Showing posts with label David Philips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label David Philips. Show all posts

Brooke Bentham - Glass Heart String Choir - Bray and The Dens - David Cronenberg’s Wife - Weird Milk - David Philips

Our third feature for Brooke Bentham ahead of her  debut album 'Everyday Nothing' which will be released on AllPoints on the 28th of February, is 'Control' a song that if anything raises expectations even further! === Glass Heart String Choir a Seattle based duo have just released their beautiful new single entitled 'Stars', it's fabulously arranged and exudes warmth and natural emotion. === Ahead of the bands fourth studio album 'Stingray' due in March we have the latest taster from Bray and The Dens called 'Enemy Lines', a slick alt pop rocker, that's potent and addictive. === We have a video for the title track from David Cronenberg’s Wife new E.P namely 'Hannity Comes Home'. It's a simmering mixture of flowing rock and in your face vocals and oh boy! does it pack some determination and passion. === North London indie band Weird Milk share a video for 'Time Machine' where keeping a straight face was a challenge for some of the band, not that it takes anything away from this triumphant piece. ===  === We finish today with folk singer David Philips and his new song release 'In Focus' a gentle, personal and intrinsically beautiful musical work.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Brooke Bentham - Control.

Brooke Bentham releases ‘Control’, the explosive third single from debut album Everyday Nothing which will be released on AllPoints on the 28th of February.

‘Control’ examines the connected age’s anxiety-inducing phenomenon of ghosting: “It’s about when someone cuts you off entirely. It’s weird when someone does that,” she explains. “I got blocked out with absolutely no reason why, and it makes you question yourself and you just can’t stop thinking about it. you’re just talking to a wall; it’s bouncing back and you end up with this mess in your head.”

Images of loneliness and anxiety pervade the accompanying video, which is helped along by the introspective ambience of Brooke’s songwriting. The song’s explosive chorus is a relentless chiming of internal doubts and insecurities in the wake of being cut out. Like with anything Brooke writes it’s not without a subtle and dry sense of humour, images of her burying her head in a cereal bowl or under curtains give it levity, but the song’s message is unequivocal.

Everyday Nothing was engineered and produced at Yawn studios with Bill Ryder-Jones mixed at Dean St studios by Charlie Russell. Brooke writes sharp and eloquent songs about her experiences as she understands them, using words and music to resolve and record the tensions of young adulthood. Confronted with the mundanities of life and caught between two jobs in London, she finds intense lyricism in the struggle for purpose and direction.

There is so much frustration in being young and unsure of what you want, especially when your path is creative,” says Brooke. “You can only hope that it leads you to something fulfilling, so you cling on to the everyday details - burning candles in your bedroom at three AM aged sixteen, or having a bath in the evening at twenty three, or watching your breath when you step outside in winter. I was reflecting a lot when I wrote these songs, romanticising those moments.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Glass Heart String Choir - Stars.

We have the new single from Seattle based duo, Glass Heart String Choir. their new song, and first since 2018, is a grand, cinematic arrangement that pairs rustic acoustic guitars with sweeping strings, adding a widescreen intensity to their longing vocals. In the self-directed video for "Stars", the band explore the elasticity of time, meticulously cutting together hours of timelapsed footage in the sprawling Seattle forest. At times they are superimposed over the shifting landscape, and at other times they are transported along with it.

At first listen, one might assume that the intricate interplay between honeyed vocals and any variety of violin, cello, or harp of a Glass Heart String Choir song would require careful discussion between musical partners, but songs are the one thing Ian Williams and Katie Mosehauer never talk about.

Verbose when discussing the nuances of nature (especially birds) or poetry (especially Russian), Ian is a person prone to long pauses while searching for the perfect word or metaphor to describe his own inner mechanics—a listener may wait indefinitely for sentences that never finish or metaphors that remain unfound. It is songwriting that allows him ample time to plumb the more faceless emotions of life and dredge for exactly the right words to capture them. Recipient of the prestigious Richard Rodgers Award in musical theater, Williams is adept at telling others’ stories, as well as his own through song.

For Katie, music presents a wondrous, wordless reprieve. Spending much of her time crafting public policy, words are a high-stakes game with far reaching implications. “I spend a lot of time in other arenas parsing the meaning of individual words and their intention. When it come to our songs, we seem to have found our own language—Ian never needs to tell me what they mean, and I never need to ask.” Composing allows her to think only in sound and shape and color, to fill in spaces not with what must be said to make the world more just but with what could be heard to make it more beautiful.

In their first release since their project’s debut EP in late 2018, the release of singles "Stars" and "It’s Never Enough" scheduled for early 2020 move on from Light’s themes of leveling doubt to trade in absolutes. Both songs apply surging vocals over baroque musical sheets, weaving together intricate stories with cinematic soundscapes, but to different effect—"Stars" bursts toward the future with a knowing, formative, certainty while "It’s Never Enough" looks back with an equally certain sense of devastation. This paired couplet of songs is day to each other’s night, full of contrast and compliment.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bray and The Dens - Enemy Lines.

Eclectic alternative rock artist BRAY & THE DENS proudly announce the release of the band’s fourth studio album, Stingray, on March 20.

“Enemy Lines,” is a cut from the album The Aliens are Here, which was released in 2019. The song was produced with Bray’s longtime friend Cam Perridge, and the video was directed by Brazilian filmmaker Piettro Garibaldi and filmed in Dresden and Budapest.  “The theme surrounding this video is betrayal,” Bray explains. “In the video, I’m chasing a ghost, which is something I’ve actually done in real life and wanted to address.  We aimed to tell this story using layers (hinting at duality or duplicity) and by filming in the goddamn coldest weather! While working on songs for “Aliens,” I decided this song fit the concept of isolation, and reworked it with a much heavier treatment,” he reveals. “The lyrics are pretty straight-forward. I was deeply hurt by a friend, which I now realize was my own part in, which was me believing what I wanted to believe. Still, when our heart longs for something, it hurts when we are denied that thing; when the rug is pulled out from what we thought was real.” Sample lyric: “No power of detection. I was lost in your affection. Upon closer inspection, I couldn't see my own reflection. Behind enemy lines, we looked each other dead in the eyes. Behind enemy lines, you lied.”

Singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Bray Gurnari is the principal of his band, employing a rotating array of musicians to round out the Bray & the Dens trio. San Francisco-based Bray’s unique brand of alt pop rock is a mix of Bowie-esque hooks and crisp, driving grooves à la Queens of the Stone Age. The band’s music is a blend of syncopated propulsion, sly hooks and poignant lyricism. It’s rhythmic, hooky guitar-driven rock, to be sure…but it’s also cinematic and clever, with funky beats and lush pop sensibilities thrown into the mix. Bray’s music is heavily influenced by David Bowie and Prince, and has been compared to the Foo Fighters and Arctic Monkeys. “Our sound is more sensual than the Foo Fighters, yet still packs the punch. Perhaps more accurately, it’s the Arctic Monkeys-meets-Matisse; it’s The Police-meets-Zoolander,” he laughs.

“I’m influenced by Renaissance people who make a mark through giving and creating; artists who follow their own muse without apology.” Be sure not to miss Bray & the Dens next upcoming single/video, “Be Your Own Surgeon” due out in mid-February, the release of the full album Stingray on March 20, and stay tuned for U.S. touring news to be announced soon!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

David Cronenberg’s Wife - Hannity Comes Home.

David Cronenberg’s Wife release brand new EP Hannity Comes Home via Blang Records on 31st January. The follow up to 2018’s The Octoberman Sequence EP (‘A perfect 10’ - Norman Records), title track Hannity Comes Home is taken from forthcoming 4th album The Ship (Necrologies), while the new EP also features ‘a song written for a play we did the music for and two different versions of old songs we recorded up a mountain in Norway’.

Led by singer, composer, anti-corruption campaigner and 7-fingered guitarist Tom Mayne, DCW’s songs swing between the sweet and the disturbing, with influences ranging from The Birthday Party to Jonathan Richman. The Ship shows the band at their idiosyncratic best, showcasing their flair for cleverly-crafted songwriting, black humoured lyrics and off-the-wall themes.

A key band in the early 2010s UK Antifolk scene, contemporaries of Fat White Family on the Antiantifolk scene, and an influence on current South London guitar bands (Goat Girl, Shame), DCW have supported The Fall, The Nightingales and Jeffrey Lewis, played numerous BBC 6music sessions (Marc Riley, Cerys Matthews), and recently featured on John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight. Their live shows are visceral, vital, and whether playing twisted acoustic lullabies or in-your-face electric hollers, they never play the same set twice.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Weird Milk - Time Machine.

Edging towards the forefront of the emerging indie landscape, North London dreamers Weird Milk share the visuals for pulsating new single Time Machine, out now via American, Austin-based label Big Indie.

Arriving towards the end of a whirlwind 2019, the quintet’s latest effort followed acclaimed singles Anything You Want and Honey, I’m Around, having received widespread praise across the BBC Radio 1/6 Music airwaves (Annie Mac, Jack Saunders, Steve Lamacq) and growing support throughout the online community (NME, DIY, The Line Of Best Fit, Dork) as their profile continues to soar.

With plans already taking shape for 2020, including a support tour alongside fellow risers APRE next month and their debut trip stateside for SXSW & New Colossus Festival (incl. support dates with The Orielles), Weird Milk are certainly primed for the spotlight and look set to take full advantage.

Discussing the visuals, the four-piece explained: “We took a wonderful trip to Wales to film this one. It’s not Paris but it is Abergavenny. Went to a bakery and then pranced about for a bit on camera".

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


David Philips - In Focus.

In Focus" is a modern folk ballad, written especially for the Spanish romantic comedy "Te quiero, imbécil."

It's a classic tale of not appreciating what you have until it is gone. Co-written by David Philips with Spanish film score giants Lucas Suarez and Javier Bayon.

David Philips is a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer from the UK. So far we released six albums and a few singles from David.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Levity - David Philips - Kathryn Berry

Levity - Dreamers of the Night.

Background - Imagine the lovechild of Tom Morrello and Anthony Kiedis whose favorite uncle is Jimi Hendrix; this is Levity. 

Dreamers Of The Night , the new single by Levity is to be released 1st June.  The track showcases the band’s raucous but opulent energy, a hard edge with lashings of soul and funk.

Brighton’s beat dropping, slick licking outfit Levity will be joining South Africa’s fuzzy pop Early Hours for UK shows during May and June.

Packing out a string of headline shows across the UK, being championed by the BBC, appearing on multiple festival stages, Levity are a rock combo free from pretense, oozing with energy and excitement of a band rising. TWITTER.

UK Tour Dates | May / June 2018
15/05  London, O2 Academy Islington
19/05  Liverpool, Shipping Forecast
07/06  Bristol, The Thunderbolt.


Punchy, packed full of energy and a whole load of funky beats, 'Dreamers of the Night' is a feast of potent rock vibes with a good portion of hooks that dig in and demand another play.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

David Philips - Friends Like You.

Background - David Philips continues with his D.I.Y. approach for this his 7th album to date and his 6th on Black And Tan Records. Infusing Blues, Soul and Americana, he plays all the instruments on the record and also produced and recorded the album himself, as well as providing the hand drawn artwork. 

"Get Along" has a more upbeat and positive slant in terms of the songwriting compared to previous releases and although a full band sound is featured on most tracks, Philips still manages to keep things raw, organic and centered around his voice and acoustic guitar playing. 

With 8 new songs, 2 reworkings of old Philips classics and 3 acoustic demo bonus tracks, "Get Along" is the culmination of a lifetime of music making and music appreciation, showing how Philips continues to mature as both a performer, songwriter and producer.

This new record will be released digital now and later this year (September) we will follow with a physical release containing some more bird artwork from David. SPOTIFY.


From the brand new 'Get Along' album I have chosen the track 'Friends Like You' to feature. It is a splendid acoustic piece with David Philips rich and engaging vocals accompanied by a refined musical arrangement, what's more it typifies the quality and addictive nature of the album.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kathryn Berry - So You're Goin' To California.

Background - As they say, there is a story in every song and Kathryn’s latest single release, 'So You’re Goin’ to California', is no different. But here is a story we think pretty much everyone can relate to.

"My partner and I had been fighting for weeks (I can’t remember why, just the stresses of life…). My brother had invited me to his birthday and the date was yet another source of conflict between us.  But  I guess the whole storm of arguments leading up to the day made me just want to say, “f it all”, I’m going back to a time (in my head) when none of this mattered. " So what happened?

"So, I decided to just go with it and have fun for the night, wherever it took me. I stayed out all night with a random stranger. In truth, he was a perfect gentleman but the whole incident actually made my partner wake up and see me again. Or maybe I just felt attractive again and he saw in me what he’d loved from the start."

It turns out the song was an effortless write after that. When she returned, Kathryn sat down with her producer and wrote it in one session. They both loved it from the get-go and then Kathryn decided to call up her old friend, Denise Truscello, in Las Vegas. "Denise is a celebrity photographer and one of the co-founders of Wire Images. She is best known as Celine Dion’s personal photographer. The last time Denise took photos for me she fit me in between J Lo, Mariah Carey and Britney Spears. So I hopped on a plane and we shot the video on the way from Las Vegas to Los Angeles, guerrilla-style: no permits, no script.  All the people on camera agreed in the moment to participate, which seemed appropriate, as the song came from an event of the same making." And that’s how ‘Goin’ To California’ was born. FACEBOOK.


'So You're Goin' To California' is a bluesy indie rocker that quickly builds with power and emotion. Kathryn Berry's vocals are melodic and edgy enough to fit perfectly into the rock & roll environment, doing so with commitment and feeling.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Olive - Timewarp inc - Narrow Waves - David Philips - Kate Crash

Olive - Changing the World.

Background - Olive announces release of soulful new single ‘Changing the World’, due to be released this Earth Day, April 22nd. 

Olivia Szulgowski, known as Olive, is an independent Australian born artist. Inspired by indie-pop, soul and motown, with a hint of old-skool R&B. Olive has embarked on her own original sound journey, with the essence of the late Amy Winehouse ‘Back to Black’ album, fused with modern-day indie-alt radio hits. “Join me for tea, some afternoon company; we’ll let our fortunes unfurl and talk about ‘Changing the World’”. A big statement from Olive’s debut track titled ‘Changing the World’, the track has a big message and indie-pop, old-soul big band vibe. 

Olive’s debut release is launching this International Earth Day, April 22, to coincide with global consciousness about environmental sustainability for our planet and for us, the humans living on it. Following shortly after the launch of the video, 'Changing the World’ will be relaunched on a worldwide platform by Ear Science Institute Australia, for their global campaign for International Noise Awareness Day, this April 27. 

Don’t be misled by the catchy hook, ‘Changing the World’ delivers a contemporary universal message about each of us doing our small but integral bit. No matter how small the hope, we each have within us the innocence of youth and hope that we can truly make a difference. This soulful message is powerfully portrayed in the head turning music video to be released on the same day. Facebook here.

'Changing the World' starts out simply enough and quickly grows into an extremely catchy song, both musically and vocally. Bright indie pop with some soulful vibes ensures this song gets noticed.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Timewarp inc - Tropicaliente EP.

Background - The long awaited release from the man behind the label is now true! Timewarp inc returns with a killer new release under the name: Tropicaliente EP. Travel your mind, your body and your soul into the exotic places that Timewarp a.k.a Angelos Stoumpos tried to bring in life through his music. The recipe is simple; all three tracks on the EP are under a common root, that's the Dub, the growing plant births the first twigs, yes that's the funk, and finally we can see the leaves; well yes that's the tropical mood, colorful, happy, sweet, alive and organic! Many great artists participating in this brand new release. 

Half French and half Greek Georges Perin appears on the opening Tropicaliente track with his magical English / French joyful "oh mama" vocals, the lyrics were written with his partner Panagiotis Skraparlis. In this song Al The X-King is responsible for the great performing with his Ukelele. While 7x Greek DMC champion, world finalist legend Sparky T gave his great talented skills, he scratched a few special elements on the track. The rising little star Timewarp Junior appears on the track with his little sweet voice, learning the real word! An instrumental version of the track is also included on the release. 

Reggae on Dope is the next stop. Timewarp tried to give a different breath to his music, approaching reggae & funk with a tropical-mediterranean touch. The result is an amazing non-ordinary track. With his silver flute, Tasos Fotiou is the man behind this great performance. He played precisely the theme melody as Timewarp cached it first on the keyboards, but in the end he gave an extra solo performance with a unique character. Al The X-King is responsible for the great Cuban like chords and the smoked dub and reggae muted guitar riffs. At last Mister Kentro performed the accordion melody line as it was written from Timewarp on the keyboards. Well, that's a dope track indeed! 

Dub in Disco is next, and as the title states it, here you can expect some disco style, slow & down-tempo but yet full groovy with a tropical dub style. Tasos Fotiou participated by providing his great style with a heavy sax section theme score build up. Al The X-King did his thing once again with his dub and reggae style vibes all over the track with his great guitar riffs. The result is a floating dance track, with big dub disco beats and grooves. 

Timewarp inc - Tropicaliente EP will be available on May 12th, 2017 for sale in special edition CDR and digital download at timewarpstore and all mp3 retailers. 

Currently there is a generous twelve minute feature for the soon to be released 'Tropicaliente EP'. The EP is fabulous throughout! Tropically inclined reggae that is uplifting and refreshing.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Narrow Waves - Letters From Another State.

Background - Boston band Narrow Waves have just released their new EP, Letters From Another State.

All local city musicians, the sextet came together by two degrees of separation, but at times found each other’s beloved record store days separated by ten years. 

Between the metaphoric lyricism of Morrissey and the stadium-indie flush of Arcade Fire, Narrow Waves found their sound. Through listening to one another they have found their voice.

The group worked with producer Jeff Lipton on the EP, whose past releases include Bon Iver, Ladytron, LCD Soundsystem, The Magnetic Fields, Sebadoh and Soul Asylum. Narrow Waves' debut single "Reducer" was premiered on Vanyaland, who applauded it's "beautiful tension and casual urgency." Bandcamp here, Facebook here.

'Letters From Another State' comprises of five well crafted songs that might loosely be described as Indie Rock. There is plenty of melodic feel across the EP and vocals and harmonies are supported by some fresh, breezy music.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

David Philips - Home.

Background - November 2016 to March 2017 David Philips locked himself in his studio and spent the winter months writing and recording new material. Harking back to the full band sound of his debut album, but this time with a grittier sound centred mainly around the electric guitar and his new found love of the drum kit. 

Very much the studio loner David wrote, recorded and produced the whole record himself, playing all instruments and also designing the artwork. David says of the writing process : “With these songs I was experimenting with a new way of writing, something much more spontaneous, organic and immediate, trying my best to keep the inner critic at bay for as long as possible. I was able to centre the songs around what I hope are strong hooks and allowing myself to write with the electric guitar rather than the acoustic gave the songs a different energy.” 

Stylistically sitting somewhere between Ryan Adams and Doyle Bramhall II, yet as ever with his own instantly recognisable sound, Philips mixes pop, blues, rock and a touch of soul on this compact and to the point collection of 8 new songs entitled simply “Winter.” Website here.

'Home' is one of eight songs found on the new release entitled 'Winter'. The song typifies both the quality and superb delivery of each track. Upbeat folk rock, intelligent lyrics and plenty of electric guitar energy makes this a very fine collection of music.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kate Crash - Blacked Out the World.

Background - Kate Crash's has shared her newest single/video "Blacked Out The World". It follows her previous track/video "How We Play The Game". Both tracks will be featured on "To You Never Again', which is out 6/16.

Kate Crash is a Los Angeles-based songwriter, producer, filmmaker, entertainer, writer and multimedia artist.  In her teen years she made weird art, wrote poetry books, and played in punk and industrial bands.  After graduating from Cal Arts, she moved to Tokyo where she performed her music in surreal street shows and made avant garde films.

When she came back to L.A. she was discovered and cultivated by legendary producer Nick Launay (Nick Cave, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Arcade Fire).  Launay produced 3 EP’s for Crash that were released under Joan Jett’s Blackheart Records and George Martin’s Grand Master.  She then released a dance-pop EP that she co-produced with various Grammy winners including Jimmy Harry, Jason Evigan, Ethan Kaufmann, and Ryosuke Sakai. Crash now writes, performs, and produces all her songs which are mixed and engineered by Ethan Kaufmann.

On June 16th Kate Crash’s first full length video album “To You Never Again” will be released.  Written, performed and recorded completely by Crash in her apartment, it combines hip hop beats with dark dreamy pop chorus’s and electric guitars.  It is accompanied by raw, hard hitting videos she created with director Ashley Walters, editor Linda Strawberry and actor Brett Grace.  They were shot two days in and around her apartment in order to maintain the vulnerable, volatile, and homemade feel of the album.  It's about a character hitting rock bottom, which causes them to realize that most of what they believe is just programming from childhood, society, and media. Website here, Facebook here.

'Blacked Out the World' has a dark and moody feel to it, that the video tends to expand on. Kate's vocals add some rock'n'roll edge, providing the song with further intensity. With an album on it's way in June, more of the same will be plenty enough.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Department S - Kim Free - David Philips - Lonely The Brave

Department S - When All Is Said And All Is Done.

Background - Nub Music are proud to announce that Department S will release their first album since 2011, When All Is Said and All Is Done. This 10 track full length album will be released in April 2017 in digital and CD formats, with a limited edition vinyl release. Department S will be touring extensively through 2017 to promote the album. Recorded in London through 2015, the album has been produced and mixed by Pete Jones (former PiL bassist).

Department Sare a London based post-punk/new wave band originally formed in 1980. The band, featuring vocalist Vaughn Toulouse, keyboard player Eddie Roxy and guitarist Mike Herbage, released three singles and recorded one album, Sub-Stance. Debut single Is Vic There? charted in the UK at number 22 and saw the band make 3 appearances on Top Of The Pops. Subsequent Stiff Records single Going Left Right also charted, while 3rd single I Want was a hit in many European countries. The band split in 1982.

Department S reconvened in 2006, with Eddie taking vocal duties following the untimely death of Vaughn Toulouse in 1991. In February 2007 the band recorded their first new single for twenty-six years, a cover version of Alvin Stardust's 1973 hit My Coo-Ca-Choo. This was followed later that year by the critically acclaimed live in the studio LP Mr Nutley’s Strange Delusionarium.

Department S have built up a reputation as being a must-see live band and have subsequently played festival dates across Europe, including Glastonbury, Benicassim, Rebellion, Rewind, Great British Alternative Music Festival and Sinner’s Day. Website here.


Department S still produce music with the vigour and immediacy of their debut single 'Is Vic There?'. Yes the band have matured, resulting in the musicianship becoming tight and polished and the overall production benefits from three decades of recording progress. Featured song 'When All Is Said And All Is Done' gives the listener a feel for what to expect across the ten track album, the passion and gutsy commitment remains, the songwriting is impressive, and there is plenty more on the bands website to discover.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kim Free - Destiny.

Background - Kim Free is the best kind of artist. She’s a classically trained violinist whose love of popular music has compelled her to compose, record and perform the enchanting bewitching music that’s uniquely her sound.

Toward the end of the first decade of the new millennium, she embarked on a her first recording project, under the name ‘Black Church’. These avant-goth cassette-only releases and the performances that went with them gave her a small but dedicated cult following. In 2012, she shed her pseudonym and released Angel Shadow as Kim Free. It was followed a year later by Nevermind the Blue Skies, a 14-song collection of dreamy pop.

Now Kim continues her evolution with her most ambitious project yet - Slips. Slips sees Kim reunited with producer Alex De Groot, who she first worked with while playing violin for the Zola Jesus world tour. For Slips, Kim has recorded several songs with a full rock band - a first for her. She navigates the delicate balance between these songs and her more familiar violin-based numbers with aplomb.

The Slips project will initially be presented to the public through a series of digital EPs. The first, Make Me Yours, was released in December 2016. The second, Malibu, will be released March 2017. [The complete Black Church catalog was recently released on limited edition CD for the first time on the UK-based Reverb Worship. The Kim Free records are available digitally and on vinyl from LA’s Fine Records.] Facebook here.


Our second feature for Kim Free, this time with the engaging and dreamy song 'Destiny'. Musically the track gradually builds from a light beginning into a broader and expansive soundtrack with the violin adding some extra flavour to the piece, however it's the wispy and personal vocals that make this such a pleasing and intimate song.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

David Philips - Home.

Background - November 2016 to March 2017 David Philips locked himself in his studio and spent the winter months writing and recording new material. Harking back to the  full band sound of his debut album, but with more grit, more electric guitar, more to say and a clearer idea of how to say it.

Very much the studio loner David recorded and produced the whole record himself, playing all instruments and also designing the artwork. “Home” is the upbeat new single from this collection of recordings entitled simply “Winter” due out late March/early April 2017 on Black and Tan Records.

David Philips is a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer from the UK. His work as a solo artist and session guitar player has taken him around the world playing venues and festivals such as Montreaux Jazz Festival (Switzerland), Marciac Jazz Festival (France) Delhi Jazz Festival (India), Woodford Folk Festival (Australia), Blue Balls Festival (Switzerland), Mare De Agosto Festival (Azores Islands), Blues Aan Zee Festival (Holland). Website here.


There is a robust level of energy within the new song 'Home' right from the very start. Vocals are committed and impassioned, supported by a punchy musical arrangement. It's might be described as folk rock or Americana, whatever label we attach, it's one fine song and sets expectation high for the album.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lonely The Brave - The Rat.

Background - After a great 2016 for the band that included a no.1 album on the rock chart, a sell-out headline tour and a hugely successful European tour in support of Biffy Clyro, Lonely The Brave continue their prolific streak as songwriters by releasing a second song from their upcoming EP, a cover of long-time band favourite "The Rat".

As a band known for picking covers that perhaps people wouldn’t expect from them – Cyndi Lauper, Bjork, Pink Floyd and Antony & The Johnsons some of their previous conquests – “The Rat” is a leftfield take on an already wonderful song by The Walkmen, one that showcases David Jakes’ peerless vocals and one that will hopefully introduce the song to a whole new audience.

Alongside the new EP, coming March 24th through Hassle Records, Lonely The Brave will be supporting British alt-rockers Mallory Knox on their UK tour spanning March and April 2017, featuring dates in Cardiff, Edinburgh, London, Bristol and both Mallory Knox and the band’s hometown of Cambridge.

Known for their uplifting, atmospheric and anthemic songs, Lonely The Brave are joined on the line-up by their old friends and tour partners, the Glasgow three-piece, Fatherson. Website here, Facebook here, tour details on our tour page.


If you have a taste for atmospheric music that slowly unfolds into something quite beautiful and then takes off, 'The Rat' should pretty much tick all your boxes, If you feel the need to provide a cover version, then this band make a good reference point to proceed from.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bumper Catch Up featuring: Rubblebucket - Mollie Elizabeth - Lilly Hiatt - The Kearns Family - WILDES and St Francis Hotel - Lucette - Caroline Strickland - Mon Rayon - Lala Salama

Keeping the comments a little shorter so we can cram a few more songs in than usual, this is our first bumper catch up of some really fine r...