Spunsugar share 'Happier Happyless' where the genre spanning band mix rich synth sounds with dream pop vocals and some natural rock. === TodayRunning Red Lights have released the new single 'Hollow' the band taking us in a different direction that they describe as 80's mock Gothic power pop, could not put it better myself! === Yard Arms are back with 'These Four Walls' and the Bristol based duo are on splendid form with this hook filled pop/rock song. === We were impressed by Eliot Bronson not that many weeks back and now he has released 'Empty Spaces' which is another refined singer songwriter track.
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Spunsugar - Happier Happyless.
Following on from the release of their breakthrough debut EP ‘Mouth Full Of You’ last year, a collection that cemented them as one of the finest emerging shoegaze outfits of the moment as well as garnering support from Steve Lamacq at BBC 6Music, Swedish trio Spunsugar now return with their latest dose of forlorn industrial electronics on ‘Happier Happyless’ through Adrian Recordings.
With a strong affinity for post-punk, noise-rock and dream-pop, this genre-bending new offering sees the group deliver one of their hardest and most impactful releases to date. With a Robyn-esque direction, filled with the atmospheric vocals of frontwoman Elin Ramsted, the group look to emulate the warm and driven sound of acts like Cocteau Twins and Slowdive with their pulsing aesthetic.
Speaking about their new single, the band said, "’Happier Happyless’ is a sour and sweet song, tackling subjects of pining, happiness and revenge. Having a fittingly slower pace than former Spunsugar singles, this song is also an homage to the shunned 2001 slasher movie Valentine, released a little too late in the post-Scream era. Written with the aim to have “a memorable hook, a thumping synth bass line and a gazey chorus” this is a good introduction to the bands debut album, because of the constant switching of emotional tonality."
‘Happier Happyless’ is set to become the band’s first taste of their long-awaited debut album ‘Drive-Through Chapel’, which is set to later this fall via Adrian Recordings.
Toronto band, Running Red Lights, announces the release of the second single in their retirement ‘Sendoff Series’, 80’s mock-gothic power pop single, ‘Hollow’. The series marks the finale of a fifteen year career that includes a multitude of awards, notable performances, international tours, as well as some beautifully crafted music.
Fifteen years is no small commitment and the band wanted to honour those years with a proper good-bye. Though they played a farewell show to a sold out Toronto audience in November of 2019, RRL chief architects, Kevin Howley and Scarlett Flynn, have since been haunted by the ghosts of abandoned songs that currently exist only in the consciousness of an old hard-drive.
‘Unfortunately, after 15 years, RRL lost its vivacity and it was time to let it go’, Scarlett remarks, ‘however, there still remained the question of what to do with all the material that never made it to a release. There is nothing worse than banishing a song to its grave, having never given it a chance to live’. Therefore, in a single driven music economy, RRL is seizing one final opportunity to draw its final breath.
The second single in the sendoff series forms a shadowy coalition between indie rock and 80’s pop/darkwave. Hollow opens over minimalist swirls of ominous sounds evocative of a classic 80’s horror film soundtrack. Scarlett’s voice maintains a trancelike composure insinuating a feeling of creeping dread. The song seamlessly swells and mutates into a fast-packed mock gothic 1980’s pop/rock chorus with urgent, syncopated grooves and full-throttle gritty vocals. The alliance of mythological imagery with the twisted, hypnotic echoes of the synth hauntingly paint the spectral portrait of what remains of a scorned woman and her painfully vacant heart.
The single hollows out its own niche in the RRL ethos, distancing itself from the classic euphonic and organic RRL folk fare. It is the 80’s power-pop black sheep that will satisfy fans longing for nostalgic RRL circa 2008. The song and the official music video is set to premiere on YouTube and release to all major streaming platforms and digital stores, Friday June 5th.
The third EP 'Sanctuary Lines' from Bristol-based melancholic pop duo Yard Arms, is due for release June 26th. Described by frontman and lyricist Noah Villeneuve as "an exploration of combating nostalgia in the modern age", the EP is bursting with alt-indie hits and I'm really excited about this release.
Ahead of the EP, the second single 'These Four Walls', the isolation anthem they never knew they had written, is released today June 5th.
Initially the song was an avidly honest commentary of longing for the ‘honeymoon periods’ in life and dealing with our internal voices that keep us thinking the grass is always greener. The timely lyrical themes began to take on a whole new meaning as the world around us began to shut its doors due to the coronavirus.
Acclaimed singer/songwriter Eliot Bronson, shares his new single “Empty Spaces”. The song is the title track from his album which is set to be released on July 24th via New Pain Records.
The song dives into the bittersweet depths of emotional experience with humility, honesty, grace, and sadness” fits perfectly into the tapestry of the album, which was written during a period of tumult — including the breakup of a 10-year relationship, the end of an engagement, and a move from his adopted home of Atlanta to his current headquarters in Nashville. The collection is about loss, redemption, the places we leave, and the homes we make for ourselves. More importantly, it's an album about starting again and it’s Bronson's sharpest songwriting to date.
The project can be viewed as a concept album as Empty Space's unique punch is best delivered on the title track where Bronson sings about coming to terms with the void left by his ex's departure. The song’s video illustrates this sentiment quite literally. It's a breakup song for realists — a song that neither wallows in its own misery nor celebrates a sense of newfound freedom. Bronson sings about the complicated feelings that exist somewhere between
Of the project the artist shares, "I began writing the kind of songs I needed to hear," he explains. "Empty Spaces was the best healing work I could've ever done. I had a weird, challenging childhood, and I originally turned to music because I didn't have anywhere else to go. I made my own little world that made me feel safe and understood. This time, I really needed to find that space again. I made this record for the same reason that I wrote my first song. It wasn't for anybody else; it was for me. Hearing the right words at the right moment can be the most magical elixir you can possibly take. It can heal you."
Running Red Lights have today shared a video for the song 'Flower In The Concrete' as the band release four singles before finally calling it a day, the first of which is a beautiful folk and soft rock combination. === Manchester bandCrush have shared 'All My Plants Are Dead' and it's a rich mixture of melodic alt pop & rock. === Tiny Bit Of Giant's Blood are a Chicago based Glam Punk outfit and taken from their new album 'Gigantosaur' we have the brand new video for 'Five Foot Heels' a song reminiscent of The Tubes in part, both musically and humour wise. === Walt Disco new track 'Cut Your Hair' is a vibrant, quirky, genre mash of rock styles and some fabulously out there vocals. === Toronto based New Fries have a new song entitled 'Ploce' where the experimental band have developed one addictive and rhythmic sound. === Swim the Current Featuring Greg Christie have just released 'Temperature Maps' where the swirling guitars and notable vocals, make this hook filled rocker stand out.
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Running Red Lights - Flower In The Concrete.
‘Toronto Folk/Pop band Running Red Lights announces retirement with the release of 4 singles in Spring/Summer 2020’ The releases will be a part of a ‘Sendoff Series,’ marking the finale of a fifteen year career that includes a multitude of awards, notable performances, international tours, as well as some beautifully crafted music.
Fifteen years is no small commitment and the band wanted to honour those years with a proper good-bye. Though they played a farewell show to a sold out Toronto audience in November of 2019, RRL chief architects, Kevin Howley and Scarlett Flynn, have since been haunted by the ghosts of abandoned songs that currently exist only in the consciousness of an old hard-drive.
‘Unfortunately, after 15 years, RRL lost its vivacity and it was time to let it go’, Scarlett remarks, ‘however, there still remained the question of what to do with all the material that never made it to a release. There is nothing worse than banishing a song to its grave, having never given it a chance to live’. Therefore, in a single driven music economy, RRL is seizing one final opportunity to draw its final breath.
The first single in the sendoff series is a warm and fuzzy mid-tempo springtime empowerment jam called Flower in the Concrete. The song's roots synthesize classic-country verve with dreamy soft rock (i.e Kasey Musgraves). The saxophone accents are bright points on a towering constellation of misty male/female vocals and shimmering synthesizers.
The song has taken on a few identities since it was written 4 years ago. It was originally conceived out of Scarlett and Kevin's aspiration to become better people and also as an attempt to get out from under the dark cloud of negativity that marked that period. Now it’s transformed into an encouraging message of hope and perseverance. It is a fitting message in these troublesome times.
Flower in the Concrete sets a celestial, lighthearted tone that takes you floating through the spirit of Spring and lands you softly at the foot of Summer. The song and the official music video is set to premiere on YouTube and release to all major streaming platforms and digital stores, Friday May 1st.
Emerging Manchester band crush craft a refreshing heart on its sleeve shoegaze sound that’s peppered with nods to 80s alt-pop and jazz-inspired indie. They release their latest single ‘All My Plants Are Dead’ on the 1st of May 2020. It’s the sister track to their August 2019 release ‘Glue’, a track dubbed “grunge-pop at its best” (BBC Introducing). Drawing comparisons to Diiv, The Cure and Alvvays, crush look set to carve out their own ambient noise void into the UKs underground music scene.
‘All My Plants Are Dead’ is a bittersweet yet discordant offering, where the addictive and wistful vocals of Amber Warren blend with the jangle of Arthur Boyd’s carefree cartwheeling guitars. The enveloping verses are woven with floating vocals infused with a message of empathy and understanding and supple percussion. Punctuated by the tight and punching chorus’: an interlude section inspired by William S.Burroughs ‘Naked Lunch’ is followed by a cathartic noise outro that reimagines the sweet musical introduction to the song, bringing it full circle. Bright, airy and beguiling, it’s a highly promising new chapter for crush, you are sure to fall head over heels for.
The band say; ‘The song focuses on the idea of the cold human race and an increasingly insular society. It’s about struggling to look after yourself as much as it is struggling to look after your houseplants. Really just a message of looking after and understanding each other a bit better, and a critique of how modern living at times can make this an unattractive and hard to achieve concept.’
Formed in 2018 after meeting at university, young Manchester band crush have released three singles so far amassing 145,000 streams on Spotify. Their music has seen regular support from BBC Introducing Manchester, Amazing Radio, and blogs including Dork and NBHAP. Gigging regularly around the North of England has seen them wow audiences at events including The Sesh in Hull and Manchesters Stay Fresh Fest, as well as support slots with Peaness, Far Caspian and Low Hummer. Their captivating live sound has also recently been captured in a session with Delinquent Magazine which is scheduled for release in March.
Chicago glam-punk band Tiny Bit of Giant’s Blood is happy to announce that their debut long-player 'Gigantosaur' will be available on limited-edition vinyl on Friday, May 22. The album, which is currently available on CD and via all streaming and download platforms, follows the 2018 EP DRAM A.
Tiny Bit of Giant’s Blood features Tony Rogers (formerly of The Good on vocals, keyboards, percussion, horns), John Scholvin (ex-The Good on guitars, piano, vocals), Jackie Schimmel (of Sunshine Boys on bass, vocals) and Larry Beers (of Mucca Pazza on drums, vocals) and 'Gigantosaur' was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Bryan Clavey at Crystall Recorders in Lombard, IL. Chris Gallevo painted the LP’s cover image, which the Chicago Reader’s Leor Galil described as “the sickest album art of the year,” and the album’s back cover features a photo by Lincoln Rogers.
Of 'Gigantosaur'’s 14 tracks, which incorporate elements of 70’s arena rock, power pop, doom, metallic glam and punk, Tony Rogers wrote or co-wrote (with John Scholvin) 13 and the album is rounded out with a cover of AC/DC’s “If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It)," written by Angus Young, Malcolm Young, and Bon Scott.
Glasgow based band Walt Disco are today sharing their new single 'Cut Your Hair'. Championing self expression and free speech, the new single is a glorious invitation into Walt Disco's world. Led by their charismatic singer James Power, the 6 piece is completed by keys player Dave Morgan, bassist Finlay McCarthy, guitarists Lewis Carmichael and Charlie Lock, and drummer Jack Martin.
New single 'Cut Your Hair' exemplifies everything Walt Disco are about. Lifted from the band’s debut EP due later this year, the track unites a cacophony of genres and sounds, blending elements of glam-rock, pop, new-wave and post-punk to create something very much of their own. Working with idiosyncratic producer Thomas McNeice of Gang of Four on the single, Walt Disco have realised their vision of an anthem for a new generation of misfits.
A band whose influences derive not from just music itself, but much more so from love, glamour and androgyny, Walt Disco's music is a gateway to a space of lust, loss and everything in-between, with a strong message of inclusivity at its core. Influenced just as much by 80’s New Wave acts such as Talking Heads and The Associates, as they are by the queer modern art-pop sensibilities of St Vincent, Charli XCX and even Ru Paul – Walt Disco’s firm grasp of both their historical and modern influences allow them to move forward as a band for the future.
Speaking on the release of the new single, singer James Power said: “'Cut Your Hair' was written as a wee fun jibe at people passing judgement to those who are just being themselves. I think older generations can learn a lot from us YOUNG HARD AND HANDSOME folk. I mean our generation are the most tolerant and accepting, ever, and we should all aspire to live in a world where self expression and free speech is championed."
“In terms of references when recording, we were listening to so much female, queer pop and dance music, we wanted the tempo and whole feel of the song to get people moving. Not only do we love this music but we also want to be a band for 2020 and the future, so we wanted to move away from the sounds of the new wave bands that inspired our formation and songwriting.”
New Fries has never been interested in being a band. Yet, the Toronto-based experimental No-Wave inspired band have become one of the best kept secrets in the city, with New Fries gaining legendary status for their unconventional, ever-changing sound, and their rapturous live show. Is The Idea Of Us, out August 7th on Telephone Explosion is the band's first new material since 2016's More.
Never afraid of collaboration or change, Is The Idea Of Us is a product of working closely with Carl Didur (Zacht Automaat, formerly U.S. Girls), resulting in a new direction, focusing more on space and repetition, finding the in-between and reflecting on it, examining that transition. The album is anxious in its repetitions and is unsure of genre, so much so that over half of the tracks on the record bear that very name. "Ploce" is more sure of itself and more focused, one of cornerstones in the collage that is the forthcoming new album.
Is the Idea of Us is the situation of musicians and non-musicians making music together, perhaps completely illegible in the music on this record and to the random listener. There are enough bands out there; New Fries insist on do it differently.
On the new track, the band explained, "Ploce is the name of Tim's fish who passed away—the figure of speech (not the place in Croatia). It refers to words repeated for emphasis. On the internet some examples provided are: "I am stuck on Band-Aid, and Band-Aid's stuck on me." - "First she ruins my life. And then she ruins my life!"."
Swim the Current - Temperature Maps Featuring Greg Christie.
The project Swim the Current headed up by guitarist Greg Antine has released his next single "Temperature Maps" . This time the guest on Swim the Current's release is vocalist Greg Christie who has played locally in the area off and on for several years. Greg's vocal contribution has set a tone that continues to showcase what a project like Swim the Current can produce when musicians come together and meld their talents. "Temperature Maps" certainly is a leader in the realm of modern collaborations between well-respected musicians and long time friends.
' "Temperature Maps", from a lyrical perspective, is about anger. It's about those times when you're in an argument with someone you love, when your relationship is deeply strained, and you're at that breaking point where if you don't just pull back, or "turn your temperature down", you run the risk of doing or saying something you're bound to regret. The song is about pleading with yourself to step back from that edge before you spin out of control and destroy everything you love.
Swim the Current was formed by guitarist Greg Antine as a project to showcase music ideas that needed a place to come to life. Antine combines his notable rock guitar talent and pushes his own personal development with a vision. Soon, he decided he wanted to take what he was creating and bring together a few local vocalists and musicians as guests and set a goal of music that pulls from the solid hard/metal rock. Taking the course of his precision guitar sound, he has pushed it forward to meet today’s rock demands. The sound of Swim the Current is set to capture a unique and distinctive blend of heavy, dark, and emotional rock. Most would say that Deftones are a big inspiration behind the infectious sounding music that this artist portrays.
From San Diego to Portugal, Swim the Current will inspire, and perhaps one day, make the world more universally connected through music, space, and time .
Guest vocalist Greg Christie spent his late teens and early 20's in the music scene playing in various local bands, beginning as a bass player and working his way up to lead singer. He played his final show of that era n 1999, opening up for Staind at the Birch Hill in Old Bridge, NJ . After that, Greg spent the next couple of decades raising his family and working as a software developer and architect, while still writing and recording music in his spare time. Greg has appeared as a solo act in the last few years, and is currently working on various projects with area musicians, writing and recording mostly alternative and acoustic/piano music. Greg is very excited and honored to be featured on Swim the Current's single, "Temperature Maps" . The song is a collaboration, with all music having been written and performed by Greg Antine of Swim the Current, and lyrics and vocals written and performed by Greg Christie. He is excited to be a part of future collaborations with the band, because he truly loves the style and direction of the their music.
Still catching up on some bands and artists whose new tunes came our way a few days ago. Running Red Lights atmospheric and gentle song exudes emotion, And The Kids serve up a hook filled indie rocker with a message, whilst Rina Mushonga continues to consistently impress us with her distinctive and charismatic music. Melbourne's Money For Rope share some timeless psych rock with plenty of determined attitude, and Budapest's Ivan & The Parazol are rocking with style and class. Finally we have the first of four fine songs from Popincourt's new E.P, a refined and charming collection of material.
Running Red Lights - Calls of Prudence.
Nostalgia is an addictive comfort to snuggle up to when the present day seems intolerably bleak.
“Calls of Prudence” is a moodier, more sorrowful track in comparison to our previous, most recent releases. It was penned during a moment where I felt myself longing for the vibrancy of youth, the thrill of experiencing things for the first time.
One day, I was feeling particularly nostalgic and found myself reflecting on the days when I was young and could get blissfully drunk without having anyone or anything to answer to, without regard for the time that I was wasting. I curled up on my sofa with my notebook, my grief and my imagination, and I did what made sense – I began to write.
I hope you can find some solace in “Calls of Prudence.” - Scarlett of Running Red Lights.
And The Kids have shared a new song from their upcoming album When This Life Is Over out February 22 on Signature Sounds (Lake Street Dive, Josh Ritter, Dustbowl Revival). “No Way Sit Back” is a rollicking indie rock attack of the media and the toll it takes on minorities. While it's written from the queer perspective, the message isn't limited to one viewpoint. The joyful melody clashes against a stabbing line, "The world was never made for, Made for us." When This Life Is Over is the beloved Northampton group's third full-length and the most dynamic declaration of their distinctly rambunctious sound to date.
Since their earliest days as a band, And The Kids have embodied the wayward freedom that inspired their name. “When Rebecca and I were teenagers we just lived on the streets and played music, and people in town would always call us kids—not as in children, but as in punks,” says Mohan. On their third full-length When This Life Is Over, the Northampton, Massachusetts-based band embrace that untamable spirit more fully than ever before, dreaming up their most sublimely defiant album yet.
Rina Mushonga released a new single For A Fool on January 16th through [PIAS] Recordings. The Dutch-Zimbabwean pop innovator unveils the latest track from her imminent second album In A Galaxy on February 15th. Listen to For A Fool here
Having played a handful of low-key London shows towards the end of 2018, Mushonga makes her first UK live foray of 2019 when she plays London’s Shacklewell Arms on March 19th. Tickets go on sale on Wednesday 16th January and are available to purchase here.
The track unraveling into shape at the end of the album sessions having existed in various guises over the years. Explaining the origins of the track, she says; “this is an old love song or rather heart-ache song. Old, in the sense that it was plucked into existence over a period of time- in parts fictional in others less so.” Mushonga adds further; “in a way it chronicles a betrayed lover tormented by the desire to trust again whilst acknowledging that everything has been tainted and can’t go back to how they were.”
Melbourne psych-rockers Money For Rope will release new album ‘Picture Us’ on March 8, 2019, following international tours which have previously taken in shows across Primavera Sound, Glastonbury & SXSW, alongside support slots for Courtney Barnett (also an early champion of the band). Details of a 2019 UK headline tour from Money For Rope in support of the new album are soon to be announced. The band are trailing the album announcement with lead single, ‘Actually’.
Spawned from the same fertile Melbourne music scene which has fostered not only Barnett but also other friends including King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard, The Goon Sax and Rolling Coastal Blackouts Fever, Money For Rope are releasing ‘Picture Us’ off the back of a dogged touring habit which has kept them on the road near constantly for the last four years. Entirely self-produced, mixed & mastered by the five piece - comprised of Jules McKenzie (guitars, vocals), Rick Parnaby (keyboards), Erik Scerba (drums), Chris Loftis (drums), Ted Dempsey (bass) - ‘Picture Us’ was recorded over the course of a single summer in Victoria, Australia on the coastline of the Southern Ocean.
Following the release of the laid-back, West-Coast-influenced ‘Nr. 1003’, ‘Changin’’ showcases another dimension of Ivan & The Parazol’s creative prowess. Energetic from the start, the second single in the lead up to the band’s third full-length uses the saturated sing of distorted guitars and grooving basslines as an invigorating platform for frontman Iván Vitáris to deliver vocals bursting with character and colour. Rhythm-led verses let loose into a youthful, melodic chorus which is deserving of a place as the soaring opening of a coming-of-age indie film.
Ivan & The Parazol, a four-piece Budapestian band carrying the spirit of 70s glam-rock and incorporation of modern psych-rock instrumentation, making for an amalgam reminiscent of a Brian May-Kevin Parker compound, with their flamboyant guitar solos and overdriven octave-pedals on guitars. The upcoming album ‘Exotic Post-Traumatic’ was produced and recorded by Grammy Award-winning Wil Anspach (Muse, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Justin Timberlake, Frank Ocean) at the renowned EastWest studios in LA; hallowed grounds where Sinatra, Michael Jackson and Foo Fighters are just a few of the notable names to have recorded their material there.
Following an album "A New Dimension To Modern Love" (2016) and a couple of singles (including one for a Jam Tribute), Popincourt is back with a new 4-track EP - featuring Susanne Shields on backing vocals and Olivier Bostvironnois on electronic arrangements. The EP contains four ballads, one for each season, exploring new sounds in the studio and mixing acoustic guitars, vintage keyboards and loungy electro vibes.
The ideal soundtrack for a picnic alongside of the Thames, the pure pop of Popincourt, an Illegitimate child of Paul Weller and Roddy Frame, makes it seem like you are traveling. His new EP looks like a postcard written during a blue winter. In the spring, we wander in the alleys of Hyde Park, serenaded by the clean guitars of "Green Spring". Then begins the red summer, conducive to romances that are come and go on a Brazilian beach. The final scene is a landscape of William Turner lit up by the fantasy colors of autumn. Crossing the Channel to the sound of this '4 colours 4 seasons', is the guarantee of a "voyage that will last a whole year", to paraphrase another lover of the London sound.» Pierre Mikaïloff.
