Spaceface - Hollow Everdaze - Head North - Kim Free

Spaceface - Spread Your Head.

Background - Spaceface’s music video for their single “Spread Your Head” is a hallucinatory, head-first dive into the pysch-rock band’s Merry Prankster-esque adventures. It offers a visually fantastical, mind-bending glimpse of the band’s live performance, while featuring a mysteriously bizarre character called Glowworm, dancing throughout. Led by frontman Jake Ingalls (guitarist/keyboardist of The Flaming Lips), Spaceface's “Spread Your Head” comes off the band’s recent album Sun Kids and is the perfect catalyst for their upcoming tour.

The music video was shot in conjunction with scenes for the film Extremeophilia, in which the band is featured. It offers an even further look into the touring life of Spaceface, as it follows the journey of Glowworm, played by G’nat. Frontman Jake Ingalls, who also is a member of The Flaming Lips, explained, “Our video is sort of a little glimpse into what it’s like on the road with us. It was shot as a much smaller part in our friends’ movie about an interplanetary glow-worm that withstands brutal conditions and has come to Earth to keep the fabric of spacetime together. Somehow, she crosses paths with Spaceface for about two weeks and engages in endless partying.”

Spaceface hits the road this summer, with a Digital Tour Bus sponsored tour in support of the video and their latest album, Sun Kids, released this April. “We booked the tour ourselves a while ago,” Ingalls shared. “I’m hyped because we’ve upped the ante with a bunch of new sound reactive LED’s, and new tunes like the one featured in the video! We’re touring in support of our new record, Sun Kids, which came out just last month. We also get to play with a lot of really great bands such as Broncho, Sugar Candy Mountain, Flaural, and tons of others.” Live dates on Beehive Candy's tour news page. Website here, Facebook here.

'Spread Your Head' is already getting noticed. An expansive psych rock song that gently allows the power to unfold, the video adds some of the bands live capability and the many hooks do the rest.


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Hollow Everdaze - Cartoons.

Background - "Cartoons" is the latest single from the upcoming album Cartoons, due June 23 via Deaf Ambitions. Hollow Everdaze capture the urgency of a band who have traced their own weird, divergent path through the haunted backwoods of songwriting.  

It shows through in their stunning debut EP, released in 2013 which received rave reviews from Australia’s most highly respected journalists and earned them support spots for international artists including The War On Drugs (US), Unknown Mortal Orchestra (NZ), and Wavves (US), plus saw them join American Football (US) on their East Coast tour of Australia in 2015.

Having spent the last year working on the release of their debut full length album, recorded by rising Melbourne producer, John Lee (known for his work with Beaches, Lost Animal, The Ocean Party), mastered by David Walker (NUN, Beaches, GOAT, Jen Cloher) at Stepford Audio, and with video and art collaborations from James Thomson, Niv Bavarsky and Micheal Olivo, the band are set to unveil their newest work to the world. Facebook here.

The second time on  Beehive Candy this year for Hollow Everdaze and this time with the title track 'Cartoons' from the album due for release later this month. It's another psychedelic pop/rock song, we mentioned last time that the band clearly have the knack for this type of music, the latest share kind of confirms that massively!


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Head North - Pulse.

Background - Buffalo, NY-based, cosmic rock band Head North announce their debut LP, The Last Living Man Alive Ever In The History Of The World, due out on June 2nd. The album was produced and mixed by Brett Romnes (I Am the Avalanche) and mastered by Jesse Cannon (Animal Collective, Man Overboard) at Barbershop Studios in Lake Hopatcong, NJ. Head North is currently gearing up for the release of their full body of work and accompanying tour.

The concept album revolves around an alternate world where both God and love are forbidden. The personal narratives are told through the perspectives of principal songwriters Brent Martone, Ben Lieber and Alex Matos, whose driving force can be heard through their transition from harder, louder rock driven tracks to the more atmospheric and dreamy second half of the record. 

Martone's gritty lyricism and the accompanying instrumentals reflect the groups evolution, as they reflect on their previous release and more forward with an air of wisdom and continued understanding of the band's place in the world, and the alternate universe they've created. Live dates on Beehive Candy's tour news page. Website here, Facebook here.

The bands music is described as cosmic rock and a listen to 'Pulse' explains that. It also happens to be deliciously original, the energy and passion really does make the song noticeable, at the very least and a second listen was quite compulsive.


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Kim Free - Goth Blues.

Background - Kim Free has a new EP 'Goth Blues and Other Hues' which was just released on Spotify and iTunes. It also features a gorgeous remix from Andorkappen.

To recap, she’s a classically trained violinist whose love of popular music has compelled her to compose, record and perform the enchanting bewitching music that’s uniquely her sound. Toward the end of the first decade of the new millennium, she embarked on a her first recording project, under the name ‘Black Church’. These avant-goth cassette-only releases and the performances that went with them gave her a small but dedicated cult following.

In 2012, she shed her pseudonym and released Angel Shadow as Kim Free. It was followed a year later by Nevermind the Blue Skies, a 14-song collection of dreamy pop. Kim continues her evolution with her most ambitious project yet - Slips. Slips sees Kim reunited with producer Alex De Groot, who she first worked with while playing violin for the Zola Jesus world tour. 

For Slips, Kim has recorded several songs with a full rock band - a first for her. She navigates the delicate balance between these songs and her more familiar violin-based numbers with aplomb. The Slips project will initially be presented to the public through a series of digital EPs. The first, Make Me Yours, was released in December 2016. The second, Malibu, was released March 2017. Bandcamp here.

Kim Free has impressed me twice this year and 'Goth Blues' makes it three. Her superb musicianship and gorgeous vocals, combine to provide a gently melodic and atmospheric song. I do urge you to check out her other material!

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Department S - Kim Free - David Philips - Lonely The Brave

Department S - When All Is Said And All Is Done.

Background - Nub Music are proud to announce that Department S will release their first album since 2011, When All Is Said and All Is Done. This 10 track full length album will be released in April 2017 in digital and CD formats, with a limited edition vinyl release. Department S will be touring extensively through 2017 to promote the album. Recorded in London through 2015, the album has been produced and mixed by Pete Jones (former PiL bassist).

Department Sare a London based post-punk/new wave band originally formed in 1980. The band, featuring vocalist Vaughn Toulouse, keyboard player Eddie Roxy and guitarist Mike Herbage, released three singles and recorded one album, Sub-Stance. Debut single Is Vic There? charted in the UK at number 22 and saw the band make 3 appearances on Top Of The Pops. Subsequent Stiff Records single Going Left Right also charted, while 3rd single I Want was a hit in many European countries. The band split in 1982.

Department S reconvened in 2006, with Eddie taking vocal duties following the untimely death of Vaughn Toulouse in 1991. In February 2007 the band recorded their first new single for twenty-six years, a cover version of Alvin Stardust's 1973 hit My Coo-Ca-Choo. This was followed later that year by the critically acclaimed live in the studio LP Mr Nutley’s Strange Delusionarium.

Department S have built up a reputation as being a must-see live band and have subsequently played festival dates across Europe, including Glastonbury, Benicassim, Rebellion, Rewind, Great British Alternative Music Festival and Sinner’s Day. Website here.

Department S still produce music with the vigour and immediacy of their debut single 'Is Vic There?'. Yes the band have matured, resulting in the musicianship becoming tight and polished and the overall production benefits from three decades of recording progress. Featured song 'When All Is Said And All Is Done' gives the listener a feel for what to expect across the ten track album, the passion and gutsy commitment remains, the songwriting is impressive, and there is plenty more on the bands website to discover.

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Kim Free - Destiny.

Background - Kim Free is the best kind of artist. She’s a classically trained violinist whose love of popular music has compelled her to compose, record and perform the enchanting bewitching music that’s uniquely her sound.

Toward the end of the first decade of the new millennium, she embarked on a her first recording project, under the name ‘Black Church’. These avant-goth cassette-only releases and the performances that went with them gave her a small but dedicated cult following. In 2012, she shed her pseudonym and released Angel Shadow as Kim Free. It was followed a year later by Nevermind the Blue Skies, a 14-song collection of dreamy pop.

Now Kim continues her evolution with her most ambitious project yet - Slips. Slips sees Kim reunited with producer Alex De Groot, who she first worked with while playing violin for the Zola Jesus world tour. For Slips, Kim has recorded several songs with a full rock band - a first for her. She navigates the delicate balance between these songs and her more familiar violin-based numbers with aplomb.

The Slips project will initially be presented to the public through a series of digital EPs. The first, Make Me Yours, was released in December 2016. The second, Malibu, will be released March 2017. [The complete Black Church catalog was recently released on limited edition CD for the first time on the UK-based Reverb Worship. The Kim Free records are available digitally and on vinyl from LA’s Fine Records.] Facebook here.

Our second feature for Kim Free, this time with the engaging and dreamy song 'Destiny'. Musically the track gradually builds from a light beginning into a broader and expansive soundtrack with the violin adding some extra flavour to the piece, however it's the wispy and personal vocals that make this such a pleasing and intimate song.

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David Philips - Home.

Background - November 2016 to March 2017 David Philips locked himself in his studio and spent the winter months writing and recording new material. Harking back to the  full band sound of his debut album, but with more grit, more electric guitar, more to say and a clearer idea of how to say it.

Very much the studio loner David recorded and produced the whole record himself, playing all instruments and also designing the artwork. “Home” is the upbeat new single from this collection of recordings entitled simply “Winter” due out late March/early April 2017 on Black and Tan Records.

David Philips is a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer from the UK. His work as a solo artist and session guitar player has taken him around the world playing venues and festivals such as Montreaux Jazz Festival (Switzerland), Marciac Jazz Festival (France) Delhi Jazz Festival (India), Woodford Folk Festival (Australia), Blue Balls Festival (Switzerland), Mare De Agosto Festival (Azores Islands), Blues Aan Zee Festival (Holland). Website here.

There is a robust level of energy within the new song 'Home' right from the very start. Vocals are committed and impassioned, supported by a punchy musical arrangement. It's might be described as folk rock or Americana, whatever label we attach, it's one fine song and sets expectation high for the album.

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Lonely The Brave - The Rat.

Background - After a great 2016 for the band that included a no.1 album on the rock chart, a sell-out headline tour and a hugely successful European tour in support of Biffy Clyro, Lonely The Brave continue their prolific streak as songwriters by releasing a second song from their upcoming EP, a cover of long-time band favourite "The Rat".

As a band known for picking covers that perhaps people wouldn’t expect from them – Cyndi Lauper, Bjork, Pink Floyd and Antony & The Johnsons some of their previous conquests – “The Rat” is a leftfield take on an already wonderful song by The Walkmen, one that showcases David Jakes’ peerless vocals and one that will hopefully introduce the song to a whole new audience.

Alongside the new EP, coming March 24th through Hassle Records, Lonely The Brave will be supporting British alt-rockers Mallory Knox on their UK tour spanning March and April 2017, featuring dates in Cardiff, Edinburgh, London, Bristol and both Mallory Knox and the band’s hometown of Cambridge.

Known for their uplifting, atmospheric and anthemic songs, Lonely The Brave are joined on the line-up by their old friends and tour partners, the Glasgow three-piece, Fatherson. Website here, Facebook here, tour details on our tour page.

If you have a taste for atmospheric music that slowly unfolds into something quite beautiful and then takes off, 'The Rat' should pretty much tick all your boxes, If you feel the need to provide a cover version, then this band make a good reference point to proceed from.

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Genre Wander: Mercy Weiss - Kim Free - Playboy Manbaby

Mercy Weiss (ft Christopher and Erin Pellnat) - War.

Background - Mercy Weiss is an unsigned singer-songwriter from Brooklyn, who currently lives in Los Angeles.  Her unique songwriting and jazz-influenced vocals can be heard on a variety of collaborations with different musicians and producers.  In 2016, she released the "Mercy EP"  Bandcamp here - a collaboration with Christopher Pellnat, who is also the guitarist in the Poughkeepsie, NY based band, The Warp/The Weft. 

"War" is another collaboration with Christopher Pellnat, with the addition of background vocals by Erin Pellnat, of the Brooklyn band, Caretaker.  Mercy wrote war after talking with two homeless drunk veterans at Union Square Park in NYC one day.

It was in late August last year that we first featured Mercy, and the new song 'War' confirms (if ever it needed confirming) that Mercy Weiss is one very talented song writer and a beautiful singer. It's well worth checking out some of her other material and collaborations here.

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Kim Free - Make Me Yours.

Background - Kim Free, is a violinist/songwriter from Los Angeles. She recently released “Make Me Yours,” the first EP from Slips.

Throughout 2017, she will be releasing several digital EPs in the run-up to the album. This record is produced by Alex DeGroot from Zola Jesus, and features Wavves drummer Brian Hill. 

Kim Free will be playing two shows in LA this spring, at the Smell on January 27, and the Hi-Hat on March 28. Website here, and Facebook here.

The title song and first of three tracks on the EP 'Make Me Yours' is dreamy, melodic and blissful piece. Kim uses the violin in moderation allowing the other musicians space to contribute (Allen Bleyle – bass, Brian Hill – drums, Alex DeGroot – acoustic guitar). The second song 'Maui' continues the style and quality and for violin lovers third track 'River Park' really does showcase Kim Free's notable violin abilities. Looking forward to the next EP already!

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Playboy Manbaby - You Can Be A Fascist Too b/w I'd Like To Meet Your Parents.

Background - Playboy Manbaby is the contradictory soundtrack to the contemporary life experience. Grimly sarcastic yet youthfully nihilistic music that seems to crash into things with a semi-coherent deliberation that can only be generated by a group of frail but over-caffeinated and eternally anxious young adults. Playboy Manbaby is the theme song to the sentiment “what the fuck am I doing with my life?” Indecisive in both message and genre but never lacking in sheer intensity.   

The group hail from Phoenix, Arizona and consist of Robbie Pfeffer (vocals), Chris Hudson (bass), TJ Friga (guitar), David Cosme (trumpet), Chad Dennis (drums), and Austin Rickert (sax). Having been a regional powerhouse for over five years with two previously released cassette albums on their own Rubber Brothers label, these lads have have shared the stage with the likes of: Mike Watt & The Missing Men, King Khan & BBQ Show, King Khan & The Shrines, Rocket From The Crypt, Thee Oh Sees, Cosmonauts, The Spits, Black Flag, The Descendents, The Replacements, The Slackers, Teenage Bottlerocket, among countless others.

They've just wrapped up the mastering of their long overdue new LP "Don't Let It Be" (soon to be co-released by Dirty Water and Lolipop Records ) and these desert area DIY-veterans have just released with Dirty Water Records the first single off the album,"You Can Be A Fascist Too" in the run up to the US presidential inauguration on January 20th. Singer Robbie Pfeffer explains, “So, we weren’t supposed to put this out until February, but in light of recent events we feel like every societal catastrophe deserves a proper theme song." However one might feel about the election result and the seemingly endless division and hostility it has produced the world over, this track is sure to strike an abrasive chord in 2017.

On the B side and in their latest music video “I’d Like To Meet Your Parents", viewers are forced to watch two lovebirds looking to enjoy a night out at a place presumably called Crapriotti’s or La Doo Doo which serves only the best Rasberry Creme Shasta and Spaghetti ala Ketchup.

“We shot this video in my living room and tried to make it a terrible Italian restaurant,” says Pfeffer. “I wanted to make a video where the band is playing but aren’t really an important or central part of it. I didn’t tell the guys what the idea was, I just told them to show up at a certain time and then started yelling at them to paint their faces etc. I’m super glad how it turned out and I think everyone did a great job embracing their characters.” Website here, and Facebook here.

I just have to feature both songs from the new single by Playboy Manbaby. 'You Can Be A Fascist Too' is wonderfully manic with its full on punk desperation. 'I'd Like To Meet Your Parents' really comes to life with the video, the album is eagerly awaited.

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