Showing posts with label Nick Kizirnis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nick Kizirnis. Show all posts

Sunglasses For Jaws - Life In Mono - Nick Kizirnis - Raven Shelley

Sunglasses For Jaws - For Another Day.

London based outfit Sunglasses For Jaws have released their new single "For Another Day" alongside a video directed by Andrea Banjanin. The new single is the second track be released from Sunglasses For Jaws' upcoming album 'A Room In Europe' - out 16th February 2023 via Pony Recordings.

Combining a love of Scott Walker, Somalian 70’s funk, Hollywood strings with a dash of Portishead, new album 'A Room In Europe' was produced by the band in their East London studio, mixed and mastered by Elliot Heinrich  (Sorry, Parquet Courts, Deadletter).

New single "For Another Day" stems from an acoustic guitar piece the band had previously written - inspired by Bach’s use of a sustained bass-line staying in one place while a melody plays alongside it. This initial idea grew in the studio with the addition of synth chord triggers and a wonderful string arrangement composed by Clementine Brown.

Elevating the song to a more dramatic, electronic/Portishead-inspired place; vocalist Olivier Huband’s Sinatra-esque, crooner-like vocal adds captivating emotion to the piece, transporting the listener to somewhere between a romantic night in Paris and an empty English working men’s club.

Speaking on the release of new single "For Another Day" - the band shared: "Welcome to the world of lover boy, of croon, of regret. The world of feelings where you spend your time ruing your past failings while holding on to the fonder memories. If we could have one more day, one more moment, one more kiss, maybe things would’ve lasted longer? But here we are. Face to the wall, heart in a cinch, singing lullabies to no one”.

 

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Life In Mono - Blackout.

Alternative-rock four-piece Life In Mono return with their upcoming double A-side singles ‘Blackout/Sex To White Noise’ released today December 2nd 2022, following their recent support slot alongside The Virginmarys.

The band formed in 2019 after Adam and Sarah met whilst studying at Bath Spa University, drawn to one another by a shared artistic vision. James came aboard thanks to a blistering performance at a local jam night and Mike, the final cog in the machine, was the perfect drummer at the perfect time.  The result? Darkly emotional alt-rock that will caress your soul then drag you into the mosh pit.

Although individually Life In Mono’s eclectic musical influences range from Meshuggah to Bach, via Hendrix, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, AC/DC and Deftones, collectively there are echoes of PJ Harvey, early Placebo and The Mysterines alongside a darker, heavier undertone.

With a massively exciting and engaging live presence and multiple releases scheduled through the beginning of 2023 the band are expected to storm through the festival season with a UK tour to follow in the Autumn. Their recent singles ‘Smile For The Camera’ and ‘The Cold’ saw them receive support from the likes of BBC Introducing amongst others.

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Nick Kizirnis - Someone (re-imagined).

For almost 20 years, guitarist/songwriter Nick Kizirnis has explored songs and styles ranging from Americana to pop, from rock’n’roll to experimental. He has worked with Tobin Sprout (Guided by Voices) and The Breeders (last years’ “The Dirt Eaters” for 4AD) as well as his own instrumental surf trio The Mulchmen and 90’s art-damaged grunge rockers Cage.

Since releasing his 10th album, The Distance, Kizirnis has seen his music shared across the U.S. and Europe, and has now begun releasing a series of singles reimagining his diverse catalog. “Someone," the Ohio-based songwriter’s second single of 2022, is a bedroom pop torch song with beautiful, plaintive vocals from Lung’s Kate Wakefield over a lo-fi blend of Bradley Coomes’ electronic beats and vintage drumming from Son Volt’s Mark Patterson.

Despite the move away from guitar, bass and drums to electronics and effects, the song’s message of undying love remains intact. As Wakefield sings “Am I someone you used to care about?” the song holds on to hope that love can endure any separation or challenge.

Kizirnis and producer/multi-instrumentalist Bradley Coomes decided to work together on “Someone” - a song that originally appeared on Kizirnis’ most recent album, The Distance - after Kizirnis released a “re-imagined” version of “Way to Me” from the same album in August.

 

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Raven Shelley - Erroneous Lives.

Raven Shelley is a casual creator of chaos who doesn't quite fit into the modern world and all its strangeness. Her intense, complex, and honest music is influenced by her love of literature, poetry and visual mediums. Drawing inspiration from artists such as Bob Dylan and Ani DiFranco, Shelley has a unique sound that perfectly showcases her passion for the arts.

"When I first moved to Manchester to embark on a three-year uni course, the city was a shock to the system. The traffic, the noise, the people, everything contrasted sharply with the market town
where I had spent my teenage years. However, in a way this all helped to numb the pain of a recent separation. I was walking down Hathersage Road when the melody and words for the chorus of what became ‘Erroneous Lives’ popped into my head. It drowned out the bustling noise around me, and the moment I got home I ran to my room and finished writing it. ‘Erroneous Lives’ is – for me – forever associated with the cacophony of getting to know Manchester and its dirty grey streets."

Growing up in the south of France, she educated herself in English literature from a young age and went on to study it at university. It was this that sparked her desire to create lyrics that can also be described as poetry. For Shelley, “all the hurt, all the anger, all the love, everything that runs through me can be found somewhere in my lyrics, because to write something real, you have to pour yourself onto the page and into the songs.” Shelley truly understands the power of creative mediums, drawing inspiration from authors, visual artists and filmmakers, including Thomas Hardy, Shakespeare, Schiele, Van Gogh and Nicolas Roeg.

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Melby - SPECTRA*Paris - Nick Kizirnis - Quilty Pleasures - Pixy Jones

Melby - Music Should Feel.

On a first, careless, listen, Stockholm four-piece Melby might seem like a charming, fun little jangle-pop band. Pay a little more attention however, and you’ll find their waters run a lot deeper than that. The band (Matilda Wiezell, Are Engen Steinsholm, David Jehrlander and Teo Jernkvist) have all the flash and sparkle of your favourite indie band, but add an ability to touch moods and feelings with a meaning beyond most of their peers. Their guitars, drums and synths rattle, roll and flicker around each other, all held together by the soul-shiver in Wiezell’s vocals, to make immaculate little guitar-pop gems, equally dusted with sadness and sugar.

Melby’s debut album None Of This Makes Me Worry was released in 2019, and took them on tour in Scandinavia, Germany and the UK, as well as earning them slots at prestigious showcase festivals like Norway’s by:Larm and Hamburg’s Reeperbahn. Now after a couple of years of beavering away, they’re back with the follow-up Looks like a map which will be released on October 21st with the new single 'Music Should Feel' available now.

Moving on can be painful, but as with a lot of feelings, Melby have a knack for making it sound pretty. That’s the case with their new single ‘Music Should Feel’, a warm, charming little pop cocktail of music and memory, that doesn’t need to shout or scream to work its way into your heart.

Listening to ‘Music Should Feel’ feels like spending time with an old friend. The song has an elegant swing to it, as it waltzes its way along, made even more cosy by little butterfly wing flutters of saxophone. There’s a little ambiguity in Matilda Wiezell’s vocals, a little sadness, a little comfort, and those gently-bubbling emotions fit in well with the song’s breezy tempo. It’s a song that’s easy to love, one steeped in its own memories, and a good companion to you getting lost in your own.

Wiezell says: “’Music Should Feel’ is a song about love, missing someone, and processing those feelings. Acceptance, a tribute to past experiences, and the hope for new good ones. The song came together over quite a long period, was forgotten for a while, and then was brought back to life, and got its chorus, after a lot of rehearsal and attempts at making a demo”.

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SPECTRA*Paris - Moondrops.

A few days in advance of the release of "Modernism", the new full-length from Elena Alice Fossi's dark electro project SPECTRA*Paris, the enigmatic Italian singer is now revealing a final video single: 'Moondrops' is a richly textured electro pop vignete somewhere in the excitingly wild space between The Human League, Visage, Amanda Lear, and Kraftwerk.

Charismatic, enigmatic, and absolutely outstanding, singer Elena Alice Fossi, who is best known for her work with Italian electro-trailblazers KIRLIAN CAMERA, presents "Modernism", the fifth album of her eclectic project SPECTRA*Paris.

"Modernism" is transfiguring electronic music through the prism of Elena’s voice and several collaborations with other musicians into a beautiful kaleidoscope of stylistic colours ranging from EBM, future pop, dark electronic, art pop, and various influences more.

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Nick Kizirnis - Way To Me (Reimagined).

“Way to Me,” Ohio-based songwriter Nick Kizirnis‘ forthcoming single, re-imagines his moody “indie noir” songwriting style with modular synth textures and electronic drums, transforming the song's original Roy Orbison/Twin Peaks vibe into strange yet welcoming territory.

For almost 20 years, guitarist/songwriter Nick Kizirnis has explored songs and styles ranging from Americana to pop, and from rock’n’roll to /experimental. He has worked with Tobin Sprout (Guided by Voices) and The Breeders (last years’ "The Dirt Eaters” single for 4AD). Since releasing his 10th album, The Distance, Kizirnis has seen his music shared across U.S. and Europe, and has now begun releasing a series of singles reimagining his diverse song-writing style.

Kizirnis and co-producer Patrick Himes decided to “re-imagine” “Way to Me” - a song that originally appeared on Kizirnis’ most recent album The Distance - after Kizirnis worked out solo arrangements of those lush break-up songs using loops and ambient guitars. The temptation to see what they could create with a fresh perspective was too great to resist.

On “Way to Me” singer Kate Wakefield’s (Lung) lush, dreamy vocals evoke a fever dream while Mark Patterson (Son Volt) manipulated drums veer from roots rock to electronica and almost back again. Kizirnis’ guitars melt down into a pile of circuits and wires, emerging almost unrecognizable.

Despite the change in sound the song’s story about a message of love across the distance remains intact. As Wakefield sings “You’ll find your way back to me” the song holds on to hope, trust, love and friendship that can endure any separation. “I’m really excited to share this new version of 'Way to Me.'" It’s a song I’m very proud of and it was a great experience to take it to a new place and see what was possible.” Kizirnis says.

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Quilty Pleasures - Four Posters.

The second single - '4 posters' from Cardiff collective Quilty Pleasures taken from the forthcoming album 'Quilty Pleasures' is a tale of two brothers still living in the same room as adults and having the same posters adorning their walls and the occasional tiffs that occur.

The track has a building anthemic feel with a psychedelic edge. 

Quilty pleasures is a collaboration based on the concept of bedding and sleep between producer - Frank Naughton and Wayne mcauliffe, Gid Goundrey, Jessica Ball, Paul Battenbough and Andy Fung.

'Quilty Pleasures' the album will be released on Friday 2nd September.


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Pixy Jones - Hold Your Tongue.

Pixy Jones third and final single from 'Bits n Bobs' entitled 'Hold Your Tongue' is released today Friday 26th August. Taken from anticipated debut album 'Bits n Bobs' released via Strangetown Records on the 16th September. 

Previous singles 'I'm Not There' and 'Maureen Dreams No More' have gathered support from Gideon Coe, BBC 6 Music, Adam Walton on BBC Radio Wales, and Pixy Jones was announced as Huw Stephens BBC Radio Wales Artists Of The Week in July. Support for the new releases have come from Music Blogs like Shindig Magazine, Circuit Sweet and Psychedelic Baby Magazine.

El Goodo guitarist and songwriter 'Pixy Jones' has announced that his debut album entitled 'Bits n Bobs' is due for release on 16th of September via Strangetown Records.

Branching away from the familiar El Goodo platform, Welsh psych scene stalwart Pixy Jones has himself compiled a truly remarkable collection of tracks that fluctuate from 60's harmony-rich psych pop, to Alt-Country with ringing tremelo guitar.

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Bumper Catch Up featuring: Rubblebucket - Mollie Elizabeth - Lilly Hiatt - The Kearns Family - WILDES and St Francis Hotel - Lucette - Caroline Strickland - Mon Rayon - Lala Salama

Keeping the comments a little shorter so we can cram a few more songs in than usual, this is our first bumper catch up of some really fine r...