Ann'so M - Fine China - The Beaucrees - Earth Girl Helen Brown

Ann'so M - Screw You.

Background - Ann'so M in a few references: A electro-pop-rock duo not soft knee, sung by an artist reminiscent of a French Pat Benatar. Many concerts given in jails, festivals, Coffee Scenes ... Prestigious collaborations including a very nervous song that has benefited from the talent of Louis Bertignac (Telephone). Captivating riffs and a groaning six-string, all led by a voice, that of a flayed skin, with an engaged pen.

"Au coeur du système" Inspired by the events of recent years, Ann'so M offers five assertive songs raging and addictive to heady melodies. Five years after "Dans des artères", Ann'so enchants on some titles in the language of Shakespeare. From her frenglish accent, she claims her continentalism.

This EP is an invitation to think for yourself. "At a time when social networks can reveal themselves as a source of the most precarious thoughts, is religion an obstacle to reason? In the same way, the man is consumer of media, but from now on it is the media which consumes it. "(Eben Moglen) All traced? All controlled?

Attracted by electro sounds, but keeping forever and ever his rock spirit, the duo out of his comfort zone thanks to this tasty mix, sailing in the Franco-British new wave influences. On a coffee terrace in Paris, they collaborate with Joseph d'Anvers, who wrote the ballad "Zero Degree". "Au coeur du système" will be available in March 2018 , it will be possible to order it directly on the band's WEBSITE.

For "electro pop rock" I suggest focusing on rock as the key element of Ann'so M's five song EP. 'Screw You' is typical of the assertive nature that permeates this collection, don't get me wrong the other elements are there, but the sumptuous energised nature of the music is fuelled by some feisty rock & roll.


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Fine China - No Vibe.

Background - We have another single from Arizona-based Fine China who just put out a 7" out on Velvet Blue Music.

A little more about the song from the band: "No Vibe started as a simple drum machine beat and the two telecaster guitar parts that come in at the beginning of the song.  I had written the chorus guitar parts several years back but never had a good place to land them, but when this track presented itself, they worked perfectly as the chorus.  I've always loved early Cure tracks, where they just kind of go, and parts come in and out but they are more of a jam, and the dynamic parts and stops/starts are kept to a minimum, and so that is how this track evolved. 

One we started putting together the track list for the album, it became clear to me that No Vibe didn't quite fit as an album track, but I liked it and it was a bit of an oddball arrangement for Fine China, which I liked, so we kept it as a B-Side.  The production is a little rougher than the album tracks as well, as we recorded and mixed it all in my home studio, which I thought fit the song." WEBSITE.

Less than a week since we first featured Fine China along comes a second single 'No Vibe. We said that the previous song 'Not Thrilled' was "a high quality piece that bodes very well for next months album". The new single just re-emphasises our opinion and ups the stakes even higher.

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The Beaucrees - Give Them A Break!

Background - “There are all sorts of problems in the world and I know we can't stop the actions of others but I do believe that there is one problem that can be resolved. This is it. There are people sleeping on the streets in every city in the world. Some are old. Some are young. Some have simple but beautiful minds. Homelessness is not about race or religion. It's about loneliness and despair. It's about being unwanted and unneeded.I honestly believe that very few people choose to sleep on our streets.

There are people and governments that can solve this problem. We need to get them to listen. Let them know that we the people are not happy for this situation to continue. How can we all help? We must make everyone be aware that there is a problem. Today (26th January 2018) The Beaucrees, a band from the sixties, are releasing the " first record of awareness."

What's that I hear you ask? It's a record with a simple message.The message is STOP THE HOMELESSNESS. Hopefully some one might listen if we all Shout STOP the HOMELESSNESS” - Michael Kain, The Beaucrees

Formed: 1963 Walthamstow, London, England, why would you wait over 50 years to release your first single? Perhaps you’re just waiting for the right song to come along? But that’s the story of The Beaucrees; formed in 1963, worked their way around the clubs and pubs of London in and the South East in the ‘60s and ‘70s and broke up finally in 1979.

They reformed in 2012 and then Michael Kain wrote “The Game” a record to raise money for a charity that helps wounded service men and women – Help for Heroes and the great work that they do. ’Give Them A Break’ is their second single, evoking a classic 60’s sound with quality songwriting and a powerful message. WEBSITE.

Apart from the worthy message cited above 'Give Them A Break!' just happens to be a fabulous and timeless song that exudes sixties charm and yet is clearly relevant and of today's production standards. Back in the late seventies I remember some of the homeless that slept around London's west end, they always seemed to look old to me then. Nowadays they look far to young, it's not hard to see why this band feel this way, I guess it's a case of what about me, what am I going to do...


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Earth Girl Helen Brown - Chains of Love.

Background - The lead track "Chains of Love" from Venus, the final EP in the inaugural year of the planet series by Earth Girl Helen Brown. The new track features Brigid Dawson (Thee Oh Sees), Grace Cooper (Grace Sings Sludge / The Sandwitches), Kelley Stoltz, Graeme Gibson, Tahlia Harbour (The Dry Spells), Emilee Booher; and of course, Heidi Alexander (The Sandwitches / Pruno Truman).

Born a figment of Sonny Smith’s imagination in the storm of invention and tributary appropriation that formed the 100 Records project (2010), Earth Girl Helen Brown resurfaced last year in response to cosmic cultural forces seeming to demand an engaged response.  It’s no coincidence that the Center for Planetary Intelligence Band (E.G.H.B.C.F.P.I.B.) launched the inaugural EP of their 2017 planetary series, Mercury (a collection of songs dealing with the topic of “responsible fire management”), on 1/20/17 at an event dubbed Inauguration Station. The band has subsequently released one cassette EP per season in collaboration with Empty Cellar Records, each confronting a singular solar satellite, topic planetary of importance, and aspirational genre, with proceeds of each benefiting organizations committed work related to the topic at hand.  Summer was MARS (war), Fall SATURN (communication), and now the first series concludes with the Winter installation VENUS on the topic of love. Preferencing the expansive catch-as-catch-can vibe of the 100 Records project the band has hosted an ever-changing cast characters in the first year. With Heidi Alexander (The Sandwitches / Pruno Truman / The Fresh and Onlys) at the helm the band and its related media artists and technicians has included:

Jamie Barron, Jamin Barton, Eric Bauer, Aylin Beyce, Emilee Booher, Ryan Browne (Sonny and The Sunsets), Tim Cohen (Fresh and Onlys / Magic Trick), Grace Cooper (The Sandwitches / Grace Sings Sludge), Dave Cousin, Brad Caulkins, Mikal Cronin, Bart Davenport, Brigid Dawson (Thee Oh Sees), John Dwyer (Thee Oh Sees), Chris Fallon, Lars Finberg, James Finch Jr. (The Sandwitches), Davin Givhan (Chris Cohen Band), Dylan Hadley, Dustin Hamman, Kearin Harlow, Wilder Harlow, Graeme Gibson, Tahlia Harbour (Sonny and The Sunsets), Anna Hillburg (Magic Trick), Douglas Hilsinger, Warren Huegel (Daevid Allen's University of Errors), Emmett Kelly (The Cairo Gang), Nora Keys, Shannon Lay, Raven Mahon (Grass Widow), Rusty Miller, Charlie Moonheart (CFM), Jack Name, Ethan Novikoff, Tim Presley (White Fence / Drinks), Ty Segall, Dave Sitek (TV on The Radio), Sean Smith, Sonny Smith, Kelley Stoltz, Enrique Tena, Alicia Vanden Heuvel (Aislers Set / Magic Trick), Lida Vanden Heuvel and Mikey Young. BANDCAMP, WEBSITE.

A massive welcome back to E.G.H.B.C.F.P.I.B. and the latest song share that is 'Chains Of Love'. Our third feature and another gorgeous song with some addictive R&B meets soul vibes going on, it does not seem fair to miss out any of those who have contributed to this series of EP's, so there they all are above, for the story so far.

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Fine China - Torgeir Waldemar - Haley Heynderickx - Josh Rouse - Blushing - Oh Geronimo - Freevolt

Fine China - Not Thrilled.

Background - Fine China was formed in Phoenix in 1997. Soon after, they released their rst 2 EP's and a 7" on So Cal indie label Velvet Blue Music. The band went on to tour extensively and to release 3 additional full length records on various labels until 2005. The most recent release, The Jaws of Life, received wide critical nods, and TV show placements.

In December of 2016 Jaws was re-issued on 12" vinyl with a newly recorded bonus track (to coincide with a 10 year reunion show). Fine China has always been a guitar-driven, pop band at heart, and the new track did not disappoint. It was met with lots of applause and the vinyl quickly sold out.

Now twelve years after their last album, Fine China is back home with a full length recording for Velvet Blue Music, exactly twenty years after their rst recordings for the same label ! This new batch of songs was recorded in songwriter Rob Withem's studio over the past year, and were mixed by Bob Hoag, the band's longtime producer and engineer, at Flying Blanket Recording in Mesa, AZ. The new full length, entitled Not Thrilled, is set for release on 2/23/18 and will contain 10 new new tracks, preceded by a 7" single, You Are Not The Future, out January 19th with an additional 2 bonus tracks. LABEL.

A refreshing fast flowing and refined rocker where the music and vocals both drive the melody and feeling. 'Not Thrilled' is a high quality piece that bodes very well for next months album.

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Torgeir Waldemar - Streets (Electric).

Background - Torgeir Waldemar announces new album "Jamais Vu", featuring re-worked versions of his own compositions, released March 9th on Jansen Records.

"Old songs played again" someone said, and that’s what Torgeir Waldemar is doing on Jamais Vu, where he pulls apart tracks from his previous two albums and breathes new life into them. songs. Both his self-titled 2014 debut album and the sequel, No Offending Borders, were praised by national and international press, and the songs soon started to live their own life. Especially for Torgeir Waldemar himself, who continuously played different versions of the songs live, in his rehearsal space and finally in the studio.

‘Jamais vu’ is a lesser known notion than ‘déjà vu’, and its meaning is quite simply the opposite. Where ‘déjà vu’ is a new experience that feels well-known, ‘jamais vu' means that a well-known situation or experience feels unknown or new. "Songs never stand still, at least not for me. They want to go on. After some years of playing them live, many have moved far away from where their starting point was. That’s why I often experience Jamais Vu and that’s how this release was born." says Waldemar.

On Jamais Vu you’ll hear Sylvia (Southern People), Among The Low and Summer In Toulouse from Torgeir’s latest album, No Offending Borders, in acoustic versions, and Streets and Take Me Home from his self-titled 2014 debut album in electric versions with larger arrangements. You’ve heard the songs before, but you have never heard them like this, WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

We featured Torgeir a couple of times just over a year ago and spoke favourably of his varied music on both occasions. 'Streets' is an expansive and natural rock song with something of a timeless feel to it, the emotion and passion is felt both musically and through his classic rock vocals.


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Haley Heynderickx - Untitled God Song.

Background - Haley Heynderickx’s debut album has been long awaited in her home of Portland. Since the release of the first single, “Oom Sha La La", in 2017 she has been making waves and garnering best of and most anticipated lists from Uproxx, BIRP, NBHAP, Clunk Magazine, Various Small Flames and The Bluegrass Situation while also receiving a coveted spot on NPR’s ‘Slingshot’ program. In their best tracks of 2017 OPB Music called “Oom Sha La La” “easily one of the year’s most striking songs” while Uproxx predicted that “though this may not be a name that rings a bell at the end of 2017, it’s going to be one of those ones that you’ll hear everywhere in 2018.”

Heynderickx’s second single, “Untitled God Song”, is an entrancing rumination on spirituality, focusing on the idea that perhaps there is no separation between the mundane and the cosmic, or the divine. As Heynderickx says "Growing up with a religious background, I always grappled with the idea of what God looked like. I mean this in a humorous sense. The older I get, the more convinced I am that God is just a busy mother trying to balance all the chaos around her, and I have no idea why but I do love this imagery. Maybe it's an allusion to my own mother, but please don't tell her that, she'll probably feel shy about these lyrics."

Heynderickx uses her songwriting as therapy, a sort of mandorla to bridge the gap between -- whether it be between her mixed Filipino and American roots, or the dichotomy of her soft spoken nature and her vocal power. I Need to Start a Garden is full of pure bursts of humanity, in all their beauty and all their rawness, documenting anxiety, pain and conversely healing, community and creation. I Need to Start a Garden, will be released March 2nd, 2018 via Mama Bird Recording Co.
FACEBOOK.

'Untitled God Song' opens with a simple guitar arrangement that is soon joined by Haley Heynderickx’s breathe taking vocals. The music ups a level along the way whilst her vocals continue to impress as the hooks gently dig right in.

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Josh Rouse - Businessman.

Background - Singer-songwriter Josh Rouse will release his new album Love in the Modern Age on April 13, 2018 via Yep Roc Records.

Similar to his work on his album 1972 where he captured the aesthetics of a specific moment in time, Josh’s new album Love In The Modern Age takes inspiration from the sound and production of early 1980's releases by The Blue Nile, The Style Council and Prefab Sprout. 

Also serving as inspiration were Roxy Music’s Avalon, Leonard Cohen's Various Positions and I'm Your Man. Non-ironic touches like sax, handclaps, reverbed guitar, backing vocals and keyboards give the moody but infectious songs a New Romantic flair.

Josh Rouse has solidified his status as one of his generation's most acclaimed songwriters in both the US and Europe, where he's lived on and off since 2004. Spending the better part of a year touring behind his critically acclaimed eleventh album, The Embers of Time, Rouse was ready for a change. "Coming off such a heavy record, I wanted to try something different," he explains. "I wanted to explore new sounds and write with a fresh backdrop." Trading in his trusty acoustic guitar for a synthesizer, Love in the Modern Age still bears Rouse's distinct fingerprints even as it pushes his limits and forges a bold new chapter more than twenty years into his celebrated career. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

Josh Rouse will kick off his tour in the UK in April, followed by North America in May.

UK Tour Dates:
APR 24 The Lantern, Bristol, United Kingdom
APR 25 The Garage, London, United Kingdom
APR 26 Deaf Institute, Manchester, United Kingdom
APR 27 Whelan's, Dublin, Ireland
APR 28 Leaf, Liverpool, United Kingdom
APR 29 The Mash House, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
APR 30 The Plug, Sheffield, United Kingdom

Some much welcome new material from Josh Rouse and the song 'Businessman' ahead of April's album release 'Love In The Modern Age'. Influences there may be, however if they help generate a fabulous sounding song like this, so what.


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Blushing - Hidden Places.

Background - The sophomore EP "Weak" by Austin TX based dream pop / shoegaze quartet will be released next Friday January 26th. The album will be available digitally and cassette via the band's Bandcamp page.

Blushing is comprised of two husband and wife pairs that originated in the summer of 2015 when Michelle shared a few songs with long time friend Christina that she had been writing on guitar. A friendship quickly became a musical partnership as Christina, a classically trained vocalist, picked up a bass and together they evolved those rough songs into fully formed compositions. They then enlisted the talents of their spouses, Jake on drums, Noe on lead guitar and shortly after self-released their debut EP "Tether" in January of 2017.

Energized by positive reception, a growing fan base and a grip of new songs they headed back into the studio as soon as possible. They recorded their follow-up EP “Weak” at Bad Wolf Recordings in Austin, TX. The album encompasses influences from all of the bands they collectively share a deep affection for such as Lush, Cocteau Twins, The Sundays, etc. BANDCAMP, FACEBOOK.

We featured the song 'Weak' back in November and are more than happy to share another track from the new 'Weak' EP called 'Hidden Places'. Shoegaze of sorts with just a little dream pop feeling through the enticing vocals, the song is powerful however the arrangement is subtle allowing each element to have clarity and distinction.

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Oh Geronimo - Mountains.

Background from Oh Geronimo - We just dropped another single/video from our forthcoming new album The Sled. “Mountains”.

“Mountains” is a song about wholeheartedly pursuing your passions, while straddling the fragile line between ambition and humility. Everybody wants to be successful, and sometimes we go to great lengths to achieve the success that we so desperately desire. However, it’s important to remember to keep our egos in check. We must be kind to each other and to ourselves. It’s easy to let your goals and aspirations consume you to the point where it brings you and everyone else around you down. “Mountains” is about never giving up, whilst withstanding the pressure to compromise who we are in order to be successful.

The Sled will be released in just a little over one month, and we can’t wait for you to hear it. We recorded it during the spring at Chalet – a wonderful, cottage-like studio, just outside of Uxbridge, ON. The release of this record will mark one year since half of our band put down their torches – a year that demanded patience, persistence, and resilience. The universe often taunts us to throw in the towel, but we’re fighters. We will never extinguish the fire, and The Sled solidifies that resolution. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

Second time around for Oh Geronimo this time we have 'Mountains', and once again it's an impressive indie rock song, where the vocals are a focal point for the track, until the band finally break through and impress with some superbly tight and gorgeous musicianship.


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Freevolt -  Always Feel So Good.

Background - Freevolt is a tropical rock act that fuses the genres of roots, reggae, jam, funk, americana, and pop to create a dynamic and high energy performance that is extremely engaging.  Based out of the North Shore of MA, the band takes their live show up and down the east coast of the USA.

The band is recognized for their high energy performance, dynamic changes, tight grooves, positive messages, and passionate vocals. Their seamless genre fusing style and prominent words of triumph and freedom are captivating audiences. 
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The band is currently on tour and taking to the stage at night clubs, concert halls, and festivals in the USA with the majority of their showcases in MA, NH, ME, RI, VT, CT, NY, PA, MD, and SC.  

Freevolt released their third full length album, titled Open Up Your Door, in January 2018, as a follow up to their largely successful 2016 release, Once You Say . Various tracks from the new album have since been featured on radio and television worldwide. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

If you need some upbeat feel good music that is delivered both vocally and from a band that at times are musically on fire then 'Always Feel So Good' is a taster for all of that and more. Party time!

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