New Zealand's Miss June have shared some spirited rock with bags of hooks, I am tempted to suggest it's literal garage rock, check the video to see where I'm coming from on that.
'New Day Coming' by Sarah Klang is a melodic and catchy piece, her vocals are beautiful and the subtle Americana hints add even more.
Gabi Hartmann has shared 'Always Seem To Get Things Wrong' a charming ballad where both the Parisian's vocals and refined musical arrangement exude a sentimental and timeless feeling.
We have already featured Grace Acladna twice this year and her new song 'Apnea' is another imaginative and simply addictive track, her vocals sweeping above a cleverly constructed soundtrack, this is hard to ignore.
Deanna Petcoff also makes her third appearance on Beehive Candy, this time with 'Stage Light' a robust indie rocker that mixes melodic hooks with some simmering energy.
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Miss June - Best Girl.
The latest export from New Zealand is coming to us by way of Auckland band Miss June. Described as “some unholy union between Sonic Youth and Le Tigre,” the four piece harness jagged, noisy guitars filtered through the unrivalled stage presence of front-person Annabel Liddel, guitarist Jun Park, bass player Chris Marshall and drummer Tom Leggett.
The band share their newest single “Best Girl” which Liddel notes, “is an anthem for anyone who has been misled from birth, into battle for a spot that doesn’t exist.”
Miss June have also announced their signing to NYC’s Frenchkiss Records and on June 10th the label will release a double a-side 7” consisting of today’s single "Best Girl" and the previously released and equally brilliant “Twitch.”
The band has built a reputation for fierce, formidable and head-spinning live shows which have caught the attention of acts like The Foo Fighters, Shellac, Wolf Alice, Idles and Die! Die! Die!, who have all eagerly harnessed their support on stage. Next month will see them bring this party to UK and US for shows in London, New York City and Los Angeles.
Combining elements of post-punk, no-wave and rock, Miss June hold close their DIY roots while creating a blistering, reckless sound full of melodic hooks and overdriven riffs that are at once immediately recognizable and yet entirely their own.
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Sarah Klang - New Day Coming.
Sarah Klang is a 26 year old singer songwriter who hails from Sweden’s second largest city, Gothenburg. Since 2016 she has been releasing what she describes as pop songs laced with country and Americana influences, her Swedish Grammy winning debut album went to number 1 in Sweden.
Whilst working as a waitress she made the decision to start writing her own songs, using her love and the long history of classic love songs as her starting point. Using her heart meltingly beautiful yet grandiose voice she has managed to write the kind of songs that have charmed Scandinavian and European audiences alike.
With a batch of self penned songs that showcased a dreamy melancholy and an unbelievable stage presence she created a vintage soundscape that has wowed audiences alike in underground clubs, three sold out nights at Stockholm’s Södra Teatern, a sell-out Scandinavian tour, a sold out Gothenburg Concert Hall and an arena tour with First Aid Kit.
This spring has seen two single releases, "Call Me" and "Endless Sadness", with a third addition - "New Day Coming" - out now on all streaming platforms!
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Gabi Hartmann - Always Seem To Get Things Wrong.
Always Seem To Get Things Wrong", a classic ballad, is the first single by Parisian singer Gabi Hartmann, produced and written by Grammy Award-winning songwriter Jesse Harris (with new French lyrics by Gabi) and recorded in Rio de Janeiro with legendary Brazilian musicians Dadi (Marisa Monte, Jorge Ben, Novos Baianos) and Marcelo Costa (Caetano Velsoso, Tribalistas). Harris is known for his work with Norah Jones, Melody Gardot, Madeleine Peyroux, Petra Haden, and many others.
Key lyric quotes: "I thought that I would kiss your lips, but the sky went dark and the moon eclipsed, and what I missed is all that I can see." And in french: "Bien avant que tu vois le monde, bien avant cette chanson, il y en a eu des gens blessés comme moi."
Shot in New York City with director Charles Billot (originally from Paris), the video is inspired by foreign films, with subtitles during the English lyrics and English ones during the French. Gabi pines alone in an empty apartment and wanders the downtown streets in an overcoat like a female Jean Paul Belmondo.
Gabi is a singer, songwriter and guitarist from Paris, France, whose influences range from Brazilian and African music to Jazz. She studied Philosophy and Politics in Paris and then moved to Rio de Janeiro where she fell in love with Brazilian music, learned to speak Portuguese fluently and performed in local bars. After two years there she moved to London to study ethnomusicology, leading her on musical journeys in South Africa, Guinea and Portugal.
After returning to Paris to study jazz, meanwhile teaching philosophy classes, Gabi became a member of many international music groups, including Triozelas and Orchestra Ewa. Most recently she appears as singer and co-composer of several songs on the debut album by Portuguese/Brazilian collective, Rua das Pretas, and is at work recording her first solo EP in Rio and New York with producer Jesse Harris, featuring her original material, as well as new French versions of his songs.
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Grace Acladna - Apnea.
Hounslow, London based producer + singer Grace Acladna is sharing new single 'Apnea' - which arrives now alongside her new EP 'Phonophobia' - both out today via Hometown Records.
Fusing inspiration from a variety of different sounds and genres including nu-house, soca, electronica and dub - both new single 'Apnea', and the EP from which it's been lifted, represents Grace taking risks, showing a side to her which has often been hidden - and follows a recent appearance with slowthai on the BBC Radio 1Xtra Live Lounge.
'"Phonophobia' is about having the guts to be vulnerable," Grace explains. "Most of the time I’m quiet and reserved, other times I’m loud and obnoxious. Some of these songs are scary for me to share because they show a side of me that I don’t often portray to the outside world…I get embarrassed of those louder, more extreme parts of myself, but from experience, it’s always those parts that people love and appreciate the most."
New single, 'Apnea' is a tantalising examination of female sexual pleasure - written to a backdrop of delicate piano, and atmospheric electronics. Speaking a little more on the track, Grace said: "I think that female sexual pleasure in heterosexual relationships can often take a back seat. The song is seductive but the heart of it is about taking the lead in how one wants to experience sexual pleasure."
Carefully developing her vibrant experimental pop sound since her last release - ’Phonophobia’ - out now via Hometown Records, takes the listener on a journey through the universal themes of love, loss and longing. From the euphoria of the first encounter; the genesis of desire and yearning, the heartbreak of rejection, to the dark abyss of loneliness, sensuously revealed above techno-house-pop rhythms.
New EP 'Phonophobia' is just the start of Grace Acladna's journey. With another body of work already written and recorded - and plenty more on its way - by her own admission, Grace is working harder than she's ever worked before. Based on 'Phonophobia' - the fruits of her labour are already showing.
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Deanna Petcoff - Stage Lights.
The word that jumps to mind when hearing Deanna Petcoff’s music for the first time is yearning. Although yearning is a verb, not an adjective, it is the closest thing that can describe the hold her music takes on the listener.
The warmth and texture of her sweeping vocals intertwined with the almost playful blueness of her lyrics fills the listener with a sense of intense longing, and reveals to us a worldview that is full of pain at the loss of love, and full of hope for something more beautiful.
Petcoff grew up worshipping the music of David Bowie, Joan Jett, Lou Reed, and Patti Smith. These musicians, among many others, inspired her to first pick up a guitar and start to play. This fire grew and was fostered by the women at Girl’s Rock Camp Toronto, which she first attended in 2011. It was there she began her musical career, being paired with many mentors and starting her first band, Pins & Needles, a four-piece based in Toronto.
She continued to play with them for 5 years, across Canada, and co-wrote two albums with the group. For Petcoff, this band spanned her high school years and was a chance to grow, play, and experiment, finding her voice among others in the city. In January 2018, Pins & Needles disbanded, leading to the beginning of Petcoff’s solo career, and the creation of her first single, Terribly True, followed shortly by her second single Stress and next up, Stage Lights.
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Showing posts with label Grace Acladna. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Grace Acladna. Show all posts
Pocket Of Lollipops - Lenny Bull - The Spring Peaks - Grace Acladna - Jesper Lindell
It was back in 2017 when we first featured Pocket Of Lollipops and 'Non-Friend Friend' is a welcome albeit brief return with a sub two minute addictive rocker. Lenny Bull shares a slick rocker that fires plenty of hooks along the way. The Spring Peaks 'Coming Of Age' is one very catchy rocker, the video adds even more, and the vibe is wonderful. Just over a month since Grace Aclanda first appeared on Beehive Candy she is back with 'Fuming' where once again her vocals are stunning and the musical backdrop imaginative. Jesper Lindell impresses in a big way with 'Stormy Waters' a beautiful song with more than a hint of Van Morrison which can't be bad.
Pocket Of Lollipops - Non-Friend Friend.
A Pocket Of Lollipops has dropped the music video for their song 'Be My Non-Friend Friend', the title track from their upcoming 6th album of the same name. The album is just released, nd comes as a celebration of the band's 10th anniversary of their first ever performance (at Lisa Rockford's AntiValentines Day Party in 2009).
The psychedelic visuals of the video, produced by Michael Goodson, match the band's Avant-guard aesthetic, fully submerging the viewer in mind-altering stimulus. Just as the band's unique sound explodes conventional expectations, so too does their video, as they continue to expand our creative norms and horizons.
"The song is a meditation on releasing oneself from the ego, and self-consciousness and allowing for playfulness. Break down the barriers you put up; sweat on sunny days with no clouds in the sky, riding horseback with both bullies and friendlies. Reshape your relationship to yourself and others" - Pocket of Lollipops.
With the footage recorded at Kendale Lakes Park & HoundsTooth Cottage, the collage of vibrant colors and tropical images drenched in effects almost induces a palpable psychedelic reaction. Let the video draw you into the band's trippy and tropical scape.
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Lenny Bull - Don’t Talk About It.
Sometimes mischievous, sometimes provocative, sometimes humorous. The songs I write dive into relationships, getting over yourself, and not taking any bull. “Don’t Talk About It” is a tongue-in-cheek message to anyone out there who’s spreading rumours or talking trash.
It’s a reminder to not be bothered by what people say or think. The “Don’t Talk About It” video was directed by Zeebrah Media’s Ryan Brough.
It’s a day in the life of a very disgruntled, very lazy office employee, who would rather be anywhere else.
It pokes fun at what we have to do to make ends meet, in order to do what we love. With the release of my debut Sharp Teeth EP on April 25th, my band and I plan on conquering the open road - Lenny Bull.
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The Spring Peaks - Coming Of Age.
Perth's The Spring Peaks return with new single - 'Coming Of Age' - a jangly yet analytical ode to a troubled relationship. It's the title track to the band's forthcoming second EP which they'll imminently celebrate with a trio of regional WA shows next weekend.
"I know we're talking but are we still talking the same." It's not until you dive deeper into the lyrics of The Springs Peaks' latest single that you realise they're not as fun as they sound. 'Coming Of Age' cleverly runs the gamut of a relationship in turmoil - but spoiler alert - our protagonist emerges with the best possible outcome after the heartfelt message in the bridge.
Produced once again with Sam Ford (Pond, Abbe May), the track packs a punch from the get-go, wearing everything that is great and quickly becoming signature for the Western Australian outfit loudly on their sleeve - hooky, honest and clever songwriting, solid lead guitar, a warm rhythm section and a bold Australian twang in the vocals.
They reveal: "The direction came from our fun nature that we share and just our general positive attitude towards life and bands such as The Creases really inspired us to write classic pop melodies with most of the lyrical content based around the general theme of love and love that has been lost."
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Grace Acladna - Fuming.
Hounslow, London based producer + singer Grace Acladna is releasing new single and video 'Fuming' - lifted from her upcoming second EP Phonophobia. Fusing inspiration from a variety of different sounds and genres including nu-house, soca, electronica and dub; 'Fuming' was written during the aftermath of a breakup between her friend, and her friend's ex.
"There was something quite sinister about the whole thing. This song is my portrait of her - the verses portray the cool subdued exterior and the choruses reveal a pain stricken heart that cloaks itself in fear, rage and envy." Grace said. "She had this aura of contempt and angst that followed her everywhere she went. It was almost like you could smell the smoke coming off her,"
Carefully developing her vibrant experimental pop sound since her last release - ’Phonophobia’ - due for release this Spring via Hometown Records, takes the listener on a journey through the universal themes of love, loss and longing. From the euphoria of the first encounter; the genesis of desire and yearning, the heartbreak of rejection, to the dark abyss of loneliness, sensuously revealed above techno-house-pop rhythms.
The video for 'Fuming' was co-directed by Grace, and her friend C.O.M.M - and was inspired by an un-released Henri George Clouzot film called 'Inferno'. Speaking a little more on the inspiration behind the video Grace said: "He [Clouzot] did endless test shoots using kinetic art to find new ways of portraying character's emotions, playing with light and different filters to show the actor's descent into delusion. The film is about a man who is convinced that his wife is cheating on him, which sends him spiralling into envy induced madness. Not only is it visually beautiful but the theme of the film had similarities to the sentiment of the song - which is also why it inspired my vision for the video."
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Jesper Lindell - Stormy Waters.
Jesper Lindell debuted with the EP ”Little Less Blue” which contained the hit single ”Moving Slow” featuring the Swedish sister-duo First Aid Kit.
The EP was produced by the duo’s father Benkt Söderberg and was well received by music media. ”Mowing Slow” was featured on multiple Spotify-playlists and has today streamed over 3,1 million times.
2019 he is back with his first full-length album. In the coming weeks, three singles will be released before the album reaches the listeners in May. The first single "Stormy Waters" from Lindells debut album is out today.
“It has been a long process. My first EP took almost two weeks to record. This time, I really wanted to spend time in the studio - to experiment and develop" - Jesper Lindell.
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Pocket Of Lollipops - Non-Friend Friend.
A Pocket Of Lollipops has dropped the music video for their song 'Be My Non-Friend Friend', the title track from their upcoming 6th album of the same name. The album is just released, nd comes as a celebration of the band's 10th anniversary of their first ever performance (at Lisa Rockford's AntiValentines Day Party in 2009).
The psychedelic visuals of the video, produced by Michael Goodson, match the band's Avant-guard aesthetic, fully submerging the viewer in mind-altering stimulus. Just as the band's unique sound explodes conventional expectations, so too does their video, as they continue to expand our creative norms and horizons.
"The song is a meditation on releasing oneself from the ego, and self-consciousness and allowing for playfulness. Break down the barriers you put up; sweat on sunny days with no clouds in the sky, riding horseback with both bullies and friendlies. Reshape your relationship to yourself and others" - Pocket of Lollipops.
With the footage recorded at Kendale Lakes Park & HoundsTooth Cottage, the collage of vibrant colors and tropical images drenched in effects almost induces a palpable psychedelic reaction. Let the video draw you into the band's trippy and tropical scape.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lenny Bull - Don’t Talk About It.
Sometimes mischievous, sometimes provocative, sometimes humorous. The songs I write dive into relationships, getting over yourself, and not taking any bull. “Don’t Talk About It” is a tongue-in-cheek message to anyone out there who’s spreading rumours or talking trash.
It’s a reminder to not be bothered by what people say or think. The “Don’t Talk About It” video was directed by Zeebrah Media’s Ryan Brough.
It’s a day in the life of a very disgruntled, very lazy office employee, who would rather be anywhere else.
It pokes fun at what we have to do to make ends meet, in order to do what we love. With the release of my debut Sharp Teeth EP on April 25th, my band and I plan on conquering the open road - Lenny Bull.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Spring Peaks - Coming Of Age.
Perth's The Spring Peaks return with new single - 'Coming Of Age' - a jangly yet analytical ode to a troubled relationship. It's the title track to the band's forthcoming second EP which they'll imminently celebrate with a trio of regional WA shows next weekend.
"I know we're talking but are we still talking the same." It's not until you dive deeper into the lyrics of The Springs Peaks' latest single that you realise they're not as fun as they sound. 'Coming Of Age' cleverly runs the gamut of a relationship in turmoil - but spoiler alert - our protagonist emerges with the best possible outcome after the heartfelt message in the bridge.
Produced once again with Sam Ford (Pond, Abbe May), the track packs a punch from the get-go, wearing everything that is great and quickly becoming signature for the Western Australian outfit loudly on their sleeve - hooky, honest and clever songwriting, solid lead guitar, a warm rhythm section and a bold Australian twang in the vocals.
They reveal: "The direction came from our fun nature that we share and just our general positive attitude towards life and bands such as The Creases really inspired us to write classic pop melodies with most of the lyrical content based around the general theme of love and love that has been lost."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grace Acladna - Fuming.
Hounslow, London based producer + singer Grace Acladna is releasing new single and video 'Fuming' - lifted from her upcoming second EP Phonophobia. Fusing inspiration from a variety of different sounds and genres including nu-house, soca, electronica and dub; 'Fuming' was written during the aftermath of a breakup between her friend, and her friend's ex.
"There was something quite sinister about the whole thing. This song is my portrait of her - the verses portray the cool subdued exterior and the choruses reveal a pain stricken heart that cloaks itself in fear, rage and envy." Grace said. "She had this aura of contempt and angst that followed her everywhere she went. It was almost like you could smell the smoke coming off her,"
Carefully developing her vibrant experimental pop sound since her last release - ’Phonophobia’ - due for release this Spring via Hometown Records, takes the listener on a journey through the universal themes of love, loss and longing. From the euphoria of the first encounter; the genesis of desire and yearning, the heartbreak of rejection, to the dark abyss of loneliness, sensuously revealed above techno-house-pop rhythms.
The video for 'Fuming' was co-directed by Grace, and her friend C.O.M.M - and was inspired by an un-released Henri George Clouzot film called 'Inferno'. Speaking a little more on the inspiration behind the video Grace said: "He [Clouzot] did endless test shoots using kinetic art to find new ways of portraying character's emotions, playing with light and different filters to show the actor's descent into delusion. The film is about a man who is convinced that his wife is cheating on him, which sends him spiralling into envy induced madness. Not only is it visually beautiful but the theme of the film had similarities to the sentiment of the song - which is also why it inspired my vision for the video."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jesper Lindell - Stormy Waters.
Jesper Lindell debuted with the EP ”Little Less Blue” which contained the hit single ”Moving Slow” featuring the Swedish sister-duo First Aid Kit.
The EP was produced by the duo’s father Benkt Söderberg and was well received by music media. ”Mowing Slow” was featured on multiple Spotify-playlists and has today streamed over 3,1 million times.
2019 he is back with his first full-length album. In the coming weeks, three singles will be released before the album reaches the listeners in May. The first single "Stormy Waters" from Lindells debut album is out today.
“It has been a long process. My first EP took almost two weeks to record. This time, I really wanted to spend time in the studio - to experiment and develop" - Jesper Lindell.
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Native Harrow - Benedict Benjamin - Alice Phoebe Lou - Lowland Hum - Grace Acladna - Kuri
We begin today with Native Harrow and her gorgeous new video for 'Happier Now' a superb and natural indie folk song. Benedict Benjamin share's a fresh and unpretentious rocker with the emphasis on melodic hooks and an upbeat pace. At the time of writing this, Alice Phoebe Lou's new video for 'Galaxies' has already had close to forty thousand views, which is unsurprising, both the song and the video are sublime and totally moreish. We have featured Lowland Hum just once before and they are more than welcome back with this subtle and catchy albeit rather short modern folk song. Grace Acladna mixes quite differing genres together in style, in what is a very pleasing, original and refreshing song. We finish today's round up with Kuri and an original sounding and catchy folk based song, I say 'based' as it morphs comfortably beyond that genre, sounding really good as it does so.
Native Harrow - Happier Now.
Indie folk-pop artist Native Harrow, out of New York's Hudson Valley, has released the official video for the title track off their forthcoming record Happier Now via Different Time Records.
"’Happier Now’ is essentially my own anthem," says singer-songwriter Devin Tuel. "I had this very powerful year of touring and making things happen for myself and feeling like I was getting out from under the waves, but people close to me would still say, ‘Do you ever sing any happy songs? Why are you so sad?’ and I think that that is such a shallow thought to have about any art."
"My songs aren’t meant to crush people, but I live in reality and sadness and struggle have a lot to do with the reality of the human experience. So 'Happier Now' is me saying I could be happier if it makes you feel good, but I won’t because this is who I am, these are my songs, and I like them melancholic."
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Benedict Benjamin - Aint Easy.
Benedict Benjamin is Ben Rubinstein, formerly of The Mariners Children and Peggy Sue. He has just released ‘Ain't Easy’, the first single from his forthcoming album ‘Truant,’ a driving and melodic piece of sixties influenced garage rock.
After writing and recording his debut, Ben turned to a more full band sound for his second album. The early sixties Everly Brothers influences are still present in the melodies, but now there is an urgency and grit to the instrumentation that sits somewhere between The Velvet Underground and Tom Petty or more recent forbears such as Kevin Morby and Angel Olsen.
Speaking on the release of 'Ain't Easy', Benedict said: "This song's about how much work you’ve got to put into anything in order to make it work. It’s about how hard it sometimes is just to keep things afloat and not pack it all in. You go through good spells where everything is great and bad spells where everything feels crap and difficult. When you’re in one of the latter you either persevere or you just give up, and this song’s about the persevering."
His songs undercut the dream-like beauty of early sixties pop music with lyrics both frank and poetic, creating a powerful Lynchian duality that makes the heart swell and the head spin.
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Alice Phoebe Lou - Galaxies.
Having been ensconced in the studio working on her forthcoming album, Paper Castles, Alice Phoebe Lou is pleased to release the new single, "Galaxies."
South African singer-songwriter, Alice has just announced a series of live shows in Europe, as well as North America, having sold out two Cape Town shows in February, which pre-empts her forthcoming album due 8th March. Overseen by Grammy winning producer Noah Georgeson (Devendra Banhart, Joanna Newsom), "Galaxies" follows previous track, "Skin Crawl," described by The FADER as ‘powerful and stunning,’ and is once again accompanied by visuals that portray Lou’s charm and elegant fragility.
The track, as Alice herself explains, “Happened on a rainy moody day in Berlin, my friend Harry Charles & I wrote this song while lying on the carpet of my room. Space had become such a theme in my life & music, not in a scientific way but more in a metaphorical sense; drawing parallels between a planet in the expansive universe & the way that one's tiny & seemingly insignificant existence interacts with the world.
This song is about being nothing & everything. Abut being overwhelmed by the weight of existence while simultaneously being in awe & wonder of it all. 'Galaxies' came to life the first time we played in the Planetarium in Berlin; we've played 13 shows there now & every time I see the visuals come to life & the audience being swept away by the combination of the song with the projections of flying through the galaxies, the song makes so much sense”.
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Lowland Hum - A Drive Through the Countryside.
Lowland Hum have shared a new single from their highly anticipated new album Glyphonic out May 10. Titled "A Drive Through the Countryside," the song is a serene rumination on nature's expanse with ominous undertones. The band tell us, "This one stems from a poem Lauren wrote after feeling both moved and disturbed by the beauty of a drive through the countryside in rural VA. It explores the glory of the landscape here and the horrors of our local history as it relates to slavery and exploitation."
Lowland Hum tour about 200 days out of the year and have done so with the likes of Josh Ritter, The Oh Hellos and more. The indie pioneers will headline a national album release tour this spring including key stops in Nashville, Los Angeles and and New York City. Shows begin this month and the full list of dates is below.
Today's release follows critically hailed singles including "Salzburg Summer," "Raise The Ring" and "Slow," all of which have proven to be steadily infectious. Since album announcement, Lowland Hum have shared the new music at captivating sessions like Paste Studios and City Winery and garnered attention from enthused tastemakers including Billboard, Garden and Gun, Popmatters, Atwood Magazine and more. Glyphonic is the band's fourth studio album and a masterful exploration of the power of restraint, to be released May 10.
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Grace Acladna - When I Saw You.
Grace Acladna, producer, singer, song writer and multi instrumentalist from Hounslow, London has released her long-awaited new single 'When I Saw You'. The first single to be lifted from new EP 'Phonophobia' out this Spring via Hometown Records, Grace has a unique pop sound of her own - fusing nu-house, soca, electronica and dub; partly inspired by her Egyptian, English and Bajan heritage.
Self-produced and written by Grace - ‘When I Saw You’ was written at a time when she had found herself part of a friendship group of overly serious and self conscious people.
"It was really hard to have fun without looking over your shoulder to see who was judging you for it," Grace said. "For me - fun and liberty go hand in hand - so finally I met someone who encouraged me to love and dance freely. This song is a celebration of that relationship and every joyful encounter I’ve had since."
Speaking on the video accompaniment, Grace said: "Our idea behind the video was to convey the soul of the song in an unadulterated way that didn’t take itself too seriously. I was looking at clips of Anna Karina dancing in ‘Vivre sa Vie’ & ‘Bande à part’ as my inspiration for being carefree and not letting anything or anyone steal away your confidence or joy."
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Kuri - Sort Sol.
The new single from British Columbia artist Kuri is entitled 'Sort Sol'. The cinematic folk tune features sweeping acoustic guitars, Irish laced fiddles and harmony rich soundscapes. Reminiscent of Sigur Rós meets Fleet Foxes, ‘Sort Sol’ combines earthy traditional folk and chamber pop for a stunning release.
Though he may be a singer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer, Kuri chiefly describes himself as “an observer.” His keen insight and sonic curiosity thread together an intriguing framework of carefully constructed and composed alternative on 2018’s debut Human Nature EP [Nevado Music] and the forthcoming 2019 debut album. The foundation remains rooted in organic performances, classically infused orchestration, jazzy freeform spirit, cinematic ambition, and ultimately inspired observation.
“I like to watch, analyze, and create systems in my brain,” he affirms. “As a solo artist, I enjoy the freedom to express exactly what I want by drawing on what I see.”
Born and raised Scott Currie in the city of Abbotsford, British Columbia, he found himself constantly looking outward. The small Mennonite community he grew up in incited “a sense of questioning everything to figure out why we do what we do.” As the youngest of four brothers, mom bought him a drum set to jam with his guitarist siblings. Soon, he transitioned from behind-the-kit to an old piano in the house by the age of twelve. After a string of high school bands, he founded Oh Village and generated a palpable buzz even competing in “B.C.’s Best teen Band” competition.
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Native Harrow - Happier Now.
Indie folk-pop artist Native Harrow, out of New York's Hudson Valley, has released the official video for the title track off their forthcoming record Happier Now via Different Time Records.
"’Happier Now’ is essentially my own anthem," says singer-songwriter Devin Tuel. "I had this very powerful year of touring and making things happen for myself and feeling like I was getting out from under the waves, but people close to me would still say, ‘Do you ever sing any happy songs? Why are you so sad?’ and I think that that is such a shallow thought to have about any art."
"My songs aren’t meant to crush people, but I live in reality and sadness and struggle have a lot to do with the reality of the human experience. So 'Happier Now' is me saying I could be happier if it makes you feel good, but I won’t because this is who I am, these are my songs, and I like them melancholic."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Benedict Benjamin - Aint Easy.
Benedict Benjamin is Ben Rubinstein, formerly of The Mariners Children and Peggy Sue. He has just released ‘Ain't Easy’, the first single from his forthcoming album ‘Truant,’ a driving and melodic piece of sixties influenced garage rock.
After writing and recording his debut, Ben turned to a more full band sound for his second album. The early sixties Everly Brothers influences are still present in the melodies, but now there is an urgency and grit to the instrumentation that sits somewhere between The Velvet Underground and Tom Petty or more recent forbears such as Kevin Morby and Angel Olsen.
Speaking on the release of 'Ain't Easy', Benedict said: "This song's about how much work you’ve got to put into anything in order to make it work. It’s about how hard it sometimes is just to keep things afloat and not pack it all in. You go through good spells where everything is great and bad spells where everything feels crap and difficult. When you’re in one of the latter you either persevere or you just give up, and this song’s about the persevering."
His songs undercut the dream-like beauty of early sixties pop music with lyrics both frank and poetic, creating a powerful Lynchian duality that makes the heart swell and the head spin.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alice Phoebe Lou - Galaxies.
Having been ensconced in the studio working on her forthcoming album, Paper Castles, Alice Phoebe Lou is pleased to release the new single, "Galaxies."
South African singer-songwriter, Alice has just announced a series of live shows in Europe, as well as North America, having sold out two Cape Town shows in February, which pre-empts her forthcoming album due 8th March. Overseen by Grammy winning producer Noah Georgeson (Devendra Banhart, Joanna Newsom), "Galaxies" follows previous track, "Skin Crawl," described by The FADER as ‘powerful and stunning,’ and is once again accompanied by visuals that portray Lou’s charm and elegant fragility.
The track, as Alice herself explains, “Happened on a rainy moody day in Berlin, my friend Harry Charles & I wrote this song while lying on the carpet of my room. Space had become such a theme in my life & music, not in a scientific way but more in a metaphorical sense; drawing parallels between a planet in the expansive universe & the way that one's tiny & seemingly insignificant existence interacts with the world.
This song is about being nothing & everything. Abut being overwhelmed by the weight of existence while simultaneously being in awe & wonder of it all. 'Galaxies' came to life the first time we played in the Planetarium in Berlin; we've played 13 shows there now & every time I see the visuals come to life & the audience being swept away by the combination of the song with the projections of flying through the galaxies, the song makes so much sense”.
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Lowland Hum - A Drive Through the Countryside.
Lowland Hum have shared a new single from their highly anticipated new album Glyphonic out May 10. Titled "A Drive Through the Countryside," the song is a serene rumination on nature's expanse with ominous undertones. The band tell us, "This one stems from a poem Lauren wrote after feeling both moved and disturbed by the beauty of a drive through the countryside in rural VA. It explores the glory of the landscape here and the horrors of our local history as it relates to slavery and exploitation."
Lowland Hum tour about 200 days out of the year and have done so with the likes of Josh Ritter, The Oh Hellos and more. The indie pioneers will headline a national album release tour this spring including key stops in Nashville, Los Angeles and and New York City. Shows begin this month and the full list of dates is below.
Today's release follows critically hailed singles including "Salzburg Summer," "Raise The Ring" and "Slow," all of which have proven to be steadily infectious. Since album announcement, Lowland Hum have shared the new music at captivating sessions like Paste Studios and City Winery and garnered attention from enthused tastemakers including Billboard, Garden and Gun, Popmatters, Atwood Magazine and more. Glyphonic is the band's fourth studio album and a masterful exploration of the power of restraint, to be released May 10.
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Grace Acladna - When I Saw You.
Grace Acladna, producer, singer, song writer and multi instrumentalist from Hounslow, London has released her long-awaited new single 'When I Saw You'. The first single to be lifted from new EP 'Phonophobia' out this Spring via Hometown Records, Grace has a unique pop sound of her own - fusing nu-house, soca, electronica and dub; partly inspired by her Egyptian, English and Bajan heritage.
Self-produced and written by Grace - ‘When I Saw You’ was written at a time when she had found herself part of a friendship group of overly serious and self conscious people.
"It was really hard to have fun without looking over your shoulder to see who was judging you for it," Grace said. "For me - fun and liberty go hand in hand - so finally I met someone who encouraged me to love and dance freely. This song is a celebration of that relationship and every joyful encounter I’ve had since."
Speaking on the video accompaniment, Grace said: "Our idea behind the video was to convey the soul of the song in an unadulterated way that didn’t take itself too seriously. I was looking at clips of Anna Karina dancing in ‘Vivre sa Vie’ & ‘Bande à part’ as my inspiration for being carefree and not letting anything or anyone steal away your confidence or joy."
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Kuri - Sort Sol.
The new single from British Columbia artist Kuri is entitled 'Sort Sol'. The cinematic folk tune features sweeping acoustic guitars, Irish laced fiddles and harmony rich soundscapes. Reminiscent of Sigur Rós meets Fleet Foxes, ‘Sort Sol’ combines earthy traditional folk and chamber pop for a stunning release.
Though he may be a singer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer, Kuri chiefly describes himself as “an observer.” His keen insight and sonic curiosity thread together an intriguing framework of carefully constructed and composed alternative on 2018’s debut Human Nature EP [Nevado Music] and the forthcoming 2019 debut album. The foundation remains rooted in organic performances, classically infused orchestration, jazzy freeform spirit, cinematic ambition, and ultimately inspired observation.
“I like to watch, analyze, and create systems in my brain,” he affirms. “As a solo artist, I enjoy the freedom to express exactly what I want by drawing on what I see.”
Born and raised Scott Currie in the city of Abbotsford, British Columbia, he found himself constantly looking outward. The small Mennonite community he grew up in incited “a sense of questioning everything to figure out why we do what we do.” As the youngest of four brothers, mom bought him a drum set to jam with his guitarist siblings. Soon, he transitioned from behind-the-kit to an old piano in the house by the age of twelve. After a string of high school bands, he founded Oh Village and generated a palpable buzz even competing in “B.C.’s Best teen Band” competition.
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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...