Louie & The Wolf Gang have kicked the new year off with 'The Race' where the Neo Rockabillies are on splendid form with this tightly performed and vibrant song. === Calgary singer-songwriter Jess Knights has just released 'Leave Me For The Last Time' a soulful song with all the essential passion and emotion to make it stand out. === We featured Kacy & Clayton three times last year and were very impressed so the live video for 'That Sweet Orchestra Sound' is a pleasure to share just ahead of their European tour.
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Louie & The Wolf Gang - The Race.
Louie & The Wolf Gang welcome the new year with a thrilling and fast single: 'The Race' reflects their current state. Last year started running fast for the new rockabilly heroes from Baden/Switzerland: Their debut EP earned enthusiastic reviews, was heard on various international radios-show and brought the band their first concerts, full house.
In 2020, it's time to speed up the tempo: A club tour through Switzerland is going on until summer, including a performance at the legendary «Tiki Bash»-festival in Erlinsbach AG, the hippest Swiss rockabilly-festival on the scene.
'The Race' is a cool introduction to the gigs, with reminiscences of the legendary Stray Cats, the celebrated Neo-Rockabillies Restless and a bow to country legend Johnny Cash.
For all of love's agonies, Calgary soul-roots singer-songwriter Jess Knights isn't sulking over old wounds. On her debut full-length, Best Kind of Light, due out on May 20, 2020, Knights comes out on the other side of love and loss without all the bitterness, but rather a sense of self-assuredness knowing that she'll be just fine on her own.
It's this triumphant reclamation that frames the albums title track, about a graceful end to a relationship. When you get older your priorities change, and what was once catastrophic is no longer a big deal, Knights says. "You choose where to put your energy and how to spend your time. 'Best Kind of Light' is about choosing to move on with grace and integrity, and not feeling the need to burn your ex's clothes on the front lawn anymore."
Of the 11 songs contained on Best Kind of Light, there are traces of the blues that have always informed her sound. Case in point: the gloriously sultry 'Try a Little Harder', where she offers the best clapback to lazy courtship. "I know your kind/You come around here saying Damn girl, you're fine But I ain't the type to fall flat and cold to a man with a line/You gotta try a little harder, she sings to an eruption of scorching blues licks."
All the while, some lap steel and country strains find their way into a few songs. The most welcome surprise, though, is the sparkling dub beats heard on Halfway.
To achieve the revivalist vibe she was after, Knights headed to Toronto in 2019 and assembled the crème de la crème of song-smiths and sidemen, including award-winning producer Joshua Van Tassel, Donovan Woods, Joey Landreth, and others. The lineup adds dimension to Knights songs while bringing into focus the moody, dimly-lit spectrum of her classically-trained voice, which has drawn comparisons to U.K. luminaries Amy Winehouse and Eliza Doolittle.
Kacy & Clayton - That Sweet Orchestra Sound (Live Video).
Canadian psych-folk second-cousins Kacy & Clayton head to the UK for tour dates in Jan/Feb, including a slot at the prestigeous Celtic Connections Festival in Glasgow and a headline show at London's The Victoria courtesey of Shindig Magazine. Their recent Jeff Tweedy (Wilco) produced album Carrying On came out in October via New West to critical acclaim, with Mojo saying,"The duo shine as a beacon of warm and quirky outsiderdom in a rising tide of cookie-cutter Nashville Americana" and Uncut calling it; "a warm, beguiling set that tips its hat to roots music interpreters as disperate as Hoyt Axton, Fairport Convention, Dolly Parton, The Byrds and Bobby Gentry, while also tapping Cajun fiddle music."
They also share a live video for "That Sweet Orchestra Sound". The session was recorded at Trinity St. Paul's United Church in Toronto and captured by Southern Souls, who has been creating top-notch videos of mostly Canadian artists for more than ten years. It was filmed in September just as Kacy & Clayton performed on presitgeous Canadian TV programme CBC's Q then headed to Nashville for Americanafest.
The band also shared other videos from the album, including “High Holiday”, "Carrying On" and "The Forty-Ninth Parallel".
Kacy & Clayton's sound is equal parts homespun, coming from a family and community where playing music is an ever present part of social gatherings, and the rare country, blues, and English folk rock they obsess over and collect. It’s an arresting amalgamation of psychedelic folk, English folk revival and the ancestral music of Southern Appalachia. For Carrying On, Clayton cites as influences: Bobbie Gentry’s Delta Sweete, Hoyt Axton’s My Griffin Is Gone, Cajun fiddle music, and the steel guitar of Ralph Mooney, who played on many of the records that defined the Bakersfield country music scene of the 1950s. Sixties psych has also woven its way into these new songs; Kacy enjoys telling people that they live 250km from the mental hospital that coined the term “psychedelic.”
Of Carrying On, Jeff Tweedy said "When I first heard Kacy and Clayton, I was struck by how much detail and nuance they had absorbed from what sounded like a large swath of my record collection. When I told them that they were as good as the artists they were drawing from, I’m not sure they believed me. On this record I don’t hear those influences as much as I hear them taking the things they love so intimately and telling their own story. I think they’re a truly great band.”
Having toured almost nonstop for the last two years, Carrying On was conceived and honed on the road and recorded immediately after a jaunt across Western Canada, mostly as live takes with the minimum of overdubs. The songs having been tried and tested before audiences each night with Kacy & Clayton offering, “This album has, by far, the most intense and confident performances we’ve ever done on record and I hope that intensity will be felt by the listener.”
They have just returned from the road supporting Ray LaMontagne in North America in the Autumn with an appearance at the Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival in September alongside Foo Fighters, The Killers, and more.
Carrying On was released 4 October 2019 on compact disc, across digital retailers, Standard Black Vinyl, Pink Marbled Vinyl exclusively available at Independent Retailers, and hand-poured colored vinyl with every copy unique available now for order directly from New West Records.
EU/UK Tour Dates:
January 23 - Trondheim, NO - Bar Moskus
January 24 - Oslo, NO - Vulkan Arena for Interstate 20 - Oslo Americana Weekend
Jan 25 Falkenberg, SWE - Tryckhallen
Jan 26 Stockholm, SWE - Twang
February 2 - Forest Row - Hop Yard Brewing Co.
February 13 - Recklinghausen, DE - Creative Outlaws Club
January 30 - Glasgow, CCA - Celtic Connections
January 31- Low Mill, UK - The Band Room
February 1- Gateshead, UK - The Sage
February 4 - Winchester, UK - The Railway Inn
February 5 - Bristol, UK - The Mother's Ruin
February 6 - Witney, UK - Fat Lil's
February 7 - St. Davids, UK - City Hall
February 8 - Coventry, UK - The Tin Music and Arts
February 9 - Whitstable, UK - Whitstable Sessions Music Club
February 10 - London, UK - The Victoria
February 12 - Eindhoven, NL - Rozenknopje
February 14 - Nijmegen, NL - Merleyn
February 15 - Groningen, NL - Lutherse Kerk
February 16 - Utrecht, NL - TivoliVredenburg
February 20 - Barcelona, ESP - Sala Rocksound
February 21 - Madrid, ESP - Cafe Berlin
February 22 - San Sebastian, ESP - Altxerri Jazz Bar
February 23 - Santander, ESP - Little Bobby
bdrmm first appeared here in October last year and the new song 'Shame' makes for a refreshing return as the mixture of lighter shoegaze and to use their expression ugly pop, works so well together.
We have previously shared a couple of songs from Madame Psychosis and the opportunity to present the new album 'Survivor' is to good to pass up on. The band mix alt pop and indie rock together with clarity and passion, they are quite open about their musical influences, yet manage to present a distinct and very fine sound.
There are a couple of songs to hear from Faultress namely 'Marilyn' and 'Beating Heart'. Both are notably different, the vocals give some continuity, however the creativity and delivery is outstandingly good.
Sean Cronin the man behind Very Good has also shared a couple of tracks recently with 'Ghost Warning' and 'Adulthood' showcasing his off the wall creativity. Genre defying and veering towards experimental at times, there is something quite likable about these songs, I just haven't figured out what it is yet.
We have the debut single from The Electric Arch entitled 'Crisps & Crackers'. What starts out as something of an alt pop piece slowly drifts into a psychedelic fusion of sounds, the slacker rhythm keeps it on track as the song becomes rather addictive listening.
Kacy & Clayton are back for a third time this year with 'That Sweet Orchestra Sound' where the psych folk duo are more country and folk orientated on this beautiful and melodic song.
Portland share 'Killers Mind' where the Belgian singer-songwriters Jente Pironet and Sarah Pepels deliver a sublime pop song with gorgeous dual vocals, it's our second feature for them, hopefully there will be more.
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bdrmm - Shame.
bdrmm combine a flair for weaving together dreamy sonic textures and introverted small-town sketches, channelling hazy adolescent disconnection into a washy synthesis of Beach House, jangly slackers DIIV and otherworldly shoegazers Slowdive. They’ve found a kindred spirit in cult shoegaze label Sonic Cathedral (Spectres, Lorelle Meets The Obsolete, Echo Ladies), to whom the Hull based quintet have signed.
Their first release is the ‘If Not, When?’ EP on October 11th – a tying together of their acclaimed slacker-shoegaze gems thus far, led by brand new single ‘Shame’. Retaining most elements of their signature sound, ‘Shame’ also introduces some post-punk components – staccato vocals, and hypnotic rhythms giving the track a purposeful drive. It relays a relatable theme, as vocalist and songwriter Ryan Smith explains:
“’Shame’ is about the heartache of having to tell someone you care about the most that being together can’t work, for whatever reason - having to be the person who takes it upon themselves to do the right thing, even though it feels so wrong.”
Releases from the band so far have caught not just the attention of Sonic Cathedral, but of numerous tastemakers in The Line of Best Fit, MTV, So Young, and DORK. As well as this, Radio 1’s Huw Stephens and BBC 6Music’s Steve Lamacq & Jon Hillcock are big fans, and John Kennedy invited them on for a Radio X live session, with pedigree coming in too from Andy Bell of Ride on his Boogaloo Radio show and Simone Marie of Primal Scream on Soho Radio.
Live invitations have become bigger and bolder, supports with Trudy & The Romance, Her’s, Gengahr and Horsey, as well as capacity sets at Tramlines, Gold Sounds and especially a chaotic, raucous homecoming show at Hull’s Humber Street Sesh making bdrmm exciting stalwarts on the live indie scene.
The band worked with Alex Greaves (Working Men’s Club, The Orielles, Heavy Lungs) to bring their self-styled ‘gross dreamy noise’ to life.
Joining lead singer and guitarist Ryan Smith in the line-up is brother Jordan Smith (Bass), Joe Vickers (Guitar), Daniel Hull (Synth & Backing Vocals) and Luke Irvin (Drums).
Madame Psychosis is a five-piece alt pop and indie rock band from Toronto. Members include singer Michelle Mondesir, guitar players Bret McCaffrey and Rene Ip, drummer Jaina Tharakan, and bass player Giovanni Paola.
The quintet came together in late 2014 after a conversation at a wedding, where a mutual friend of some of the eventual band members suggested a jam session. This very unlikely jam session resulted in what became Madame Psychosis. Five years later, the band continues to write and perform original music. Though their sound is often compared to Metric or a cross between the Black Keys and Alabama Shakes, the band cites a number of musical influences from an array of genres. These artists include Whitney Houston, Freddie Mercury, The Smiths, Arctic Monkeys, Spoon, Wilco, Pearl Jam, Guns N’ Roses, Smashing Pumpkins and War on Drugs.
The band first made waves with their self-titled debut album, released in June of 2017. Alan Cross, the internationally syndicated host of The Ongoing History of New Music, selected the single "Space Motorcycle" for his weekly Top 11 Playlist in August of 2017. The album was also featured on 94.9 The Rock FM's emerging artist spotlight, Generation Next, in May of 2018. Four songs from the debut album were showcased, including "Space Motorcycle", "Run", "On Top of the Game", and "Mellow". The band supported the album by performing at venues across Toronto, including at the legendary Opera House and the iconic Horseshoe Tavern.
Coming off the heels of this positive reception, Madame Psychosis was invited to perform on the nationally televised segment of Global’s The Morning Show in January 2019. They were also selected to perform at Canadian Music Week in May 2019 and cracked Dropout Entertainment’s Top Picks for CMW 2019. The band also released two music videos in 2019 for “Just Wanna Be Myself” and “Crashing Down”. A third music video for “Kapow” is currently in progress.
Madame Psychosis is now turning their attention to the release of their forthcoming sophomore album, Survivor. They have released three singles from the record. A Journal of Musical Things calls the aforementioned lead single, “Just Wanna Be Myself”, “a fun, upbeat song with sweet yet edgy female vocals”. They followed with “Crashing Down”, which was called “mellifluous magic wrapped in a grungy garage rock exterior” by Odd Nugget. Most recently, “Kapow” drew the attention and acclaim of several writers and playlist curators from around the world. Buzz Music calls it a “heart-dropping anthem”. Lefuturewave refers to it as “a brilliant piece of music”.
About ‘Marilyn’/‘Beating Heart’ - The seductive crawl of 'Marilyn' sets a fantastic pace for Faultress's 5 Myths EP. Its dark and minimal tone and stacked vocals underpin an emotionally dynamic vocal performance. But the nature of its seduction is quickly revealed to be a snare. Faultress offers us a different kind of femme fatale, one whose vulnerabilities are centre stage, deconstructing the masculine idea of femininity by showing it as an air-brushed performance for the male gaze:
"Would you love me on a bad day? Would you love me every state I'm in / I am not performing today / No it's not that kind of day. / And I would rather hide me away / Where I can't be your Marilyn." 'Beating Heart' explores the role of the human bonding hormone oxytocin in making us feel closer to each other than we really are. It resists easy-reach hooks, favouring sharp and stylised grooves in its vocal loops and synth bass. An ode to post-coital bliss, 'Beating Heart' is instrumentally as carnal and as naked as its subject matter. 'Marilyn' was named one of the moderators' songs of the year by Fresh Faves.
Faultress is an extinct word for a female criminal, and this musical project is about wearing your unpolished faults and imperfections on your very female sleeve. As an artist, Faultress embodies the challenge to heterodoxy implied in her name, which she wields as a firebrand to write incisive and psychological songs that offer us a look into the complex fragmentation of feminine power, desire and mental health in a rapidly changing musical and cultural world. Faultress's prime influence is Kate Bush, a soul she shares a love of theatricality with - Faultress has a playwriting MA from RADA - alongside a diverse set of influences that includes the likes of James Blake, Aldous Harding, FKA Twigs and Joni Mitchell. Her full banshee show is a six-part girl choir replete with synths and drums. In her solo shows Faultress plays piano and loop stations. With the release of her 5 Myths EP, she reveals herself something of a polymath: lyricist, musician, singer and storyteller employing the full spectrum of her skillset to make unforgettably charged music.
See Faultress live:
26th October - Union Chapel supporting Eska and London Contemporary Voices
8th November - Headline show at The Laylow, Ladbroke Grove, London.
Adulthood is the third album from Sean Cronin and his project Very Good. A multi-instrumentalist and formally-trained double bassist who is both a composer in the traditional sense and a songwriter in the popular sense, Sean Cronin has worked primarily in the realm of jazz (bebop, swing, New Orleans, modern, etc.) over the last 20 years. But that only tells part of a story that spills forth from Adulthood in rich, naked — and often bitingly funny — detail. In many ways, it's a universal story: You freak out, you drift, you lose your way and you chafe against the pressures imposed upon you by the outside world.
Then, as Cronin discovered, the real challenge begins once you come to realize that the biggest obstacles are actually internal. The age itself may vary, but sooner or later the truth hits. "I got to, like, 28-29," Cronin says, "and it was like 'Oh. I actually know what I'm capable of, but now it's just a matter of what I do with those abilities.' By that point, you know what they are. So then it's about putting them forward in the world."
Therein lies the conflict at the heart of Adulthood.
Now several years (though not quite comfortably) removed from the conflict, Cronin has essentially lived several musical lifetimes in one. From classical piano training as a young child to his first real gig at age 12 playing country music in bars with his father, it was on to punk bands, then the orchestra pit for musicals followed by touring with bluegrass acts, theatrical scoring work, indie rock, collaborations in modern dance, etc.
Musically speaking, Adulthood comprises all of those things. We can readily identify the influences Cronin drew from to create the pastoral folk balladry of "Tree Dreams," the magnificent, opera-esque buildup of indie epic "Without You Around," the funked-up Band-style Americana of the title track, the choral transcendence of "Light's Refrain," etc, etc. with a little bit of influence from both absurdist and classical literature thrown-in for good measure.
The Electric Arch shares their debut single "Crisps & Crackers" and announces their debut record Out of Range.
“Crisps & Crackers” immediately sinks into a nodding groove that never lets up, as Marler adds reverbed guitar shimmers, streaky distorted riffs, and a mouthwatering bass solo over a steady, plunky piano lick. His lethargic, stoned delivery grounds the psychedelic instrumentals to keep things from drifting too far of into the ether, and each respective part is leveled perfectly within the mix. It sounds positively gorgeous and Marler finds just the right balance between exercising his obvious virtuosity and doing justice to the song’s sturdy melodic structure. It’s psych-pop par excellence.
The Electric Arch is based out of Chateau St. Philippe in Bayou St. John, New Orleans. The live version of the band includes James Marler, T-Rey Cloutier and Sir Alex Smudge Smith. Drummer and surf guru Ron Bocian plays with the band on the West Coast while Mr. Binkles the Spider Monkey covers Deep South gigs.
Out of Range features Marler’s compositions, translated, recorded, and produced by vaping enthusiast Matthew Cloutier. Recording sessions took place in the attic of a 1908 double shotgun mansion, with the humble sounds of the past captured through classic gear from the 1960’s and 70’s. These sessions, fueled by fish sticks, beans, beer, and tequila, typically began in the late afternoon and ended just before sunrise. Various friends would drop in to offer philosophical insights around the “cocktail plank”. All sessions were attended by a Hungarian scent hound and a cat of unknown origin.
The 11 songs on Out of Range are short films about disconnection and disentanglement (éloignement et liberté), shot up close or from a distance. Inspired by 60’s French pop, surf music, garage rock, and the wobbly sounds of troubling times, Out of Range goes high, low, and far away…
“Crisps & Crackers” speaks of depression and the universal consolation of comfort food. “Postcard to Celeste” stars a lush artist appealing to his estranged lover to join him in his seaside redoubt. The figure in “Las Ramblas” struts through an urban promenade of feminine beauty, drawn ever forward toward “the little death.” A romantic wanderer dives deep inside a vintage travel poster in “Granada.” “Porcelain Hole” enters the dark forest of a nativist cult, shield in one hand, sword in the other. “Saturday Night into Sunday Morning” celebrates the temporary escape of late night bars and after hours culture. In “Moving to the Islands,” the cynical and affluent flee the mainland in the face of impending disaster. The early morning haiku of “Lullaby (for Donostia)” savors the calm before the world wakes up. Modern war machines pulverize classical architecture in “Lost City.” An adolescent musician aches for his popular ex- girlfriend in “Can’t Stand It.” Finally, “Western Civ” launches a new backwards dance craze.
"That Sweet Orchestra Sound" is the new single by Canadian psych-folk second-cousins Kacy & Clayton. The track is taken from the new album Carrying On, which out via New West Records on 4 October 2019. The 10-song album was produced by Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy and recorded by Tom Schick at The Loft, Wilco’s recording studio and rehearsal space in Chicago. The band have announced a UK and EU tour for Jan/Feb 2020.
"That Sweet Orchestra Sound" was written as a tribute to the rural dance bands of the area where Kacy Anderson and Clayton Linthicum's grew up, Wood Mountain, Saskatchewan (population very few). These dance bands referred to themselves as ‘orchestras.’ One such band, the Romansky Orchestra from Fir Mountain, featured Kacy’s Grandpa Carl in their line-up when he was in his teens.
The track was premiered by Clash who said; "Kacy & Clayton are able to reach towards the timeless while delivering something highly individual."
Carrying On follows the international acclaim for their previous records Strange Country (which Q Magazine called “A beautiful album that nudges a classic past into a brave future”) and 2017’s The Siren’s Song (described by Uncut as “Ageless and beguiling. A classic record for this or any other time.”)
Kacy & Clayton's sound is equal parts homespun, coming from a family and community where playing music is an ever present part of social gatherings, and the rare country, blues, and English folk rock they obsess over and collect. It’s an arresting amalgamation of psychedelic folk, English folk revival and the ancestral music of Southern Appalachia. For Carrying On, Clayton cites as influences: Bobbie Gentry’s Delta Sweete, Hoyt Axton’s My Griffin Is Gone, Cajun fiddle music, and the steel guitar of Ralph Mooney, who played on many of the records that defined the Bakersfield country music scene of the 1950s. Sixties psych has also woven its way into these new songs; Kacy enjoys telling people that they live 250km from the mental hospital that coined the term “psychedelic.”
Belgian upcoming talent Portland had an amazing summer. The band helmed by singer-songwriters Jente Pironet and Sarah Pepels played Rock Werchter and Pukkelpop and in between they finished their debut album with producer David Poltrock (Triggerfinger, Hooverphonic).
“Your Colours Will Stain”, mixed by Grammy Award winning producer/mixer Eduardo De La Paz (Local Natives, Frightened Rabbit), is set for release on October 18 through [PIAS].
This week they release the brand new single ‘Killer’s Mind’. A story about getting hurt, dealing with it and eventually moving on to better experiences is set against pure pop brilliance.
An ominous synth follows a commanding beat, Jente and Sarah trading verses and finding angelic harmony in a sneaky chorus that’ll warm up your auricle for the remains of the day. It’s dark versus light with some killer hooks. Highly addictive stuff!
Taken from there new Temp'rall Sho'gazing album we have a couple of songs from /fyo͞oɡ/ namely 'Better' and 'Blues After Hours'. The two tracks give a good feel for the whole, Katarina's vocals are exceptional and the musical arrangement polished, the compositions mixing Jazz and Blues and taking the material in differing directions is wonderful.
Kacy & Clayton return with a second song and video ahead of their album release, this time we have 'High Holiday' another genre spanning song which for convenience sake I will describe as up skilled Americana.
'Clouds' by Maddee is a gently paced soulful song with just a hint of the blues, her vocals are strikingly good, just right for this type of music.
Jay Elle brand of pop is refreshingly uncomplicated as witnessed by 'Sickly Sweet' a catchy and unpretentious piece that veers a little towards modern folk.
With some eighties synth rock vibes Michael Blakeman has shared 'Brazier To The Lake' a solid rocker with plenty of hooks throughout.
Finally today Dominic Sen has released a video for 'Hear Me, a song that is attempting to convey a deeper message whilst remaining a rather pleasing dance pop number.
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/fyo͞oɡ/ - Better / Blues After Hours.
There is a new album from New Orleans based Jazz/Blues duo “/fyo͞oɡ/” entitled “Temp'rall Sho'gazing”. The co-founders of fyo͞oɡ/ consists of Katarina Boudreaux and Sam Tepper who set out to create originals and perform music that grips the soul and imagination in the process. This release is comprised of 3 originals mixed with tastefully chosen cover tunes which are both experimental and sometimes unexpected.
Mainly falling in a more the old school Jazz and Blues tradition in song choices and original compositions, this album also touches occasionally into the funk territory and often times has a very gospel approach. Katrarina’s soulful and headstrong vocal style much like Billy Holliday or Ella Fitzgerald are nicely accompanied by Sam Tepper’s virtuoso blues/jazz playing on piano and keyboards that could be compared at times to the great Stevie Wonder.
"This is the first collaborative project I have embarked on. Sam walked in on a gig, and we've worked together ever since. The three originals are co-written, and it is the first album I have not played keys on (three previous studio albums)."
Katarina Boudreaux and Sam Tepper are the cofounders of /fyo͞oɡ/. New Orleans based, /fyo͞oɡ/ creates original music and covers music that grips the soul and imagination in the process. Katarina is a writer, dancer, teacher, and musician. Her novel "Platform Dwellers" is available from Owl Hollow Press. She is the current director of Noladancing. Sam Tepper is a genuine human being and virtuoso musician.
Kacy & Clayton will release Carrying On via New West Records on October 4th, 2019. The 10-song set was produced by Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy and recorded by Tom Schick at The Loft, Wilco’s recording studio & rehearsal space in Chicago, IL. Carrying On follows the international acclaim for their previous records Strange Country (which Q Magazine called “A beautiful album that nudges a classic past into a brave future”) and 2017’s The Siren’s Song (described by Uncut as “Ageless and beguiling. A classic record for this or any other time.”).
The Mike Trask directed video for the song “High Holiday” was released earlier this week. The song features the legendary musician Charlie McCoy on bass harmonica who is well known for his contributions to infamous recordings by Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Simon and Garfunkel, and more. McCoy is also featured on "That Sweet Orchestra Sound," Carrying On's closing track. Clayton has stated "I'd heard he was still doing sessions and got excited. One of my favorite things he's ever done was on Tom T. Hall's "In Search of a Song."
The music Kacy & Clayton make is inextricable from where they grew up. They sing about the kind of people you’d find in Wood Mountain, Saskatchewan (population very few). Their sound is equal parts homespun, coming from a family and community where playing music is an ever present part of social gatherings, and the rare country, blues, and English folk rock they obsess over and collect. It’s an arresting amalgamation of psychedelic folk, English folk revival and the ancestral music of Southern Appalachia. For Carrying On, Clayton cites as influences: Bobbie Gentry’s Delta Sweete, Hoyt Axton’s My Griffin Is Gone, Cajun fiddle music, and the steel guitar of Ralph Mooney, who played on many of the records that defined the Bakersfield country music scene of the 1950s. Sixties psych has also woven its way into these new songs; Kacy enjoys telling people that they live 250km from the mental hospital that coined the term “psychedelic.”
Of Carrying On, Jeff Tweedy said "When I first heard Kacy and Clayton, I was struck by how much detail and nuance they had absorbed from what sounded like a large swath of my record collection. When I told them that they were as good as the artists they were drawing from, I’m not sure they believed me. On this record I don’t hear those influences as much as I hear them taking the things they love so intimately and telling their own story. I think they’re a truly great band.”
Toronto-based artist, Maddee is today sharing her soulful new cut, ‘Clouds’ - listen here. Taken from the forthcoming debut six-track EP, ’Red Mind’, which is due for release this coming autumn, the new single finds the 20-year-old artist expanding on her previous sound to introduce a gripping network of jazz-indebted R&B and slap-back electronica.
Thematically, the ‘Red Mind EP’ deals with the ramifications of a negative relationship and the emotions that Maddee felt throughout that period, from love to infatuation and naivety. Speaking about ‘Clouds’, which features the co-production of Gray Rowan (Charlotte Day Wilson, The WAYO) and coasts along to the groove of off-kilter percussion and stuttering organs, Maddee says: “This song was written about getting over an unhealthy relationship. It’s about coming back to myself and my strength.”
Maddee cut her teeth initially with features on the ‘Colours EP’ from Toronto-based producer, Harrison - from here, she picked up slots opening for the likes of Lil’ Yachty, Willow Smith and Tennyson, alongside which she showcased across festivals including SXSW, NXNE and Field Trip. A pair of debut singles were released in 2017 (produced by Toronto’s Birthday Boy and Shagabond respectively), earning the buzz-building artist tips from tastemaker blogs, Majestic Casual and the attention of Red Bull Sound Select who handpicked her as one their spotlight artists.
My name is Jay Elle. I am a singer, songwriter, and guitar player. I write pop songs, most often appearing under the label “singer-songwriter.” The songs are a bit on the mellow side for the most parts these days. Since it’s only my guitar and myself at the moment you might say that the overall sound could also fit in the urban-folk category.
I play a nylon string Ovation guitar which gives me a fairly unique sound. Think of it as a reprieve from the digital world for a moment, a vacation island for your ears.
Sometimes you meet people who truly change your life. Certainly, make an unforgettable impression. This song is a trip down memory lane. A good one. A song can take you on a journey. I hope it will get listeners dreaming and revisiting their own pleasant experiences. I love the groove. It's meant to be relaxing while carrying you to your own memories.
‘Brazier To The Lake’ will be in digital stores on the 9th of August. The ‘Future’ EP by Micheal Blakeman will be released 23rd of August.
Future is the experimental debut EP from Michael Blakeman. The Perth musician has re-directed his progressive energy into the circuits of the analog, the lead single Brazier To The Lake a synthwave revitaliser.
After spending years on various rock and metal projects, the EP is Michael’s first foray into the sounds of the 80s. Self-produced and recorded in his home studio, Future matches revivalist gore with an emphatic melancholic energy. The lead single Brazier to the Lake a dark and brooding march of operaHc drama and retro-futuristic voguing.
Fueled by the complexity and experimentation of metal music, composition and songwriting quickly became a large part of his musical focus. Michael's second love is technology, and it wasn't long before he learned how to combine them by pursuing audio production and sound engineering.
Fast forward to 2019 and Michael has released his first solo EP effort, Future. “This release was a huge step outside of my comfort zone,” says Michael. “I’ve been involved with music for a while, but nearly all of that time was spent playing guitar in various bands. I wanted to push myself by creating something of my own from the ground up. Earlier this year I became enamored with the classic Minimoog synth sound, so I decided to take a deep dive into the sound and aesthetic of the era it inspired.”
Lightyears clear of the cataclysm that spawned them, and the event horizon that almost unmade them, Dominic Sen, seventh and only surviving child of the supermassive black hole at the centre of “The Evil Eye Galaxy,” drifted around space in limbo ‘til they intercepted the radio waves of broadcasts from 1980’s and 1990’s Earth. Depicting a colourful and thriving pop culture, these songs of our civilisation drew Sen to the Sun like a moth to our humble intergalactic flame, and thus Sen arrived and fell in love with the meretricious myth of Earthbound stardom.
Channelling the pervasive and alienating sense of their own otherness, Sen works on our planet as an artist where they have created their debut LP. Visitor is a love story, a space opera, a thought experiment telling the tale of Tal Naata, a biologically human female coming from a distant and socially progressive civilisation to study Earth. Taking Tal Naata’s story as their prism, Sen casts our own primitive ideas of gender and social cohesion back at us in shimmering crystalline pop, a sound which hearkens back to those old transmissions which led them here.
Lead single ‘Hear Me’ documents the impasse in traditional gender dynamics on Earth between masculine desire and feminine self-definition. It is, in Sen’s words, about “the sobering reality of an experience gap between Tal Naata and her cis-male partner. It is impossible for him to fully know the hardships faced by women. He will never truly know the fear of walking home alone at night, never grasp the small ways in which his behaviour diminishes her complexity and wholeness.” As someone from a civilisation with no gender inequality, Sen attributes Tal no internalised misogyny. “It makes her acutely cognisant of the truth while still baffled that her gender alienates her from her partner more than the fact that she is a literal alien." The accompanying video represents the internal odyssey that Tal, and classical mythic heroines like her, have to undergo to assert and define themselves in environments that threaten their sense of autonomy.
‘Visitor’ will be released on Roll Call Records on October 18. It will be immediately available for pre-order, including as a limited edition LP in “Interstellar White” vinyl. Its hook-laden sounds are a thrilling homage to our recent past and their dance-inspiring concepts foretell a new transhumanist era. May Sen in their distant cosmic perfection continue to inspire and be inspired.
Kazyak create a smooth, layered indie rock vibe with 'Smoke Jumper' there's a live feel that the video emphasises further.
'L.O.V.E.R.S' is released today as Bryony Dunn shares some vibrant, upbeat, feel good and pretty catchy modern pop.
Kacy & Clayton have just released 'The Forty-Ninth Parallel' as a taste of their October scheduled album 'Carrying On'. Their ability to mix genres with class is demonstrated here, it's Americana and more!
Rebecca Binnendyk shares 'Brick By Brick' a stylish contemporary pop ballad with something of a classic feel, her gorgeous vocals and refined musical backdrop are splendid.
Finally we have Arche with 'My Only' a beautiful indie pop song where the chorus is dreamy and the musical hooks are everywhere.
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Kazyak - Smoke Jumper.
"Smoke Jumper is a floaty, high-powered jam where listeners will feel swept off the ground by a strong breeze. "
Kazyak is an indie rock band based in the Twin Cities. The band has recorded 2 EPs (1 unreleased) and an LP (unreleased) and finds it's source in a deep pool of experimental music.
The live lineup includes: Peter Frey (guitar), Andy Wolfe(guitar), Pat Hayes (synth, piano), Tyler Safranek (bass), and Nick Grewe (drums).
The band finds its source in a deep pool of midwestern music, drawing on theabstract side of Bob Dylan's songwriting and lofty sonic architecture from the likes of 12 Rods, Fat Kid Wednesdays, Tiki Obmar, and Halloween, Alaska. The group has shared the stage with many, including LA indie rockers the Local Natives and Duluth-based Trampled by Turtles, and continues to collaborate closely with Minneapolis-based engineer/drummer Brett Bullion.
I’m an independent singer songwriter based in the Surrey Hills who bakes, busks and looks after a dog, 6 chickens and 3 ducks when I’m not writing and performing punchy alt-pop songs. “L.O.V.E.R.S” comes out today along with a B-side called “On Loop”. “L.O.V.E.R.S” a brassy, sassy squeeler of a song, will have you chanting about your desire for a fickle hook up in no time.
I have had a lot of support for the track from BBC introducing with multiple radio plays and a live session on the 17th July along with other local radio support.
With her heart in the past and her eyes on the future, Bryony’s glistening left of centre pop music bristles with energy from across the solar system. The young songwriter’s thoughtful commentary on life, love and 21st century online existence was first explored through her debut EP Full Bloom and is now continued with the imminent release of her new single L.O.V.E.R.S.
Growing up in the countryside of the Surrey hills, immersed in her parents eclectic record collection, an untameable passion for music was ignited by the fires of Coldplay, Genesis, Fleetwood Mac, Kate Bush and Paul Simon. Bryony’s comfort zone was singing in school choirs and shows and one day as if pre-ordained, she was compelled to sit at the out of tune piano in the family dining room and start writing songs.
L.O.V.E.R.S is the current incarnation of a sound that is constantly evolving and mutating. The pop heroines Lorde, Taylor Swift, Florence and the Machine and Christine and the Queens are currently burning in her mind as she writes, records and performs her zesty new music.
Kacy & Clayton will release Carrying On via New West Records on October 4th, 2019. The 10-song set was produced by Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy and recorded by Tom Schick at The Loft, Wilco’s recording studio & rehearsal space in Chicago, IL. Carrying On follows the international acclaim for their previous records Strange Country (which Q Magazine called “A beautiful album that nudges a classic past into a brave future”) and 2017’s The Siren’s Song (described by Uncut as “Ageless and beguiling. A classic record for this or any other time.”).
The music Kacy & Clayton make is inextricable from where they grew up. The second cousins sing about the kind of people you’d find in Wood Mountain, Saskatchewan (population very few). Their sound is equal parts homespun, coming from a family and community where playing music is an ever present part of social gatherings, and the rare country, blues, and English folk rock they obsess over and collect. It’s an arresting amalgamation of psychedelic folk, English folk revival and the ancestral music of Southern Appalachia. For Carrying On, Clayton cites as influences: Bobbie Gentry’s Delta Sweete, Hoyt Axton’s My Griffin Is Gone, Cajun fiddle music, and the steel guitar of Ralph Mooney, who played on many of the records that defined the Bakersfield country music scene of the 1950s. Sixties psych has also woven its way into these new songs; Kacy enjoys telling people that they live 250km from the mental hospital that coined the term “psychedelic.”
Having toured almost nonstop for the last two years, Carrying On was conceived and honed on the road and recorded immediately after a jaunt across Western Canada, mostly as live takes with the minimum of overdubs. The songs having been tried and tested before audiences each night with Kacy & Clayton offering, “This album has, by far, the most intense and confident performances we’ve ever done on record and I hope that intensity will be felt by the listener.”
Adult-contemporary pop artist Rebecca Binnendyk is on a mission to use her songs for greater good. The Canadian singer-songwriter, who has delivered medical supplies to the Maasai tribe and taught sex education and music to young people in Uganda, plans to pair the promotion of her second album, I Don’t Belong To You, with raising money for Plan Canada, a global organization dedicated to advancing children’s rights and equality for girls, and The Orchid Project (UK), which aims to abolish female genital mutilation which affects 3.9 million women and girls globally.
“The music is the platform, but the bigger picture and more important work is supporting women globally in social and economic ways,” says Rebecca. “I have a very deep love of people and this inner belief that anything is possible if you try. That’s very much the way I live my life.” The tango-infused title-track, “I Don’t Belong To You,” co-written with Ireland’s Mark Caplice (Eurovision) and Twin Monarch’s Rob Shiels (Taken, Ryan O’Shaughnessy) is a message of female empowerment, delivered in a sultry and strong manner that categorically says, “I am my own person.” It’s her “angry song,” she says, about men who use their wealth and power to take advantage of women and girls.
Produced by Steve Wingfield(Sandi Patty), with four co-writes with Irish duo Twin Monarch, most of the nine original songs on I Don’t Belong To You are relationship-focused, from the breakdown of a marriage in the sprightly pop of “Baby Back” to the unconditional love expressed in the ballad “I Like It When You Love Me.”
The first single, “Brick By Brick,” however, has a dual meaning. “When we were writing the song, Trump was talking about building a wall between the United States and Mexico, so we were discussing the division between cultures, races and even countries,” Rebecca says. “But it’s also about walls being built between people, inspired by a friend who hadn’t talked with his parents for years, because of a disagreement. The question we wanted the song to ask is can we accept our differences, forgive and move on?”
Through their first video clip for 'My Only', Arche embarks us into a unique odyssey with the arch of « A ».
These kiddos who seem to come directly out of the nineties, built their universe through a weirdo aesthetic with a baseline composed by colorful gym suit, mismatched outfits and all kinds of vintage object.
Plunge into the colorful Arche’s universe where the carelessness borders the insolence.
Louie & The Wolf Gang - The Race.
