Wooden Arms - BATS - Laughed The Boy

Wooden Arms latest single 'Pillar Of Salt' was released on Monday. We have to go back to September 2017 for our previous feature of the band, however this is a gorgeous song and reminded me of just how they impressed us back then with their genre spanning music.

'Old Hitler' from Dublin band BATS heralds their first new album in seven years entitled 'Alter Nature'. The song is a potent and powerful rocker that exudes excitement and drama, the vocals are embedded deep in the mix and surface with atmosphere along the way, this really is imaginative and solid rock.

Just a month on since we shared 'Sun from Laughed The Boy we now have the pleasure of featuring the whole album from which that track was taken namely 'Change Of Scenery.' Their catchy indie rock is just so likable, it's fresh, creative and unpretentious with just a little edge to some songs to keep it intriguing. 
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Wooden Arms - Pillar Of Salt.

The new Wooden Arms single "Pillar of Salt" is out now! A previously unreleased song from the Tide era, it is being released in celebration of its five year anniversary. "Pillar of Salt" is available now on all major digital platforms.

Wooden Arms are a contemporary quintet from the UK that draw from alternative, classical, and trip-hop styles.

"Trick of the Light", their sophomore record due out Spring of 2017, marks a change in sonic texture from Wooden Arms' debut release, "Tide". The band's new sound is markedly more contemporary and heralds something of a departure from the classical chamber music styling of their debut. Infused with a greater use of rhythm and ethereal melodies, Wooden Arms' instrumentation has also grown to include more production and electronic elements - shaking off the shackles of ‘folk music’ pigeonholing, towards something newer, darker, more strange.

The band's evolution has not only shifted their sound - but also their composition process. Previously a solo writing process by classically trained pianist Alex Carson, the evolution of Wooden Arms' sound has transformed them into a writing trio between Alex Carson, Jeff Smith (Trumpet & Guitar) and Alex Mackenzie (Drums). Through this more collaborative style of writing the band has developed a more refined and richer sound.

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BATS - Old Hitler.

Dublin avant-rock 5-piece BATS have announced details of their first new album in 7 years, 'Alter Nature', and have shared the first single to be taken from the record, 'Old Hitler'.

Having formed in 2006, the band released their EP 'Cruel Sea Scientist' in 2007, their debut LP 'Red In Tooth & Claw', produced by Converge's Kurt Ballou, in 2009 and ‘The Sleep Of Reason’ produced by These Arms Are Snakes’ Chris Common in 2012. Sporting their own brand of science inspired metal/post-hardcore and surprisingly danceable post-punk, the band have received critical acclaim from the likes of the Quietus, NME, Kerrang!, Metal Hammer, Rock Sound and more.

With the forthcoming release of their third studio album ‘ALTER NATURE’, BATS seek to continue their ongoing quest of promoting science and reason while combating superstition and pseudoscience with blastable riffs and existential grooves. This evident on the new single 'Old Hitler', with the band explaining:

"Old Hitler was a legendary giant hammerhead shark, nicknamed by US naval officers in the midst of WWII. This song posits the question... what if Old Hitler showed up at the sinking of the USS Indianapolis in 1945? What carnage would he have wrought? This question and many more answered on ALTER NATURE."

'ALTER NATURE' is a full-frontal attack to all of the senses. BATS incredibly idiosyncratic and cacophonous yet entirely rousing experimental noise-rock delves into intelligent and complex territory both lyrically and musically, but BATS understand that it need not exclude it from having a raw, rhythmic energy and a strong sense of melody.

This translates perfectly into their live shows and has seen the band earn plaudits and fans playing alongside the likes of The Locust, These Arms Are Snakes, The Jesus Lizard, Gang Gang Dance, Sebadoh and Chrome Hoof. BATS will also play this year's ArcTanGent festival with further live dates TBA.

7 years in the making, the band have purposefully set about honing and crafting these tracks with precision and dedication. If you’re lucky enough to have heard BATS before or have even seen them live, then this incredibly strong third effort should be instantly recognisable as a consummate and direct snapshot of the devastatingly efficient unit; let alone as another step towards wherever the band might take themselves. If you're still yet to hear them, then you could have picked no better space-time.


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Laughed The Boy - Change Of Scenery (Album).

Laughed The Boy's brand new album is now out and it's called, Change of Scenery.

For this LP, Laughed The Boy had to jump out of their comfort zone. The band went into the studio not knowing how the songs would sound and gave themselves enough time to play around with new ideas. There were a lot of firsts on this album, like the first time playing piano on their recordings and the first time they had someone record violin for them.

Laughed The Boy's previous album, Here is Fine, was recorded over three, straight sweaty days on a hot August weekend in 2016. Change of Scenery, on the other hand, was recorded over the course of a week that spanned from August to December of 2018.

It really let the songs breathe and gave the band time to reflect on what they were working on. There were many times where they went down a rabbit hole with producer Dylan Frankland. They were never really satisfied with an initial idea, they always wanted to see where else they could go. If something sounded too pretty, Dylan would step in and say it needs to sounds weirder or darker, and the group would know exactly what he meant.

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AVA - Clear - Davina and The Vagabonds - Laughed the Boy - Katrina Parker

'In Motion' from AVA is a refined ambient soundtrack with a mixture of violin and piano that blend and flow together beautifully.

Clear shares 'Somnium' a dream pop track that exudes atmosphere, as the distinct vocals and layered sound-scape creatively merge together.

Our second feature this year for Davina and The Vagabonds this time with 'I Can’t Believe I Let You Go' another bluesy piece with some fine jazz vibes running alongside.

We have to go back over two years for our last song feature from Laughed the Boy however their latest track 'Sun' sees them still writing catchy indie rock and bodes well for their next album due in August.

Katrina Parker title track for her new album is 'Stars' a powerful folk ballad where her vocals are packed with emotion and sincerity.
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AVA - In Motion.

AVA is Anna Phoebe (Jorja Smith, Erland Cooper) and Aisling Brouwer – a duo who create ambient soundscapes based on intricate interplay between violin and piano. Both are professional composers in their own right; Aisling for film and TV and Anna for multi-platinum selling bands and artists, but it is through AVA that the pair carve out their own musical identity in collaboration with each other.

They have just released their debut album Waves on One Little Indian Records (Poppy Ackroyd, Manu Delago, Roger Goula, Gabriel Olafs, Amiina, Björk) – a deeply personal record, written for those looking to find solace in a world full of unrest.

Alongside their album release they also share a brand new video for single 'In Motion', and announce a string of dates with Erland Cooper.

As British residents born and raised in mainland Europe, the musicians started writing Waves with the Brexit referendum on the horizon. In the wake of the vote, the music became a search for common identity against a backdrop of uncertainty, expressed through their emotionally driven post-classical music.

Coming from mixed European backgrounds (Anna Phoebe is German/Greek/Irish and Aisling Brouwer is Dutch/Irish) and having each grown up moving around multiple countries, the pair respectively made Britain their home, meeting for the first time and writing together in 2015. “When Aisling and I started writing together, it was against this background of social and political turmoil – we were both trying to understand our identities within a country where we had built our lives” explains Anna Phoebe.

“The sessions we had together were an escape from all the noise. We would take breaks from writing and walk onto the beach, looking across the water at the outline of the French coast...discussing what it was to be European in a country where people had voted to reject Europe. All those mixed up emotions found their way into the music, exploring the complex layers of identity we all have — the layers of who we are and where we fit in.”

No strangers to a constantly changing surrounding environment, their relationship to the violin and piano-based pieces they composed together became one of emotional catharsis. Through AVA, they found their musical counterpart and individuality.


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Clear - Somnium.

Somnium is the elevating debut single from Australian singer and songwriter Clear. The atmospheric dream-pop track encourages listeners to slow down and allow themselves to dream again.

“Somnium is an anthem for the dreamers. Our society can often discourage us from believing in the value of our passions, so the song is about being present— appreciating our collective human disposition to be idealistic, ambitious, daring and hopeful... about allowing ourselves to believe in our creative abilities, not stifling or dismissing them... to see the world around us as a smorgasbord of potential. Everything we have created was once pure imagination, after all... and to stay soft... open. To understand vulnerability is true strength. To bring back that inner child and remember our creative nature... to believe in it again.” - Clear

Somnium, Latin for ‘dream’, is about the freedom that can be found in allowing yourself to pursue passions for passion’s sake and chase ambitions outside the pursuit for material wealth. Clear’s honest lyrics meet the audience where they are at; stirring feelings of familiarity in the meanings, addressing the vulnerable nature of our human lives and evoking authentic emotional response. The song was self recorded by Clear in her hometown in rural Victoria and had been an experimental work in progress since 2017, July of 2019 will be it’s unveiling

Clear is carving a place for herself on the Fraser Coast performing at her local in Hervey Bay. In early 2019, she debuted on Triple J Unearthed with the simple and stripped back For You, Somnium the unconventional and ambitious follow up.

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Davina and The Vagabonds - I Can’t Believe I Let You Go.

Davina and the Vagabonds have announced a brand new release date for their album SUGAR DROPS, the first album from the label Red House Records out on August 2. Their track, “I Can’t Believe I Let You Go,” was just featured on Rolling Stone’s “10 Best Country and Americana Songs to Hear Now.” Listen to “I Can’t Believe I Let You Go” here.

The album marks the first time singer/songwriter/pianist Davina Sowers entered a proper studio to record an album.  The Minneapolis-based artist holed up in Nashville’s Compass Sound Studio with producer (and Compass Records co-founder) Garry West, along with her trumpeter, string arranger and husband, Zack Lozier, and a rotating cast of powerhouse players including Todd Phillips (David Grisman, Robbie Fulks) on bass, Doug Lancio(Patty Griffin, John Hiatt, Tom Jones) on guitar and Reese Wynans (Stevie Ray Vaughan, Joe Bonamassa) on Hammond B3.

SUGAR DROPS is distillation of bluesy barroom baritone and bravado, graveyard jazz grooves, and noir-ish confessional lyricism backed by boisterous piano, guitar, and strings. Eclectic, engaging and instilled with a deep respect and knowledge for the Great American Songbook, SUGAR DROPS is the actualization of longstanding intent for Davina.

“It represents about 100 years of Americana; I did exactly what I wanted to do,” she says.

Davina grew up in Altoona, PA, which she now describes as “awesome in the industrial era, but horrible for high school.”  She developed a heavy drug habit in high school, which morphed into heroin dependency, left her homeless, sent her in and out of jail, and brought on all manner of trouble. Kicking dope on the streets, she “got clean, started the band, and worked [her] ass off every day since.”


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Laughed the Boy - Sun.

Laughed the Boy began as an outlet for honest and unpretentious 90’s nostalgia inspired songs. After splitting time between writing songs intended for video games and his own solo material, he decided to combine the two into one project when he went into the studio with his brother Sean to record their EP “Out of the Blue”.

The band’s catchy melodies and fuzzy guitar playing drew comparisons to artists such as Weezer, Sloan, and Pavement. The two brothers added bass player Brennan Hrehoruk to the lineup and began playing the songs live. While rehearsing for shows, the trio ended up with an album’s worth of fresh material and headed into the studio once again to record their debut full length LP Here is Fine released in 2017.

After a busy year that saw the band tour while also releasing 2 new singles, the trio slowed things down and took a patient approach to writing and recording their follow up album “Change of Scenery.” Working with producer Dylan Frankland, brothers Chris and Sean spread recording sessions out over 5 months, crafting each song to represent a different mood while adding new elements such as piano and violin. “Change of Scenery” will be out August 9th.

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Katrina Parker - Stars.

Katrina Parker knew from a very young age that music was her calling. Swinging in her backyard in rural North Carolina, belting Patsy Cline at the top of her lungs, she felt connected to the pure joy of expression and knew it was something she was meant to do. “Music was total catharsis. It provided me both a means of escape from the world around me and a way to connect to the people around me - something lifesaving for a painfully shy, awkward kid,” Parker remembers. This love of music carried over into her teenage years and young adulthood.

After a move to LA where she worked on honing her songwriting and playing live whenever and wherever she could, Katrina found herself on Season 2 of NBC’s The Voice where she progressed into the top 8 contestants, gaining thousands of new fans and glowing nods from LA Weekly and Rolling Stone. It was a whirlwind experience that ended abruptly, leaving Parker to check off all the post-reality competition boxes. Red carpets and TV appearances became the norm, but the busier she became ‘maximizing’ her opportunity, the further away she felt from what made her love music in the first place. Her full-length album, In & Out of the Dark, was created in the turbulence of this period. “I was overthinking the entire thing, working from my head instead of my heart and missing the mark,” Parker reflects.

Feeling buried beneath the trappings of post-reality TV, Parker abruptly cut ties and stopped her promotional appearances. Her focus shifted to developing a sense of normalcy and reconnecting to that original spark, taking time to remember why she started singing and writing in the first place. The image she called back was from her childhood - swinging in the backyard, singing her heart out all by her lonesome, bathed in the natural reverb of her rural surroundings, doing exactly what she was born to do. She continued to cultivate that feeling and began writing again, this time with a clear touchstone for why she was making music.

Parker’s new album, Stars, reflects the duality of a childhood spent in rural North Carolina and an adulthood in LA, shifting between sinuous Southern roots and starry Laurel Canyon magic. Parker describes it as “Sparkling Desert Pop/Folk with a lot of warmth, a little bit of magic, and a touch of banjo.” Producer Josh Doyle of 3 Theory Music knew it was important to not overwhelm the songs with ornamentation, leaving Parker’s rich and tender voice front and center. The resulting recordings are clearly made from a place of confidence, channeling the clear-eyed nuance of Gillian Welch, the emotionality of Hozier, and the deep-rooted Americana of Over the Rhine.

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Saturday Seven: Snowball II - Kelly Lee Owens - D.A. Stern - Tesla Boy - Port Juvee - Laughed the Boy - Vanbot

Snowball II - Anais & Me.

Background - Los Angeles’ own chameleonic shoegaze, indie rock, and noise collective Snowball II has announced the release of their third full-length album in the first year since the band’s formation. The album is titled Flashes of Quincy.  ­Just as on the first two Snowball II albums, band leader/producer Jackson Wargo took on nearly all instrumental responsibilities on these recordings; although, the album’s first single offers a very rare and special guest appearance by Kurt Heasley—founder and frontman of influential ‘90s shoegaze band Lilys.  The first single—entitled “CR-VUC”—exemplifies yet another unpredictable stylistic departure from Snowball II’s dreamy and acoustic sophomore release Doughnut Holes—which itself was a drastic generic departure from their feedback drenched shoegaze debut album.  Flashes of Quincy is slated for release mid-February 2017.

With this new album, Snowball II has resurrected and revived both the musical spirit and the production vision of classic 1990s indie rock—one is apt to expect Flashes of Quincy to have been recorded not in 2016, but in 1996—when Wargo was a mere four years old.   Keeping a DIY spirit, each of these songs was written, produced, performed, recorded, and mixed by Wargo himself at his personal studio in Southern California called The Doughnut Shop.  Though Wargo has taken on each of the myriad of roles needed to make this unique album, the skill that stands out as strongest is his songwriting.  Flashes of Quincy comprises ten exceptionally catchy songs that are filled with substantive lyrics that are as intricate as they are articulate.

In addition to producing three full-length albums in a single year, Snowball II also wrote and recorded a song for Gavin Weisen’s film The Runaround (to be released 2017), performed a Daytrotter session, contributed two songs to a Lilys tribute album sponsored by The Blog That Celebrates Itself, and contributed a cover of Cloud’s song “Desperation Club” for Practice Room Records’ compilation Secret Admirer. Bandcamp here.

'Anais & Me' is full of vibrant indie rock energy, along with a catchy melodic chorus. For a band that are so productive, they are certainly not compromising on quality.

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Kelly Lee Owens - Anxi. (ft. Jenny Hval).

Background - Kelly Lee Owens announces her self-titled debut album, due March 24th via Smalltown Supersound, and shares lead single, “Anxi" ft. Jenny Hval. It follows the release of her “Oleic” EP, released this past fall. An album that bridges the gaps between cavernous techno, spectral pop, and Krautrock’s mechanical pulse, Kelly Lee Owens brims with exploratory wonder, establishing a personal aesthetic that is as beguiling as it is thrillingly familiar.

Before starting work on the self-produced album, Owens, a 28-year old Londoner, turned her keen ear towards dance music after working in a record store with techno producer Daniel Avery. Her voice and contributions can be heard on Avery’s Drone Logic. Since then, she self-released two white label 12”s, with the “Oleic” EP to follow.

Her debut solo album is first and foremost Owens’ vision, a record that exudes a startling level of intimacy even in its largest-sounding moments - such as “Arthur,” a percolating mixture of looped vocals and rustling rhythms that rides on a perpetual near-crescendo. The song is a tribute to the late iconoclastic musician and kindred spirit Arthur Russell. “He wrote music and stayed true to his vision up until the day he died, ” Owens explains. “He didn’t compromise as an artist, and those are the kind of people I look up to - people who know what they want.” On S/T Owens translates that self-assertiveness into a record that explores a variety of moods - sadness, anxiety, darkly shaded ecstasy - with a trippy-eyed clarity and confidence that only bodes well for the future. Bandcamp here and Facebook here.

 'Anxi' is already gaining a lot of attention and rightly so. This is a delicious dreamy electronic piece where the synths and vocals soar above a superb and trippy rhythm. Album eagerly awaited.

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D.A. Stern - Miami.

Background - D.A. Stern shares his first video from Aloha Hola in the form of this Albert Brooks inspired gem ahead of the records release via Two Syllables on January 27. In D.A. Stern’s own words...

"I am a huge Albert Brooks fan and Real Life might be my favorite of his movies.  It's basically about a filmmaker, played by Brooks, who plans to make a feature out of footage he shoots of a real American family during their day-to-day lives; naturally, everything goes wrong.  The hilarious and beautiful montage that occurs during one of the family's happier spells depicts a typical all-American family living an all-American dream in slow-motion, yet we are aware that this is not the truth.  Beneath all of the smiles, ice cream cones, and board games, this family is being pushed to their limits by a selfish man with a vision.  The idea that not everything is as it seems and that things are different below the surface ties directly into what the song Miami is about." Facebook here.

'Miami' is a beautiful song, a surf meets indie rock piece is how I would describe it. The video may not actually teach the French how to make a proper montage, but it makes a fine support for the storyline of the song, without overwhelming this melodic track.

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Tesla Boy - Avoid.

Background -  "Tesla Boy are huge in their native Russia. Blessed with choruses the size of entire cities and riffs that can stun at a thousand paces, it's little wonder that their homeland has embraced them. The band now have their sights set internationally, spending an increasing amount of time in the United States.

Russian pop music has undeniably come a long way since its shy development over the last 20 years, and has only just started to make waves within the international consciousness. Enter Tesla Boy, a quintessential Synth-pop/New wave project created in 2008 that was not only spawned from an era of hungry youth in ‘80s and ‘90s Moscow that eagerly sought out new and experimental pop music from abroad, but is leading the next generation of Russian electronic artists to take on the global scene with force.

Tesla Boy is charismatic frontman and producer Anton Sevidov, who from an early age learnt to speak the international language of music through his father’s old vinyl collection that included Ray Charles, Prince, Stevie Wonder and Blondie. From here, a clear affinity with ‘80s pop and soul from the US and Britain emerged, and has since played a strong role in crafting the Tesla Boy identity. From their beginnings with the release of debut single Electric Lady and first LP Modern Thrills in 2010, the sounds of Tesla Boy’s global influences are immediate, with their acclaimed follow-up single Split, produced to a high level with deep catchy melodies and disco undertones.

As only a preview to what is to come, it is obvious Tesla Boy are not to be mistaken with passing club trends that have come out of Russia in previous years. Tesla Boy carry a shiny pop sensibility, combined with sleek and sophisticated production that takes their nostalgic synth sound and punching soul hooks into the new wave era of EDM with global appeal. Facebook here.

Tesla Boy really get the balance right with 'Avoid'. Nothing over dominates the track, the synths are crisp, vocals smooth and flowing and the overall production oozes quality. Add in the hooks (as they have) and you are on to a winner, as I expect this may well be.

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Port Juvee - Crimewave.

Background - Port Juvee have shared a new music video for the title track of their recently released album Crimewave. Vocalist Brett Sandford said of the video: "We wanted to combine some of the inspiration we found in the kitsch of old public access television style telethons with some nods to the underground radio scenes of The Warriors. The entire record was made in a chaotic time in our lives, and the track is about finding opportunities for change in those crazy times where you think everything's gone wrong. All the live footage was shot in our jamspace, this little concrete room in Calgary that's covered with graffiti, which is also where we recorded the Crimewave EP."

Port Juvee may call the plains of Canada home, but they are no stranger to international success. Having played a multitude of festivals including CMJ, Sled Island X-Fest and Rifflandia, the fivesome has also supported DIIV, Titus Andronicus, Twin Peaks, Sticky Fingers, Bleachers and The Orwells on tour. The band slipped into the global spotlight in 2014 when tracks from their Revenge EP were featured in Herschel Supply Company’s Spring ad campaign.

Produced by the band with help from Justin Gerrish (Vampire Weekend “Contra”), third studio album Crimewave moves seamlessly through the lackadaisical punk of "Bleached Out Soda Pop," "Trapped Underwater’s" pounding garage rhythms and the 80’s-inspired escapism of the title track. If you're heading to SXSW in March, you'll be able to catch Port Juvee there. Website here, Facebook here.

Third time in just a few months for Port Juvee on Beehive Candy, and this time it's a new video for the recent album release 'Crimewave'. Once again the distinct vocals and the bands recipe of blended rock styles, makes the song so attractive and re playable.

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Laughed the Boy - Bell Rock.

Background - And the band tell us, "We had been playing shows around the area and while rehearsing we ended up with an album’s worth of fresh material. We headed into the studio soon after to record nine new tracks that will make up our debut full length LP. "Bell Rock" is one of these tracks". This second single is from Laughed the Boy’s forthcoming album “Here is Fine.” "You'll find the dreamy atmosphere of the song is set by hook driven guitar lines and complemented by wistfully moody lyrics".

The track is the follow-up to last year's well-received debut single 'Indifferent'. The single is part of their upcoming 9-track LP, scheduled for a February 10th release.

The record utilizes an honest and unpretentious look at 90s nostalgia, filled with hooky guitars and sing along melodies. Facebook here.

Having listened to the forthcoming album a little earlier today I think it's fair to say that 'Bell Rock' is a very good indicator of the overall sound and quality of what is for me, a fabulous album. As debut full length albums go, the band have struck some gold here, and deserve to be heard.

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Vanbot - Collide (Krasnoyarsk).

Background - Swedes are well known for their forward thinking in design, fashion, healthy living and of course music. Their latest export, in the form of electronic-pop Vanbot, has been the talk of the town already. By distinguishing herself with Ester Ideskog’s hooky melodies, memorable song-writing and striking vocals, Vanbot is all about the highest level of pop craftsmanship.

‘Collide (Krasnoyarsk)’ begins a new chapter in Vanbot’s musical journey by making this record less polished and more expansive on the production front. Whilst being noticeably led with its electronic beat, from the word ‘go’ the song incorporates spacious and brooding undertones in the style of Phantogram. Highlighted with a Poliça-esque electro-noir shade of colour, Vanbot knows just how to add ethereal authority around the edges to its very straight forward Annie and Noonie Bao-like pop structure.

Ester says: “’Collide (Krasnoyarsk)’ was written after four days on the Trans-Siberian Railway, traveling through the deepest parts of Siberia. The temperature was just above zero, it was raining and we were passing through small villages and old industrial communities. It describes the collisions and the attractions in relationships, and having no choice but to accept the raw and un-retouched feelings. You know, it’s like the poem of David Jones: ‘It’s both a blessing and a curse to feel everything so very deeply’.”

Taken from her forth-coming ‘Siberia’ album, ’Collide (Krasnoyarsk)’ was released yesterday and distributed via Sony Music Sweden. Website here and Facebook here.

'Collide' is an imaginative and extremely well produced song. The electronic beat drives the track along in a supportive, rather than overwhelming manner, allowing the creativity of other sounds to blend with the dreamy refined vocals.

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Weekend Wonders: Droplet - MOTSA - M.I.L.K. - Nouvelle Vague - Laughed the Boy - Brandt Brauer Frick

Droplet - Powerful Mind

Background promo - ‘Powerful Mind’ is the debut single by Melbourne’s newest and most elaborate electronic artist, Droplet. A track entirely about retrospect, ‘Powerful Mind’ attempts to empower listeners with messages of self-awareness and a complete acceptance of reality that alters one’s perception of themselves and others around the them.

“Before I started adding lyrics, the two words that kept floating in my head were resilience and perseverance, it was almost like a person in a boxing ring completely on their own, fighting someone that is invisible to others but so visible to them,” says the brainchild behind the project, singer-songwriter and producer Demi Papazoglou.

The talented Papazoglou paints a picture of a troubled past, interwoven with splashes of minimalist electronica and soaring vocals, evoking passion and drive from an artist that is committed to success. A change in tone from verse to chorus signals personal strength and assertiveness, that quite literally jumps out at listeners and demands attention.

With Droplet’s self-titled debut EP set for release in early 2017, the new single will cement Droplet as an ambitious and fierce newcomer with a project that proves through hard work and dedication, simply anything is possible. A string of live shows yet to be announced will follow up the release. “Powerful Mind” by Droplet will be released 14th of October 2016. Facebook here.

With a synthy beginning 'Powerful Mind' soon drifts into something quite special with the intriguing and soaring vocals of Droplet. They stand out even further with the understated musical accompaniment, what a debut!

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MOTSA - Colours feat. David Österle.

Background - Following his last two EP releases on Southern Fried Records, half-Austrian/half-Russian artist producer MOTSA (real name Valerio Dittrich) has announced his forthcoming fourth EP 'Petricolour', due out 4th November on his own label imprint. In tandem with the announcement, MOTSA is previewing his first taster of the EP; the melodic and beautifully textured 'Colours', featuring David Österle. You can listen to the single via the link below, which premiered via tmrw magazine, who said "it’s immaculately produced, adhering to all the constructs of semi left field electronic dance music as well as being refreshingly simple and just a good, solid listen".

Now based out of his native Vienna, MOTSA immersed himself within UK bass/electronic culture whilst residing in Scotland, becoming a student to the sounds he uncovered and finding inspiration from his surroundings. Devoting hours of energy to his compositions, his aptitude for production has only grown exponentially in the past few years. Although initially inspired by what he heard while living in the United Kingdom, Valerio has not limited himself to solely become a pastiche of a scene for which he has fond memories, but has actively sought out sounds and textures from the vast spectrum of electronic music. This in turn has allowed him to create diverse and unique tracks, which all share a common quality with their bass led, beat driven, soulful and harmonic edge.

'Petricolour' EP is written about the decline of our western society; its beauty, wealth and our opportunities having reached a peak and the onset of gradual decay. This is reflected in the accompanying artwork; the flowers symbolising deterioration but retaining some beauty and hope. Throughout the EP, MOTSA incorporates organic textures and sounds recorded from nature and his surroundings. Facebook here.

'Colours' has so much going for it. A sensitive and wonderfully layered soundtrack and the smooth flowing vocals, glide and dance together with effortless beauty.

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M.I.L.K. - U and Me.

Background - U And Me’ captures the signature sound of M.I.L.K. mastermind Emil Wilk, evoking the spirit of groove godfathers Curtis Mayfield and Shuggie Otis, alongside modern day contemporaries Jungle and Leisure. “With this track, I wanted to explore something a bit more danceable,” Wilk explains. “Not like dancefloor-explodor-danceable, but just something to soundtrack the stage of the party just before everyone starts dancing. So more like an ‘Oops Upside Your Head’ [The Gap Band] with lots of good times and head nodding than full on dance like ‘Rock With You’ [Michael Jackson].”

The track serves a synth-sensual successor to debut single ‘Following The Sun’ – an ode to summer love that had the likes of Indie Shuffle, The Line Of Best Fit, Clash and Hillydilly united in praise; culminating in a #4 Hype Machine hit. Not to mention multiple spins from Lauren Laverne at BBC Radio 6 Music and playlisting from some of Spotify’s finest.

It signals the release of M.I.L.K.’s forthcoming debut EP, promised before the year’s end, and follows a hefty festival season for the Copenhagen-based artist including Roskilde, by:Larm, Spot Festival and Trailerpark. He’s set to make his mark on the UK next month, with London live dates imminent. Facebook here.

'U and Me' has a classic sounding chorus line that is melodic and oh so catchy. What lays in between gives the song it's unique and funky edge, it's hardly surprising M.I.L.K. is already getting noticed.

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Nouvelle Vague - I Could Be Happy.

Background - Nouvelle Vague’s bossa nova cover of the Altered Images new wave classic “I Could Be Happy” is the title track from Nouvelle Vague’s first full length LP of new music since 2010, due November 4 on Kwaidan Records / !K7.

After a several year hiatus, Nouvelle Vague’s founders—French producers Marc Collin and Olivier Libaux—return with their signature bossa nova reinterpretations of ‘80s and ‘90s punk, post-punk and new wave hits. I Could Be Happy also includes the pair’s first-ever original compositions featuring a variety of vocalists. The band is set to tour Europe through the end of 2016 in support of the new album, with North American dates coming in March, 2017.

Collin and Libaux started the unique project in 2004. The band employed a legion of female singers, many unknown until their performances with the band. Over the course of four records, the band sold more than one million albums worldwide including their self-titled 2004 album and 2006’s Bande A Part—which were released in the U.S. The band toured internationally including sold out shows at Royal Albert Hall in London, The Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles and Olympia in Paris. Bandcamp here.

Altered Images 'I Could Be Happy' has always been a favourite song of mine, so a cover version needs to be good. Nouvelle Vague’s bossa nova cover is a fantastic variation of the song, different enough so as not to crowd the original, and absolutely charming.

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Laughed the Boy - Indifferent.

Background from the band - This song is the first track on our upcoming full length album scheduled to be released by the end of the year. It’s one of the first songs we started playing as a full band and really captures the garage-minimalist sound that will be prevalent on the album. Though bright and bouncy in melody, the song is a personal reflection on disenchantment in young adulthood.

Laughed the Boy began as my outlet for honest and unpretentious 90s nostalgia inspired songs After having more songs written than I knew what to do with, I brought my bedroom project to life when I went into the studio with my brother Sean to record their EP “Out of the Blue."

The two of us added our friend and bass player Brennan to the lineup and began playing the songs live. While rehearsing for shows,  we ended up with an album’s worth of fresh material and headed into the studio once again to record 9 new tracks that will make up our debut full length LP scheduled to be released by the end of 2016. Facebook here.

Full of fresh, bright indie vibes 'Indifferent' can only please. Theres even something of a Beach Boys surf feel to the song, and that can only be good in my opinion, play again material if ever there was.

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Brandt Brauer Frick - You Can Buy My Love.

Background - Daniel Brandt, Jan Brauer, and Paul Frick have established themselves as an ensemble of classically-trained instrumentalists who make techno. Since 2008, this Berlin-based trio has been exploring dance music production using unorthodox combinations of instruments and compositional methods. They also have an illustrious career as live performers, playing a wide range of venues from festival to club to concert hall: Glastonbury, Coachella, Montreux Jazz, Lincoln Center, Mutek, Sonar, Southbank, Centre Pompidou, Fabric, Berghain, the Kölner Philharmonie, and many more. 

The genius of Brandt Brauer Frick lies in their ability to find ways to make almost any assemblage of instruments work and ‘werk’ as dance music. Their debut album, You Make Me Real (2010), was a compendium of compelling minimalist techno tracks made with acoustic instruments. Their sophomore album, Mr. Machine (2011), came out as a live album recorded with a ten-piece classical ensemble. With Miami (2013), they began to move away from the austerity of their first two albums and to strike out in a new direction towards something darker, funkier, and structurally complex. Through their previous releases and their early stage performances in formal suits, Brandt Brauer Frick gave the impression of a classical ‘new music’ ensemble making techno; but with Joy, they more closely resemble an experimental rock band.

If their previous album, Miami, tarried with darker moods and atmospheres, with Joy Brandt Brauer Frick explore a wider range of feelings, expressing euphoria through different intensities, textures, and forms. In keeping with this refusal of convention, they draw upon genres and styles that are not conventionally associated with joy: ‘krautrock’, punk, drum’n’bass, indie rock, new wave, and pretty much every other ‘-wave’ there was in the 80s. Lyrically, the album focuses on what the band-members describe as ‘post-religious’ themes—such as struggling to find joy in times of uncertainty and instability. To describe this album as Brandt Brauer Frick’s ‘Nietzsche album’ is hardly hyperbole.

With Canadian singer-poet Beaver Sheppard lending his voice, this album could also be dubbed Brandt Brauer Frick’s first vocalist-focused, song-centric album. Although their previous album, Miami, featured guest appearances by vocalists such as Gudrun Gut, Jamie Lidell, and Nina Kraviz on some of its tracks, Joy represents the ensemble’s first experience composing and recording a whole album with a vocalist. This collaborative project required a different compositional process: one that was less centralised and more dynamic. Rather than starting from instrumental ‘bed’ tracks upon which guest vocalists would record their contribution, the compositional process began with Beaver’s fragmentary lyrics and vocal lines. Brandt Brauer Frick would then begin to develop instrumental layers, and then the rough cuts would be traded back and forth between band and vocalist, often going through numerous revisions. According to the band members, the process was very intense, but also very productive. Brandt Brauer Frick - 'Joy' Street Date, October 28th, 2016, Because Music.

'You Can Buy My Love' gives a little insight into the 'out there' nature of Brandt Brauer Frick. The new album really is an eclectic and intriguing collection of ten songs. The album defies any one musical category, it is fascinating all the way through, and almost compulsive to dip back in to. It reminds me of the first time I heard Can's album 'Soon Over Babaluma' (many, many years ago), it didn't matter what the style, category or anything else was, I was hooked and amazed. I am really thankful music can still do that to me sometimes, wonderful.

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