Obispo, CA – Shabang 10
06/16 - Leggett, CA – Hickey Fest
06/23 - Miami FL – Miami Psych Fest.

We shared 'Split In Two' just over a month ago and the follow up song 'Crystalline' really does deserve a second feature for this creative band. The dual vocals are atmospheric and enticing, the musical setting adds some real depth, it's a little psychedelic and a whole lot addictive.

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Lonely The Brave - Childcare - Blitzen Trapper - Gitta De Ridder - Anna St. Louis

Lonely The Brave - What If You Fall In (Redux).

Background - Lonely The Brave have been deliberately quiet these last few months, working on new material and reassessing what has come before. This has been all the more noticeable because before then, they had never stopped: last year alone saw them secure a no.1 on the rock chart with their second LP “Things Will Matter”, sell-out a headline tour and play main support on a hugely successful European tour with Biffy Clyro, followed with a thematically linked series of EP’s which have shown the sheer depth of strong material that was available to them around that second record.

But despite their successes, Lonely The Brave have never been like their peers, never calculated the game in quite the same way they have, never shot from the same angle. From their stage dynamics, to their influences, to covering the likes of Bjork, Pink Floyd and Antony & The Johnsons, they have always been proud of their differences and in what has staunchly set them apart from the others who have now fallen by the wayside. 

They followed the release of their critically acclaimed debut “The Day’s War” with an extended version including several Redux tracks that reinvented material rather than simply stripping it back and they follow this theme of insular reinvention again now on a full Redux album version of “Things Will Matter”. Melody and heart will always be at the centre of what they do, but Lonely The Brave are here to prove once again that they will always continue to do things that other bands can’t.

At their most anthemic, or at their most vulnerable, Lonely The Brave remain an inarguably important act. Where they head for the next album remains to be seen, but you know that if they can keep their heads we will be rewarded with another record on their own terms that will always stand proudly apart from the rest. Lonely The Brave - Things Will Matter (Redux) - Out November 10th on Hassle Records - Produced by Matty Moon and Lonely The Brave, website here, Facebook here.

We have featured Lonely The Brave once before back in March this year. The new Redux track 'What If You Fall In' is an atmospheric piece where the vocals are emotionally subdued giving a sense of simmering passion, that in fact eventually breaks through. The music is layered with gorgeous sounds, that gradually build, on what is a beautiful song.


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Childcare - Getting Over You (By Dressing Up Like You).

Background - Inspired by 'I should Coco' era Supergrass and Phil Spector produced Motown shakes, 'Getting Over You (By Dressing Up Like You)' is Childcare's most likely-to-be-featured-on-a-Spo tify-playlist song to date, depicting an unorthodox approach to moving on from a relationship break up.

Singer Ed Cares eloquently explains: “After being the victim of a polite yet painful breakup, I found myself later that same day wearing one of the skirts of my former inamorata for a video shoot the band was filming. Realising this was an A* creative writing idea for a song, I quickly noted down the title 'Getting Over You (By Dressing Up Like You)' in my gmail drafts folder and the song flowered from there.”

Childcare finished 2016 playing huge shows in front of thousands as part of Bastille’s nationwide arena tour. ‘Made Simple’, their debut EP released in April this year represented an emphatic statement which cemented the adoration of all those newly turned on to the London quartet courtesy of that tour. With a sling of festivals and a recent Radio 1 Maida Vale session tucked safely under their belts this four piece are soon to embark on their first UK headline tour.

It all started when Ed Cares, one of west London's most in-demand male nannies, was overheard humming a song he had written, by Katie, aged six, who persuaded him to form a band. Josh, eight, boldly proclaimed: "You're probably my second favourite artist after Katy Perry."  And so, after sourcing some neighbourhood musicians capable of living up to Josh’s heady billing — specifically Emma Topolski (I cold) on bass, Rich Legate (son of 'Menthos' font designer) on guitar and Glyn Daniels (Chelmsford born, Bristol bred) on drums — Ed soon had an able band to perform with under the only logical moniker in the circumstances: Childcare. Website here, Facebook here, includes tour dates.

It's the fourth time on Beehive Candy for Childcare, so I am guessing we pretty much like them! 'Getting Over You (By Dressing Up Like You)' has some intriguing lyrics and is so full of hooks it's hard to ignore. The whole arrangement is produced to a very high standard & I have a sneaking feeling they might hit half a dozen features at some point.

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Blitzen Trapper - Wild and Reckless.

Background - US Americana legends Blitzen Trapper have just unveiled the title track from their forthcoming new album ‘Wild & Reckless’ due out Nov 3rd. Earlier this year, the Portland, OR-based Blitzen Trapper accomplished a unique feat for a rock band who has been releasing albums and touring for the better part of two decades: a staged musical titled Wild & Reckless that ran for 28 performances at Portland Center Stage. Today, the band is announcing a new album of the same title that was born from the stage production and as a companion to their 2008 breakthrough album Furr.

 The album Wild & Reckless was born from the stage production that the band spent the better part of a year producing. The half musical, half rock-opera dealt with heroin abuse, desperation, true love and western power structures. The story evoked a bygone era of Portland with this sci-fi love story, featuring a rock-and-roll score that paired unreleased songs with favorites from the band’s catalog. 

Following the success of the production, the band took 7 original songs from the production and developed the theme further into the 12 songs that comprise the new album Wild & Reckless.

Frontman Eric Earley also sees the record as a companion and extention of their 2008 album Furr. "Wild and Reckless” is something like a cross-eyed stepchild to Furr, in that it chronicles the darker dystopian stories of rural and suburban west coast death-drive via a riffing psychedelic landscape. Ten years after Furr with all its talk of murder and the end of the western world, it seems there's more to tell."

Blitzen Trapper is Eric Earley (songwriter/singer), Erik Menteer (guitar, keyboard), Brian Adrian Koch (drums, vocals), Michael Van Pelt (bass) and Marty Marquis (keyboard, vocals). Wild & Reckless was produced by Eric Earley and Michael Van Pelt and was recorded by Gregg Williams at The Trench, in Portland, Oregon.  It was mixed by James Brown (Foo Fighters, Kings Of Leon, Blitzen Trapper's All Across This Land) at The Union. Website here, Facebook here.

We shared the track 'Rebel' less than a month ago & have no hesitation in featuring the title track from the forthcoming album 'Wild and Reckless'. We suggested that the previous song was "a fine alt rocker with more than a hint of Americana about it". This time the rock element is powered up, the melody is catchy & the vocals have something of a country vibe to them.


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Gitta De Ridder - My Dear, Oh Boy, Oh Man.

Background - Anglo-Dutch Gitta De Ridder is excited to release new single My Dear, Oh Boy, Oh Man; the first to be taken from new album For Everything A Season due out in Spring 2018; and will be hosting a single launch show at London's Green Note on Sunday 22nd October.

The songs on For Everything a Season are a journey of experiences through life and relationships, beginning with album opener My Dear, Oh Boy, Oh Man, a song about love and loss, about finding the strength to move on and let bygones be bygones.

Recorded in the beautiful suffolk countryside with friend and fellow songwriter Stephen Hodd, For Everything a Season is the next step following the success of previous release Feathers in 2016. Although themes across the album are quite universal, the lyrics also reflect a part of Gitta's personal and relational explorations across the past year.

Originally growing up in the Netherlands, Gitta taught herself to write and play songs on the guitar from a young age, and cites modern folk artists such as Iron & Wine, Ane Brun and Sufjan Stevens as her inspiration. Gitta's beautifully poetic folk-pop songs go straight to the heart. Website here, Facebook here.

Gitta De Ridder is another artist we have had the pleasure of including a few times previously and the new song 'My Dear, Oh Boy, Oh Man' is way to gorgeous to ignore. Her melodic vocals and gentle harmonies are accompanied by a simple musical arrangement that gradually builds adding additional richness to a beautiful modern folk song.


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Anna St. Louis - Fire.

Background - Despite her last name, Anna St. Louis was born and raised in Kansas City. She grew up a painter and singing in punk bands, eventually leaving her hometown to attend art school in Philadelphia. After graduating she made the move to Los Angeles where she began teaching herself guitar, writing songs and recording them on her own in her bedroom. 

First Songs is the sound of someone discovering their talent in real time - a peak into the collage of a wonderful mind that is absorbing their new surroundings and using new tools to put them into the room. 

Listening to this collection you can feel the sun coming in through the window - Anna on the foot of the bed with a guitar on her knee, finding her voice. St. Louis wears her influences well - think Patsy Cline singing over John Fahey - but has a style all her own. 

And while you can take the artist out of the midwest, you can't take the midwest out of the artist - so let this be known; this is Midwestern music ran through a California filter. I believe Anna will have many more releases in her lifetime, but let it all begin here - First Songs. Bandcamp here.

'Fire' is my introduction to Anna St. Louis and it is a very positive one. A personal feeling runs throughout the track, with the guitar and vocal arrangement giving a live performance vibe.

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Megafauna - Childcare - Reverse Family

Megafauna - Welcome Home.

Background - Cosmic vintage metal and melodic neo-psychedelia meld seamlessly in Megafauna’s fourth LP 'Welcome Home. Consequence of Sound described the album, released in May as "Megafauna's most ambitious and imaginative record to date, like St. Vincent for people who love the Melvins."  

The Austin-based band led by guitar goddess and singer Dani Neff dives deep into the sounds of soul exploration leveraged on the powerful rhythm section of drummer Zack Humphrey and alternating bassists Will Krause and Bryan Wright.  With 'Welcome Home', Megafauna eschew the progressive rock stylings of their earlier work and reach back toward the proto-metal haze of Black Sabbath and Sir Lord Baltimore while ushering it skyward with sharp melodies and the space-rock production work of Curtis Roush and The Bright Light Social Hour.

The album was crafted throughout 2015 in the cloistered bungalow studio of The Bright Light Social Hour and given a muscular mix by veteran engineer Erik Wofford (Black Angels, Bill Callahan). Through a deep look inside and above for new awareness, Megafauna has forged their most vital work to date. 

The self proclaimed thinking woman's hard rock band draw their influences from maximalism, nature, Psychedelia, circus arts, shredding, splatter paint, reading aloud, modern dance, touring compulsively... and sleeping. Website here, Facebook here.

As I understand it Megafauna's album 'Welcome Home' is going to be released on the 27 May 2017 in the UK, it's actually been around for a while on Bandcamp. This is a really good collection of songs that take you through so many rock genres, with a consistent style and ardent, impassioned delivery.

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Childcare - Dust.

Background - Childcare finished 2016 playing their biggest shows to date – in front of thousands as part of Bastille’s nationwide arena tour. This came hot on the heels of the band releasing killer single ‘Film Club’ to comprehensive acclaim. ‘Film Club’ was the first taster of a new EP that also features the stellar ‘Kiss?’ and represents an emphatic statement sure to cement the adoration of all those newly turned on to the London quartet courtesy of that tour. 

It all started when Ed Cares, one of west London's most in-demand male nannies, was overheard humming a song he had written, by Katie, aged six, who persuaded him to form a band. Josh, eight, boldly proclaimed: "You're probably my second favourite artist after Katy Perry."  And so, after sourcing some neighbourhood musicians capable of living up to Josh’s heady billing — specifically Emma Topolski (bass), Rich Legate (guitar) and Glyn Daniels (drums) — Ed soon had an able band to perform with under the only logical moniker in the circumstances: Childcare. Having honed their vivid and visceral live show on stages including Reading and Leeds festivals and now some of the land’s major concert venues.

About ‘Dust’. A riff on the End of Days itself, ‘Dust’ finds Childcare tackling mankind’s inevitable extinction with haunting vocal melodies, scalding guitar work and gutsy rhythms, plus a choral finale courtesy of a choir of heaven-sent angels. The third track to be shared from the ‘Made Simple’ EP, the song’s subject matter is certainly a departure from the band’s acclaimed previous tracks ‘Film Club’ and ‘Kiss?’, as frontman Ed Cares explains:

“Having released some music about kissing mums and fancying a girl, I thought it only appropriate that we now tackled the impending end of the world in a global warming/nuclear strike scenario. ‘Dust’ describes a roasting high-temperature cooking experience and the final thoughts of a man approaching his maker.” Facebook here.

Fervent and succinct vocals and a tight rhythmic soundtrack with plenty of energy, makes 'Dust' a very memorable and impressive song. Lyrics are affecting, the piece as a whole quite compulsive.

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Reverse Family - Legend of Pierre.

Background - Ever had that dream where an insect invades the ear and sets up home to mercilessly tease and torment thereon in? If so, a form of similar reality is about to be unleashed as the Reverse Family step forward to announce themselves with a sound which trespasses and festers in the psyche. The difference is that this is set to be the most welcome invasion of ears as it crawls with relish into the imagination.

With a tongue in cheek lining to the lyrical reflection shaping songs which spreads into the music itself, Reverse Family is a beguiling adventure with a nod to the past and a grip on an imagination as fresh as it is, well quite simply a touch loco. Website here, Facebook here.

Taken from the album 'My Songs About Life Mid Crisis' released a few weeks ago we can share 'Legend of Pierre' which can only be an indicator of the extraordinary twelve tracks in this collection. Sometimes quite "out there" other times a little quirky, always energised with plenty of rock instinct, I found this one of those albums, that's a little like exploring a new and exciting place for the first time!


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Midweek Muse: Francobollo - Chances - Childcare - You'll Never Get To Heaven - Christine Leakey

Francobollo - Good Times.

Background - Francobollo announce UK tour with The Big Moon plus new single ‘Good Times’ is out now. Following the release of their acclaimed ‘Wonderful’ EP in late 2016, Sweden’s Francobollo return this week with a new single - ‘Good Times’. Possessing an irresistible charm, an undeniable wit - and an infectious personality - these three elements shine through in their schizophrenic, adventurous brand of indie rock.

Once again, esteemed producer Charlie Andrew (Alt-J, Marika Hackman, Benjamin Francis Leftwich etc) is at the helm - with Francobollo’s debut album set for release later this year on Andrew's new label Square Leg Records. "Good Times is a serenade to the bad times in life. The feeling you get when you forget how good things can be.” - the band explains. Quintessential alternative rock that's instantly identifiable as Francobollo - with this new single, the quartet are evidently in fine songwriting form. Hinting at inspiration from the likes of Pavement, Built To Spill, and Cap’n Jazz - they’re at their exhilarating best - sounding more energised than ever before.

The band head out on a run of UK/EU dates this Spring, including support slots with the likes of Cymbals Eat Guitars and Johnossi - (and a full UK tour with The Big Moon) with a special headline single release party at The Battersea Barge on March 10th - and if the band’s previous headline shows are anything to go by - will sell out very quickly. ‘Good Times’ is out now via Square Leg Records. Tour details on our tour page, website here, Facebook here.

'Good Times' stands out with distinct vocals and musicians who can mix elements of full on rock, with more refined and understated interludes. The above noted charm and wit, does somehow slowly become apparent, particularly as the song seemingly falls apart and grinds to a halt, before relaunching, and it's done so well.

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Chances - Shine.

Background - This week Chances released their debut single “Shine”.

The song is a mix of pop, electro, and a touch of world music, with Ojibwe lyrics over an Indian Raga in the choruses. 

There's a ceremonial energy to the vocals, almost prayer-like in the way they weave in and out of each other and in the harmonic intervals, layered overtop a more pop/upbeat arrangement that we feel captures the essence of Chances.

Chances came together in Montreal in 2016 to sketch out a few songs, just to see where uninhibited brainstorming might lead us. New rules brought new possibilities. One person’s writer’s block became another’s building block. Dead ends became playgrounds. Website here, Facebook here, Bandcamp here.

Mixing electro pop with more than a hint of global and traditional flavours gives the song 'Shine' an impressive amount of originality. More importantly the overall feel is both cohesive and flowing, and perhaps most importantly superb to listen to.

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Childcare - Kiss?

Background - Childcare finished 2016 playing their biggest shows to date – in front of thousands as part of Bastille’s nationwide arena tour. This came hot on the heels of the band releasing killer single ‘Film Club’ to comprehensive acclaim. ‘Film Club’ was the first taster of a new EP that also features the stellar ‘Kiss?’ and represents an emphatic statement sure to cement the adoration of all those newly turned on to the London quartet courtesy of that tour.
 
It all started when Ed Cares, one of west London's most in-demand male nannies, was overheard humming a song he had written, by Katie, aged six, who persuaded him to form a band. Josh, eight, boldly proclaimed: "You're probably my second favourite artist after Katy Perry."  And so, after sourcing some neighbourhood musicians capable of living up to Josh’s heady billing — specifically Emma Topolski (bass), Rich Legate (guitar) and Glyn Daniels (drums) — Ed soon had an able band to perform with under the only logical moniker in the circumstances: Childcare. Having honed their vivid and visceral live show on stages including Reading and Leeds festivals and now some of the land’s major concert venues, Childcare have released two singles to date, 'Omega Grey' and ‘Film Club’, earning extensive national radio play and enthusiastic coverage from key online tastemakers.

“While waiting at the school gates to pick up the child I look after, I went to say hi to a couple of the mums I knew in the playground. I went to kiss one on the cheek just as she leant forward to pick something up from her bag on the ground. This left me hovering mid-air above her for a few seconds, at which point instead of returning to my natural standing position, I decided to draw her attention to my predicament by posing the question: ‘Kiss?’ She rose, we greeted, I blushed." Ed Cares, Childcare frontman (and male nanny). Facebook here.

The vocals and supporting vocal arrangements immediately grabbed my attention. 'Kiss?' builds into something a little more powerful than initially expected, where vocals and music compete for your attention, and Childcare demonstrate they have something pretty special going on here.

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You'll Never Get To Heaven - To Be Fair.

Background - This week, Canadian ambient-pop duo You'll Never Get To Heaven have shared the second track "To Be Fair" from their upcoming album. 'Images', their third full-length album is due on March 24th, 2017. 

Alice Hansen, a classically trained pianist and violinist, and Chuck Blazevic, a studio-obsessed tone-sculptor and monome performer, combine their disparate perspectives to co-curate every element of YNGTH together as equals. After gaining a groundswell of support from fans and critics all over the globe for their 2012 self-titled debut and 2014's 'Adorn', the group caught the attention of indie upstart Yellow K Records (Japanese Breakfast, Eskimeaux) on the strength of their breakout single "Caught In a Time, So Far Away". 

The band has partnered with Yellow K for the release of 'Images' in a break from their otherwise staunchly independent ethos. While YNGTH has been reclusive in the past playing only a handful of select festival dates, they are currently planning their first European and North American appearances in support of 'Images' for Spring/Summer 2017. 'Images' will be issued worldwide on Vinyl/Digital via Yellow K and on limited-edition cassette via the band's own Mystic Roses imprint. Website here, Facebook here.

It's less than a month since we first covered this fine duo and the first taste of their new album 'Images'. Last time round we described the track as "a wispy melodic song where the vocals gently float above a rich soundtrack". I think it reasonable with the latest song 'To Be Fair' to make a similar observation. You'll Never Get To Heaven, clearly have the knack for creating ambient, layered and flowing music that really appeals and delights.

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Christine Leakey - Walks Like An Angel (feat. Linda Perhacs).

Background from Christine - The video for Walks Like An Angel was shot mostly underwater in the heart of the 1000 Islands where I grew up. I used simple techniques starting with the use of a GoPro on a selfie stick for the scenes of me sitting in the weeds, and the rest of the video was shot with the help of a friend. The scenery of Linda Perhacs was done in Agoura Canyon by one of her friends for me.

The currents were strong during several takes on one side of the island which made it a little difficult and so we moved to the opposite side which I feel made something that fits with the music well. By the end of the shoot, I was freezing. My lips were blue and I was shaking in the shots of me singing in the water. It was the first day of autumn.

The song was inspired by a friend who lost both his parents within a year apart and features Linda Perhacs on vocals. My second solo record entitled, Wanderlust Wishing Well is due out March 3rd. Website here, Facebook here, pre-order the album on Bandcamp here.

This is our third feature for Christine Leakey (our first was a year ago this month) and once again it's an absolute pleasure to have some new music to share. 'Walks Like An Angel' from next months album release 'Wanderlust Wishing Well', is a lush, gentle and melodic piece, drenched (video pun intended) in beauty and imagination. The video is another creative piece in it's own right, with Christine demonstrating just how much she will invest in her art. The album is a must listen as far as I am concerned.

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Midweek Muse: The History Of Colour TV - AyOwA - In Light Of - Childcare

The History Of Colour TV - Wreck.

Background - Berlin-based trio The History of Colour TV is back with new music, presenting 'Wreck', the first single from their forthcoming third album 'Something Like Eternity'. For this, the band travelled to France in the spring of 2016 to record with Peter Deimel (The Wedding Present, Shellac, The Ex) at the legendary Black Box Recording Studio. The result represents a departure from their hallmark sound by bringing a raw, minimalist aesthetic to the new release.

Stylistically, 'Wreck' is a dynamic and open live recording with minimal overdubs and, in this respect, represents a snapshot of the overall album. With an elongated structure and narrative theme, the song itself blends melodic sensibilities with ragged guitar textures. Building on melancholic arpeggio patterns, 'Wreck' unfolds in intensifying sequences, crescendoing in a raging wall-of-sound that engulfs the song in a billowing cloud of guitars.

The History Of Colour TV was founded in Berlin in 2010 by British artist Jaike Stambach, initially conceived as a solo multimedia project involving noisy hypnotic output through audio, video and soundtrack offerings. Over the course of two albums and multiple EPs, released through Bruit Blanc and Saint Marie Records, the band has been unabashedly diverse in their approach, exploring harsh noise, sound collages and reverb-saturated dreampop, to the stripped-down rock of their more recent offerings. They also toured extensively while establishing their notable presence within the Berlin music scene. The current lineup also includes Markus Mocydlarz and Janek Sprachta. 'Wreck' will be released digitally on November 25. Their album 'Something Like Eternity' will be released in early 2017 via French label Cranes Records and the band's own imprint Weird Books. Website here.

'Wreck' has a raw live feel, not surprising as it was pretty much recorded that way. The play between guitar and vocals works well, and the rhythm adds energy and direction.

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AyOwA - Newcross.

Background - The Danish duo AyOwA came out the gates running with wicked hit ‘Sommer’ earlier in 2016 which attracted frequent play across Europe on BBC Radio 1 (Huw Stephens), Radio X, Amazing Radio and Apple’s Beats 1 with heavyrotation on Danish P6Beat. Huffington Post (US), Noisey, Vice and other international sites have taken the band which mark the rare case where Danish language music crosses borders abroad.

Friends Nicolai Kornerup and Hannah Schneider turned their companionship for musical alchemy when they started creating electronic music together as a band AyOwA. The two spent a summer in Valby to experiment with modular synths and old tape machines, and began to make their dark and evocative electronic pop songs.

"On the first floor there is no home. It has not been long." Take a little Underworld, mix it with a little Aphex Twin and sprinkle a bit Cocteau Twins on top and you land somewhere near AyOwA's second single ‘Newcross’. Still sung in Danish, AyOwA travelled through the past of familiar streets in London’s New Cross while looking at the dark windows and abandoned apartments and wondering where everyone went. Facebook here. 

It's been a while since I've been around 'Newcross', a part of London I used to drive through regularly. So it's interesting to hear a song sung in Danish about said place. However this is a superb track with intricate sound mixing with dreamier vocals, the promo description above kind of nails it.

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In Light Of - Bless Your Heart.

Background from Jason & Sandy (In Light Of) - The two of us live in different cities without any mutual connections. We met when Sandy responded to a job posting of mine and quickly bonded over a shared appetite for the kind of boundless sonic exploration found in post-rock (and the like). It's been a long-distance relationship ever since. 

We're truly the perfect pairing. Sandy's known as the idea starter or "vibe setter". He sent me a rough idea that he captured on his iPhone. I took it, developed and finished the track in my studio, and kept many of the original lo-fi recordings in the final mix. This is a song writing formula that works perfectly for both of us. 

Sandy and I have never written a song together. That is together in the same room, or even the same city. Yet, all five songs on this debut EP, Little Treasures, were pieced together from ideas shared from one device to another, many kilometers away. And now for the first time, through the magic of technological advancement, it's in your hands to listen and consume. Facebook here.

'Bless Your Heart' is a soothing and flowing piece,that builds beautifully in all it's ambient glory. It's good to feature instrumental music when we can, with this song its a real pleasure.

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Childcare - Film Club.

Background - 'Film Club', the formidable new single from arch capital-city rockers Childcare, will be released on Lost in the Manor Records on 18 November. Childcare are supporting Bastille on their nationwide arena tour ahead of the release. Channelling post-punk, slacker rock, G-funk and bhangra, ‘Film Club’ – inspired by Childcare singer/songwriter Ed Cares’ trips to cinematic gatherings in order to impress a fellow attendee – evolves from unruly beginnings into a lick-laden dual-person narrative rich in celluloid reference. Set this to a jagged guitar refrain and riotous global beat, and you have a track brimming with killer hooks, cultural nous and compelling wit. One for the canon of intelligent British pop, ‘Film Club’ is a key exemplar of Ed’s smart, skilful songcraft, as well as his band’s singular sensual verve and ear for the cream of new wave.

It's 2014 and Ed Cares sits contemplating the formation of an oxbow lake. Despite being one of west London's most in-demand male nannies, Ed isn't entirely content with his lot. But, overheard humming a song he had written years before, Ed is persuaded by Katie, aged six, to form a band. Josh, eight, boldly proclaims: "You're probably my second favourite artist after Katy Perry." And so, after sourcing some neighbourhood musicians capable of living up to Josh’s heady billing — specifically Emma Topolski (bass), Rich Legate (guitar) and Glyn Daniels (drums) — Ed now had an able band to perform with under the only logical moniker in the circumstances: Childcare.

Enthused with the energy of punk, drenched in the off-kilter pop sensibilities of Missy Elliot, the infectiousness of The Police and a by-numbers approach to songcraft akin to Happiness In Magazines-era Graham Coxon, Childcare played some of their first shows at the Reading and Leeds festivals, and soon released their debut single 'Omega Grey'. The song gained radio play from Annie Mac, Huw Stephens and Steve Lamacq, was named Track of the Day at Radio X, playlisted at Amazing Radio and garnered extensive blog coverage from the likes of Clash, Indie Shuffle and more. Also paying close attention were Lost In The Manor Records, who, after witnessing Childcare at one of their vivid and visceral live shows, wasted no time in proffering a contract. Facebook here.

Tues 8 November: Birmingham NIA
Sat 12 November: Glasgow SSE Hydro
Sun 13 November: Newcastle Metro Radio Arena
Official ‘Film Club’ launch show - Mon 28 November: The Waiting Room, London N16.

'Film Club' is rapidly clocking up the listens, and it's hardly surprising with this feisty and potent song. If the rhythm doesn't get you the upbeat vocals and guitars could well hook your ears!

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