Selci has just shared 'Hide Forever' following on from 'Strangers' which we shared last month, her creative alt pop taking a slower, moody electro pop direction on this occasion. === Bristol, England band Home Counties have released 'Redevelopment' which is a vibrant and addictive indie rocker. === Last month we shared 'Magpie' from Fassine who return for a sixth time on Beehive Candy with 'Max' an atmospheric and more electronic piece, from this imaginative trio. === Released today Beauty Pill share 'Please Advise' a creative and highly individual piece, that exudes intrigue.
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Selci - Hide Forever.
Calgary soundscaper Selci is returning with the languid electro-R&B number, “Hide Forever,” which will appear on her second EP in less than a year, A SOFT PLACE. As the world is gripped by the Coronavirus pandemic, the track’s message of finding comfort in isolation seems especially fitting in these uncertain times.
“Hide Forever” is a slumbering reflection of the artist trapped in a sleep state during a periodic low. Produced with the help of prolific Vancouver beatmaker Neighbour and tempered by Selci’s narcotic vocals, the track flows like a curl of smoke.
“I wrote 'Hide Forever' when I was in a major depression and I wasn’t able to face the world,” Selci says. “Sleep was my only place of solace. The world would shut off and I could drift away. For A SOFT PLACE, I needed to dig into the places that made me feel safe, where the fear and stress of the world was silenced: laying on a couch with family, dancing by myself, or sleeping. Sometimes finding a soft place is a site of peace.
Sometimes it’s a place of refuge or a part of you that you need to protect. Now with people all over the world going into self-isolation, this song seems to resonate more. I hope that people who are struggling with their mental health because of the pandemic are able to find their own places of softness and comfort. While you may feel like hiding forever, just know that you're not alone—we’re all in this together."
Home Counties reside in Bristol and combine angular guitar work with furious percussion. Supporting Whenyoung and Pip Blom on tour in previous incarnations of the band, the 5-piece make melodically rigid, socially-charged anthems that are lyrically tongue-in-cheek and scathingly satirical.
Yesterday (March 24th) the band shared their debut single as Home Counties, 'Redevelopment'. A raucously danceable earworm examining gentrification in the UK; the interplay between its intricate guitar passages and singer Will Harrison's impassioned yelps is infectious.
“‘‘Redevelopment’ is about town redevelopment,” the band explain. “Lyrically, the first half of the song takes the view of 1960s redevelopers, with the second half addressing the tearing down of modernist buildings and replacing them with gentrified luxury flats. The song points out that these ideas of nostalgia, urban decay and progress come around in cycles. Fundamentally, it suggests that we should be as wary of arguments against redevelopment, as of redevelopment itself.”
Having already caught the attention of Huw Stephens – receiving airplay on BBC Radio 1 and 6Music, 'Redevelopment' also stands as the title track from the bands upcoming debut EP, produced by Theo Verney (Egyptian Blue, Fur) – due for release later this year.
Asserting a fierce electronic element to their acclaimed pop formula, UK industrial-pop trio Fassine will release new album FORGE this Friday, March 27 via Trapped Animal Records/Cargo Records. A gripping tribute to the unassuming heroes on the fringes of society, the new collection is bolder than ever, elevating the London trio’s distinctive take on electronic music with heavier, more aggressive instrumentation.
The band continues their tradition of covering obscure tracks, this time choosing Italian jazz singer Paolo Conte’s “Max” which debuted with New Noise Magazine today. Conte, an Italian legend who the UK’s Guardian once described as a “Maestro of a lost elegance” has been a part of the country’s DNA for over forty- five years. Aggressive and commanding, the band has reimagined the largely instrumental original with their uniquely cinematic and bombastic approach. Fabrizio of ARQTIC offers his authentic Italian vocals to the track, and performs the piano solo at the end.
Says Sarah Palmer “We were in the studio late one night and were debating about how to record the small section of Italian in the song. Not being Italian we were concerned that our English accents would destroy the song. We wandered down to grab a coffee and Stefano Fiori and Fabrizio Pagni just happened to be there. We couldn’t believe our luck and asked them if they would do the vocal. Initially, they were a bit skeptical owing to the fact that the song was so strange and niche but they ended up not only doing the vocal part but also contributing musically to the song. One of those serendipitous moments that worked big time”.
Beauty Pill announces Please Advise, the first new music the band has released since 2015’s Describes Things As They Are, an album that earned widespread acclaim including NPR Music's album of the year list and TIME Magazine's 10 best albums of the decade list.
The lead single “Pardon Our Dust” is now available worldwide on streaming platforms as of today. This past Friday, the track was released early (exclusively on Bandcamp) to help raise funds for Beauty Pill and bandleader Chad Clark, whose rare heart condition puts him at critical risk should he contract COVID-19. "If I become infected, I’m gonna die pretty swiftly. My doctor has assured me of this," Clark shared recently via Twitter.
The accompanying music video for lead single "Pardon Our Dust" features newest Beauty Pill member Erin Nelson and debuted this past weekend via Spin. "Most Beauty Pill songs work by insinuation,” Clark explains, “but “Pardon Our Dust” is more abstract. It’s about oblivion. The dictionary says oblivion is “the state of being unaware of what is happening.” To me, oblivion seemed an idea worth interrogating in the Trump age when a lot of people feel like disappearing... To me, cumulatively the song feels like science fiction and the voice is some kind of malfunctioning artificial intelligence. What do "so few reasons left" and "willing to burn” mean? Something is happening in this song, but I can’t tell what. I’m not sure.”Please Advise will be available May 8th, 2020 via Northern Spy Records on Digital/CD/Cassette/Vinyl, each with distinct artwork (designed by Grammy-winning artist Brian Grunert) and unique bonus track exclusive to that format.
In conjunction with the release of Please Advise, Beauty Pill will host a weekend art exhibit of Yes I Am A Hologram at the highly respected D.C. art gallery, Lost Origins, where the band will also perform in an intimate, special one-off configuration.
Fassine return here for a fifth time with 'Magpie' a song that sees the trio drifting into a more dream pop orientated mode and doing so with characteristic style and imagination. === We have the new album entitled 'Onion Peel' from Penniless Cove and it really is an impressive collection of quite unique songs, sometimes lighter and sometimes more dark folk in nature, but always consistently special. === Ahead of his seventh album ‘Sink Into The Ether’ Stumbleine has released 'Supermodels' and it's a gorgeous dreamy and melodic affair from this talented and creative UK producer.
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Fassine - Magpie.
Asserting a fierce electronic element to their acclaimed pop formula, London industrial-pop trio Fassine will release new album FORGE on March 27 via Trapped Animal Records & Cargo Records.
Previously released lead album track “Bloom” is the band’s response to the obsession of perceived beauty in perfection. Follow-up single “Magpie”, out today, is a glistening slice of dream-pop which examines the tempting allure of love and acceptance. "A Magpie-type lover and all that comes with it, luring us in to the hope of a beautiful relationship", explains frontwoman Sarah Palmer.
A gripping tribute to the unassuming heroes on the fringes of society, Fassine's new collection is bolder than ever, elevating the London trio’s distinctive take on electronic music with heavier, more aggressive instrumentation. The band has garnered acclaim from The Guardian, The Independent, Clash and more with comparisons spanning Trent Reznor to Berlin-era Bowie.
Since their last release, Fassine’s XTC cover of “That Wave” appeared on the Sky Arts documentary on the seminal band, This Is Pop. Their track “Whatever It Takes To Help You Sleep” played as the backdrop to Netflix’s first feature film “Velvet Buzzsaw”, and ”Leaves” was featured on Oprah Winfrey’s Queen Sugar. FORGE means ‘to create something strong and enduring’. With this new album, Fassine has embodied the grit and grime of their personal heroes and wield an industrial and hard-hitting piece of craftsmanship.
London-via-Pembrokeshire songwriter Penniless Cove (aka Phoebe) has always taken a left field approach to creating music. Performing a number of different instruments, her tracks lean on a number of various genres, bringing elements of Folk, Blues, Jazz and Pop together in a unique vision of her own work. Her unique brand of songwriting has led to tours across the UK and Europe in recent years including performances at Latitude Festival and Cheltenham Jazz Festival. She’s also performed alongside Imogen Heap in London and was invited to perform on Radio 4’s influential ‘Loose Ends’ earlier this year.
A music obsessive from a young age, Phoebe studied classical piano growing up in rural Pembrokeshire, before also picking up French horn, guitar and jazz vocals. She performed with a number of orchestras and bands while writing with her sister (who she still writes with to this day). She was a regular on the live circuit in Wales before moving to London to study music and develop her sound further.
I grew up in a pretty but small town with not-so-much to do. I was in all of the music groups I could find, which meant playing as many instruments as possible, including learning the French Horn. As a teenager, I was in a feisty girl band in my friend’s attic and did a lot of hanging out on the beach, singing songs around fires. Although my parents didn’t play instruments, they were really into music from different corners of the world - I remember lots of wild dancing in the kitchen.
She soon found herself releasing music and debuted her EP ‘Out on a Roof’ in 2012. She then followed up with her album ‘Tipped Like Titanic’ in 2016, with each release developing her sound and style in new ways. Her first two releases received support from 6Music, Folk and Honey and BBC Radio 4. Her new album “Onion Peel’ ebbs and flows between haunting pieces of dark folk such as “River Lea”, and satirical songwriting gems such as “Time to Get A Cleaner”. There’s a vibrant honesty throughout the record, that feels as raw, awkward and emotive as the stories she tells. On the new album, Phoebe states:
It’s a break up album - the songs all share similar themes of change, sadness and feeling lost. They highlight moments like being inside an argument (Silence Sits Like a Boom), the feeling of deep longing when you’re trying to sleep (Valium) or wanting something to grow when you’ve invested so much (Petits Filous). With my sister, we drew out the intricate details that make it personal, honest and at times, funny. There are lots of influences in the album. When writing, rehearsing with the band and producing with Tom, I listened to a massive range of music. A lot of folk, jazz, soul, and funk, but also quite niche music from different cultures, so I think lots of those sounds come through.
As the title suggests, UK producer Stumbleine’s seventh album ‘Sink Into The Ether’ offers a deep submergence within a celestial upper region somewhere beyond the clouds. Thriving on the space in between things, ‘Sink Into The Ether’ is chilled, heavenly and thought provoking. It’s another multi-faceted creation of glowing sonic vistas that are set to enrapture in 2020.
The album envelops the listener from the outset with the soft, pitched sway of “Sonder”. The track ebbs through calming shadows, showcasing Stumbleine’s warm, electronic glow and gamut of influences, with hushed hypnotic delayed sounds, vocal samples and snappy beats.
Stumbleine’s skill at blending an array of electronic timbres washes over the largely instrumental record, exemplified in “Supermodels”, with its lo-fi chorus-drenched haze building to an emotional, percussion-driven climax. Here, and scattered about the album, RnB vocals are chopped-up, but glistening a dark, dreamy hue. A cover of the Hole song, “Malibu” features Elizabeth Heaton of Midas Fall. Her delicate, dream-like vocals waft over the hazy instrumental waves like tendrils of smoke, as they both grow ever more desperate, and slowly crash.
Elsewhere on the album tracks like ‘Lost To The World’ come together more immediately with flourishing synths and soaring backdrops overlaid by a heady bass and intricate beats, while ‘White Noise Therapy’ invokes a cinematic Tokyo-set film score peppered with playful soft pianos. “Lost To the World” swings in addictive pitched-vocal punches, circling itself into a spiral. “Your Angel Was Fake” has a hopeful darkness about it, recalling electronic shoegaze and witch house artists of the early 2010s. It scales and then pulls away, at once breathing and stopping, full of blanket synth pads and subtle snaps of percussion.
Also known for his work in post-dubstep trio Swarms, Stumbleine has steadily built a cult of admirers around himself following collaborations across his varied albums and EPs with the likes of ASA, Shura, Violet Skies, Birds of Passage, Steffaloo and more. His sound, if it can be compared to anything at all, straddles post-rock shoegaze soundscapes with ambient electronica and experimental movements into something that can be both an ASMR hug to the ears yet also similarly arresting, fractured and off-kilter depending on which way things flow. As different sounds shift in and out, narratives become clear slowly and disappear quickly throughout Stumbleine’s kaleidoscopic visions. The album will be available on digital platforms, CD and a pressing of 500 LPs on cream vinyl with a free album CD inside.
Fassine make their fourth appearance on Beehive Candy with the brand new song 'Bloom' ahead of the third album 'Forge' due in March, the track mixing a powerful chorus with more melodic and beautiful vocals. === Les Flâneurs has released 'Your Days' which features the impressive and delightful vocals of Hanna Turi, plus the fabulously arranged musicianship of Alex Marchetti. === HMS Morris new single is 'Babanod' (meaning Babies) the Welsh language song is passionate and expansive, the music growing in depth, the hooks building throughout.
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Fassine - Bloom.
Fassine’s third album FORGE (March 27), and first on Trapped Animal Records & Cargo Records, is a tribute to the unassuming heroes on the fringes of society.
New single ‘Bloom’, out today, is a response to the obsession of perceived beauty in perfection. Addressing this disconnect, the band asks if something is more beautiful when it is broken.
'Bloom' flips violently between states, from the tranquil verse, where Sarah Palmer’s sweet, manicured vocal is backed by just a propulsive bass, to the apocalyptic chorus of crashing drums and ear-bleeding synths.
Forthcoming record 'FORGE' is bolder than ever, elevating the London trio’s distinctive take on electronic music with heavier, more aggressive instrumentation. Fassine has garnered acclaim from The Guardian, The Independent, Clash and more with comparisons spanning Trent Reznor to Berlin-era Bowie.
Since their last release, Fassine’s XTC cover of “That Wave” appeared on the Sky Arts documentary on the seminal band, This Is Pop. Their track “Whatever It Takes To Help You Sleep” played as the backdrop to Netflix’s first feature film “Velvet Buzzsaw”, and ”Leaves” was featured on Oprah Winfrey’s Queen Sugar.
‘FORGE’ literally means to ‘create something strong and enduring’. And with this album, Fassine have embodied the grit and grime of their personal heroes to weld into existence an industrial and hard-hitting piece of craftsmanship.
"Your Days" follows the trip-pop of “Dark Souls”, released in December, that got attention and airplay worldwide. “Your Days” was born out of the spontaneous collaboration with swedish singer Hanna Turi, whose emotional lyrics and top class songwriting, along with the well-received album “Tracks in the Water” (2015), have led to several performances at South by South West (SXSW) in Austin and gigs at legendary places in New York and worldwide.
Alex Marchetti, the man and producer behind Les Flâneurs' project, remembers his first meeting with Hanna, during her Italian tour: “I met Hanna during a house concert in the place where I produce music, a medieval farmstead hidden in the countryside. When she arrived with her band she seemed to be worried, like thinking: 'where the hell am I? My agent will have to know!' She didn't know I was doing concerts in that place since several years.
The audience sat in silence, mesmerised, during the whole performance, totally taken by the music and Hanna's impressive voice. At the end of the night she told me it was the best show of her tour, because of the respectful and loving attention she got. Then she gave me the most wonderful present: she turned the simple melody I was composing into “Your Days”, a dreamlike naive pop song.
Following a tour of Japan, a Welsh Music Prize nomination and a gig-filled 2019 HMS Morris are back with their new single 'Babanod' meaning 'Babies', will be released on February 7th (Dydd Miwsig Cymru – Welsh Music Day) on Bubblewrap Records. 'Babano d' is the first in a series of singles slated for release in 2020, during which the band will also be developing a theatre show ready for performance in 2021.
The impetus for writing 'Babanod' was the awkward moment in your friend’s wedding when someone feels compelled to reassure you that “you’ll be next”. In that situation, surrounded by married couples and young children, how do you assert your right to a slightly alternative lifestyle, something other than just moving directly from graduation to marriage to parenthood, without sounding like a total dick? Better to smile, bottle it up, and release it in a song when you get home.
'Babanod' will be available digitally from all the usual platforms.
Charli Adams may be a newcomer (I'm quoting below) however 'Backseat' is a confident and imaginative alt rocker of sorts that exudes class. === West Wind share 'River' the band only formed last year however this is a smooth and tight musical excursion that takes dance music close to the border with sophisticated rock. === Four years on and Sea Wolf returns with 'Fear Of Failure' an indie rock song with a good helping of folk sensibilities. === Songwriter and a creative one at that Walter Martin shares the delightful and extremely catchy 'That's All I Need' an exotic song that conjures up so many fine mental images. === From South London we have the five piece bandMargot with 'In Your Palm' a dreamy, laid back and lush song oozing class. === Known for their cinematic pop Fassine have just released the rather gorgeous song entitled 'Limbs' - expect a whole load of beautiful musical hooks. === With a stylish video The Hempolics introduce 'Full Of Surprises' a song with some beautifully deep dub and reggae moments, alongside a fresh and more modern feel. === We finish today's selection of new and good tunes with a music video from Aqua Seca and the track 'Slowdrive' a song where decades of rock music come together in a fusion of old meets new.
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Charli Adams - Backseat.
Drifting seamlessly into the alt-rock landscape, newcomer Charli Adams excels with stirring lead single Backseat, the first track lifted from debut EP Good At Being Young, out 31st January via Color Study (Haux, Henry Jamison, Rosie Carney).
Growing up around rural Alabama through broken homes and a conservative Christian family, Adams left her life there as a cheerleader at 17 and moved to Nashville to pursue music, setting about creating a wealth of material somewhat unbecoming of her adopted hometown. Evoking comparisons to contemporaries Phoebe Bridgers, Angel Olsen and Sharon Van Etten with her fiercely anthemic tendencies, the alt-rocker’s songwriting tackles her formative years, and the ensuing friendships and hardships, coupled with romance and heartbreak.
Discussing Backseat, an ode to the tail-end of adolescence, Adams explained: “The night before I was heading into the studio to finish the EP, I was on a drive with two of my friends on some back roads outside Nashville. It was the first time our conversation had ever felt robotic to me, like small talk among close friends. So I turned up the music and put my head out the window and tuned out for the rest of the drive. I went home that night to write Backseat and I immediately felt like it was the missing piece of the EP”.
Live Date: 31 Jan – The High Watt, Nashville (EP launch).
Upon the release of lead single River, Ulladulla outfit West Wind set their sights on a golden horizon of their warmly understated and deeply irresistible selection of soulful dance tracks on their EP Sundown. West Wind are a four-piece band who distill elements of funk and downtempo dance genres into a style of dance music that tastefully balances the acoustic and electronic. Producer Marc Andrews and singer Mitch Fa’oa's songwriting dynamic elicits the sensual juxtaposition of deep house escapism and indie- dance approachability. Their EP, Sundown, will be released January 24th, 2020 and supported by an east coast tour. ‘When the wind blows west, where we live the ocean is clean, the weather is crisp and everyone’s having a good time. That’s the vibe we want at our gigs.’ - Marc Andrews.
The single and the other three songs on the EP were produced and recorded independently in Marc’s home studio. River is a crystalline exploration into dance genres as agile guitars and effervescent synths get people moving. The lyrical theme follows the excitement of seduction, contrasted with the downfalls of single life, an emotional flow held only by a focused groove.
West Wind began in 2018, with Marc Andrews producing and Mitch Fa’oa on vocals. After the release of their debut album Vision of Her, the band expanded to include Mark Beasley on bass and Zach Lucas on keys, allowing them to build a live show that gained strong support locally. This larger dynamic allows greater interplay between the Marc’s electronic techniques and the vitality of a supporting band.
Across the four tracks, Perfume with a confident air and raspy melodies, Hollywood’s easy ability to sass a late night workload through to Stay Calm’s chillingly reflective state, Sundown sets a refreshing tone for house sensibilities and soulful desires. The band plan to share this sophisticated sensation on a tour of NSW’s east coast, with plans for Wollongong, Sydney and the Gold Coast to come. The ‘Sundown’ EP by West Wind is out January 24th, 2020.
Los Angeles-based artist Sea Wolf has released a moving new track titled “Fear of Failure”, his first new music in four years. Showcasing lush, indie/folk melodies and carefully crafted lyrics, “Fear of Failure” is a raw, contemplative song that highlights the power in vulnerability and bravery in the face of fear.
“For me, this song is both incredibly personal and very much about the world we live in,” explains Sea Wolf leader Alex Brown Church. “It took a long time for me to get to a place where this song could come out, so it feels really good to finally be sharing it.”
Sea Wolf first captured attention with the breakout track “You’re A Wolf” off the debut full-length Leaves In A River. He has since released two more studio albums and one stripped-down LP, establishing a reputation for his poignant delivery and dexterity as a songwriter and garnering positive coverage from NPR Music, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, The New York Times and more. After experiencing several significant life changes, Church returns with his most personal and intimate material to date. The heartbreakingly honest “Fear of Failure” is a breakthrough moment that showcases his ability to gracefully illustrate deep, complicated human emotions, while also offering a sense of hope by the song’s end.
Renowned songwriter and Walkmen co-founder Walter Martin will release his new album The World At Night on January 31st via Ile Flottante Music. Produced by multi-instrumentalist Josh Kaufman (The National, Hiss Golden Messenger, The War On Drugs), the album is Martin's most richly orchestrated and grandly cinematic collection to date, as well as his most poignant. Today he shared two new songs from The World At Night: "The Soldier," a vivid character portrait sung from the perspective of his 96-year-old grandfather-in-law, and "That's All I Need," a burst of humor and celebration about familial love.
He remarks about "That's All I Need," stating "I guess I just wanted a moment of pure joy on the album. I think it adds depth to the whole album. In my mind it's more about familial love and not really romantic love - more like about a longing to be loved and to be with the people you love."
With sweeping strings and lavish horns fleshing out his spare, understated vocal delivery, The World At Night calls to mind everything from Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits to Randy Newman and Harry Nilsson. Dedicated to his dear friend and late Jonathan Fire*Eater bandmate Stewart Lupton, it balances soul-baring intimacy with sophisticated arrangements as they walk a delicate tightrope between despair and hope, faith and doubt, security and uncertainty. In addition to Kaufman, the album features an all-star cast of musicians including Sam Kassirer and Zach Hickman (Josh Ritter), Stuart Bogie (Arcade Fire, The Hold Steady), Rob Moose (Bon Iver, The National), and pianist Thomas Bartlett (Glen Hansard, Norah Jones).
Lupton's memory looms large on this record and his spirit informs the music in ways both explicit and implicit. Album opener "October" sets the tone from the outset, pairing exuberant music and ominous lyrics about fate and mortality as Martin sings, "The trees have gone bald / Guess the world is getting older / October is here." It's followed by the title track "The World At Night (For Stew)" which grapples with the confusion of loss and draws much of its imagery from a collage that Stewart made that now hangs above Walter's writing desk. In a recent interview with Billboard, he stated, "I'm not really a religious person, but I do believe in ghosts and in magic and in plenty of beautiful stuff that I can't see. Writing this album - and especially this song - was an effort to get closer to that stuff. And to Stew."
South London 5-piece Margot share new single In Your Palm alongside an animated video directed by Jenny Wright, and announce the release of their debut Margotzeko EP which follows on 7th February 2020.
Margot are drawn to what they describe as “melancholy’s softer side”, and of all the tracks on the forthcoming Margotzeko EP, In Your Palm is most indicative of this. A dreamy waltz of a song where the band’s usual fusion of hazy neo-psych, dream-pop and jangle guitar - which pulls influence from Real Estate through to The Smiths - is replaced with late-night smoky romanticism.
In Your Palm could be a break-up song, with the soft hues of frontman and lyricist Alex Hannaway’s vocal taking on an emotive troubadour tint. However, as with all Margot’s songs which are often bittersweet character studies with an eye on the minutiae of modern human existence, there’s a much deeper social-political undercurrent. In Your Palm is an ode, of sorts, to disillusioned teachers. As Alex expands “It’s about a teacher feeling that their job to teach is becoming untenable due to the outsourcing of schools to corporations driven solely by profit.”
Taking a literal cue from the song’s title, Jenny Wright’s animated In Your Palm is set inside a hand, with the palm a springboard into different locations inspired by the meanings of the lines within palm reading. In Your Palm and the Margotzeko EP from which it is taken was recorded and mixed by Ben Andrewes of Margot at the band’s home studio in Peckham, London and out of hours at a studio in Kings Cross where Andrewes’ works. It was mastered by Kevin Tuffy at Alchemy Mastering.
In Your Palm is released now as a stand-alone digital single with Margot’s debut Margotzeko EP following on 7th February 2020.
Cinematic pop creators Fassine return with ‘Limbs’, a typically dramatic and chaotic single that sees the London trio chart heavier, more aggressive waters. With previous acclaim and support from the likes of The Guardian, The Independent, Giles Peterson, Clash and more, Fassine bring back their genre-bending take on alternative electronic music, and it’s even bolder than before.
‘Limbs’ is replete with punishing, reverberating guitars, war cry howls and thunderous drums. Of the track, Fassine say: “Limbs is the warfare waged over someone else’s well-being. The silence of the middle while all around are screaming.’’
While ‘Limbs’ does possess glimpses of the filmic and vivid qualities Fassine became famed for on ‘Gourami’ (2017) and Dialectik (2016), for the most part it shatters any preconceptions you had of the trio. “One limb / give him two limbs / give him something / just wrap your heart around him’’ Sarah Palmer sings on the chorus, her macabre words perfectly complementing the apocalyptic backdrop.
“We try to create small vignettes of people’s lives, their flaws, their strengths, their beauty, their ugliness. We put ourselves in their world, look from their perspective and the songs are our own little plays. Every song we create is a different story tied together by people's consistent inconsistencies", the band added. ‘Limbs’ reveals just how comfortable the band are in this new skin.
Since their last release, Fassine have been busy on our screens, their XTC cover of ‘That Wave’ appeared on the Sky Arts documentary on the seminal band, This Is Pop. Their track ‘Whatever It Takes To Help You Sleep’ played as the backdrop to Netflix’s first feature film Velvet Buzzsaw, and their track ‘Leaves’ was featured on Oprah Winfrey’s Queen Sugar.
The Hempolics return with ‘Full of Surprises’, the first single from their forthcoming second album ‘Kiss, Cuddle & Torture: Volume 2’, planned for release in April 2020 on their own record label Zee Zee Records via Kartel Music Group. The single has already gained support at radio from BBC 1Xtra’s David Rodigan, 6Music’s Steve Lamacq, Don Letts and 6Music Recommends.
“Musically I wanted to make something completely different to ‘Boss Clock Me Style’, which was one of the singles of our debut album to make it onto the BBC 6Music Playlist,” recalls Grippa Laybourne about what he defines as a “dark, winter Portishead trip-hop meets dub track but with Nubiya’s pop vocals.” Expanding on the production of the song, the renowned mixing engineer and record producer explains, “we used synth bass instead of live bass to create an even darker, dirty sound. Bass leads the way on the track,” he strongly declares.
Filmed in the dark, lost corners of London and directed by Blue Laybourne - known for directing videos for the likes of Maison Margiela X Highsnobiety, Puma and Novelist - the visuals complete the song’s lyrics and its story - perfectly depicting the band’s lead vocalist Nubiya Brandon’s past experience.
“It’s a window into my 17-year-old self,” reveals Nubiya talking about the lyrics she wrote for “probably the darkest and introspective song I’ve written”. Recalling her favourite moment after a party “when all that was left was me and a few close mates,” a time she could stop being “the overly flamboyant person at the party” that wasn’t really her. The title ‘Full of Surprises’ is about people not always seeing the real side of her personality in social situations. “I don’t really party so crazily anymore due to London’s dying venues and house parties being not what they used to be,” she adds, reflecting on a version of herself she’s largely left behind.
The Hempolics’ blend of Reggae, Hip-Hop, Dancehall and Pop has already been heavily supported across UK national radio by BBC Radio1, BBC 1Xtra, BBC Radio 2 and BBC 6Music, where the band had three playlisted singles. They went on to have 6Music ‘Album of The Day’ and were subsequently chosen by Liz Kershaw's pick for 'Album Of The Year', after an impressive live session for Lauren Laverne. The Hempolics are Grippa Laybourne (Dub FX, Keys), Nubiya Brandon (Vocals), Dandelion (Vocals), Harry Collier (Vocals, Guitar), Leon King (Guitar), Lorenzo (Bass) and Craig Boorman (Drums).
Aqua Seca releases their music video for their single, “Slowdrive.” Trent Hankinson and Derek Stewart decided to take on the music scene following the attention they received for the music video for their previous single, “Whipped Cream,” which garnered over 12k views on YouTube not long after its release. The original idea for “Slowdrive” came to Trent a little over two years ago and now the music video brings their vision of a thoughtful night alone to life.
"As the name entails, the song really came to stand for the kind of place of you get to on a long, lonely drive. Alone with your thoughts, just you and the road. Nobody else around, just you thinking things through, really getting deep into your head." - Trent Hankinson
In “Slowdrive”, the audience is introduced to Trent as he walks to his car that is parked on an empty dirt road. The sun is starting to fade into the horizon while Trent puts his truck in drive. He rides slowly into the night, stopping to watch the nighttime take over the sky a few times. Alone with his thoughts, Trent appreciates the time he has to himself with his car, music, and an open road.
The guys have known each other since they were freshmen in high school and have always enjoyed jamming out together in their spare time. At the time that Trent began writing the songs for the upcoming LP, focusing on music was the last thing he should have been doing. He was a full-time student in college with an overloaded class schedule and an internship, with his songs just voice memos he had on his phone. When Trent decided to stop holding himself back from his dream, he reached out to Derek and Jacob to be permanent fixtures of Aqua Seca. Like Trent, Derek and Jacob had other commitments such as a full-time apprenticeship and school. However, the pull towards their music was not something any of them could ignore and now the songs are more than just melodies in Trent’s head and memos on his phone. “Slowdrive” is dominated by the force of Trent’s guitar playing, Jacob's bass, combined with the driving beat of the drums and high-hat played by Derek. “Slowdrive” is perfect for fans of early Tame Impala and Led Zeppelin.
Trent Hankinson (main vocalist and guitarist) is in charge of the entire writing, recording, and production process; and with Derek Stewart (on drums), and Jacob Horne (bass, guitar, and keys) they are ready to take on the music world.
Background - British-born, French-raised and London-based, Hero Fisher (yes, that’s her real name) is returning to release her sophomore LP Glue Moon. Hero’s career has so far seen her collaborate with Alison Mosshart and Boy George in the Mark Ronson-scored ballet Carbon Life, open for The Rolling Stones and Neil Young at Hyde Park, and got shortlisted for the 2014 Glastonbury Emerging Talent Prize. In 2015 she released her debut album, the critically-appraised Delivery which won her fans in The Horrors and Blur. By turns a blistering rock and roller in the vein of Patti Smith and PJ Harvey, and an experimental folk storyteller à la Jeff Buckley, Hero Fisher resists easy generic categorisation with her protean and filmic musical storytelling. Able to expertly strike a variety of different narrative poses, she is at once the spurned lover and the fired-up rabble rouser, the predator and the prey. With Glue Moon lead single ‘Sylvie’ straddling the line between being a modern love song or a gothic ghost tale, it’s evident Hero has plenty of yarns left in her yet, and from the apparent ease with which she spins them, she’ll reach many more milestones on her creative journey. Shot in the style of found footage movie making like The Blair Witch Project, the video for Hero Fisher’s new single ‘Sylvie’ is a beautifully eerie accompaniment to her tender and emotive songwriting. Together, the audio and visuals tell a spectral love story. Delicate plucked acoustic guitars morph into orchestral soundscapes rich and cinematic in tone, as staggering as the sublime landscapes encountered in the video by Hero and her unseen partner as they roam deeper into the unknown. On ‘Sylvie’ Hero showcases her prodigious talent, led by a canny ear for compelling instrumentation and sophisticated lyricism. It’s a natural progression from the alt-rock/folk hybridisation found on her accomplished debut album Delivery and an exciting new step in her artistic development. Twitter here, Facebook here.
Delicate and melodic vocals that occasionally surge with power give 'Sylvie' a mixture of intimate moments and impassioned ones. They are accompanied by a multi-layered soundtrack that likewise occasionally dominates the piece, or slips away to the background. A fabulous song.
Background - Reckless Jacks is a young indie-pop rock band with an old soul. Before they met, Matt (vocals & guitar), Scotty (lead guitar), Cece (bass) and Dan (drums) sessioned with the best and rocked out on some big stages. Their strong, introspective music, harks back to an era when songs made you feel and dance. Matt's coarse and powerful vocals will capture your heart. With emotive lyrics that whisk you away on a journey steeped in melody. Songs that sit so comfortably inside you, you’ll think you’ve heard them somewhere before, along with anthemic guitar riffs you’ll be humming for days. Their first live gig was in front of a packed house at Paris’ Bus Palladium. Taking to the stage where the likes of Hozier, Kasabian and Mick Jagger had gone before them. They went down a storm. As the house lights flickered back on, several large booking agents approached the band, with talk of potential supports and big festival stages further down the line. Our boys had work to do. Pulling the plug on live performances, they locked themselves away for nearly two years. Honing their songs to perfection, living and breathing artist development and becoming producer-ready. As blood, sweat, tears and fortune would have it, their hard work paid off. Brit and Grammy award-winning Stereophonics producer, Jim Lowe was hired and an EP recorded at the brand-spanking-new Stereophonics’ studios in London. From the word go, Lowe could see something exciting unfold before him and dubbed them a future success story in the making. Loving their unquestionable work ethic and breathless ability to learn on their feet, Lowe was soon busy writing new material with them. Maybe it’s the lads’ multi-Euro background or numerous musical influences, but Jim Lowe is adamant that Reckless Jacks have an appeal that stretches way beyond UK waters. With the right guidance and just a little bit of luck, he believes these boys have the potential to go all the way. Website here, Facebook here.
'Alone' is an ardent, earnest rock'n'roll song, where the band are tight and gritty, the rhythm intense, and the vocals standout with heartfelt determination.
Background - Fassine are pleased to share their latest single 'Ursa Minor' taken from their forthcoming second album, 'Gourami' - released 28th July. Fassine say: "'Ursa Minor' is our ode to Bowie's passing. He is one of our great obsessions and we wait for the ache to pass." The London trio made a name for themselves last year with their icy, cinematic take on electronic music for ‘Dialectik - a debut album that saw them gain praise & support from the likes of Spin, Q Magazine, The 405, The Guardian, Giles Peterson, BBC 6 Music and more. Lyrically dark and musically complex, Fassine’s sound has a hint of Trent Reznor’s influence and sits alongside the cinematic, lyrical qualities of Unkle and the minimalistic bend of Berlin-era Bowie. Their aesthetic encompasses the oppressive, cold and austere atmosphere of 1970’s and 80’s British TV drama and dares the listener to enter the group’s stark, cold world. The band have a keen ear for the cinematic with their songs featuring on the backdrop of high-profile American TV drama’s including Sky Atlantic’s The Following, Fox’s Lucifer, Sony’s The Art Of More and more... Fassine recently featured on artist Robot Koch’s haunting track, Spine and also re-worked his latest single ‘Heart Is A River’ released on Monkeytown Records. Website here, Facebook here.
'Ursa Minor' has an expansive soundtrack that includes powerful synths and intricate beats. Vocals are emotionally engaging, as they dreamily glide above the superbly lush music.
Background - Poignant, dreamlike, beautiful: The Last Dinosaur’s The Nothing is a record to swim in. The brainchild of Londoner Jamie Cameron, it’s an album that addresses a tragic event from his teenage years, and transmutes that experience into a cathartic work of art. At 16, Jamie had met kindred spirit James Macdonald at music college and recorded the 2004 album Good Morning Sunshine… and Goodnight with him under the name When I Was a Little Girl, a well-received debut through the independent label Where It’s At Is Where You Are. But a year later, Jamie was in a car crash that tragically claimed the life of his best friend. Out for the day with one of Jamie’s sisters and another friend, the car aquaplaned and hit another car at a junction. James’ injuries were the worst among the passengers, and when he passed away, Jamie was in a state of shock. “I’d had a pretty idyllic life until then, nothing particularly bad had happened,” Jamie says. “That was a difficult experience to comprehend. Despite how harrowing it was, I thought came out of it relatively mentally unscathed, although in hindsight that’s a trick you tell yourself.” Instead, he began recording with another music college friend, Luke Hayden, as The Last Dinosaur. Jamie’s parents split up, he broke up with his girlfriend, and The Last Dinosaur’s debut album Hooray! For Happiness, covered glowingly by the likes of Uncut, The Line Of Best Fit and more, attempted to come to terms with these experiences, while avoiding the real elephant in the room. “I was doing everything to avoid confronting this really big thing that happened at an age when you don’t generally experience death and loss,” Jamie says. Afterwards, depression took hold of him, but over the course of years, he began writing, recording and amassing songs that addressed his grief and own fear of dying. The powerful The Nothing began to take shape. “It wasn’t an intention of mine to write an album about dying or anything like that, but I realised after I’d written a few songs that they all were about it in some way. It got to a point where I couldn’t really avoid it. I’d done the divorce album and it was all I was left with, trying to make sense of this thing that happened. Halfway through I realised it was profoundly cathartic, it made me felt less scared of dying.” The Nothing is uplifting, life-affirming. Its lyrics may tackle the subject of mortality, but the gorgeous, overlapping, interlacing melodies are like drifting in a blissful reverie. ‘We’ll Greet Death’, with its strings, piano, saxophone and acoustic guitar is defiant, possessed of an emotional complexity. On ‘Grow’, Jamie’s lovely acoustic plucking forms the basis for a song about the fragility of life, while ‘The Sea’ is a meditative post-rock movement that begins in a hushed place and concludes over five minutes later in a gorgeous string-laden denouement. Although Jamie professes to a childhood love for R.E.M, Tortoise and most of all, Talk Talk, the music here is very much his own, self-penned and performed with close friend Rachel Lanskey providing viola on most of the songs. “I’ve had a very strong sense of never wanting to copy anyone else’s music, I just want to sound like me,” Jamie says. Created between 2009 and 2016, The Nothing is a stunning, affecting album that is also a touching tribute to Jamie’s late friend. “Someone called it elegiac,” Jamie says. “I quite liked that notion.” Facebook here.
An album that's taken around seven years to create sets expectations high and the song 'Grow' suggests those expectations are going to be rewarded. It's a beautiful track, tender and touching without being self indulgent, and the arrangement and production is superb.
Background - First Blush is the brainchild of Charles Sekel, a former Julliard pre-college program kid-turned-indie musician. Sekel's music is a reflection of his battle to defeat a continuous cycle of self-destructive behavior stemming back nearly a decade. From his college days as a classical/jazz musician at the Peabody Institute, Sekel struggled with alcohol abuse and panic attacks, and turned to original music to help with his mental health. Now completely sober thanks to the help of music, a good therapist and assistance from his girlfriend (now wife,) he was able to pull himself out of addiction and confidently release his solo venture. As dark and heavy as it turned out, the music video for Gold started in a pretty silly place: GIFs. I love a good GIF meme, especially if it's well-placed to maximize its comedic effect. But I began wondering if the concept of GIFs could be used in a more serious, dramatic context to invoke feelings of monotony and dread. The director, Adio Ash, created a variety of different scenes to explore different aspects of that underlying concept and wove them together in a TV-channel-based narrative arc, to powerful and dizzying effect." Facebook here.
Charles Sekel's vocals are both passionate and powerful when required. 'Gold' is an exquisite song, with a layered lo-fi soundtrack making the perfect backdrop for some wonderful singing. The video is equally artistic and makes for a fine accompaniment.
Background - Juxtaposition, the second single from The Human Circuit upcoming album, Electric City, straddles the line musically and lyrically. Lyrically about being stuck between two paths or choices, the music itself reflects this dichotomy by its forward propulsion meeting a certain lighter bounce and its jazz-inflected Indie Rock mixed with a darker melody. Mat, The Human Circuit, on Juxtaposition: Juxtaposition illustrates a very natural state of humanity; uncertainty. The discomfort of feeling caught in the middle, forever being torn between clear choices with elusive outcomes. It so often seems we are teetering on the brinks of our lifes greatest ambitions and utter insanity. The Human Circuit is a touring Alternative Indie-Rock band from Austin Texas. Their catchy psychedelic grooves range from the mystic vibes of David Bowie to the intricate arrangements of Arcade Fire. Their most recent album, Frequent Seas (2015) independently charted top ten on public and college radio stations nationwide. The Human Circuit has performed with bands such as The Zombies, The Octopus Project, Boogarins, The Peach Kings, Smoke Season, Calliope Musicals, Ringo Deathstarr, and has been booked by Transmission Events, C3 Presents, among others. The Human Circuit has performed events and festivals including SXSW, 35 Denton, Pecan Street Festival, and more. Website here, Facebook here.
Our second feature for The Human Circuit and this time we have 'Juxtaposition' the bands second single from the forthcoming 'Electric City' album. It's a vibrant indie rocker, with captivating dual vocals and a sprightly musical arrangement.
Background - For the first time in four years the acclaimed and beloved band Deer Tick announce the September 15 release of a long-awaited new album...actually, two. Never a group to stand by conventional protocol, the celebrated Providence, RI quartet will release two separate albums of original material, Deer Tick Vol. 1 and Deer Tick Vol. 2 (Partisan Records), recorded at Ardent Studios in Memphis, TN. The two albums complement each other yet reflect completely contrasting styles, both of which accurately represent the two distinctive musical personalities of Deer Tick — quiet and thoughtful / loud and raucous. Deer Tick Vol. 1 showcases the folk-driven, roots/rock style with right amount of grit, that Deer Tick is known for. Lead singer/songwriter John McCauley is a masterful introspective and observational songwriter, who documents inner struggles and external conflicts with a perfect balance of heartfelt sincerity and wry wit. The opening track "Sea of Clouds" encompasses all of what brought so many fans to Deer Tick in the first place, and also what kept them there. Guitarist Ian O’Neil’s “Hope is Big” and drummer Dennis Ryan’s “Me & My Man” expand on the group’s already dynamic range. On Deer Tick Vol. 2, the band turns it up and lets it fly with an injection of punk-inspired garage rock at it’s finest. Clever lyrics, infectious hooks and captivating melodies pack Vol. 2 with bassist Christopher Ryan skillfully laying it down with authority and attitude. The propulsion of opener “Don’t Hurt”, edgy pop of “Jumpstarting” and rowdy punk of “It’s a Whale” reveal that there was an obvious Jekyll & Hyde approach to recording Vol. 1 & Vol. 2. Vol. 2 closes with boisterous “Mr. Nothing Gets Worse”, with all three singers taking a verse on a song that would have made The Replacements proud. Deer Tick defines the term outlier. Their ever-evolving style has never been claimed by any one scene or genre. They encompass key elements of indie-rock, country, punk, pop, Americana, folk and so much more, which is what makes it difficult to nail them down. With Deer Tick Vol. 1 and Deer Tick Vol. 2, the question really is, why would anyone want to? Website here, Facebook here.
Two tracks are shared 'Sea of Clouds' and 'It's A Whale', one from each album. Both have an element of raw and natural enthusiasm, notable vocals and fine musicianship, after that they part ways and genres, and do so with class!
Background - Fassine are pleased to share the animated video for 'Gold', taken from their forthcoming second album, 'Gourami' - released 28th July. "The video for the track is just as dramatic. Animated by James Gilleard, it shows the group, or at least a version of them, retreat to a mountain-top mansion where they’re joined by friends for some time off the grid, or so it seems. Things soon take a sinister turn, and the real reason for the group’s getaway becomes apparent. The video is just as cinematic as the track itself, so we won't give away any spoilers." The London trio made a name for themselves last year with their icy, cinematic take on electronic music for ‘Dialectik’, a debut album that saw them gain praise & support from the likes of Spin, Q Magazine, The 405, The Guardian, Giles Peterson, BBC 6 Music and more. The band have a keen ear for the cinematic with their songs featuring on the backdrop of high-profile American TV drama’s including Sky Atlantic’s The Following, Fox’s Lucifer, Sony’s The Art Of More and more... The band recently featured on artist Robot Koch’s haunting track, Spine and also re-worked his latest single ‘Heart Is A River’ released on Monkeytown Records. Website here, Facebook here.
'Gold' is atmospheric pretty much from the first few chords. The video add's a level of intrigue, whilst the song mixes beautiful vocals alongside an expansive music arrangement.
