Laura Cortese and The Dance Cards share 'From The Ashes' as a preview for their 'Bitter Better' album set for release in July. Their claim to push the boundaries of folk and roots music is subtly born out with this gorgeous track. === The first single and video from Art of Empathy 'End Of I' album is the atmospheric piece 'Where Souls Shine Brightest' a song that is both mysterious and dramatic. === Josiah Johnson has just released his new single 'False Alarms' which gradually builds into a beautiful, personal and totally engaging song, where the splendid musical arrangement is just right for his vocals. === Nicole Atkins has shared 'Mind Eraser', a new track from her upcoming album 'Italian Ice' due out at the end of the month, the song itself takes on the subject of Lucid dreams (and do I get plenty of those) doing so with an addictive and imaginative mixture of sounds. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Laura Cortese and The Dance Cards - From The Ashes.
Laura Cortese & the Dance Cards have shared their song "From the Ashes" from their July 17 album BITTER BETTER. The album finds the group drawing on their extensive string music background and knowledge of folk and roots music, incorporating dance-worthy foundational grooves, synth, and loops to push the boundaries of the genre. Inspired by the resilience of friends in California who lost their homes following the 2018 wildfires, San Francisco native Laura Cortese wrote this autobiographical song. "'From the Ashes' came from me thinking about all the ways things are torn down and rebuilt, including ourselves, in a lifetime,” she says.
“In fall 2017, we toured through California weeks after the Tubbs fire that combined with high winds burned more than 36,810 acres and destroyed over 5,643 structures, including four friends’ home,” says Cortese. “What surprised me most was the resilience and strength I witnessed in these friends as they set out to rebuild their lives. As we sit here confined to our apartments and houses, I’m again struck by how quickly people have aimed for solidarity. What can we do for our neighbors? Are we calling our friends who live alone to make sure they aren’t truly isolated? Hundreds of online festivals have popped up intending to support artists & venue staff as well as bring a bit of joy into each other’s day."
BITTER BETTER showcases Cortese and multi-instrumentalist producer Sam Kassirer (Lula Wiles, Lake Street Dive) striving to capture the most adventurous approach to each moment. While the album’s 11 tracks provide relief and release, they also encourage self-examination and personal discovery—the work that is necessary to sustain the energy needed to keep striving, to connect, and to continue to make our complicated world a better place.
Aenaos Records will publish the album “End of I” by the Belgian artist Art of Empathy as a special Limited Collector’s Media Book Edition, which will be hand-numbered and limited to 100 copies.
The Limited Collector’s Media Book Edition is available exclusively on Aenaos Records' website: Here. Aenaos Records now revealed the first single and video of the album, “Where Souls Shine Brightest”, which is available as a free download on their brand-new website and at Bandcamp.
About Art of Empathy - Art of Empathy is a Belgian one-man project creating music that embraces Neofolk: grounded on acoustic guitars and combined with dreamy or dark synths and whispering, haunting vocals. Sometimes dark romantic, sometimes apocalyptic. Its character full of awe for the wonders of nature. Always driven by melancholy.
Josiah Johnson – a former and founding member of the Billboard chart-topping band The Head and the Heart - has begun a new musical journey in 2020. Today he is sharing his new ANTI- Records single titled 'False Alarms'.
“There were a few big relationships there in the writing of ‘False Alarms,’ but most present on my mind was my friendship with Jon [Russell, of The Head And The Heart],” Johnson explains. “There are waves and waves of love, of creative force, of spark and hard work creating the whole journey; we’re light-years from where we met now. I was (and still am) learning to accept how we sometimes have to feel the sting of loss in order to be willing to learn the rough lessons and do the hard work. And I’m thankful to be here now.”
Like many before him in need of recovery and self-love, Johnson has learned to cope with ghoulish feelings of self-doubt and he does so with new collaborative tools and creative blueprints in tow, buoyed by a single idea: no matter what happens, the world will still turn and you’re still here.
Earlier this year Johnson released his thoughtful, uplifting debut single “World’s Not Gonna End”. “I know you’re more than capable,” Johnson sings on the single, “It hurts but you can grow large enough to allow it all.” In an age when so many feel resolute anger and pain, this warmly delivered, poignant chorus of personal rebirth and renewed possibility is paramount.
Nicole Atkins has shared 'Mind Eraser', a new track from her upcoming album 'Italian Ice' (29 May / Single Lock Records) today. A groovy meditation on lucid dreaming co-written with My Morning Jacket's Carl Broemel, the string-laden song draws from a wide range of influences including Serge Gainsbourg, Radiohead and Roy Orbison. It’s a wholly distinct addition to an album that Nicole has described as "an acid trip through my record collection.”
"Mind Eraser" follows the release of Italian Ice's radio single "Domino," which has been hailed by Pitchfork as “an apocalyptic groove" with "retro glamour" and "shades of French touch and Jessie Ware.” Rolling Stone deemed it "an excellent disco song for our troubled times."
Co-produced by Nicole and Ben Tanner (Alabama Shakes), “Mind Eraser” was recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio with a dynamite band consisting of Jim Sclavunos and David “Moose” Sherman from Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, The Dap-Kings’ Binky Griptite, drummer McKenzie Smith (St. Vincent, Midlake), and Spooner Oldham and David Hood of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section.
The Electric Mess share 'Last Call' where the bands ability to mix up the rock genres results in this glorious hook laden piece. === Beachtape latest song is 'Somewhere Better' which exudes laid back rock grooves. === Yusuf Sahilli shares his first single 'In The City' taken from his forthcoming album. Both vocals and the musical arrangement are refined on this enticing track. === Brendan & the Strangest Ways make their second appearance here in less than a month with 'We Can Beat Mercury' another fabulous country rocker. ===The Hideaways power up with 'Luminescence' a dominant rocker where even the reprises throb with angst and power. === We have already featured the first two singles and now Clem Snide returns with the third entitled 'Some Ghost' preety much ensuring the forthcoming album 'Forever Just Beyond' is a must hear. === Finally today we have Nicole Atkins and 'Domino' a fabulous modern pop song with an addictive groove throughout.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Electric Mess - Last Call.
NYC's rock & roll outfit The Electric Mess serve up a vibey, dark psych-pop single and accompanying music video titled "Last Call". A haunting chorus and memorable break combine for an immersive tune. It comes off their upcoming fifth full-length The Electric Mess V (Soundflat Records) due out April 17th.
"Last Call" opens with a bright guitar lick, quickly moving into an addictively catchy bass groove. Vocalist/keyboardist Oweinama Biu wastes no time jumping into a lyrical tale - pulling listeners ever deeper. "Last Call is dark and poppy, and gets great reactions at our shows," shared the band, making it a natural single ahead of their upcoming release.
Guitarist Dan Crow wrote the song a number of years ago, "about some things that went down in the house I lived in my senior year at college." The lyrics reflect on the outcomes and consequences of choices, lost friends, and what's left at the end of the day, asking "what are you going to do now?". The song came together with heavy sonic inspiration from The 13th Floor Elevators.
The accompanying video was inspired from 80's style MTV music videos, cutting between story-line shots and the band's performance. The band utilized local spots throughout New York City for a DIY approach to further bring the track to life, letting listeners still take their own interpretation
The Electric Mess defy a singular genre, blending elements of 60's garage, 70's punk, psychedelic pop, new wave, and high energy rock and roll into all of their performances. Lead vocals are shared between Biu and front-woman/rhythm guitarist Esther Crow, providing fantastically unique powerhouse of vocal teamwork. The band has a signature sound, yet always keeps listeners on their toes for what's to come.
Channelling the shifting perspectives we encounter over periods of change, ‘Somewhere Better’ is the latest scratchy, sunny indie-rock gem from Brighton quartet Beachtape. It’s being used to announce a new EP, ‘Bigger Picture’, out via CRC Records on April 10th, ahead of which they’ll be heading out to Austin to perform at SXSW.
The four-piece occupy a similar space to Happyness or Willie J Healey in recourse to the stilted, slacker-Americana of Pavement, Wilco and Dinosaur Jr, with a distinct beach-pop sheen adopted from their Brighton base. Their songs cover the fuzz of early-20s anxiety, a transitional phase of life with peaks and troughs dictated by paradoxical moments of drive and listlessness.
The gradual drift into changing circumstances, and the way this offers pause for thought, is the theme in the cross-hairs specifically on ‘Somewhere Better’:
“It’s about change. The inevitable changes in our future, and reflecting on changes from our past. The idea of something feeling so significant in the moment, but becoming so insignificant over time and vice versa. Our lives in and outside of the band have changed a lot over the last year and we’re all in completely different places to what we may have imagined a year ago.”
Whilst the band’s usual laidback style remains, there’s an added sense of subtle urgency, born out of its last-minute addition to the EP: “We wrote this song the day before we got in the studio and had to get a last minute practice the night before to figure out the parts. It was fresh and unprepared, and was the moment we found the final puzzle piece to this EP.”
"In the City" is the first single taken from Yusuf Sahilli’s new album Let’s Do That due out June 5th, 2020. The single comments on consumption in modern society and how difficult it is to break the cycle. Russian animator Gosha Loshadkin brings the story to life by using Icarus from Greek mythology as he battles to make a healthy, well-balanced living - but will he be able to resist the temptations of modern life?
Let's Do That is completed by a video trilogy all animated by Gosha, starting with "Icarus Falling" (21 June 2019) followed by "In the City" (6 March 2020) and finishing with "You're It" (5 June 2020).
“It makes fun of music videos where artists try to show off their wealth with scenes like women in a pool being showered with money,” says Yusuf on the video for "In The City". “The song criticises the bank system that offers loans to people but also shows a society in a hamster wheel working from 9-5, never able to pay off their interest rates. We never see the horizon or the big picture in the city. Everything's fast and volatile. Too much noise. With light pollution now we can’t see the stars anymore. For centuries the saying "looking at the stars" was standing for hope. Especially in Berlin, there are so many contrasts. People try to live healthier lives, there are so many yoga clubs opening up, sometimes several in the same street. At the same time we're seeing more and more pubs and fast food outlets. We live healthily and then we reward ourselves with junk food, cigarettes and alcohol.“
Brendan & the Strangest Ways - We Can Beat Mercury.
Brendan & the Strangest Ways announces the release of the “We Can Beat Mercury” video directed by Omeri Monroe (Tuneworks Media). Through a talent-show-gone-wrong, the video takes on the satirical struggle of an independent musician trying to find an audience. The single is off the album due out later this year.
As any talent show observer knows, it’s often spectacle that grabs attention above everything else. While Brendan Shea earnestly sings his song of hope and optimism, it’s the spectacle surrounding him that gets the judges nodding their head in approval. Nothing is too over the top: ballet and sequined dancers, kickboxers, hoop jugglers all join the mix.
Shea says, “The video pokes fun at the song’s message. ‘We Can Beat Mercury” was intended to be hopeful, optimistic and earnest.’ The video allowed an opportunity to reinterpret those ideas and tell a story where the protagonist, while perseverent, never gets to overcome his obstacles.”
About Brendan & the Strangest Ways - Brendan Shea adopted the moniker Brendan & the Strangest Ways to create music for the restless spirit. Heartfelt reflections comprise the songs: loves and losses experienced over countless miles traveled in search of something that always felt just a little out of reach. Early in 2019, Brendan and the Strangest Ways broke ground on the sophomore album Are We Sure The Dawn Is Coming? at County Q in Nashville. In October 2019, Brendan connected with veterans of Buffalo’s alternative country scene and former members of the band Bareback Jack: Tommy Bijak (electric guitar), Pete Wilson (drums), Paul Belardi (bass) and Kenny Blesy (steel guitar) to reform the Strangest Ways. The members backing Shea on Brendan & the Strangest Ways have done stints in Nashville recording and playing live. In their previous band, they opened for Marty Stuart and Charlie Daniels.
A combination of raging guitars and driving rhythms alongside dark electronic and subtle trip-hop influences … The Hideaways return with new single ‘Luminescence’. Produced by Matt Glasbey (Editors, Marmozets).
"I reckon Luminescence is a spot on example of what we're about musically" says frontman Danny Pugh. "When we're writing we always try to stick a few left turns in tunes that might catch people off guard a bit. That's what we wanted to get from mixing the psychedelic, eerie choruses with all the snarl and noise in the verses. Then for the outro we just wanted something massive that'd give everyone a proper melodic smack in the face".
The Hideaways also continue to build their reputation as a ferocious live act, having supported established names like Shaun Ryder and Little Comets alongside sharing stages with such up and coming bands as Fangclub, BERRIES and Football FC.
Clem Snide, the moniker of Eef Barzelay, shares the new single "Some Ghost" from his first album in five years, Forever Just Beyond, out on March 27 via Ramseur Records/Thirty Tigers. Scott Avett, who produced the record, co-wrote and provided harmonies on the new single as well. "I have not had much luck over the years in my (few) attempts at co-writing," states Barzelay. "But with this one Avett and I just vibed hard and it came together as quick as you please! We both share a deep respect for the unknowing part of the process. It all starts in the dark but then the door was unlocked all along."
"Some Ghost" is the third single from Forever Just Beyond. The second single "Don't Bring No Ladder" was spotlighted by Nashville's Lightning 100 while the first single "Roger Ebert" was described by Rolling Stone as "a pretty, probing ballad that contemplates the mysteries of life...Clem Snide uses Ebert’s epiphany to make something that is wildly abstract, both relatable and comforting”.
Roger Ebert's wife Chaz even heard the song and wrote on RogerEbert.com thanking Eef for the song about her husband, "I was astonished and moved when I listened to 'Roger Ebert,' the new song inspired by words of my late husband, which serves as the lead track on Forever Just Beyond. If Roger's words in any way served as an inspiration to Clem Snide to not give up, it makes my heart overflow with joy. And Clem Snide (Eef Barzelay), I bet Roger appreciates it too."
The road to Forever Just Beyond, Barzelay’s stunning new album under the Clem Snide moniker, was an unlikely one, to say the least. “About ten years ago, everything just seemed to fall apart,” he explains. “The band bottomed out, my marriage was crumbling, I lost my house, and I had to declare bankruptcy. That started this process of ego death for me, where I realized the only way to survive would be to transcend myself and to try to find some kind of deeper, spiritual relationship with life and with being. Once I committed myself to that, miraculous things started to happen.”
Some miracles were financial (a superfan in Spain, for instance, sent Barzelay an unsolicited thank-you-for-the-music donation that covered the exact amount he desperately owed his bankruptcy lawyer); other miracles were more intangible. Roughly four or five years ago, as Barzelay struggled with how and if to carry on, a fan sent him a video of Scott Avett singing a Clem Snide song in front of a massive audience. Shortly after that, another fan sent an interview in which Avett raved about Clem Snide’s music. It seemed like a sign from the universe. “I had just hit this low point where I realized I couldn’t do it alone anymore,” says Barzelay. “I passed along a little message and a new song I wrote to The Avett Brothers’ manager, and Scott wrote me right back to say what a fan he was.”
During the writing of her upcoming album 'Italian Ice', Nicole Atkins experienced a freak sinkhole accident turned life-altering revelation that led her to a new mantra: “Don’t be a bystander. Take action. Speak up. Make something. Live.” To this effect, the Jersey Shore-bred musician had a bold idea she’d typically brush off as unattainable: fuse the funky strut of her beloved French Electro music with the Italian Ice’s analog-focused Boardwalk Soul. And do it in Muscle Shoals, AL.
Atkins channels this fresh sound and attitude into 'Domino', a genre-pushing mission statement for living fully in trouble times. Citing additional inspirations like Prince and 'Miss You' by The Rolling Stones, Atkins delivers a groove-heavy pop gem with the utmost swagger: “I’m not gonna play / Safe and sound / When the world comes tumblin’, tumblin’ down.” In that respect, 'Domino' is not only the radio single off 'Italian Ice', but the vehicle for its central themes.
Like each of the eleven tracks on Italian Ice, 'Domino' was recorded at the hallowed Muscle Shoals Sound Studio with a group of her “best musical friends” – who just happen to be Jim Sclavunos and David “Moose” Sherman of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, The Dap-Kings’ Binky Griptite, and drummer McKenzie Smith (St. Vincent, Midlake) – along with Spooner Oldham and David Hood of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section. Co-produced by Nicole and Ben Tanner (Alabama Shakes), Italian Ice also features special guests Britt Daniel, Seth Avett, John Paul White and Erin Rae, and songs co-written with Daniel, Hamilton Leithauser and Carl Broemel.
Nicole Atkins is a songwriter and performer with a fearless and frank style. Fans of Atkins’ previous release Goodnight Rhonda Lee include Rolling Stone (which before named her a “Top 10 Artist to Watch”), Uncut, Mojo, NPR, and American Songwriter. In addition to writing, recording, and playing music, the Nashville-by-way-of-Asbury Park musician is an art school graduate who specialized in wildlife illustration and is an active painter. Nicole has also shared her original artwork with fans through her newly-launched Patreon page, Natkins Funhouse. Fans who join will have access to items from Nicole including hand-designed monthly calendars and seasonal 8x10 art prints - as well as exclusive content like unreleased videos, demos and brand new covers. Step inside the Natkins Funhouse on Patreon here: www.patreon.com/natkinsfunhouse
Fake Shape just released 'Headspace' a slick and stylish indie song with exquisite vocals and musicianship. === Nicole Atkins shares a video for 'Captain' featuring Britt Daniel, it's a dreamy pop piece with a gorgeous retro film. === From Sweden we have Kite and 'Tranås/Stenslanda' where the indie electro duo share an expansive, emotional and dramatic song. === Moscow based band On-The-Go have released 'Unsaid' a distinctive multi genre influenced song that is oozing hooks. === Britt shares song and video 'Looking For Another' a rhythmic, melodic and in all fairness quite mesmerising track. === Tim Cheesebrow has a new album out simply called '7' from which we have the first of twelve tracks 'Almost Through the Dark'. The song gives a good feel for the album where crafted musicianship and arrangements are driven by Tim's notably fine vocals. === Inbetween Movies first appeared here just a couple of months back and now we have 'Kiddios Cave' which is another beautifully crafted and dreamy song. === Selci also makes her second appearance on Beehive Candy with 'Strangers' where her unique and creative alt pop once again stands out and impresses.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fake Shape - Headspace.
Fake Shape is an Alternative-Indie band from Hamilton, Ontario that formed in September 2018.
All five musicians offer their own aesthetic, creating music that falls between funk, indie-rock, pop and ambient electronic.
They have been writing and recording at Fort Rose in Hamilton and are getting ready to release their debut EP, Night Swim.
The songs drift through contrasting mindsets and morphing textures like navigating a solitary swim through dark water.
The wild magic of the Jersey Shore boardwalk has inspired musicians across generations, but it takes a uniquely distinct vision to go find that slice of regional wonder in Northern Alabama. On 'Italian Ice' (17th April / Single Lock Records), that’s exactly what Nicole Atkins has done, taking over the hallowed Muscle Shoals Sound Studio with a one-of-a-kind band featuring members of the Bad Seeds, Dap-Kings, the legendary Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section and more. "Musically, it doesn’t make any sense,” says Atkins half-jokingly. “But I’m a superfan of all of them and we ended up with the weirdest, craziest band ever. It just became this awesome misfit party.”
The video for 'Captain,' which features guest vocals from Spoon’s Britt Daniel and finds Nicole starring in the most fashion-forward 80s infomercial ever.
Named dually for her favourite summer treat growing up in Asbury Park and an alter ego she’s taken on while shooting dice, 'Italian Ice' has been described by Nicole as “an acid trip through my record collection,” at turns as opulent as symphonic pop and as gritty as garage punk with shades of psych-rock, honky-tonk and girl-group melodrama. Conjuring the romance and danger of the Jersey Shore, 'Italian Ice’s eleven tracks ultimately channel an endless summer set to the sounds of the AM radio dial.
Nicole Atkins is a songwriter and performer with a fearless and frank style. Fans of Atkins’ previous release 'Goodnight Rhonda Lee' include Rolling Stone (who previously named her a “Top 10 Artist to Watch”), Uncut, Mojo, NME, NPR and American Songwriter. In addition to writing, recording, and playing music, the Nashville-by-way-of-Asbury Park musician is an art school graduate who specialised in wildlife illustration and is an active painter. Nicole will also be sharing her original artwork with fans through her newly-launched Patreon page, 'Natkins Funhouse'.
Swedish indie-electro duo Kite has shared new track 'Tranås/Stenslanda'. The song combines an adventurous sonic approach with a pop sensibility, and it's a prime example of their sound, a dark wonderland of droning synthesizers and throbbing beats, full of majestic melodies.
The track comes accompanied by a video directed by Marcus Malmström. Asked about the video, he said: ”Having grown up in a small, rural place myself, I wanted to capture that decade-long wait to get away and start a life for yourself. Those drifting, longing thoughts that become rarer as you get older and in hindsight shaped the person you are today.”
Based in Stockholm, the duo is composed by singer Nicklas Stenemo, who grew up in the small town of Stenslanda and keyboard player Christian Berg who came from the even smaller town Tranås. After performing with various synth/indie outfits separately, they finally joined forces and started Kite. The opening track of their first EP, 'Ways to Dance', was an instant club hit in Sweden.
Their live experience – featuring spectacular lights, breathtaking projections and sometimes cat statues shooting laser beams from their eyes – have gained them a reputation as a great live band. This is how Dagens Nyheter, one of Sweden's main broadsheets, described one of their shows ”Projected on the dome over our heads are marching skeletons, hummingbirds in slow-motion, bomber aircrafts on a purple sky, lunar craters, the snow-covered peaks of Himalaya, neon shimmering nebulas and a space baby à la Kubrick´s 2001. The Native American dream catcher dangling from Christian Berg´s synthesizers must have been switched to reverse.”
Following last year's performance at Way Out West Festival and two sold-out shows at The Royal Opera in Stockholm, alongside a 16-piece orchestra, Kite are currently working on new music and gearing up for more live shows later on in the year.
With their brand-new album around the corner, the Moscow-based band On-The-Go release their fourth single, ‘Unsaid.’ Influenced by electronica, pop, and folk, ‘Unsaid’ offers intimacy through its lyrics, whilst projecting a large amount of energy across its sound of indie-pop, and sonic surges.
The track tackles the feelings of regret surrounding the things we wish we were able to tell the people we care about, but never could. Whilst there is a guilty feeling of regret, lyrics such as ‘say what you have to, before you leave,’ suggest that there is hope for forgiveness, although there is a doubt of unlikeliness.
Discussing their new album, Yura Makarychev, the frontman of On-The-Go says: “We wanted to make sure that each song is based on specific ideas, and lyrics with the rhythm, and melody forming around the subject”.
Influenced by pop, folk and electronica, the band combine progressive time signatures, an ecstatic energy and crystal-clear production. Complex arrangements, delicately layered textures and heartfelt lyricism result in an affecting, nuanced record. The band tells us that “we wanted to make sure that each song is based on specific ideas and lyrics with the rhythm and melody forming around the subject.”
The songs tackle subjects such as looking for balance in relationships in the ever-changing and unpredictable world, the conflicting emotions around raising children within a political climate of fear and hatred, and the changing nature of memories as our current experiences increasingly conflict with the beliefs we held in the past. This is evident on tracks like ‘Happy’ (feat. Kate NV) which explores the effect of mental health on relationships, and the moral dilemma of trying to help or be supported by a loved one while trying not to be dragged under yourself.
Britt tells us - My new song, “Looking For Another,” was written as I walked alone around Toronto on a summer day. Wherever I looked, there were groups of people who all seemed to know each other and have it “figured out.”
I produced the song as I wrote it, and it was important to me to hold onto its initial spark, as I built it out and mixed it myself later.
With the video for the track, I strove to tap into that same feeling I had as I was writing it, the longing and desire to connect with others, and the pain at feeling unable to do so.
I juxtaposed scenes shot in downtown LA by Eric Bilitch, with footage that I shot in my childhood bedroom back in Toronto. I edited these two worlds together - my past home in TO and my present home of LA.
With the narrative, I wanted to capture that feeling that we’re never enough in the eyes of others, that there’s something inherently wrong with who we are.
I did this through the eyes of a young girl (played by Charlotte Lindsay Marron) who struggles to look like the Instagram celebrities, even as it leaves her feeling deeply unhappy.
“Looking For Another” is tongue-in-cheek because although I felt like I was the only one, in writing the song I acknowledged the universality of feeling alone.
Background from Tim - My name is Tim Cheesebrow, and I've been a performing musician in Minnesota for 20 years. During that time I've written seven albums of original material, written a book on songwriting and its effect on the mind and body, spent 9 years operating a nonprofit that teaches young people to write songs, and I play over 120 shows a year.
This latest album, "7," is quite special. It's a folk-rock, singer/songwriter's playground with a range of styles from driving rock to haunting dirges and soaring ballands. Stylistically it lives in the vicinity of Jackson Browne and the Eagles, with some 90's influence.
Calling on the talents of some of the Midwest's finest studio musicians, I produced and recorded the songs in my own studio. It's been a true labor of love to bring all the pieces together, and it allowed me to take time to craft the songs thoughtfully and artistically. I enjoyed every minute working on this project. I hope you'll enjoy listening to it just as much.
One week ago, Inbetween Movies released their modern and playful anthem 'Kiddios Cave', followed now with a video.
Electronic, modern and playful: Zurich-based dreampop and shoegaze-quartet Inbetween Movies are back with new single 'Kiddios Cave'. Their refreshing mixture of frayed melodies and modern beats is reaching people around the world. The previous first two singles have gained thousands of plays on Youtube and Spotify – without the band's effort doing extensive promo.
With the new single «Kiddios Cave» getting into radio-programmes could work for the first time. The pulsating beat, carried by spherical hooklines, goes deep. Thematically, the song revolves around the moment when a relationship is actually already over, but both sides are still fighting for getting it together again. A situation that everyone knows and that moves. Yoiu can feel the glue of hope between the chords.
The video clip is also worth seeing. It shows how loneliness first needs to leave the body in order to allow hope growing again.
Calgary alt-pop artist Selci is sharing a new video for “Strangers,” an anti-Valentine’s Day track about a love that’s faded and gone, off her debut Effervescence EP. The song recalls a run-in with an ex-lover, and the painful realization that after knowing someone so intimately you, hardly know them at all.
The video is framed around the deterioration of a relationship, juxtaposing Selci’s own memories in a surreal, subconscious world. A series of hazy vignettes spiral through memory, romance, dissociation and the loss of self. Blending high-definition and 8 mm film, home video and stop motion animation, analog textures are used to imply nostalgia and the timeless nature of broken relationships, while flickers of animation enhance the surrealist vibe.
“As the video progresses, I become cloaked in layers of fabric,” says Selci. “Happy memories are overcome by recollections of anger and violence, and I become engulfed by tulle. As the intensity increases, the boundary between reality and the subconscious world is blurred. This veiling is meant to signify the loss of self in a relationship. It mirrors the sensation of distance from the self and the distance from a lover as the relationship falls apart.”
Effervescence examines the aftermath of various relationships (“Strangers” and “Old Wounds”), a split with a bandmate (“Eyes of Amber”), and ponders the concept of artistic and societal freedom by using the metaphor of a mythic, mermaid-like creature confined to land (“Truth in the Sea”).
Though trained in opera, contemporary and classical musical styles, Selci uses ambience and rhythm to compose sounds that exist on the fringes of pop music. To create Effervescence, Selci spent years in isolation while learning the craft of production, setting her on a path of rediscovery and self-acceptance.
