Monday Mix: Go Fever - Ten Five Sixty - Miccoli - Jason Ayres

Go Fever - United States Of My Mind.

Background - Austin-based band Go Fever have shared "United States Of My Mind," the second single from their self-titled debut album. The track is characteristic of the band's surf pop sound mixed with classic rock and roll influences and front woman Acey Monaro's heartfelt lyrics. On the meaning of the track, Monaro says:

"I wrote this song during a huge personal turning point for me- fresh out of a 7 year relationship that had started in my teens. I was travelling a lot and sleeping around, and experiencing the mind-altering freedom and perspective that those two pastimes arouse. The expression 'what if?' - which makes up the bridge of the song- was a favourite of mine when

I was a kid and I drove my parents mad with weird hypotheticals. This song is about eliminating the 'what ifs' by doing every bloddy thing I felt like doing, after being confined by the limits of my own imagination for a long time.” Website here, Facebook here.

This is the second song from Go Fever we have introduced this month. 'United States Of My Mind' is another fine track, the bands hallmark surf pop meets rock & roll sound is really engaging and the emotion in the vocals is notable.

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Ten Five Sixty - You Say.

Background - Ten Five Sixty make music. It is music that can be anything you want it to be. Let them draw you into their world, and they will make you dance with a broken heart.

Others will see them and need them in different ways, but you can make them your own. Because transparency is pointless when you can have magic.

 New track "You Say" is currently available for streaming.  The track, off of the UK duo's upcoming EP entitled E.P., is a haunting track that showcases singer Jenny's soothing voice over 80s synth. Website here, Facebook here.

'You Say' has a stripped back electro start where the vocals are beautifully upfront in the mix. The musical arrangement develops layer by layer, without ever becoming to intense, providing a finely crafted arrangement for a striking song.

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Miccoli - Idle Stranger.

Background - There aren't many bands that can boast a history like Miccoli; they've gigged in LA's Viper Rooms along with every other key rock venue across America, hung out with Motley Crue, performed at the Hyde Park Wireless festival, had music videos featured on MTV, VH1 & ASXTV, lived in their car (equipped with a mobile bar and cooker) had one of their members suffer a near fatal heart condition, and attended the same music production school as Grammy Award winning producer Paul Epworth. They've spent time living in Penang, landed several sponsorship deals, moved back to the UK, and somehow through it all, they've managed to prioritise writing, recording and performing a huge number of songs.

Miccoli, their name taken from the sibling trio's surname, formed in 2010 after spending most of their childhood studying and making music. Growing up in Birmingham, England, they were brought up listening to Simon and Garfunkel, Don Mclean, The Police, Fleetwood Mac and the sounds of Motown, to name just a few of their diverse musical influences.

Twin brothers Adriano (vocal and acoustic/electric guitar) Alessandro (piano, vocal and acoustic guitar) and their younger sister Francesca (vocal, piano and harmonica) have toured extensively, giving the band the opportunity to explore their musical identity and fine tune their live set - a compelling blend of haunting, melodic and eclectic sounds, interlaced with breathtaking harmonies. Facebook here.

A melodic and gentle duet and creative soundtrack ensured 'Idle Stranger' gained my attention. The song flows naturally and put simply, is gorgeous.

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Jason Ayres - Got My Heart (EP).

Background - West Australian, Jason Ayres, releases his brand new EP titled ‘Got My Heart’ on April 1 and is set for a series of launch dates in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. Having released a string of EP’s since he began in 2007, Jason’s forthcoming EP titled ‘Got My Heart’ delivers a unique brand of alternative country. It is a new style of music that he’s dabbled in for this release but insists that he maintains his grass roots.

“It’s the first time I’ve got the full band back together after seven years of being a solo acoustic artist,” says Ayres. “I’m finally feeling free enough to write what my heart feels and this time it feels alternative country”.

An avid collector of vintage guitars having almost thirty in his collection, Jason recorded the EP in its entirety using a slather of vintage Gibson acoustic guitars that were built back in the 1940’s and 1950’s. He also wrote the EP in pieces whilst travelling the country on his last tour as he dealt with the breakdown of a long-term relationship, the result capturing his intense feelings and inevitably finding a fresh start to his life.

“It’s a record about breaking the pieces only to put them back together again. Albeit stronger, better and more uniform,” says Jason. “I came out of a ten-year relationship that was damaged and irreparable just twelve weeks before the wedding date. I hit the road with my guitar and made music for a while. With space from the chaos, and the damage dissipating in the rear view, I was able to dust myself off and focus on the future. Little did I know that the future held a new love.” Website here, Facebook here, live dates on our tour info page.

The new EP 'Got My Heart' is a collection of five diverse alt country tracks. Mixing up both the styles and the moods, each song is quite individual without losing the overall core flavours. It's a good collection of unpretentious and fresh songs.

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Sundays Finest: The Masonics - Sweet Gum Tree - Airpark - Siamese - Go Fever

The Masonics - I Ain't Hurting For You.

Background - The Masonics New Album Release "Obermann Rides Again". Masters of the Medway Beat made famous by Mr Billy Childish, this is the group that in our view should be the more famous one – with their more original style of raw and tender rock’n’roll songsmithery. Renowned drum wizard Bruce Brand played alongside Childish in the Pop Rivets back in the late 1970s and both he and gruffly charming singer/guitarist Mickey Hampshire were both in the Milkshakes in the early 1980s. (In fact, it was actually Mickey & the Milkshakes originally!) Bass thumper John Gibbs, meanwhile, cut his jib in his younger years in near-legendary Scottish group, The Kaisers.

This new limited edition – 500 copies only – album of muscular British rock’n’roll from this widely celebrated beat power trio comes trampling merrily over a swathe of garage rock pretenders. While many young groups clutch equipment of equal quality (almost) and vintage, none of them have put in the years that these chaps have – themselves and their gear have been pushed well past breaking point over the years but their energy is far from dimmed. Their vast experience means that The Masonics have built a solid reputation on live shows across Europe and around the UK that delight teen twisters and pop purists alike.

That reputation was more enough for them, as they themselves put it, to “allow those whipper snapper colonial upstarts The White Stripes to close a series of performances for us in the early part of this century, during their maiden voyage to this great country of ours”. While other musical copyists and johnny-come-latelys continue to come and go, The Masonics continue to plough their furrow, in a never ending quest to make the perfect beat-pop album and delivering passionate performances to excitable audiences.

Recorded at Ransombe Studios (regular home to Billy Childish as well as The Wave Pictures), the all-new recordings on this, their ninth album, 14 slices of suave and rocking pop beat nuggets show that the group have not lost their merciless instinct for touch­ing, simple, timeless rock’n’roll melodies and lyrics. The band performs with verve and precision, on record and on stage, always giving their followers their money’s worth. This new release will soon be followed up by a limited vinyl and download releases from The Masonics’ back catalogue, starting with Outside Looking In and the singles compilation plus downloads of the entirety of their decades of releases. Download the Obermann Rides Again. Website here, Facebook here.

From the new 'Obermann Rides Again' album and the first of fourteen tracks we have 'I Ain't Hurting For You'. There is a timeless British rock'n'roll feel right across the album, and that feel is just so good and right. If Dr Feelgood had formed a decade earlier, or The Beatles had been a lot more raw and edgy, then perhaps they would have sounded like The Masonics, that said this is also fresh enough and well produced to sit comfortably as new in 2017.

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Sweet Gum Tree - Twinkle.

Background - Sweet Gum Tree's new album ‘Sustain The Illusion’ is out on March 31st via The Orchard/Plastic Head. Sweet Gum Tree’s first and heavily supported album by the likes of Mojo, Uncut and The Line Of Best Fit, came to fruition with the help of many prestigious collaborators such as Isobel Campbell -Belle & Sebastian, Earl Harvin -Tindersticks and Marty Willson-Piper -The Church. This time, Arno Sojo has reshuffled his cards and chosen to record this new album almost entirely on his own, except for the help of Irish producer David Odlum (long-time partner-in-crime of Gemma Hayes and Glen Hansard).

Both a beautiful, romantic adventure and an unnerving trip through a mind crowded with troubled creatures, Sojo’s earnest vocals confirm that he is amongst those who still believe that music and words can touch the soul, by way of sincerity, constant reinvention and fine craftsmanship. Minimal drum machines and echo-laden guitars throughout create a state of grace evoking the ethereal new-wave productions of British label 4AD as well as hymns from great pop architects like Talk Talk, Prefab Sprout or Divine Comedy. The album’s electronic rigidity contrasts perfectly with the elegant strings and soaring melodies, while Sojo’s gravelled vocals ensure it remains an outstandingly humane and sensitive collection of tracks.

The album’s title nods to Wes Anderson’s acclaimed, ‘‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’’, which itself was based upon Stefan Zweig’s writings on the rise of Nazism in the mid-30’s. Drawing a parallel with the current fiery state of the world and Anderson’s tale of creating love despite all circumstances, Sojo reflects on the challenge of how one can fulfil the need to dream whilst in such a desperate context.

 The soul in Sojo’s voice is what really drives ‘Sustain The Illusion’, particularly on tracks such as ‘Someday’, ‘Guilt Trip’ and the closing lullaby, ‘Keeper’ that lulls you into a complete sense of security. On the other hand, ‘Burn Your Icons’ is both a thought provoking, sharp and ironic look at the relevant question of how we view our fallen idols that gives a truly unique perspective on our society’s traditions.Website here, Facebook here. mp3 (Amazon) from 31 March here.

'Twinkle' is the first single from the forthcoming album 'Sustain The Illusion'.The rhythm has pace and yet the vocals are a little less anxious and carry plenty of the melody. Musically everything is clean and clear, overall the new album sounds promising.

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Airpark - All The Time.

Background - "All The Time" is off Airpark's first EP Early Works, Volume 1, out March 3rd via Eugenia Hall Records. The band is on tour now, with upcoming dates in NYC, Philly, Chicago, Boston, Southeastern US and more.

Inspired by minimalism, melody and groove-heavy percussion, band mates Michael Ford, Jr. and Ben Ford launched the group in 2016, one year after their previous project The Apache Relay quietly called it quits. The Apache Relay had been a large band, staffed with six members and armed with a thick, wall-of-sound approach. With Airpark, the Ford brothers sharpen their focus and scale back their arrangements, focusing on songs that pack a punch with bold, basic ingredients.

On "All The Time," Michael spins the autobiographical story of a musician who's starting over and swinging for the fences, finally coming to terms with his own ambition. "Now I know I need it to be ocean-sized," he sings, backed by propulsive percussion, syncopated electric guitar and his brother's harmonies.

Raised in New Orleans, the Fords grew up surrounded by music, from the Crescent City's jazz to the soul of Irma Thomas and Allen Touissant. Later while living in Nashville, the two rekindled the music connection they'd kick-started back home, finding popularity as The Apache Relay performed alongside the likes of Jenny Lewis, Mumford & Sons and more. Michael and Ben move at a deliberately different speed with Airpark, thus finding new musical territory to explore. Website here, Facebook here. Live dates on our tour page. mp3 (Amazon) from 10 Feb here.

Musically stripped back 'All The Time' initially appears to rely on the vocals and harmonies to carry the song. In reality both elements have there moments and the overall effect is of a feisty pop/rock song, with plenty of hooks.

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Siamese - Chromatose.

Background - Siamese is the glam rock band of four theatrically inclined friends from Dallas, TX. Mixing ominous art pop with opulent set design and deranged alter egos, their live show makes you feel like you could go out and invent a new color, or wear a leotard to work.

The group’s debut release The Mesmerist, tracked with producer Alex Bhore at the studio Elmwood Recording, is set for release March 3, 2017. With two monolithic bookends and a slew of twists in between, the record treks through the charming, soothing and savage, with lyrics inspired by sociopathic film characters and a few shades of identity crisis.

A prime example of this is the first single, "Chromatose." Inspired by the Truffaut film Bed & Board, the song is a sardonic shout out to the neighbourhood dilettantes. "There's a neighbor character in the film that everyone deems a murderer," Nicole Marxen-Myers explains. "He turns out to be a television star, and the main characters are quick to retract their impressions of him, swapping them for praise. That idea inspired a juxtaposition between whimsy and horror for the song. It’s fun, but there’s something unsettling about it."

The band – comprised of Paul Alonzo (bass), Paul Grass (drums), Nicole Marxen-Myers (keys, vocals) and Teddy Georgia Waggy (guitar, vocals) – materialised in 2015 as a means to intersect music, performance and visual art. To do so, they take elements from carpentry to choreography to costume design, and their live shows have come to serve as a parallel universe for the members to act out alternate identities and face the terror of vulnerability with their audiences. Live dates on our tour page. Website here, Facebook here. mp3 (Amazon) from 03 March here.

Whether this is glam rock or art pop or something dreamy that sits in between 'Chromatose' is a really intriguing song that has me hooked and wanting to hear more. Definitely a band on our radar!

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Go Fever - Come Undone.

Background - Austin-based band Go Fever releases their debut single "Come Undone" last Friday. “Come Undone" is an upbeat and catchy track with a deeper meaning. Lyrically, it centres on how Go Fever vocalist and founder Acey Monaro’s life rearranged beautifully after serendipitously meeting her husband. "Come Undone" is a delicious first taste of Go Fever’s self-titled debut album, embodying a surf pop sound mixed with classic rock and roll influences.

Raised in an Australian country town, Acey Monaro dropped out of school at 14, left home a year later, then married a man twice her age. Divorcing her husband after 7 years at the ripe old age of 26, she began writing songs and performing solo gigs in Sydney. Her strong voice and crafty lyrics, evoking Tracey Ann Campbell as much as J. Tillman, were all inspired by her own brimming storybook. She soon garnered a dedicated audience, prompting an early reviewer to compare her simultaneously to Feist and Emmylou Harris.

Acey fell in love whilst on holiday in Austin, Texas with Go Fever bass player Ben Burdick, eventually making the permanent move to the Lone Star State to marry him and record her debut EP with Brad Bell (War On Drugs, Arcade Fire, Spoon). It was during a visit to Austin in 2012 that Monaro wrote the lyrics to "Come Undone" in the local Halcyon cafe, and years later revisited the track for Go Fever's debut self titled LP (produced and engineered by Danny Reisch / Delta Spirit, White Denim, Other Lives). Go Fever will be available via independent release on February 24th, 2017. Website here, Facebook here.

'Come Undone' is the first of ten tracks on the forthcoming release. The band can and do mix up the styles whilst retaining an identifiable overall sound. The featured song gives some insight into the album, and there are plenty of other contenders that could have been the first single. I have to say February has started with some really fine music, of which Go Fever are a welcome part.

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