The Switzerland-based singer, songwriter, and composer Mary Middlefield is thrilled to share her new single "This Ones For You" and announce her forthcoming debut album Thank You, Alexander, due out on March 3, 2023.
"This One’s For You" was co-produced by Mary Middlefield alongside frequent collaborator Gwen Buord. The track demonstrates a more upbeat side to Mary Middlefield. Continuously pushing her songwriting abilities to the limit, Mary reflects on meeting her soul mate in the song with lines such as “Laying under blue skies talking to you, I haven’t met you yet, someday I’ll get to.” capturing the essence of a budding romance. As Mary continues to add personal touches to her growing artistry, the video, directed by Imogen Harrison (Peaky Blinders, Luz), reflects the story of a failed romance told through a fun-filled lens.
“It was a pleasure working with the same crew of musicians throughout the project, and we had a lot of fun improvising throughout the process of making the track," Middlefield explains. "As a child, we feel like we have to subscribe to certain stories we might come across in books or films and I wanted the track to mark a sarcastic tone to the traditional fairy tale, princess storylines we are fed.”
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The National Honor Society - In Your Eyes.
Like the rest of the world, Seattle indiepop band The National Honor Society found themselves facing the problem of isolation. Pre-pandemic, they recorded their debut album, 2020s To All The Glory We Never Had, which was well-received. So what to do for the follow-up, when the world is forced into isolation?
"This was a new process for everyone in the band as it was the first time any of us had recorded an album remotely," says frontman Coulter Leslie. "Having always historically gone to studios, there was the fear that maybe that unique studio magic or energy wouldn't be there, but what we found was that the unlimited time we had to record our parts really allowed us to explore ideas and to go in different directions that we might have, had the clock had been ticking. So I think that's why you'll hear a little more adventure in this record as compared to our first."
Thus was born To All The Distance Between Us, which is due for release April 10th via Shelflife/Discos de Kirlian/Subjangle Records, an album that carries on the band’s formula of dreamy pop and rock. Fans who fell in love with their gentle, Ocean Blue-style melodies will be happy to hear songs such as "As She Slips Away" and "Remember The Good Times," both gentle numbers that wouldn’t have sounded out of place on their debut album.
But the real reward comes from the results of the aforementioned experimenting. "Control" is a frenetic rocker with an XTC-minded urgency that wouldn’t sound out of place on current modern rock radio. "It’s Killing Me" gives Franz Ferdinand a run for their money, while "The Trigger" is a driving shoegaze inspired rocker that is relentless in its beat. Then there’s lead single "In Your Eyes," which is supple and lush in its harmonies and its gentle melody, a fine love song perfectly fit for the spring crush mixtape you know you want to make.
To All The Distance Between Us offers up nine gorgeously produced and lushly arranged indie-pop that will draw you in with its sunny disposition and will warm you with its windy, sunny melodies.
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IRIE Magazine recently asked, “Is there a special meaning behind the title of your album, ReWired?” There are two meanings that tie in with one another, the first - A ritual I do with each new album project - I rewire my studio. Sometimes it’s a total rewire from top to bottom and others it’s swapping out gear, plugins, DAWs and working with new vocalists. All of these little changes can help rewire the brain and approach to creating music so the title has a double meaning.
ReWired continues the experimentation and musical development that is part of the natural progression but it also remains firmly rooted in the foundation of what has become the “Dubmatix” sound, horns, harmonies, heavy basslines, and fusion of genres - from dub to steppers,trip-hop to funk and beyond. When you look at the last several Dubmatix albums, Renegade Rocker, System Shakedown & Rebel Massive, ReWired continues the tradition of fusing, mashing, and blending styles into something uniquely Dubmatix.
GUEST VOCALISTS - Lone Ranger, Sr Wilson, Lasai, Duane Stephenson, Ras Kayleb, Jman, Hempolics, Joe Publik, Kazam Davis and Exile Di Brave, Rootwords & Barry Ashworth
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The Norwegian band MARBLES have released “Cold Water”, the final pre-release single and closing track from their forthcoming sophomore album Humour, which will be released on February 10th, 2023. Leading with a jangly strummed acoustic guitar and sparkling synth lines, this breezy tune shows some range compared to previous Humour singles while still fitting neatly into the sound of the record overall.
Hailing from Kolbotn, the black metal capital of Norway, the music of MARBLES sounds about as dramatically different from the stereotypical idea you might have of the music this nordic country tends to produce, with this new song being yet another example of the immaculate sonic soundscapes and good vibes they specialize in.
This new single, “Cold Water” shows Marbles building on the strengths of previous Humour singles “Heading Out”, “World Inside Me” and “One of A Kind”, continuing to bridge the bridges the gap between washed out guitar-driven dream pop ala Wild Nothing and Jay Som blended with the more upbeat and synth-y psychedelic pop of acts like Toro Y Moi and MGMT. Check out the album cover and tracklist for Humour before it is released in full on Friday, February 10th, 2023.
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