Vines - Nora Kelly Band - Brewflies - The Vanrays

Photo - Anna Longworth

Vines - The World At Large.

Brooklyn composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Cassie Wieland has released the third single, a cover of Modest Mouse's "The World At Large," from her upcoming debut LP as Vines.

In 2022, Wieland began covering popular indie songs using her vocoder as a side project, unearthing the emotions lying inside of these tracks. “The World at Large” is just one example of her contemplative reimaginings. Throughout her cover of Modest Mouse’s 2004 hit, Wieland softens each beat, slowing down each peppy “ah” into a pensive hum. The song takes on themes of drifting and running away, and in Wieland’s gossamer threads, heart-wrenching simplicity amplifies its melancholy to unveil the existentialism that colors the music.

The single follows "january" and "I don't mind," the latter of which Stereogum likened to "Imogen Heap’s “Hide And Seek,” with traces of Sigur Rós, Bon Iver, and various electronic singer-composer types a la Lydia Ainsworth and Laurel Halo." Vines' full album, titled Birthday Party, will be out August 18th.

On Birthday Party, Brooklyn-based composer Cassie Wieland (aka Vines) braids poignant, rich instrumentals with sparing lyrics. It’s a new, deeply personal direction for the composer, whose previous music was primarily written for others to play. Here, her own voice, diffused by the feathery touch of a vocoder, is front and center; her economical words stem from the loneliness you might feel on your birthday, where long gone memories and nostalgia feel their most acute. From these thoughts, Wieland weaves lush, contemplative tapestries, finding catharsis in fuzzed-out melodies.

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Nora Kelly Band - Horse Girl.

With their latest single, “Horse Girl,” the Nora Kelly Band tell the tale of an urban cowgirl. Featured on their upcoming debut album Rodeo Clown, due out August 25 via Mint Records, the Montreal quintet premiered a video for the track via Under the Radar, who said, "Kelly’s lyrics namedrop Hank Williams and Townes Van Zandt and the band echos those vintage country touchstones, soaking the track in keening pedal steel, sweet vocal harmonies, and a heady dust-tinged haze." Rodeo Clown was written by Nora Kelly, produced by Kelly with Ethan Soil, and mixed by Pietro Amato (The Luyas/Belle Orchestre).
Having completed a run of Pacific Northwest dates earlier this month, the Nora Kelly Band head out along the East Coast in August, including a hometown release night celebration at La Sala Rossa.

Discussing “Horse Girl", Nora noted,  "When I started writing country music a few years ago, I arrived with a deep appreciation for the genre and history. Still, I live in Montreal, where I earned a Fine Arts degree. I’m not trying to fool anyone. I’m no ‘Okie from Muskogee’ or ‘Coal Miner’s Daughter'. But I’m not the first city slicker to love playing ‘cowboy’ either. In writing ‘Horse Girl’ it felt good to just come out with it… ‘I always tip my waiter but I’ve never tipped a cow’ and ‘I could ride the range but I don’t know how.’

Maybe this is the Nora Kelly Band’s theme song. It definitely was a group effort. I delivered the lyrics and vocal melody to the band, and more than any other track we really workshopped the music together. The result feels fresh and playfully new.”

Regarding the video, Kelly added, “We shot the video for ‘Horse Girl’ at a county fair in Ormstown, Quebec. Our day began at 9am at a horse competition. With each member of the band making bets on which horse would be voted best in show - Vader inexplicably chose correctly every time. After, we witnessed a demolition derby where young men in broken down cars slammed into each other, with firefighters and ambulances waiting on the sidelines. We also rode fair rides and played carnival games. Because the director and cinematographer were carrying a big camera, we looked like we were up to something important and this served its purpose. When it came time to shoot my close up on the ferris wheel, the ride attendant let us on for free and didn’t make us get off for a good 20 minutes.”



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Brewflies - Anything is Possible.

Brewflies released “Anything is Possible” a few days ago. The song written by Michael Veitch derives from his participation in the PBS Songs of Survivor project which paired songwriters with Holocaust survivors.

The song tells the story of a young boy’s escape after witnessing the rounding up of Jewish people into concentration camps. It starts from the harrowing revelation of the depths of the “possibility” of Nazi depravity and inhuman brutality of unimaginable proportions (that “anything IS possible and nothing is impossible) and immediately proposes the limitless hope of overcoming this dire possibility by taking “one step” toward freedom (“He told me just one step could start a road…”).

Brittain says, “We included the song because of its relevance now, too; it points to the possibility in our time that a microbe could bring a ‘sophisticated’ techno-scientific society and economy to its knees (a stark reminder that NOTHING is impossible)…and yet-actually overcoming that threat IS also, it turns out, a real possibility.”

The song features Kirsti Gholson on lead vocals and background harmonies, Billy Clockel on bass, Larry Brittain on acoustic & electric guitars, Gary Oleyar on violin, and Dan Hickey on drums.

The album documents Brewflies Covid-19 experience through interpretations of noteworthy songs representing the period. Artists represented on the album include Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, and Mary Gauthier, and three original songs by their musical soulmate and collaborator, Michael Veitch.

Brewflies · Anything Is Possible

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The Vanrays - Put It Out (Album).

The Vanrays have just released their latest long-player “Put It Out” with an accompanying video for the album’s focus track “Hard Times.” The band carries on with their tradition of belting out undeniably catchy Motown and Soul tunes with big hooks, big melodies and an even bigger brass section. Taking notes from classics and contemporaries like Spencer Davis group, Detroit Cobras, Curtis Harding and the Daptone Records roster, The Vanrays have delivered an album of soulful classic R&B and garage music.

Their bio reads like a manifesto for their brand of music: It’s a Motown beat down in a sharkskin suit. It's wailing like it’s gospel while they're laying in the boots. It's a curb stomping rhythm on the corner of control. It's a nod in the direction, when all shoes had leather souls. And to when those shoes were twisting, to Otis and to James. And so now do, The Vanrays too, we are here to do the same.

The video for “Hard Times” was directed by Carleen Kyle and shot at the Wise Hall during the pandemic and in the middle of the heat dome. Piano and organ player Gordon Rempel describes the scenario, “We were happy for the space and air conditioning! The objective was to bring a more intimate “performance” video than a regular live video. Thus, setting the performance on the floor rather than the stage.”

Overall the album touches on themes of love and heartache which seems to tie the songs together. Bassist Phil Adington laments, “We never intended for this to be a concept album, but for me all of the songs involve love and relationships and the order they appear on the record does seem to map out a passionate, tempestuous affair that ultimately ends in heartbreak." The recording sessions for Put it Out began just before the onset of the pandemic, when the world went into lockdown. Rempel reflected on the time by saying, “It's been a journey. We were forced to adapt. With only bed tracks recorded before the lockdown, we were forced to improvise. We remotely finished a couple songs as demos compete with Zoom-like videos that we released as "The Social Distanced Demos" on Bandcamp. 

Slowly, we completed recording the album, instrument by instrument together and apart. I recorded many of my organ and piano parts in my garage studio. Others ventured into Brian’s studio to record their parts with masks and social distancing. Scott Fletcher, producer of the Put It Out shared his take on the experience, “My shared vision as producer of this record was to tip our collective hat to the classic 60s and 70s Soul and R&B from stax records, without being a museum piece. Music is an organic, living, growing thing and I truly believe we took this genre to a new place. Recording a 9 piece band is no easy task at the best of times, but we tried to preserve the “live off the floor” feel while staying socially distanced in the studio. The Vanrays, needless to say, became my bubble. If I were to put it in a nutshell, I would say recording Put It Out got us through the tense times of the pandemic.”

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Maya’s Radio Orchestra - Nora Kelly Band - Blusher - Ruby Waters

Maya’s Radio Orchestra - Suntrap.

Maya’s Radio Orchestra has released the luminescent new single “Suntrap,” available on all streaming services this Wednesday, May 3rd.

"Suntrap" is a song about Maya’s uncomfortable realization that capitalism and the need for productivity are incompatible with human nature, and are having a detrimental effect on communal mental health. The song hints at dusty underground jazz bars with sweeping strings, swirling harps and honey-like vocals, with an understated piano underpinning the structure that fully supports the warm arrangement.

It’s easy jazz but with elements of classical music and triphop, a melting pot of influences coalesce supported by Maya’s masterful writing and playing of strings, harps, piano and glockenspiel. The expanded jazz band is punctuated with glittering whispers of synths from producer Lauren Gilmour whilst lazy drums reminiscent of Portishead or Zero 7 keep us in a dreamlike trance.  

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Nora Kelly Band - Lay Down Girl.

Montreal quartet, Nora Kelly Band, have returned with  their new single, “Lay Down Girl,” and announced their debut album, Rodeo Clown, which arrives August 25 via Mint Records. Rodeo Clown was written by Nora Kelly, produced by Kelly with Ethan Soil, and mixed by Pietro Amato (The Luyas/Belle Orchestre). Pre-order Rodeo Own here.

Going clown-mode runs deep in this first single and its accompanying music video. When people think “clown” they think funny, or maybe creepy, but always of that painted smile. For a song about overcoming one’s tendency to people please, a painted smile makes for the perfect metaphor. Watch the uproarious video directed by Gabie Che.

“The lyrics to this song were direct advice that I was giving to myself, to stop being a ‘Lay Down Girl’,” notes Kelly. “To stop staying put, acting sweet and putting everyone else first. Other people’s approval had been my priority for so long that over time my connection to what I liked and what I wanted had become weak. The lyrics are advice to this former self, with a chorus that chants, ‘I’ve been a fool…I’m going back to school, but this time my education’s gonna be ‘bout myself.”

"Lay Down Girl" was hatched this way in the first months of the pandemic. Like everyone else, Kelly had a lot of time for introspection and for feeling scared and lonely, realizing that she had surrounded herself with ‘cool’ people but not necessarily people who supported her, the way she supported them. "It was painful to realize but ultimately caused me to make changes in my life, including walking away from my post-punk project DISHPIT and toward my dream to play in a country band,” continues Kelly. “'Lay Down Girl’ will always be a catalyst song for the Nora Kelly Band, because in its lyrics I’m giving myself the advice to start the band before the band even existed."

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Blusher - Backbone.

Meet Blusher, the confessional Melbourne-based 3-piece who make euphoric pop music, laced with chaos, camaraderie and an unbridled gritty confidence.

Today they announce their debut EP, aptly titled Should We Go Dance? – set for release on Friday 14 July via Atlantic Records/Warner Music Australia. The news comes alongside the release of their brand new single, ‘Backbone’ - a powerful anthem about the aftermath of heartbreak - and ahead of the trio’s international debut at Brighton’s The Great Escape Festival. The trio have also been announced as special guests, joining Swedish pop powerhouse Tove Lo on her upcoming Australian headline shows having already supported Aurora earlier in the year.

Speaking on ‘Backbone’, and how it came from the whiplash and aftermath of a breakup, Blusher explain how they wanted to "sing about the way that heartbreak can strengthen and empower friendships. It’s a fiery, energetic love song to the friends who have your back through it all. Backbone is aptly named, its themes of power, confidence and deep friendship are the foundation of our band."

The new single is accompanied by the music-video-quality-visualiser which features Blusher in their alter-ego ‘choose your fighter’ personas. Speaking on the concept behind this, they explain; "when we first wrote the song, we had visions of 80s workout routines/Charlie's Angels/a “choose your fighter” moment in an anime video game.  It made us think about what our video game characters would be. We saw ourselves channelling an element in each of our verses. Miranda’s verse is powered by fire and lit by red brake lights, Jade’s, a watery moment with a tear filled champagne glass, whilst Lauren’s air bending bridge propels you to the dance floor and breathes new life into you."

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Ruby Waters - Flash Flood.

Today, JUNO Award-nominated, indie/alternative rock artist Ruby Waters has dropped her newest single “Flash Flood” via Wet Records. Waters continues to push the envelope with her heavier sound and unapologetically raw and sensuous lyrics with “Flash Flood”, remaining forthright in her convictions to being her true authentic self.

After recently selling out her 2022 North American Soaking Wet Tour, Waters is coming off her widely received US based Spring Chicken tour. This month she will head to The Great Escape festival in Brighton, UK for a handful of shows and will continue her tour into the United Kingdom.

With a 2022 JUNO Nomination for Alternative Album of the Year and two top five singles at Alternative Radio under her belt, Waters is more determined than ever to continue bringing her most authentic self to her craft with a promise of new music and exciting news coming in 2023.

Hailing from the small town of Shelburne, Ontario, Ruby Waters' journey is much like her music - eclectic, always evolving, and unfeigned. A Métis person born to two artists, music has always been a familiar presence. Since her 2022 Juno-nomination for alternative artist of the year, Waters has continued to push boundaries and blaze her own trail as one of North America’s most promising independent artists. To date, her highly acclaimed sophomore EP, If It Comes Down To It (2020), has amassed over 12 million global streams. She has also sold out headline shows across the US and Canada and plans to bring her show over to Europe and the UK for the first time in 2023.

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Nora Kelly Band - La Femme - MARBLES - Little Quirks - ALASKALASKA

Nora Kelly Band - Right Now.

The Nora Kelly Band emerged this spring sharing two rip-roaring singles, “Hymn for the Agnostics” and “Change My Mind,” while destroying audiences at Canadian Music Week, NXNE, supporting Kiwi Jr., and this past Friday celebrating early with a headlining performance in their hometown of Montreal. This week they share a new single “Right Now,” and announce their debut EP, Perfect Pig, out today.

Discussing “Right Now,” bandleader Nora Kelly stated, “'Right Now' chronicles the rise and fall of a past relationship. The song was written when I was in the throes of the breakup woes, but it also has a sense of optimism about the future. It’s sort of a pep talk to myself that things will get better, while also being an honest encapsulation of what I was going through back then. I’m proud of the song for its vulnerability, and how it details my ever-shifting understanding of love. Like now when I sing it, I tell people it was once a sad song about my ex but now it’s a happy song about my dog."

When DISHPIT imploded in the early stages of pandemic - a romantic and creative relationship gone sour, which even Kelly’s ‘screw-off, I’m tough’ nurtured punk persona was unprepared for, salvation came along in railroad adjacent acoustic country cover meet-ups with a group of friends and artists, in the earliest days of being able to meet up outside once again.

From these loose collaborative connections, the Nora Kelly Band emerged. “That’s where I first played the songs that make up ‘Perfect Pig’,” Kelly notes. “And it’s where I was so lucky to meet the majority of my band. Each member brings something special to the table: Vader Ryderwood, the 6ft 5in bass player and alien enthusiast, Ethan Soil, known as the smiliest drummer in Montreal, Rachel Silverstein, with the voice of an angel and piano skills to boot, and Dylan Keating, who plays pedal steel and has a PhD in Astro-Physics. This group of musicians have become my best friends and given back my passion for music.”

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Photo - JD Fanello

La Femme - Sacatela.

French psycho-indie-rock band La Femme announces the release of Teatro Lucido, their new studio album sung entirely in Spanish. Teatro Lucido will be released on November 4, 2022.

Along with the album announcement, La Femme has shared a new music video for “Sacatela,” the first single taken from Teatro Lucido. A very classy and colored video shot in Nice, South-West of France, that features many members of the band. The video for “Sacatela” was directed by french director Ilan Zerrouki and is about unacknowledged desires and unpursued dreams also called ‘Sacatelism.’ “Sacatela” has been played all summer long on radio stations across the US, Mexico, and France and is already a streaming success for the band.

Fresh off of their sold-out US tour, the band has also announced additional tour dates in France, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, and the USA at III Points Fesitval in Miami & Levitation festival in Austin.

La Femme already holds 2 gold records in France and a Victoire de la Musique, as well as dozens of tours internationally, notably in the US, Mexico, Asia and Europe. They are among the few French artists that succeeded abroad while singing in French.

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MARBLES - Heading Out.

Earlier this summer, the Norwegian dream pop act MARBLES released a summery new jam called “Heading Out”, and now they are thrilled to share the music video, which makes literal the song’s theme of escaping city life for some much needed R&R in the splendor of nature. As the video’s protagonist (band member Ferdinand Windmer) leaves his stuffy office job and unveils the vintage car (seen above), his business suit is replaced with a superhero cape and he sets out into the open wilderness.

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 a colorful indie pop sound that bridges the gap between washed out guitar-driven dream pop ala Wild Nothing and Jay Som blended with the more upbeat and psychedelic pop of acts like Toro Y Moi and MGMT.  "Heading Out" is the first new MARBLES song following their self-titled debut album from 2020, and more music from the band on the way later this year

Describing their inspiration behind "Heading Out" and why they chose it as the first teaser of their new album, the band said that they hoped to encapsulate in the song the feeling of excitement and anticipation that comes with any time you get a chance to “head out” from the big city to escape; whether that be just a quick bike ride down to the river or a weekend-long camping trip. As they clarify, “It’s not just about the luxury of being able to travel, it’s about finding your own little precious moment amidst your normal day to day situation. Maybe even just in your mind and with your imagination! Being aware of a contrast between your everyday life and what you feel can be - and what you can do. Defining it is up to you.”

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Little Quirks - All My Friends Are Birds.

Little Quirks is the family that accidentally became a band. Now they are sharing their brand new EP, Call To Unknowns, via indie powerhouse Glassnote Records. Predominantly recorded in their backyard in New South Wales, Australia, Call To Unknowns combines tales of myth and magic with effortless folk-pop songwriting that unashamedly brings catchy melodies and pounding rhythms to the fore.

Along side their new EP, they have also shared a brand new video for new single 'All My Friends Are Birds’. The track is a folk-pop anthem complete with footstoms, clapping and soaring harmonies, reminiscent of US folk-rock acts like The Lumineers and Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros. The sentiment of the song was inspired by Jaymi’s father, who has always likened birds to guardian angels. “We talked about how it’s easy to forget that there are always people supporting you behind the scenes, so I think this song is a really nice, comforting reminder of that,” she says.

The stunning music video that accompanies the track was filmed in Glenworth Valley, near where the girls live. Directed by Little Quirks, the film clip is a magical, mystical visualiser featuring Abbey, Jaymi and Mia plus friends wearing brightly coloured velvet capes of red or blue, dancing barefoot around a maypole and performing rituals.

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ALASKALASKA - TV Dinners.

ALASKALASKA (pronounced “Alaska-laska”) share their new single “TV Dinners” ahead of their forthcoming album, Still Life, arriving October 14th on Marathon Artists (Lava La Rue, Courtney Barnett, Pond). Alongside previous singles “Still Life” and “Growing Up Pains (Unni's song)” – which drew support from BBC 6 Music's Lauren Laverne, BBC Radio 1's Jack Saunders, BBC Introducing's Jess Iszatt and more – “TV Dinners” finds writers and producers Lucinda Duarte-Holman and Fraser Rieley embrace a more free-form electronica, giving a taste of what's to come with this tantalizing new record produced by Jas Shaw (of Simian Mobile Disco). 

Full of digital sounds, drum machine and synth melodies cunningly sat beside rich, organic, acoustic instrumentation, it's a looping tug of war between everyday simple pleasures and existential dread, with “TV Dinners” highlighting one of the album's central themes, that of the privileges associated with modern domestic existence. Other themes on the album dive into the beautifully mundane as well as the pressures that come with technology, social media and climate change.

Lucinda says of the track: "”TV Dinners” was the only song on the album written during lockdown (the rest were written previous to Covid). I wrote it in about 20 minutes as a stream of consciousness kind of poem. Very literal. Even though, like a lot of people, I wasn't really sure what to do with myself under the circumstances, I was still really quite happy to have some time doing nothing - noticing the way the light changed in my flat and the sound of the birds and trees outside. 

I felt a real sense of privilege that I was able to enjoy a space in time that for a lot of people was incredibly testing on so many levels. And with that privilege, a sense of guilt: "What once was bliss, becomes a certain kind of ignorance." We all take part in it in some way - you can change the channel if the news becomes too much, or steer away from doom-scrolling, and I think you should as a way of protecting yourself, but I also think it's important to recognize that its a privilege to be able to do so."

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Fresh - A.N.J.A - Nora Kelly Band - Redgrave Jones

Fresh - Why Do I.

'Raise Hell' - the forthcoming new album from London punk band Fresh - resolves with our protagonist breaking free of a toxic relationship, joyously riding into the sunset singing doo-wops. It’s the first time on the album that the inner conflict settles, and contentment takes precedence. The band have shared the album's closing track 'Why Do I' as a single today, with their new full-length set to hit virtual shelves on 1st July via Specialist Subject.

“Sadness and self-doubt are acknowledged and present on ‘Why Do I’, but they don’t hold power over you anymore. There’s power in starting from scratch” says lead singer and principal songwriter Kathryn Woods. She expands; "Think Nicole Kidman signing divorce papers in 2001-vibes. There’s a real catharsis and joyous presence to this song, upbeat do-woop vocals, guitar riffs with a touch of delay and soaring lead vocals make it a great note to end the record on."

Fresh have been an unwavering fixture within the UK punk scene since their first record in 2017. A joy to behold live, Woods honed her craft not only fronting Fresh but as a member of several heralded indie and punk bands, including cheerbleederz and ME REX alongside Fresh bandmate Myles McCabe.

Their new album radiates with their signature mischievous British charm and flourishes of brilliant pop punk flair – though underestimate Fresh at your peril. ‘Raise Hell’ dares to dive deeper than most, delivering Woods’ darker moments and contemplative thought processes through the sharply focussed lens of upbeat indie punk.

specialistsubject · FRESH - Why Do I

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A.N.J.A - A-Bomb.

Belfast-based Rock/Alternative Artist A.N.J.A. becomes a dynamic burst of energy on her unhinged, anthemic new single "A-Bomb", out June 10 on streaming platforms. A.N.J.A.'s unique sound is laced with grit and dripping with realness, harkening back to retro punk and rock greats while boldly facing a dystopic, uncertain present with a fearless, electrified spirit.

“A-Bomb” is inspired by real life predators and power imbalances. The lyrics are a journey through dirty cityscapes and outskirts of depraved humanity. The song dances around the inevitability of human decay. Crime lingering around every corner.

It’s a criticism of messed up humanity, oppression, and danger within a superficial society where the incapability's of law enforcement and failed justice systems are ubiquitous and grinding.

Saying that, I don’t take myself - and especially my artistry- too seriously. My music is supposed to entertain. It’s supposed to be fun and after all, I’m doing what I love most. With my sound I want to show confidence in mixing fuzzy retro punk, modern electronica and feminine energy.

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Nora Kelly Band - Change My Mind.

When COVID struck Montreal-based artist Nora Kelly was getting ready for her break-out with her grungy post-punk trio DISHPIT’s Steve Albini produced album, only to have the rug pulled out, as did we all. When the tide waters receded this spring, what emerged was the Nora Kelly Band, a nearly fully formed alt-country quartet, and a stunner first single, “Hymn for the Agnostics.” Today, Nora and her cohorts follow with “Change My Mind” in advance of two Toronto performances during Canadian Music Week (tomorrow at The Monarch, 9pm) and NXNE (June 18 at the Dakota Tavern, 11pm).

Discussing “Change My Mind” Nora noted, “The lyrics might sound like a familiar, pinning love song, however, when I wrote it, I was actually trying to write from the perspective of my very close friend who was in a toxic, long term relationship. I was single at the time and filled with horror whenever she would vent about her boyfriend. It seemed like she wanted to leave, but even more than that she didn’t want to be alone. She was always hoping he would do something to ‘change her mind’, to justify her staying.

I filmed the music video on a recent trip to Arizona for my cousin’s wedding. After the festivities, my parents and I rented a car and drove around New Mexico for a few days. I’ve always been in love with the desert, and I shot everything I could. Being from Canada, nothing feels more magical than the desert. Along the way I would get my dad to hold the camera while I lip-synched along, embarrassing us all many times. My mom also makes several cameos in the video with her iPad.”

During the pandemic lockdown Nora looked inward, asking hard questions about her relationships, which led her to rock’s roots. Out poured tunes about love, independence, and checking into the Purgatory Motel. Last summer she and friends played her songs by railroad tracks that run by her Mile End neighborhood, and people flocked to sing along until the cops chased them off. Words spread, propelling The Nora Kelly Band to play rowdy gigs at Ursa and other Montreal venues.

The Nora Kelly Band features Nora on vox/guitar, Ethan Soil (Fleece/DISHPIT) on drums, Michael Feurstack (Bell Orchestre) on pedal steel, Vader Ryderwood (Treasure Eyes) on bass, and Rachel Silverstein on keys. The tracks were mixed by Pietro Amato (The Luyas/Belle Orchestre). Kelly’s lyrics, some soulful, some tongue-in-cheek, echo DISHPIT themes of self-empowerment.



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Redgrave Jones - Two.

We are a little late getting this song here at Beehive Candy however it's still well worth a feature. Two is the opening track of Redgrave Jones’ debut EP, Luckiest Girl In The World.

Brooding, raw and Sexy, It’s a song that spent over a decade in incubation. The basic frame of the song was written when she was just 19 years old!!

She recorded the track with producer Jason Lowrie and the song features Anthony Burulich (The Bravery, Ween, Morrissey) on the drums, Scott Dolgin on bass, Jason Lowrie on guitar and Redgrave on keys.

Although this track was originally released as part of the EP, the pandemic halted the production of the video that Redgrave Jones had an iconic vision for. With that video finally produced she decided to give this track a new lease of life before new material was unleashed.

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Alice Costelloe - Niloo - Album Club - Charlotte Rose Benjamin - Nora Kelly Band

Alice Costelloe - California.

Having played in bands since she was 12 years old, London born musician and songwriter Al (Alice) Costelloe signed to Mute records at just 17 as half of shoegaze two-piece ‘Big Deal’. The band released 3 critically acclaimed albums, garnering enthusiastic support across British radio with multiple singles playlisted at BBC 6 music. Further to this, the inclusion of the duo’s song ‘Dream Machines’ on the soundtrack of blockbuster movie ‘Divergent’ helped deliver them to a wider audience, amassing 70,000 followers online and over 10,000,000 streams.

After years of international touring, supporting the likes of Depeche Mode and The Vaccines and appearing at festivals such as SXSW, NOS Alive and Reading & Leeds, Costelloe disbanded the band after a breakdown within the partnership made continuing impossible. Disillusioned with life on the road, and traumatized by the tumultuous relationship within the project, Costelloe suffered a crisis of confidence in her musical capabilities and was resolved to never write or perform again, taking up a job as a nanny instead. 

However, whilst walking back from a shift one night she chanced upon the members of ‘Superfood’ (Dirty Hit) outside a local bar who convinced her to not give up on music and to play bass with the group as they toured their new album. Encouraged by the band members, as well as her partner ‘VANT’ (Parlophone) who she also began to tour with, Costelloe began to consider creating her own music again and tentatively started work on recording home demos which form the basis of her upcoming singles.

 

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Niloo - All in the Name.

Niloo tells us 'All in the Name' is the sophomore single off of my self-titled EP, and it’s the follow-up to To Feel It Deep.

All in the Name is a mellow dream-pop track about the solitude, reflection and calm one often experiences after the ending of a turbulent relationship. It is about re-discovering yourself after the dust settles, taking stock of the lessons you have learned from past relationships and coming to some clarity about dynamics that you won’t accept in the future. The lyrics, along with the vocals and the musical arrangement of the song, create a mood that is soothing and bittersweet.

This peaceful little track was made in collaboration with the amazing folks at Risque Disque Studios in the summer of 2021. The dynamic percussion was created and tracked by Jen Yakamovich of Troll Dolly; equally melancholy and playful Wurlitzer was dreamed up and performed by Finn Smith; last but certainly not least, bass guitar, co-production and mix was done by Shilo Preshyon of Cartoon Lizard.

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Album Club - Different Hours.

Album Club are a band of creatives that initially gathered to discuss music in The Laurieston, an iconic Glasgow bar in 2019. The group was started by MJ McCarthy who brought friends together to dissect albums, track by track over drinks. This gathering then morphed into something more, and the band was born over lockdown in 2020. Although not all the members were musicians, an album emerged, something beautiful created in defiance of adversity. It is an album of friendship and community crafted by a group of people brought together by a love of music.

Album Club is made up of MJ McCarthy and Adam Scott of Zoey Van Goey, playwright Douglas Maxwell, actress and writer Isobel McArthur, novelist and playwright Cathy Forde, Rhona NicDhughaill of the Gaelic arts company Theatre Gu Leor, journalist Peter Geoghegan and Emma Pollock and Paul Savage of The Delgados. 

The album also borrows backing vocals and contributions from friends around the world. The album was recorded at Chem19 in Glasgow and is set to be released by Last Night From Glasgow on the 13th May 2022. The first single from the album, The Hard Part was released in January and has been played on Radio 6 Music and BBC Radio Scotland. Second single, Different Hours is released today 25th March.

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Charlotte Rose Benjamin - Slot Machine.

Brooklyn-based artist Charlotte Rose Benjamin has just released a new single “Slot Machine” from her forthcoming debut album, Dreamtina, which is set for release on April 22. The song pairs jaunty guitar hooks with Benjamin’s stream of conscious, lighthearted lyrics about unrequited love and the “inbetween” feeling of being a millenial/gen Z cusp. The video was shot by Benjamin and frequent collaborator, Hlif Olafsdottir, documenting a leisurely day on a Williamsburg Ferry, a Chinatown Arcade, a Dime’s Square dive bar and their favorite downtown karaoke spot.

Benjamin describes “Slot Machine” as a “Sunday-morning-strolling-through-a-New-England-Beach-town kind of song,” relating it to her hometown of Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts. “I think there’s a waspy country club vibe that comes to mind when people hear that I’m from Martha’s Vineyard,” explains Benjamin. “That definitely exists, but most people who are privileged enough don’t choose to live there in the off season. I always identified more with the towny girls from the movie Mystic Pizza. I had a wonderful childhood, but living on an island can be incredibly isolating. My music has changed so much since I left, but I think I’ll always have a little bit of a twang in my writing because of where I grew up.” On recording the video, Benjamin says “My best friend Hlif and I got day drunk and took the Williamsburg Ferry into Chinatown with a camcorder and a dream.”

Self produced alongside her bandmates, Nardo Ochoa, Matti Dunietz and Zoe Zeeman, Charlotte Rose Benjamin’s debut album finds her analyzing her identity in correlation to romantic relationships and in comparison to “Dreamtina,” a fictitious namesake for the effortlessly-perfect girl you see and aspire to be. Under the Radar broke the news of the album, premiering the pyromaniac-puppet-show video for her song “Satisfied,” calling the song “an irresistible power pop hook, paired with instantly quotable lyrics.”

Previously released songs, “Cumbie’s Parking Lot” and “Heat Stroke Summer,” were released as an a-side/b-side single last Summer, receiving praise from Clout Magazine, which called out Benjamin’s “acerbic wit and penchant for crafting fun and memorable indie rock tunes.” The Deli named “Heatstroke Summer” its Song of the Summer. Her songs “deep cut” and “Cumbie’s Parking Lot” were featured on Spotify’s Fresh Finds: Indie playlist for more than 10 weeks. Last week, Benjamin performed alongside Japanese Breakfast and Weyes Blood in The Unfinished Fest showcase at the acclaimed SXSW festival.

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Nora Kelly Band - Hymn for Agnostics.

What happens when a break-out post-punk artist runs smack into the big COVID slowdown? A gorgeous album’s worth of alt-country tunes of course. Say howdy to the Nora Kelly Band who now release their debut single, “Hymn for the Agnostics,.”

Pre-pandemic, the Nora Kelly-led band DISHPIT made Exclaim’s ‘Class of 2020 - Best New Band’ list in both Montreal and Toronto, and recorded their debut album DIPSHIT with Steve Albini. But when everything changed, so did Nora. She looked inward, asked hard questions about her relationships, and went to rock’s roots. Out poured tunes about love, independence, and checking into the Purgatory Motel. Last summer she and friends played her songs by railroad tracks that run by her Mile End neighborhood, and people flocked to sing along until the cops chased them off. Words spread, propelling The Nora Kelly Band to play rowdy gigs at Ursa and other Montreal venues.

Discussing “Hymn for the Agnostics”, Nora noted, “When I was 11, I had my first panic attack about my impending mortality. To calm myself I began praying to God every night, although who’s God, I couldn’t have told you. I wasn’t raised religious. In my adulthood the panic attacks have become less frequent, but my need for spiritual understanding has remained. ‘Hymn for Agnostics’ is for those of us who have no religion to lean on but who’s faith in the spiritual is supported in our connections with each other, the planet and ourselves.

I have experienced many moments that led me to feel there is some kind of design. Ghost sightings, the psychic connections between a parent and child or two best friends, DMT and the power to keep fighting when it’s easier to give up, have all played a part in my spirituality. Hopefully this song will play a part in yours.”

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