Showing posts with label Hajk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hajk. Show all posts

Monday, 21 January 2019

Hajk - Marble Mammoth - Henry Jamison - Porteau - Living Hour

Hajk are polished, melodic and with some R&B vibes rather catchy on their new song. It's been some time since we featured Marble Mammoth and the alt rockers return with a stunning couple of tracks. Henry Jamison's beautifully crafted songs continue to impress, whilst Porteau offer us an exquisite piece that exudes both feeling and quality. Living Hour's vocals are gorgeous and the musical backdrop is a perfect complement on this wonderfully lush song.

Hajk - Breathe.

Hajk have released a brand new single entitled 'Breathe', the third and final single from the upcoming album 'Drama' that is out on February 15th on Jansen Records. The track is a soaring, emotional R&B-tinged song with an instantly infectious melody guided by Sigrid Aase’s powerful vocals that enthrall throughout.

Behind the sheen though, the band's Preben Sælid Andersen has explained that 'Breathe' is actually, "about the ability to believe in yourself and the ones close to you. It’s about trying to hold on to something, but deep down you know it's already too late. Breathing is also something we have talked about a lot during the making of this album, and it now serves as a theme throughout the record, in the lyrics and with actual breathing sounds hidden all over. Being able to take a step back and take a deep breath can be the only right thing to do sometimes."


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Marble Mammoth - The Light.

Marble Mamoth have just released a new single The Light.

It’s a track in two parts with a fuzzed out bass, a didgeridoo and sampled seagulls from The Beatles.

It is the second single release after the debut EP, and the band are planning on releasing two more tracks this spring. 

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Henry Jamison - American Babes.

Henry Jamison’s upcoming album ‘Gloria Duplex’ is out February 8th on Akira Records, and is shaping up to be not only a formidable follow-up to his stellar debut album ‘The Wilds’ (which has over 90 million streams on Spotify alone), but also an insightful deconstruction of what it means to “be a man” in 2018. And this week Henry has unfolded another chapter in his exploration of masculinity by releasing the fourth single from the upcoming set, “American Babes”.

If album cuts like the previously released “Boys” and “Gloria” acknowledge the ways young boys are enlisted into a “toxic fraternity” by society, “American Babes” is a mini tableau of that society as a whole. As Henry describes it, “The verses are about a group of students that I saw on the train from New York to Vermont years ago and about a homeless man who I talked to once in Baltimore. The juxtaposition isn't totally worked-out, but it's loosely about young people who still feel some trust in institutions and an old man who felt utterly failed by them. When the structures of our lives crash down, what can we lean on?”

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Porteau - River Song.

Do we really have a choice? Does instinct guide us home? These are the questions posed in “River Song,” the first single from Water’s Gate, our forthcoming debut album. At the time, the lyrics were simply poetry I wrote in a journal during summer evenings spent in a remote Alaskan village. We were independently writing ideas/songs that neither of us necessarily intended to combine together; we weren’t trying to write a record. This poetry was a catalyst, and “River Song” as a whole naturally revealed itself.

I found myself inspired to write “River Song” while watching salmon swim in the streams. Their journey back to spawn is magnificent – one that brings life, but ultimately ends in death. Using the earth’s magnetic field, like a compass, the salmon return to their final resting place. I was struggling to wrap my head around accepting the natural cycle of life. Seeing the salmon’s instinctual guidance drawing them back to their place of birth helped me discover where I needed to be “River Song” is not a story with a concrete ending. Ask yourself – do we really have a choice? Does instinct guide us home?


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Living Hour - Water.

Winnipeg’s Living Hour shares "Water," the second single from their upcoming album, Softer Faces. The band teamed up with filmmaker Ryan Steel for a short film to accompany the song.

Steel says:  "'Water' is a video about winter in Winnipeg. The video was shot covertly on the streets and in the homes of friends and grandmothers. Liminal spaces such as buses, shopping malls, and arcades all percolate together. Periods of rest and the textures of winter were captured on the outdated medium of 16mm film."

Everything about Winnipeg’s Living Hour has been expanding since their humble basement beginnings in 2015. What started with dreamy love songs inspired by the cinematic sky of their hometown has transformed into even more sprawling and expansive expressions on their latest effort, Softer Faces due March 1, 2019.


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Sunday, 30 September 2018

Hajk - Fröst

Hajk - Dancing Like This.

Background - 'Drama' – of the interpersonal kind – that’s what Hajk have turned their focus to in 2018. The band burst onto the scene with their self-titled debut album last year, garnering support around the world as well as making a name for themselves in their home country of Norway. Now, the highly anticipated follow-up 'Drama' has been announced for February 2019 – a record that both pulls at the heartstrings and urges you to dance away your sorrows. Lead single and first taste of what is to come arrives in the form of the bubblegum-flavoured new cut, 'Dancing Like This'. It's a lyrically melancholy and wide-eyed love song, with an addictive melody that looks to sugarcoat your tears.

Hajk’s 2017 debut received praise from the likes of Astrid S, Sigrid and Kimbra, as well as actress and model, Chloë Grace Moretz. International acclaim came in waves from Noisey, Stereogum, The Line of Best Fit, Drowned In Sound, V Magazine, The Independent, Indie Shuffle, and more, noting their idiosyncratic, yet supremely catchy pop tunes, while likening them to everything from Fleetwood Mac and Aztec Camera to Dirty Projectors and Little Dragon.

With their second album, 'Drama', a more self-assured band reveals themselves. Sharpened by more studio experience, they have once again produced the record themselves, taking extreme care over every second and minute detail of their work. Blending analogue and digital sounds, switching between programmed arrangements and live takes from the studio, drawing on three lead vocalists and an assortment of guest musicians, Hajk conjured up whatever was necessary to fulfill their creative vision.

The title 'Drama' relates to the drama of humanity and a somewhat naïve yearning for love in a world in which love can sometimes seem in scarce supply. 'Drama' is due for release on February 1st via Jansen Records. FACEBOOK.


We featured Hajk and their 2017 debut three separate times as they impressed Beehive Candy so much. With 'Dancing Like This' we have another enticing indie pop song, as expected the melodic hooks are everywhere and the band provide a vibrant backdrop for the ever pleasing vocals.

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Fröst - La Vénus d'Argent.

Background - Fröst have just released their debut album Matters and the record’s sultry bilingual lead track La Vénus d’Argent as a stand-alone digital single via Lost Room Records.

Fröst is the work of Steve Lewis (Fujiya & Miyagi’s synth player and producer) and French-Swedish sound artist Johanna Bramli (vocalist for Stereolab offshoot Imitation Electric Piano). Together they create a sound that effortlessly blends a bilingual French pop aesthetic with cool electronica, hypnotic motorik beats and trippy psychedelic soundscapes. With comparisons to Kraftwerk, Broadcast, Silver Apples, The Golden Filter and Goldfrapp.

Their music has garnered coverage from Mixmag through to Prog Rock, The Line of Best Fit through to Resident Advisor with massive radio support from Lauren Laverne as well as Nemone and Gideon Coe (BBC 6 Music), Annie Mac (BBC Radio 1) and John Kennedy (Radio X) - among many others.

Matters was written by Fröst, produced by Steve Lewis, mixed by Ed Chivers and mastered by Eric James at Philosophers Barn Mastering. It is released today on CD, Vinyl and Digitally via Lost Room Records.

Fröst have been confirmed to support 77:78 at Oslo, London on 15 October, with additional UK shows next month: WEBSITE.

Live:
2 October: Sebright Arms, London
3 October: Prince Albert, Brighton
6 October: Dials Festival, Portsmouth
13 October Shake The High Road Festival, London
15 October: Oslo, London (supporting 77:78)


'La Vénus d'Argent' is a gorgeous combination of seductive vocals and some layered and cleverly crafted electronica that is driven by simple set of beats. Hints of psychedelic feeling come and go, this is very addictive music.


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Saturday, 15 April 2017

The Foreign Resort - Wy - Idiio - Hajk - John K. Samson

The Foreign Resort - She Is Lost.

Background - Danish post-punk trio The Foreign Resort release their new single 'She is Lost' on April 19. This is the first song from the band’s next full length album, marking a return to the analogue sound of their 'New Frontiers' album, only this time the sound is more minimalistic and with plenty of electronics and spacious drums to create a dreamy yet upbeat soundscape full of contrast. The release is timed with a 10-day Canadian tour and a performance in Toronto at the prestigious Canadian Music Week. 

For lead singer Mikkel B. Jakobsen 'She is Lost' is a very personal song about what he sarcastically refers to as “the summer of love”: “It was one of the worst summers in my life. I came out strong on the other side, but this song was written partly when things were looking very bad and I was not doing the right things to get to a better place and partly when I had realized it was not just me who was the problem. Hence the title 'She is Lost'.” 

The band has also contributed the track 'Skyline/Decay' to 'Alternative F?acts: A Shoegaze Resistance Compilation'. Curated by DKFM Shoegaze Radio, this involves shoegaze and dream pop artists in opposition to tyranny, and in support of civil liberties and women's health. All proceeds from this compilation shall be split evenly between American Civil Liberties Union and Planned Parenthood. 

The Foreign Resort are Denmark's finest musical export of post-punk and dark new wave, led by singer and songwriter Mikkel Borbjerg Jakobsen. The band combines the shadowy mysticism of The Cure’s Pornography era with a driving production aesthetic akin to LCD Soundsystem. Intricate reverb-enveloped guitar lines glide over Steffan Petersen’s motorik bass and Morten Hansen’s powerful drumming, all while Mikkel’s taut and sincere vocal delivery demands your attention. Bandcamp here, Facebook here, website here, tour details on Beehive Candy's tour page.

We are featuring the album version of the new single release 'She Is Lost'. With a very tight rhythm and vocals and guitar carrying the melody, this is a gorgeously refined post punk song.

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Wy - Bathrooms.

Background - Wy stands out like a diamond in the rough in the midst of the occurring comeback of the dream pop genre. The duo combines mellow instrumentation with attitude and desperation - incisive guitar melodies in combination with Ebba's powerful vocals make their songs swiftly shift between a feeling of dejection and hope. 

With their floating synthesizers and melancholic guitars Wy do sad pop music where bare emotions are camouflaged by reverbed pop melodies. This young duo serves up a taste of tears in heaven.

With their debut-EP "Never Was" they gave a glimpse of the deep emotion that lays ground for their contemporary sound. Their upcoming first full-length LP "Okay" will seek to arouse even deeper emotions, with the duo continuing their exploration of the doubt and confusion of being a 20-something today. 

Preserving their sound, but in a well-groomed manner, the first single "Bathrooms" from their upcoming album surely will touch some of your inner areas that you might have forgotten about. Facebook here.

Deep, dreamy and slowly flowing 'Bathrooms' is a beautiful soulful and moody sounding pop song. Full of emotion, the video helps convey the feeling further. Keeping a watch for the new album.


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Idiio - One Night.

Background - Raised in Christchurch, New Zealand and now residing on the Gold Coast, Australia, Idiio are known for their passion towards music. They strive to create emotion through music around people, whatever the situation may be. Idiio are keen as biscuits to today release their new single into our ears. After receiving worldwide adornment with their breakout single, 'Holding Me Back', Idiio's new track, 'One Night' is out today via GD FRNDS.

'One Night' is Idiio appearing as their most resolute to date. Distinctly haunting, the song cruises on neo-soul vibes before descending into some cleverly structured, yet weighty and solemn bass dips. Taking cues from contemporaries Sampha and Jarryd James, Idiio craft ingenious and sensual electronica.

Frontman Tyler Vivian said this about the track, "'One Night' is a calling from a higher energy that you are pouring your heart and soul into. You'd grow with that person being the blossomed flowers on the tree that represents you. But the higher energy gives you insight to be weary about who this person really is, under all the roses. Put trust in that consciousness, put trust in your gut feeling."

After a generous heap of lineup shifts and now adding two live members as permanent editions, Idiio retain as a blusterous four-piece format–sparing nothing when it comes to their power of soul electronica. Emotions are high for Idiio's reinventive clench on electronic music and 'One Night' pushes them further into the void. Facebook here, tour details on Beehive Candy's tour page.

Mixing soul and electronic music in a highly creative manner Idiio have delivered a superb song with 'One Night'. Vocals bring the soulful feelings and the soundtrack is rich in content and something to be enjoyed with the volume just a little up!

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Hajk - Nothing Left To Say.

Background - Hajk's new single 'Nothing Left To Say' is out this week on all streaming services. Debut album 'Hajk' out Spring 17 via Jansen Plateproduksjon.

Hajk’s debut album is finally here, and the newest member of the Jansen family dazzles us all. Their beguiling mix of indie and intricate pop smarts has gone straight to the hearts of the listeners and fans.

Their first release, Common Sense, was listed by Norwegian radio stations almost before the band got out of their rehearsal space, and the follow-up single Magazine received a great reception from international media. In the US, Vice picked up the single straight away, and this blazed the trail for the band over there. Indie Shuffle went on to include Magazine in their top 10 songs of 2016.

Considering that they’re such a fresh band, Hajk have been surprisingly quick to adjust themselves. Not long after they’d written enough for a set of music, they played at Slottsfjellfestivalen, Øyafestivalen and by:Larm. They were playlisted by radio before they left the stage at those festivals, and now they’re here – with a confident debut and a collection of songs that any band would have envied.

Hajk are fronted by Preben Sælid Andersen and Sigrid Aase, who share the vocals, while Johan Nord (drums), Knut Olav Buverud Sandvik (bass) and Einar Næss Haugeth (keys) are the band’s backbone. Musically, Hajk are situated in a modern landscape, but looking back to the fine pop of the past, with an emphasis on very strong melodies. The band are influenced by artists like Dirty Projectors, Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Amason, but still they stand firmly on their own feet, with an original sound that also challenges the genre they belong to. Facebook here.

'Nothing Left To Say' might be described as funky indie pop, and as such you can expect plenty of hooks alongside some vibrant music and vocals.



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John K. Samson - Alpha Adept.

Background - John K. Samson has released a new video for “Alpha Adept”, a song from his latest full-length album, Winter Wheat, which was released in October last year, on Anti-.

The video was made by John K. Samson’s good friend and musician/artist Shotgun Jimmie, who made the video for John as a present.

John K. Samson will be touring in Europe and UK in May this year. Website here, Facebook heretour details on Beehive Candy's tour page.

Second time around on Beehive Candy for John K Samson and this time with the new video for 'Alpha Adept'. Another fetching song that is accompanied by some intriguing images that give there own story line to the song.


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Sunday, 22 January 2017

And The Beat Goes On: Soulin Wild - Sorority Noise - SPC ECO - Heavy Tiger - Tall Tall Trees - Hajk

Soulin Wild - Instinctive Echoes.

Background - Soulin Wild began as an outlet of musical expression for Dan Gunn and Matt Bracknell and has now grown into a collective of gifted musicians and talented artists with over eight years of musical experience together.

Soulin Wild are excited to share their first single, ‘Instinctive Echoes’, from their album Balance. Produced and recorded by Soulin Wild at Womb Language Studio on the banks of the Kalgan River, WA, ‘Instinctive Echoes’ is a song that expresses and evokes intrigue into the mystery and magic of instinct, intuition and other unconscious elements that reside beyond the thinking mind. The track moves through light and heavy sounds with vastly contrasting sections, yet remains fluid, held together with solid grooves, fat guitar riffs and lush euphoric vocals.

Embracing the technical facets of recording and music production, Soulin Wild built a bedroom studio on the banks of the Kalgan River in Albany, WA. Four years later, their self produced album Balance was complete. Mixed by Tim Morris and mastered by Dick Beetham, Balance is “a sensory journey through our creative soul expression. Each of the twelve tracks is sort of stitched together to create one long musical piece,” says Matt Bracknell.

On stage, Soulin Wild create alluring rhythms and intricate instrumentation whilst sharing lush harmonies and swapping instruments. Intertwining music with elements of live visual art, they align in intuitive expression to present a performance of highly concentrated creativity.

Currently performing shows with live Fremantle visual artist Jess Richards along the West Australian coast, Soulin Wild aim to share their soulful sounds with ear canals and open hearts in their community, Australia and eventually the world. Bandcamp here, Facebook here.


The richness of the music on 'Instinctive Echoes' is superb. Mixing detailed rhythms, calm soring vocals (reminded me a little of Grant Lee), and the occasional explosion of guitar riffs, I can't help but just love this song.

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Sorority Noise - No Halo.

Background - Sorority Noise have just released "No Halo", the first single off of their new full length record You're Not As _____ As You Think. You're Not As _____ As You Think is the follow up to 2015's critically acclaimed Joy, Departed. The new album us set to be released on March 17th via Big Scary Monsters. Pre-orders are available now here. A quote from singer/guitarist Cam Boucher on the story behind the song can be found below.

"This song is about having a friend pass away and still keeping them fondly in your mind to the point where you show up to their house forgetting that they're no longer there. It's about struggling to keep up with the people you love when you're away and how to be/how it feels to not be there for them when they need you most." - Cam Boucher

Sorority Noise have also recently announced they will be touring this March with Modern Baseball, Kevin Devine and The Obsessives. Website here, Facebook here.
(Tour details via tab at the top).

The new song 'No Halo' is really getting some attention. It's a tight indie rocker with a chorus so full of hooks, that it is potentially going to be huge!

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SPC ECO - Under My Skin (EP).

Background - Electronic dream pop duo SPC ECO present their single ‘Under My Skin’, which also just featured in Series 6 Episode 7 of the MTV series 'Teen Wolf'.

"It was fantastic to wake up and hear what had happened with the Teen Wolf sync. Under My Skin is very close to both mine and dad’s hearts so it couldn't have been a better track for something like this to happen to," says SPC ECO vocalist Rose Berlin.

SPC ECO is comprised of alternative electronic maverick producer Dean Garcia, the musical mastermind behind seminal alternative rock band Curve, and his daughter Rose Berlin.

Rose is a Sound and Light artist, having graduated from Camberwell College of Arts in 2013 with a first class honours degree. She experiments with the potential for sound and light to be used as atmospheric mediums, intent on bridging the gap between art and music. She has exhibited her work in various shows around London and, in 2015, was selected to showcase her work as part of the Venice Biennale. Rose is currently making artwork for a show in London.

For his whole life, Dean Garcia has been sculpting sound to create alternate-universe pop hits that simultaneously straddle several genres. Apart from a decade with SPC ECO and nearly 15 years with Curve, Garcia has also toured the world several times and recorded multiple albums with such established artists as Eurythmics, Mick Jagger, Jeff Beck, Bryan Ferry, Sinead O'Connor and Ian Dury. Website here, Facebook here.


Title track of the new EP 'Under My Skin' is a sweeping and majestic piece, where the lush musical sound scape provides a wonderful background for Rose Berlin's sweet and ethereal vocals. As for the other tracks, expect an aural feast of quality.

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Heavy Tiger - Saigon Kiss.

Background - Thanks to their involvement in TUI's new commercial and the success of the song "Let The Sunshine In" (in writing at top 10 on ITunes Scandinavia Rock section) Heavy Tiger is at the moment receiving a great deal of attention as well as a lot of new fans. They plan extensive touring in Europe spring/summer 2017.

It's been a busy time for Heavy Tiger, spending the two past years constantly on the road. The Stockholm trio has been touring all over Europe, making national television and even playing in Japan as well as Vietnam to the delight of their ever-growing fan base. However, after completing another European stint last spring together with Backyard Babies, it was finally time to exit the tour bus and record a new album.

Glitter, the band's sophomore effort and the logical sequel to their debut Saigon Kiss is now ready to be launched to an unexpected crowd! The album was produced by Rikard Löfgren with Gustav Ydenius handling the recording duties at Leon Music Studios (Mustasch, Sparzanza, Sister Sin).

So, what can one expect from the Stockholm rockers? The first single, entitled Devil May Care was written for the band by singer Ola Salo of the Swedish pop/rock-phenomenon The Ark. With Devil May Care, this little Adam Ant-scented pop song is no exception. The single was the band's first release on Wild Kingdom Records. The new Heavy Tiger album Glitter - Release Date: 24 March 2017 - Label: Wild Kingdom. Facebook here.


Title track of their previous album 'Saigon Kiss' is shared as a substitute at the moment. It's a little frustrating having a copy of the forthcoming release but nothing to feature, hopefully that will change soon, however to be ahead of the game, here is a taste of this feisty trio, for your listening pleasure. As for the new album 'Glitter', it's eleven thumping, raucous, rockers and everyone of them are fabulous!

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Tall Tall Trees - Free Days.

Background - To say that Mike Savino is an innovator would be an understatement. Touring under the moniker Tall Tall Trees, the banjo-wielding bard has reshaped the landscape of what is possible with the instrument. On stage and in studio, Savino breaks down the banjo into its most basic iteration, reminding audiences that the banjo is, at root, a drum. Coupled with his mastery of electronic effects, loops, toy ray guns, and heaps of spontaneous creativity, Tall Tall Trees has been encapsulating audience members worldwide with his mystifying solo shows, as well as playing alongside fellow innovator Kishi Bashi.

His latest album ‘Freedays’ is, in a way, his debut album. Having recorded two previous albums in a traditional collaborative band setting, ‘Freedays’ is the first album Savino wrote and recorded as a solo project. Beginning in 2015, Savino took a much-needed respite from New York City, where he had spent a decade and a half honing his craft, and assumed the role of sole caretaker at an abandoned health retreat nestled in the green mountains of northern Georgia. The Bird’s Nest, as it was called, completely surrounded by national forest, provided the freedom and space to work without time constraints or interruption.

Composed and recorded over a period of eight months, ‘Freedays’ tells the story of a man in transition and documents an artist alone at the crossroads of the life he has and the one he wants. The album begins with “Backroads”, which drops the listener into a darkened forest amidst a chorus of wailing coyotes and quickly takes off on a midnight drive. Tracks like “Being There”, “A Place to Call Your Own”, and “CLC” provide an honest look into the author’s thought process and decision making. Although it’s often hard to imagine, most of the sounds on the album are experiments with the banjo, and they all reflect the innovative musings of one of the freshest sounds to come out of the Appalachians in decades. Facebook here. (Tour details via tab at the top).


Banjo and musical innovation aside Mike Savino is one fine singer as well. 'Free Days' is lush, powerful, highly melodic and layered beautifully, to allow every sonic inclusion to stand out.

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Hajk - Best Friend.

Background - Hajk's new single 'Best Friend' is now out on all streaming services. Their previous single 'Magazine' received plenty of support on line. Both tracks are taken from Hajk's self titled, highly anticipated, debut album due to be released early this Spring. Hajk’s debut album is being released by Jansen Plateproduksjon.

The band said of the track: "This is an in-your-face little pop-tune. We wanted it to sound modern and tight, but also with a little '80s vibe, referring to our childhood music. This is a song about close friends who might expect too much of each other and get to the point where it finally falls apart - just like it did for me in my late teens, for better or worse."

Hajk are fronted by Preben Sælid Andersen and Sigrid Aase, who share the vocals, while Johan Nord (drums), Knut Olav Buverud Sandvik (bass) og Einar Næss Haugeth (keys) completes the backbone of the band . Musically, Hajk are situated in a modern pop/rock landscape, with an emphasis on very strong melodies. The band are influenced by artists like Dirty Projectors, Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Amason, but still they stand firmly on their own feet, with an original sound that also challenges the genre they belong to. Facebook here.


'Best Friend' is another fine tease for the forthcoming debut album. With a well structured indie pop soundtrack, it's the vocals and harmonies that standout at first. However paying attention to the instruments, Hajk can and do deliver some funky tight sounds that just add to the overall flavour.

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Saturday, 12 November 2016

More Weekend Wonders: Hajk - Adam & Elvis - ACES - Eric Frisch - Imaginary People

Hajk - Magazine.

Background - With ‘Magazine’, Hajk have emerged with an off-beat, honest, creation that clicks into place and somehow combines the smooth and the sharp into a perfectly complete electro-pop song that casts a mischievous glance at influences such as Unknown Mortal Orchestra, The Dirty Projectors and ANIMA!.

This single is guided by the swirling yet magnetic vocals of Preben Sælid Andersen and Sigrid Aase, and kept tight by the tight rhythms and musicality of Preben Andersen. An infectious melody with glimpses of bands such as Phoenix, ‘Magazine’ is a song that simply won’t slip out of your head easily.

Songwriter Preben Andersen (also a member of Norwegian label mates Death By Unga Bunga) describes the track himself as “a quirky and dreamy love song about frustration and how that will ultimately lead to procrastination. There are a lot of different sounds and textures coming in and out throughout the track, and we hope that it will make people want to listen to it over and over again to try to ‘figure it out’. It’s like a simple painting that becomes something else when you are standing really close to it…" ‘Magazine’ is the first single from Hajk’s highly anticipated debut album out early spring 2017. Facebook here. Amazon Magazine  


With delightful vocals and harmonies and a crisp and lush soundtrack 'Magazine' is a dreamy electro pop song. It's also one catchy and hook laden track.

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Adam & Elvis - Hanging Tree.

Background - About ‘Hanging Tree’ The sorry tale of a young intellectual who, despite his rationalism, loses his mind over unrequited love, ‘Hanging Tree’ conforms to Adam & Elvis’s tragi-comic inclinations. Sonically, however, the song is all vivacious alt-pop, charging along a crookedly mellifluous path as the Malone brothers’ vocals veer from moody baritone to full-throttle tenor. Sawtoothed guitars sear and the rhythm section thunders while ‘Hanging Tree’ revolves around its Grandaddy-meets-Pixies chorus that provides a soaring indie-disco chant-along belying the morbid moral.

The stylish video (shot by Balla Kingston, Craig Rogers and Antonio Pineda) captures the band in ebullient mood at UK Live Sound studios in Reading, where ‘Hanging Tree’ was produced.

About Adam & Elvis. Bonded not only by blood but a taste for finding humour in the macabre, Patrick and Tom Malone are brothers whose sibling intuition extends to a penchant for songs as melodic as they are bizarre. Cut-throat guitars, dirty basslines and contorted synthesisers are their tools as the brothers pen hook-filled numbers with strange, poetic lyrics, often influenced by the stark realism in the wordplay of Patrick’s heroes Leonard Cohen and Charles Bukowski.

This thought-provoking, pull-no-punches prose is set to a musical backdrop of exhilarating wall-of-sound pop and primitive punk energy, unleashed by Patrick on guitar/vocals and Tom on bass/vocals respectively, with the aid of Juliet Styles (synths/saxophone), Steve Wraight (vocals/percussion) and Dan Robershaw (guitar). The Berkshire band have been championed by regional radio and performed their gripping live shows on the same bill as Fat White Family, The Zombies and The Correspondents, as well as numerous festivals across the south of England. Not before time, given the blistering impact of ‘Hanging Tree’, the wider world is about to get a feel for the Adam & Elvis oeuvre, culminating in a debut album release proposed for early 2017. Facebook here.


See Adam & Elvis live
Fri 25 November: Royal Oak, Bath
Sat 6 January 2017: Sebright Arms, London E2. 


The video for 'Hanging Tree' is a vibrant and lively affair, and the perfect fit for a song like this. The vocals switch gear, whilst the rhythm section thumps along and the band invite you to join in, either banging your foot or singing along or both. Wonderful stuff!

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ACES - If I Could Be Your Girl.

Background - New single “If I Could Be Your Girl” is officially out everywhere worldwide. Following on the heels of her critically-acclaimed singles, the new single conveys her cinematic tone more evocatively than anything she’s done before.

The music of ACES isn’t a collection of tracks; it’s a gateway to a worldview, one face of a meticulously defined aesthetic. When we listen to it, we find ourselves living for a few minutes with the creator, Alex Stewart, in the world she’s built for us.

ACES can be described in musical terms, of course. It’s hazy, downtempo; it’s pop music on muscle relaxers. It’s a bassy backing track and sparse beats that take a back seat to Stewart’s daydreaming vocals on a song like “If I Could Be Your Girl,” the lead single from ACES’ debut EP, Stranger. But to really define ACES, we need to go outside the idiom. ACES is a muted light. A French new wave film projected at half speed. A night in with a few friends and heady cocktails.

ACES, too, is defined as Alex: The Canadian born, Brooklyn artist is the voice and direction of the project, which takes its name from her initials. A film editor who often works alongside her filmmaker husband, Stewart borrows as much from the vocabulary and structure of that art as she does traditional songwriting. Facebook here.


The distinct and haunting vocals of ACES are striking on 'If I Could Be Your Girl'. The music is synthy and dreamy, whilst remaining quite stripped back. For me, it's late night, low light music, and that's just fine.

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Eric Frisch - The Light Ahead.

Background - Eric Frisch is an indie pop musician living in New York City. Eric’s main influences range everywhere from the Beatles and the Beach Boys to Sam Cooke and the Four Tops to Bob Dylan and Jackie Wilson. Originally from Toronto, Eric is the second of four children. Eric began learning piano at an early age and always enjoyed the task of composing on his own. He credits his parents with introducing him to the right music, playing “Here, There and Everywhere” off of Revolver for him when he was 15. Residing in New York for two years, Eric has performed at venues like Rockwood Music Hall, the Bowery Electric, the Living Room, and the Studio at Webster Hall, as well as various venues in his hometown of Toronto, including the Rivoli and Dundas Square.

Eric’s sound combines elements of 50s and 60s pop music with a more modern sound, creating a unique call to the past while still pushing forward into unchartered territory. Eric has just released his first self-produced full-length entitled Goodbye Birdcage. The album showcases his diverse range as a writer and singer, and displays his unique ability to capture the essence of his influences in his music. A talented artist and performer, Eric writes songs that are original, catchy, and memorable. Facebook here.


Need to shed a few pounds? Whilst it may not be an exercise video 'The Light Ahead' dance routine could well support a fitness programme. Musically it's a wonderful piece that could be described as surf pop and really has a timeless feel and good vibes throughout. More please!

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Imaginary People - Snapshot.

Background - Following 2014’s critically acclaimed opening volley EP, composed of espionage-themed singles, and their 2015 politically tinged full-length debut Dead Letterbox,  New York’s Imaginary People return with their second full-length release, entitled October Alice, due in March 2017. The album was again produced by Kevin McMahon (Swans, Titus Andronicus, Real Estate), reprising his role from their debut LP.

The band swings for the fences on their sophomore LP, recorded in a barn in upstate NY, via a grittier approach, with an eerie, reverb-laden wall of sound abundant throughout, cannily crafted via the use of a second drum kit inside a silo. It mirrors the morbid subject manner of the album, easily their most disarmingly personal material to date.

Mournful yet anthemic, the album resonates with a simmering intensity. Dark visions abound, of horrific events that can’t be undone—yet the sorrow is sublimated into an unsurpassable catharsis. It’s evident on the likes of the smoldering “Snapshot,” the racing-pulse rave-up “Seven Days,” and the cacophonous serpentine groove of “Fresh Kill.” But this isn’t an album of easily digestible singles. It’s best swallowed whole, as a piece, one that candidly encompasses anguish, the bleakness of humanity, but ultimately a sense of hope that music in some small way can heal the deepest of emotional wounds. Imaginary People is Dylan Von Wagner (vocals), Mark Roth (guitar), Justin Repasky (keys), Kolby Wade (drums) and Bryan Percivall (bass). Facebook here.


A nice crunchy riff opens 'Snapshot' laying the foundations for Dylan Von Wagner's vocals to pour out emotionally charged lyrics, as the band take things up a notch. This is a fabulous song that does rock'n'roll a real service, bring on the new album!!

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Bedolina - Melys - Avery Friedman - Hallelujah The Hills

Bedolina - We Are the Clock Ourselves Again. Out today March 28th, "We Are the Clock Ourselves Again" is an indie rock hymn about...