Little Church - Shiny Glide - Manwomanchild

We have the latest E.P from Little Church titled 'It's Not You' streaming in full below, it comprises of five songs opening with 'Last Night' a gorgeous track that typifies the bands music where various genres merge into a distinctive and refined band sound.

Shiny Glide (aka Antony Venneri) shares 'Innocent Moon' a beautiful, sweeping and natural ballad, accompanied by a fabulous video collage of old film and cartoon clips, that somehow add to the tenderness of this song.

It's been some time since Manwomanchild appeared here, that said 'Bellwether' is a welcome return, the lyrics are clever and the video suitably works alongside, the song is catchy, personal and very pleasing.
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Little Church - It's Not You (E.P).

On their latest release Its Not You, Little Church seamlessly merges rock, soul, layered psychedelia, and melody into their own unique form of art pop. Although a studio recording, the EP maintains a strong sense of live energy and showcases the bands musicianship - highlighted by Chelsea's soaring voice with a dose of purposeful edge against Christian's signature counter melody bass lines.

Little Church, the pop/soul/noise band from Chicago, took its name as a quote from a book that ultimately transformed into a metaphor for the band that occupies that name. Through their music, Little Church has connected spiritually and created a small congregation together. Bassist Christian Whiting explains that "[They’re] fairly tight-knit and thinks through the band were able to attain some spiritual fulfillment and we're really just one microscopic and localized part of the connection that the whole world has with music."

Through DIY venues and mutual connections, Little Church was formed within the Chicago music scene in 2016. When lead singer and guitarist Chelsea Foss-Ralston and bassist Christian Whiting first met, they realized they had a common musical vision and lived only four blocks away from each other - so they quickly jumped into songwriting together. It didn’t take them long to add the rest of the band members into the picture. Soon after Chelsea met drummer Khori Wilson at the DIY venue, the Dojo, the band's initial core was complete. Sean McConnell (synths) was later added in the spring of 2018 after serving as their mix engineer on the first Little Church recordings.

Once the band was fully formed, Little Church started coalescing their sound to what they now describe as "a smattering of art pop, rawk, soul, and gentle, gentle Eskimo kisses by a bear-shaped robot that can’t control its voltage." The inspiration and process for their writing and sound is a shared effort between Chelsea and Christian, often with a focus on the interplay between vocal melodies and bass countermelodies. Christian shares that they “primarily write songs built around vocals and bass and then built from there.” This allows them to highlight the primary movement and counterpoints before building the rhythms and textures. Not to be completely premeditative, the band still allows for spontaneous and unexpected elements to find a way into their writing by capturing effortless, fun and improvised moments that eventually get refined.

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Shiny Glide - Innocent Moon.

Shiny Glide (stage name of Antony Venneri) is a recording artist, poet, singer-songwriter, guitarist, music videos creator and stateless, charismatic figure with international experience.

Shiny Glide is pure music and inspiration, as free and natural as a gliding albatross. The music styles ranges from psychedelic rock to blues, from romantic and spiritual ballads to oriental and alternative music.

Shiny Glide is an international artist available for tours and festivals and always open to artistic collaborations and any kind of professional and spiritual support as long as it doesn't hurt peace of mind and creative freedom.


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Manwomanchild - Bellwether.

Manwomanchild is a rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania fronted by David Child.

The band was started in Rhode Island in 2008. In February 2010, the band release a self-titled EP recorded at Machines with Magnets in Pawtucket, RI. The band’s lineup for the EP and album consisted of David Child on vocals, guitars, and synths, Mason Neely on drums, and Craig Gifford on bass. In May 2010, Manwomanchild released the song “Chile La Roja” in support of Chile’s 2010 World Cup team. The song was featured in 4 national newspapers and on 2 Chilean TV networks.

The band released its self-titled debut album on December 14th, 2010 on West Cortez Records. In 2013, Manwomanchild (now consisting of just David Child) moved to Philadelphia. In April 2014, Child wrote and recorded the soundtrack for Decidedly‘s iOS and Android game “Floyd’s Worthwhile Endeavor“.

In September and October of 2014, the band released the singles “Wedding Toast” and “Recent History”, followed by another, “The Telepath Returns,” in December of the same year. In March 2015, “The Difficult Years” was released. Music blog “Surviving the Golden Age” described the song’s sound as “LCD Soundsystem being fronted by Ben Gibbard” as well as “hybrid glam rock/chamber pop”. In June of 2016, Manwomanchild released its sophomore album, Awkward Island.


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Coralcrown - The Hold Steady - Manwomanchild

Coralcrown - Between The Lights.

Background - Between the Lights showcases the subtlety and sensitivity in Coralcrown’s body of work. It’s a song about a shy guy fighting his own insecurities to ask a girl to dance. Unbeknownst to him, she’s fighting her own securities too. It’s a clever and poignant meditation on the prison of our internal complexes, made into something aesthetically sublime through Coralcrown’s tactful guitar work and his mastery of vocal layering and harmony.

Upon settling in London, Coralcrown auteur Luis Gotor took a hiatus from music, crestfallen that his old band had finished. Eventually, the capital’s vibrant and diverse musical nightlife captivated him, and he decided to return to music as a solo artist on his own terms and with complete creative control. Coralcrown is the result of that. It’s a vital and visionary project, establishing Luis as an ambitious musician with a gifted ear for the kind of restlessly infectious melodies that made popular music from the seventies and eighties so uplifting.

His technical approach is cutting edge, and the sound he’s achieved is nothing short of the slick professional indie pop production you’re likely to hear on say, a Foals or Bombay Bicycle Club record - audacious and primed for the festival circuit. Luis’s first EP Birth is the culmination of his effortlessly lush rebound back into writing music, and with a live band backing him, the stage is literally and figuratively set to disseminate his canny pop hooks to anyone with a relish for melody. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

The guitars are vibrant and melodic, the vocals appeal for attention as 'Between The Lights' an indie pop/rock song engages with the listener. This is one contagious piece of music.

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The Hold Steady - Eureka.

Background - The Hold Steady has released a new single. “Eureka” b/w “Esther” is arriving at all DSPs and streaming services via Frenchkiss Records on March 12th.

“Eureka” b/w “Esther” is currently available to hear exclusively at The Hold Steady’s Bandcamp page. Anyone wishing to download the single can do so via Bandcamp, with all donations going to The K + L Guardian Foundation, a fund set up to benefit the children of Unified Scene founder Mike Van Jura, who died in November 2012.

Recorded this past November in Brooklyn, NY, with producer Josh Kaufman, “Eureka” b/w “Esther” follows recent new recordings “Entitlement Crew” b/w “A Snake In The Shower.” These songs are the band’s first new material in four years, and the first studio recordings to feature longtime keyboard player Franz Nicolay since 2008’s beloved fourth album, Say Positive. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

The vocals are totally compelling on 'Eureka' a fabulous alt rocker with some southern rock vibes thrown in for good measure. The band are on fire, this is what rock & roll is all about!

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Manwomanchild - Memory Leak.

Background - Memory Leak was originally about the dangers of nostalgia. It was going to be about how friendships fade over time, about meeting up with an old friend only discover you have nothing in common anymore. As I reworked the lyrics and thought more about my own friendships, I also thought a bit about Facebook, which I hardly use anymore. People rarely unfriend each other even as the actual relationships fade, so that the network continues to document connections that no longer really exist. For me, it’s basically a time capsule of 2010.

All of this makes its way into the song in dribs and drabs. The song imagines the listener receiving a friend request from someone from their past (described variously as “a proxy”, “a concept”, and “a project”), one which they accept, knowing that they will never actually interact with the person (“put me on your list to keep me at bay”).

There’s another thing: by not using the site much anymore, I’m unintentionally starving it of data. Facebook works for advertisers by drawing clever conjectures about the kind of person I am based on the data they have about me. In the song, I imagine a world where, in the absence of fresh data, the algorithm invents new data. (“In a yearbook photo with a kid I’ve never seen”)

Memory leak is a software development term: Every computer program makes use of temporary hardware memory. As it’s running, it requests the use of blocks of memory, stores information in them, and then, when it’s no longer needs the data, it “frees” the memory. In a sense, a program “chooses to forget things.” This “forgetting” allows other programs to make use of that same hardware memory later on (there’s only so much of it to go around). If a program doesn’t “free up the memory” it ends up holding onto memory it no longer needs. This is what is called a “memory leak”. (Yes, it seems counter intuitive to think of holding onto too much of something as a leak). In a sense, human memory is even more prone to “leaks.” Of course, we forget things all the time, but we don’t get to choose which things we forget. WEBSITE.

The arrangement on 'Memory Leak' is first rate, every note, instrument and the vocals have a fine level of clarity. The song is melodic, polished and flows along firing hooks in all directions. There are shades of Al Stewart in the vocal phrasing, consider that a complement, this is a welcome return for Manwomanchild who last graced our pages in the summer of 2016.

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Friday Five: Feuds - Teddy and The Love Gang - Emily Capell - Manwomanchild - Smoke Season

Feuds - River Of Wine.

Background promo - Brisbane's Feuds herald the dawn of a new musical era in their journey with their unmistakably stadium-worthy single 'River Of Wine'.

Anthemic from start to finish, the crowning glory of 'River Of Wine' lies in its chorus, which is driven by what is arguably one of the most colossal vocal hooks in recent memory. Frontman Jeremy Hunter was inspired by his struggles with using alcohol as a crutch, and never finding the peace he craved. "The bulk of the track comes from the struggles I was having with drinking a couple years back, suffering these awful bouts of depression for days afterwards, in this never ending cycle," says Hunter.

Feuds are a curious beast; not exactly a new band, but not exactly old either. They performed in various forms under a different moniker for years, building up a respectable following and supporting the likes of Bad//Dreems, Holy Holy, Harts, and The Belligerents. Now they're ready for a musical genesis, a rebirth that sees them baptised in a 'River Of Wine'.

Their debut EP in this new, reinvigorated form is due out in late August, with live shows to follow.

'River Of Wine' leans towards indie rock, and as described above has a powerful chorus that really makes the song stand out.

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Teddy and The Love Gang - Childhood.

Background promo - Teddy and the Love Gang is an Oslo based weird-pop band coming to the table with fresh faces, open eyes, a cache full of catchy music and the childlike ambition to take over the world. They combine groovy and catchy melodies and the expression of the child with a dark and moody sound that appeals to an adult audience without taking itself too seriously. 

The lyrics focus on important topics and they ask philosophical questions about our existence, while the sound takes you back to your best memories of your childhood and all of it's early video game glory.

"Childhood" is the first single full of heartwarming nostalgia that makes you want to move and dance with no abandon...just like a little kid. Teddy and the Love Gang want you to experience their musical fairytale beyond what you have experienced before!

'Childhood' is a highly like-able mood lifter. There is something about weird pop like this that just puts me in a good place.

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Emily Capell - Brixton Prison.

Background promo - The refreshing Emily Capell returns with a new EP “The Notorious M.L.E.” and lead single “Brixton Prison”. Catching the eye of legendary music producer Steve Osborne (New Order, U2, Gregory Porter, The Doves), this bright eyed, bushy tailed 21 year old from North-West London has been honing her sound in the Oxford studio under the careful eye of this masterful producer. “Brixton Prison” is the lead track from a new 5 track EP. The track showcases Emily’s bittersweet, gritty lyrics about prison life over a candy-coated, catchy melody. “Joey” is a frisky homage to her then QPR hero, Joey Barton and “Who Killed Smiley Culture?” is a quizzical, sombre tribute to the reggae pioneer. Emily’s influences from her parents record collections (Johnny Cash, The Smiths, The Clash to The Libertines, Blondie and Jamie T) are conspicuous and flattering. Her sound is a mixture of blues, pop, ska and indie. She plays her Gretch Electromatic guitar with aplomb and her storytelling has a ‘real world’ dark edge infliction, doused in a light hearted delivery.
 
Emily began writing songs and playing gigs since she was 14. She is the complete antithesis of her generation – whilst her peers were bingeing on junk TV and finding idols from reality talent shows, Emily was devouring her parents record collections and creating a style and look that represented her character and music.  Previous releases have caught the attention and support of John Kennedy, Gary Crowley, Robert Elms and Steve Lamacq and an endorsement from the Joe Strummer Foundation and Fred Perry has put Emily on the path to success.

Emily plays a regular residency at The Dublin Castle (London), and booked festivals this summer include Secret Garden Party (11am, Where The Wild Things Are Stage and 8pm The Living Room) , Glastonbury (23/6 Strummerville Stage at 7pm and 25/6 The Leftfield Stage at 3pm with Billy Bragg, Will Varley and Lewis & Leigh).

Live Dates:
18/06 - Rhoda Dakar (Bodysnatchers) 100 Club, London
04/07 - Dublin Castle, London (8.30pm)
18/07 - Cabaret Futura
01/08 - Dublin Castle, London 8.30pm
12/08 -  The Elgin (Ladbroke Grove), London 10pm

In my misspent youth I did know a few folk who had the pleasure of the wonderful hospitality of  'Brixton Prison'. Emily Capell's song is absolutely gorgeous, and I highly recommend checking out her new EP.


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Manwomanchild - I Know a Man.

Background bio - Manwomanchild is a rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania fronted by David Child.

The band was started in Rhode Island in 2008. In February 2010, the band release a self-titled EP recorded at Machines with Magnets in Pawtucket, RI. The band’s lineup for the EP and album consisted of David Child on vocals, guitars, and synths, Mason Neely on drums, and Craig Gifford on bass. In May 2010, Manwomanchild released the song “Chile La Roja” in support of Chile’s 2010 World Cup team. The song was featured in 4 national newspapers and on 2 Chilean TV networks.

The band released its self-titled debut album on 12/14/2010 on West Cortez Records. In 2013, Manwomanchild moved to Philadelphia. In April 2014, they wrote and recorded the soundtrack for Decidedly‘s iOS and Android game “Floyd’s Worthwhile Endeavor“.

In September and October of 2014, the band released the singles “Wedding Toast” and “Recent History”, followed by another, “The Telepath Returns,” in December of the same year. In March 2015, “The Difficult Years” was released. Music blog “Surviving the Golden Age” described the song’s sound as “LCD Soundsystem being fronted by Ben Gibbard” as well as “hybrid glam rock/chamber pop”. Bandcamp preorder (Here).

It was October last year that Beehive Candy first featured ManWomenChild.  'I Know A Man' is from the second album due out on June 28th and is an indicator of the fine music you can expect. You can also hear the first single off the album 'Change The Channel' via the Bandcamp link above.

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Smoke Season - Loose.

Background bio - Ask Smoke Season where they get their hazy blend of psychedelic Americana and electro-soul from and they’ll give you two words: “manifest destiny.”  Los Angeles-based Gabrielle Wortman and Jason Rosen, the duo that comprises Smoke Season, both grew up around the NYC area, ironically meeting in California after their separate musical paths brought them to make the move west.  Their sound stems from what they call “east coast heads and west coast hearts."

From the outside looking in, the first thing one notices about this fiercely independent duo is the buzz that has mounted around them in recent years — earning them a place as "the up and coming band you wish you were in” (Pancakes & Whiskey, 2015).  However, it’s where this buzz is generating from that makes for Smoke Season’s most defining characteristic.

Since forming in 2013, Smoke Season has proven themselves to be in a constant state of artistic fervor, with a flurry of activity and creative output surrounding them at all times.   They’ve independently released 3 EPs, 5+ music videos, toured tirelessly with internationally known acts and become a regular on the stages of nation-wide festivals, such as SXSW and CMJ. 

Judging by their millions of Spotify plays and acclaim from major press outlets (Buzzfeed, Huffington Post, Clash Magazine, LA Weekly, and The New York Times to name a few), it looks like their hard work is finally paying off.  

The duo has consistently (if not stubbornly) foregone traditional routes and branded their artistic output as multi-sensory in nature.  Their live show is a great example of this, employing synchronized light shows, smoke and unique sampling — all of which are programmed and executed by the duo.  “We want audiences to do more than just hear what we’re making.  We want them to see, smell, feel it as a multimedia experience.  Jason and I both studied film scoring as college students so a fully immersive experience was somewhat undeniable,” Wortman explains. 

'Loose' is the second song on the fabulous 'Ouroboros EP'. It's hardly surprising Smoke Season have been noticed far and wide, their highly stylised indie music is so well crafted and absorbing.

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