Cosmic Strip - La Lusid - Mark Sultan

Cosmic Strip - Sugar Rush.

Background - Dreamy shoegazers Cosmic Strip share their latest irresistible dose of psychedelia in new single Sugar Rush, taken from the band’s debut EP Heavenly out now.

Marshalled by supremely talented frontwoman Camella Agabalyan, the London outfit have already attracted a ton of praise with widespread acclaim throughout the online community and encouraging festival displays at the likes of The Great Escape, Citadel and Wilderness.

“I wanted to write a song about the feeling of addiction whether it’s sugar, love, a drug, whatever your vice is”, Camella stated. “I personally really connect to dreamy, druggy songs like Air, My Bloody Valentine, Beach Fossils, Slowdive, The Jesus & The Mary Chain etc so I wanted to inspire myself from that feeling but also show the darker side of addiction that you might not always get from those types of songs”. TWITTER.

Opening layer by layer with some gorgeous and refined guitar work 'Sugar Rush' builds into a dreamy and powerful rocker, where the vocals softly whisper and charm, adding even more atmosphere.

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La Lusid - Gran Canaria.

Background - La Lusid, who released a string of glittering singles in 2017, is now starting to approach a long- awaited debut album. The latest release, ”Empty Bones" and "Safe & Sound" quickly became a favorite of the Swedish national radiostation P3 and music blogs around the world. They also made top spot on Spotify Viral and the Student Radio in Sweden.

Warm, melancholic and dynamic, it’s impossible not to get drawn into their dreamy soundscape. With a sound that is reminiscent of what we love most about 60’s and 70’s analogue music, La Lusid presents themselves with high quality songwriting and sublime vocal arrangements.

They move seamlessly between genres and languages, the debut album contains songs in both Swedish and English and is as much introvert as extrovert. The debut album is recorded, mixed and produced by the band themselves, in their studio that they call ” The Ghost House”. With thoughtful, intelligent pop and clever arrangements, La Lusid has made it into the hearts of many.

"Gran Canaria" is the final single before their self-titled debut album drops on the 28th of September. FACEBOOK.

We have already featured 'Empty Bones' and 'Safe & Sound' this year and 'Gran Canaria' is yet another fabulous song from the very talented La Lusid. Once again the melodic hooks, timeless pop sound and beautiful musical presentation make this band totally standout from the crowd.

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Mark Sultan - Coffin Nails.

Background -  “Coffin Nails”, is taken from forthcoming record ‘Let Me Out’ due out October 12th on Modern Sky USA / Dirty Water Records. “Coffin Nails” features Sultan’s signature soulful vocals alongside winding harmonica and a toe-tapping guitar line, with full band instrumentation by Sultan himself. Crafted and produced in his own Imperfection Studios deep in the forests of Berlin, ‘Let Me Out’ is a return to form by the rock and roll legend whose adventurous decades-long career in music has never sounded more cohesive.

Cosigned by celebrated labels In The Red, Last Gang, Crypt, Fat Possum, Dirtnap, Goner, Sub Pop, Vice, Bomp!, Norton, Sympathy For The Record Industry, and Wick (Daptone Records), Mark Sultan has compiled an impressive discography of collaborations, side projects and solo efforts taking classic garage rock sounds and contorting them in experimental and twisted new ways.

Deep in the forest outside of Berlin, one of rock ’n’ roll’s most under the radar yet omnipresent figures is putting the finishing touches on his latest solo record, but in fact traces of Mark Sultan can be found around the world. Cosigned by celebrated labels In The Red, Last Gang, Crypt, Fat Possum, Dirtnap, Goner, Sub Pop, Vice, Bomp!, Norton, Sympathy For The Record Industry, and Wick (Daptone Records), you’re bound to have come across something with Sultan’s name on it, where over the course of multiple decades he’s compiled an insane discography built from the strength of multiple albums, side projects and top-shelf solo efforts, always with a strong deposition towards taking classic garage-rock sounds and contorting them in experimental and twisted new ways.

For this most recent effort, written, recorded and produced in his own Personal Imperfection studio in Germany, Sultan once again ups the ante, working to implement a full band and fully fleshed out instrumentation. Still encompassing the ethos of individuality and charisma that has lent him a sound that has transcended any era by which you might try to nail him down, it may be his most cohesive statement yet. FACEBOOK.

Described as 60's Garage Wop (complete with hashtag) 'Coffin ''Nails' actually fits that description superbly. Mark Sultan vocals are just right for this kind of music, his commitment to creativity that revolves around old school garage rock, is more than worthy. He is another talented artist that gives credence to the notion that the best rock and roll is always found under the radar.

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La Lusid - The Joy Formidable - Run Maggie Run

La Lusid - Safe & Sound.

Background - La Lusid is the Stockholm based up and coming band that will release their first album in the fall of 2018 that will follow last years well received EP ”Legend”. Together they play indiepop music with beautiful melodies and dynamic vocal arrangements.

”Safe & sound” is the third single from the upcoming album. It's filled with 60 & 70's influences and is the perfect indiepop ballad that will make you truly excited to hear more from La lusid.

La Lusid are Paulina Palmgren, Fabian Ballago, Samuel Collmar, Karl Hovmark, Johan Nilsson, WEBSITE.

Our first feature for La Lusid was just a few weeks ago when we shared 'Empty Bones' a song that we described as "An easy going indie song, the vocals come across as personal and are melodic and engaging." Clearly the band have a knack for creating refined indie pop music as the latest share 'Safe & Sound' confirms, with it's gentle and melodic ballad vibes.

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The Joy Formidable - Dance Of The Lotus.

Background - As The Joy Formidable prepare for their sold-out show at Meltdown Festival next month, the Welsh trio are ready to share a brand new track from their forthcoming album, and announce a UK headline date at The Lexington, London.

“Dance of the Lotus” and its accompanying video will give fans their first glimpse of new material from The Joy Formidable and will provide a special preview of a record rumoured to be their most vibrant and experimental yet. Heavily inspired by the artwork of bassist Rhydian Dafydd, the animation for the video was done by the award-winning Boston production team Trllm.

“We wanted to share this album track with the people who have supported us to give them a glimpse of what we’ve been working on, and this track is right at the heart of our new record,” says lead vocalist Ritzy Bryan. “It’s magical and lonely, like a night-time walk in the desert when you’re trying to escape from yourself and the chaos you’ve created.”

Although the album came into being as the band travelled the globe and recorded in their mobile recording studio, the music intertwines the whispering hills of Wales with the otherworldly rainbow canyons of the Utah / Arizona border. WEBSITE.

Dance of the Lotus Tour Dates:
June 22nd - Meltdown Festival - London, UK
August 22nd - The Lexington - London, UK
August 23rd – Clwb Ifor Bach – Cardiff, UK
August 24th – Leeds Festival – Leeds, UK
August 26th – Reading Festival – Reading, UK.

'Dance Of The Lotus' is an intriguing mixture of rock power, softer and occasionally whispered vocals and anthem sized moments of glory. Put together this bodes very well for their keenly awaited new album.


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Run Maggie Run - Endlessly.

Background from Run Maggie Run - Formed in late 2015, Run Maggie Run began as the solo project of our singer/rhythm guitarist Gavin Rees. Named after a bittersweet childhood memory, that nostalgic, rose-tinted sadness was made abundantly clear in the first solo EP that Gavin recorded by himself in his basement. While the initial recording was full of Run Maggie Run’s emotional feel, it wasn’t until we joined forces that our defining sound began to take shape.

Our debut, self-titled album is of a different era. Since its release, we’ve had a major lineup change, added a variety of new sounds to our repertoire, and have all grown so much – both individually and collectively. These developments, along with the experience gained from the first record, have us very excited for this next chapter in our career. 

No song better signifies this change than “Endlessly.” We wrote this tune during the first few months following the lineup change, and the success of writing it definitely helped push us through that awkward, transitional phase. Arguably, it’s what gave us the confidence to keep moving forward. FACEBOOK.

Tour Dates:
May 31 – Kingston, ON @ Bar 53
June 1 – Waterloo, ON @ Harmony Lunch
June 2 – St. Catharines @ The Green Room
June 3 – Toronto, ON @ Bovine Sex Club.

Fabulous and dramatic vocals and a band that are equally passionate ensures that 'Endlessly' doesn't just grab your attention, it compels you stop what your doing and just listen. If an "awkward transitional phase" leads to music like this, then those difficult moments have clearly paid off.


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La Lusid - D.A. Stern - Post Louis

La Lusid - Empty Bones.

Background - La Lusid is back with a new single called "Empty Bones". Warm, melancholic and dynamic, it’s impossible not to get drawn into their dreamy soundscape.

With a sound that is reminiscent of what we love most about 60’s and 70’s analogue music, La Lusid presents themselves with high quality songwriting and sublime vocal arrangements. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

I am afraid we are a bit thin on the ground when it comes to background information regarding La Lusid, the above few words are all we have received and a dig around on their website etc didn't yield much more. Anyhow it's the music that really matters and 'Empty Bones' certainly deserves some attention. An easy going indie song, the vocals come across as personal and are melodic and engaging. The music is delivered to a very high standard, seemingly unassuming and yet you know a considerable amount of  attention has taken place! 

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D.A. Stern - Bluedgenes.

Background - D.A. Stern signs to Slumberland and shares the new "Bluedgenes" video. D.A. Stern, the solo project of David Aaron Stern, is the musical amalgamation of crossword puzzle obsession, backgammon playing, and working as a recording engineer at Beastie Boy Adam Yauch’s (aka MCA) studio. Stern’s laid back, tongue-in-cheek lyrics effortlessly complement his dreamy pop rock arrangements of dense guitars and swirling organs. The music of D.A. Stern, who is more inspired by filmmakers Albert Brooks and Mel Brooks than any songwriter, could be compared to contemporaries Deerhunter, Real Estate, and Yo La Tengo but with the timelessness of Paul Westerberg.

A few years ago, someone lost in the wild of suburban New Jersey would have noticed Stern's Subaru with a NILSSON vanity plate parked in the driveway of a quaint kosher house, stumbled inside, and witnessed David and his mom, Annette, drinking red wine, cracking filthy jokes, and watching the New York Yankees in the afternoon. By nightfall, however, D.A. would toil away in the basement, recording what would become his debut album, Aloha Hola.

A move to LA found Stern steps away from Dodgers Stadium, spending nights at The Comedy Store, and releasing Aloha Hola in early 2017. Aloha Hola is an assured set of classic pop songs that flirt with folk-pop, power-pop and indiepop while remaining comfortable outside of easy genre categorization. Stern's songwriting talent is in ample evidence on earworm singles like "Am I Ever On Your Mind?" and "Bluedgenes," packed with smart lyrics, chiming guitars and indelible hooks. FACEBOOK.

We first featured D.A. Stern back in January although I notice the video for that song has gone missing (perhaps something to do with the recent new label signing?). Anyhow along comes the music video for 'Bluedgenes', where the music is uptempo and vibrant, the vocals surf along in the mix with a dreamy feel and to round things off the video adds some gentle humour.


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Post Louis - Little Jack.

Background - Angular art-rock quintet Post Louis have returned with their magnificent new single Little Jack. The infectious experimental-indie track studies the personality of a mysterious figure, mixing loneliness, pornographic fantasies and portents of disaster (“She says you’re gonna be a wolf someday / You won’t believe it till it’s happening”). Discussing the song, lead singer Stephanie Davin commented:

“Little Jack is a character study of someone who lives mainly in their own head. It’s about the pains of loneliness and low confidence, and what happens when these mix with naïve sexual desire. I wanted to hint at the potential for harm or even domination. “Little Jack isn’t a monster, but the song is in part about how monsters - or wolves - are made. We need to rethink how we make, force and mould some children into being ‘men’.”

Post Louis emerged in 2013, releasing two EPs and a standalone single to immense critical acclaim. The band then withdrew to write and record. Songwriters Stephanie Davin and Robbie Stern (Cajun Dance Party, guitar with Fryars) retreated to a remote cottage in Wales during the winter, armed only with a looper and a Dictaphone.

They took the material that surfaced from their time away to the rest of the band (Mattis Moviken, Andy Stern, Adam Turner-Heffer) and formed brand new songs through meticulous playing, testing, deconstructing and experimenting at the Norwegian Church (Sjømannskirken) in South London where the band rehearsed. The result was a collection of songs that are complex and interweaving, and like nothing the quintet had ever created before. Self-produced, the tracks are carefully composed to expose the playing styles and personalities of each band member. WEBSITE.

'Little Jack' exudes both quality and imagination from the very beginning. It's a song that has depth, atmosphere and edge. Powerful and beautifully structured it's not a misuse of the term "experimental" for the track, it's also very assessable.

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