Genre Wander: Kingswood - Echo Arcadia - Wild Rivers - Sinners & Saints - Blood and Glass - Sacrifice & Bliss

Kingswood - Golden.

Background - Aria-nominated, Melbourne rockers Kingswood, have released their bold and daring, second album After Hours, Close To Dawn into the world via Dew Process. After selling out their hometown headline show, the band have just announced a second date for 170 Russell on Sunday, March 26, plus added an additional date for Brisbane on Saturday, April 8 at The Triffid. 

Kingswood also announce that they will be heading to your favourite record stores; Red Eye Records in Sydney, Jet Black Cat in Brisbane; Record Paradise in Melbourne this week for a series of in-store signings, meet and greet their friends and fans, and perform some sneaky pop-up acoustic sessions of new music from the record.

After Hours, Close To Dawn was named in Rolling Stone Australia's 50 Most Anticipated Albums of 2017, as well as The Herald Sun's Biggest New Albums in 2017, and sees Kingswood move to the frontline of innovators in Australian music. It mixes compelling R'n'B grooves with soaring rock & roll, garage soul and space-age experimentation. It's an eclectic collection of music, but it's all connected by the defining element that is the trio's creative DNA. No matter what shape they take, these songs are still instantly recognisable as pure Kingswood.

The band has also announced local supports for their fifteen-date, triple j supported, national headline album tour. Joining Kingswood on the road will be Brisbane vibe-punks WAAX, Tasmanian artist Maddy Jane, with her rollicking, indie-pop as well as Melbourne trash-punk quintet Batz. Tour details on our tour page, Facebook here.

'Golden' exudes quality from the beginning. Pristine and refined music is mixed with smooth and melodic vocals. It's a beautifully crafted song, with some natural emotional feeling throughout.

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Echo Arcadia - Ghosts.

Background - Echo Arcadia's beautiful new album 'Visions of Symmetery' was released last Friday. Echo Arcadia are six piece Indie band from Edinburgh, Scotland who strive to "make music that will break your heart while your foot taps along." Guitars underpinned by thumping drums, thick bass lines and keys with violins that would break a stone heart, all bearing the weight of heartfelt vocals. This isn't conventional Pop music, but Echo Arcadia aren't a conventional band. "There’s no box we fit in" explains vocalist and guitarist Leigh, "unless its dodecahedral with a section for Schrodinger’s cat".

Visions of Symmetry is clearly a fusion of diverse influences as eighties Pop blends seamlessly into alt folk. Leigh's smooth and beautifully toned vocals are complimented perfectly by Kate's harmonies and every song is characterised by infectious melody, exemplary musicianship and intensely personal lyrics.

Leigh says "Visions of symmetry is a journey through a dark time in my life. It deals with loss, depression and the hope that comes with fighting through at the other side. It was described by our long term producer as a more mature and thoughtful album than our previous records, marking our growth in the music we're making. It's cinematic but personal, multi layered like an onion but it probably won't make you cry... it will go well with hotdogs though." Facebook here.

The mixture of refined vocals and delicate harmonies make 'Ghosts' a strong proposition in their own right. Add in the gorgeous music that is both understated and then powerful and this song really digs it's hooks in.

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Wild Rivers - Do Right.

Background from Wild Rivers - Though we only released our debut album 10 months ago, we wanted to release something new to represent our growth and development as people, musicians, and a band. After months of touring our album, we were inspired to explore new areas of our music: developing a larger, richer sound while still focusing on vocal harmonies and thoughtful lyrics.

“Do Right” is a song that displays growth from our folk roots, along with experiences we’ve encountered as a group over the last year. It showcases a refreshing new take on Wild Rivers, featuring more energy than ever before.

We're looking forward to continue exploring this new sound towards uncharted territory. After this release we are playing a string of dates in the US at SXSW followed by Nashville and Chicago. Then we’ll be back in Canada to headline CMW and work on focusing this new direction into an album. Website here, Facebook here.

Upfront and distinct duel vocals are made even more delightful with the accompanying harmonies. 'Do Right' is a crisp and well constructed folk orientated song with some pleasing Americana edge to it.

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Sinners & Saints - Old Bones.

Background - Americana duo Sinners & Saints' share "Old Bones," a rollicking feel good track from their forthcoming album On The Other Side (March 10th). Recalling early Avett Brothers, Sinners & Saints' write acoustic, country-tinged tunes with compelling harmonies, featuring foot-powered percussion on repurposed drums from an abandoned kit.

Sometimes you need a friend to laugh with and sometimes you need a friend to cry with. Perry Fowler and Mark Baran, hailing from Charlotte, NC, fit the bill for both in their two-man band Sinners & Saints. Whether they’re crooning about heartbreak or tearing it up with joyful abandon, you’ll feel happier for having listened.

Since the band’s formation in 2011, the band has shared the stage up and down the east coast with the likes of Flogging Molly, Shovels and Rope, Robert Earl Keen, Daniel Romano, St Paul & the Broken Bones, SUSTO, Sun Kil Moon, Bombadil, and many others. Sinners & Saints has been gathering a following of fans who turn to their whiskey drinking, shit kickin’, sweet loving music for a good time but find something more – an irrepressible optimism even in dark times. We’re all sinners and we’re all saints, and we’re all in it together.

The start of Sinners & Saints' tour across the United States coincides with the release of On The Other Side on March 10th, 2017. Tour dates on the Beehive Candy tour page, website here, Facebook here.

We featured Sinners & Saints in the middle of February and the chance to share another song in the shape of 'Old Bones' was a no brainer. A feisty foot stomper it's another chance to entice you towards what is a fabulous album.

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Blood and Glass - Punk Shadows.

Background - Blood and Glass took shape around singer-songwriter Lisa Moore, after she went to New York City to record demos in 2013. She met Montreal-based musician Morgan Moore,who helped her finish what would become her first EP. The pair began performing as a duo and was soon offered free studio time at Planet Studios. So began the recording of their first album. Robbie Kuster joined the ship and the group started playing concerts all over Quebec, Ontario and Northern United States.

Museum with no Walls, Blood and Glass’ self-produced first effort, was released in October 2014 and gathered passionate reviews worldwide. The band subsequently hit the road and toured with artists such as Montreal’s beloved Patrick Watson and Ariane Moffatt. They then went on to headline 20 concerts across Italy and came back home to play to full houses all over Quebec, Canada and the United States.

The group was voted among the top three best live shows at the FME by influential music website Consequence of Sound. One of their performances at the Silver Sound Showdown in New York City even landed them the prize of a free music video. Now signed to Simone Records, Blood and Glass are gearing up to release their sophomore album, 'Punk Shadows'.

As Lisa Moore puts it: The ultimate goal behind each of our recordings is derived from an advice from Jean Leloup: "Quand c’est le fun, c’est le fun...et quand c’est pas le fun, c’est pas bon." [When it’s fun, it’s fun...when it’s not...it's not good]. And that’s the very spirit that has allowed Blood and Glass to maintain their artistic freedom. 'Punk Shadows' is due on March 24, on Simone Records. Website here, Facebook here.

Right from the start  'Punk Shadows' presents itself as a vibrant and original song. Blood and Glass have a definitely gained my attention with the title track for the forthcoming album, if the rest is in this class we have something to be excited about.

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Sacrifice & Bliss - Kyrie.

Background - Infectiously catchy experimental Rock duo, Sacrifice & Bliss release their outrageously good new single “Kyrie”, out Friday 28th April 2017. The Electro-Rock innovators from London are set to hit the ground running this spring, touring alongside fellow Indie-Rock tastemakers and Hugh Stephens’ “Track Of The Week”, Dantevilles.

Inventive and enigmatic, all instruments spike excitingly throughout “Kyrie” providing a glorious tickle on the balls of your eardrum (yes, they exist – it’s science). This huge synth-laden Rock banger combines light and darkness to great effect with medieval & gothic influences triumphantly merged with rampantly upbeat electro synths. Unbelievably, with such a vast array of influences from Sly and The Family Stone to Radiohead, Sacrifice & Bliss have created something truly original whilst providing a curiously fulfilling helping of familiarity.

“Kyrie” is packed full of the now trademarked and contagiously addictive riffs that fans have come to expect from guitar genius John K Lucy. Adapted from a Gregorian chant and with lyrics throughout “Kyrie” sung in part Greek, part Italian and part English, the distinctive vocals of co-songwriter and bassist Roger Hany put him as the front-runner for your new favourite frontman with soaring highs that Matt Bellamy of Muse would be jealous of. Frontman Roger Hany explains that “Kyrie” was written about “the giving of yourself to that which is bigger or greater than yourself”.

Capturing the attention of the masses with sold out shows supporting the likes of 90’s Brit Pop icons My Life Story, 60’s Rock icon Arthur Brown and Folk Rock favourite’s Blackbeard’s Tea Party, it’s no wonder the duo have already been picked up by BBC Introducing and 6 Music with previous single “Hit Me” achieving multiple track of the week status’ across the 40+ radio stations already spinning the band.

Narrowly avoiding a health warning for its highly addictive content, “Kyrie” is released Friday 28th April and taken from their Self-Titled debut EP out later in the year. Website here, Facebook here.

The calm start doesn't last to long before we are into some wild and dramatic music. Vocals are absolutely wonderful if not borderline insane and the music isn't far behind either. 'Kyrie' is a must listen.

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Genre Wander: The Tigerlilies - Topanga - Sinners & Saints - Bokito

The Tigerlilies - Shipwrecked.

Background - The style set forth by the Buzzcocks, Cheap Trick and The Ramones is alive and well in the hands of The Tigerlilies - Cincinnati’s sole practitioners of post punk power pop. Brothers Pat (vocals, guitar) and Steve (vocals, drums) Hennessy spearhead the band which includes Brian Driscoll (bass) and Brendan Bogosian (lead guitar). Together they have played countless shows around Ohio, serving as support for Violent Femmes, Joan Jett, Paul Weller, Guided By Voices and Superchunk, and attaining a sizable and appreciative following along the way. The past decade has seen the release of many singles and albums on independent Midwestern labels such as Atavistic, Violently Hip and Mono-cat 7, chalking up a total of four full lengths which showcase The Tigerlilies economic blend of punk, 60’s soul and garage rock.

The band is following up their 2016 critically acclaimed 123456 EP with an old fashioned 7-inch single release, “Lovers Du” / “Shipwrecked”, tracked at the historic Herzog Studio Space in Cincinnati. The single will drop digitally and on vinyl early 2017 and will be released on Sir Gregory Records out of Ashville, NC. The label, run by Greg Mills, is known for its deep catalog of US and UK-based psych & garage rock.

Both sides of the 7” deal with the ephemeral nature of love and life, often capturing such weighty subjects through the lens of pop culture. “These things are important to us because they represent a shared human experience” asserts Pat. “Hearing them reflected in song can bring people together, make them feel uplifted, reflective and just better.” This is a sentiment which has been echoed by their fan base who have expressed how The Tigerlilies music has helped them through depressing and even suicidal times. It’s seems the band’s retro, revved up rock, which often comes with a care free veneer, has a deep effect on people’s lives. Website here, Facebook here.

'Shipwrecked' is a powerful guitar rocker where the vocals are loud and ideally matched for what is unpretentious blast of rock'n'roll.

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Topanga - Life's A Coma.

Background - Los Angeles indie pop group Topanga is thrilled to have released their debut EP Midnight Jungle. Titled after the nickname the group bestowed upon LA after dark, the EP was written throughout late 2015 and early 2016, and is inspired by two lifetimes of experience in the strange city. They then brought the EP to their friend Mike Malchicoff (who helped engineer Kanye’s The Life of Pablo) and experimented with the right mix of sounds and synths in order to create the perfect concoction. The final result is a dreamy six-part album that both meditates on fantasies of the past, and navigates the strange realities of the present.

Topanga was started by Derek Brambles and Eric Johnson, former members of the now-defunct group The King’s English. Both these men draw inspiration from a wide variety of musical figures, ranging from Miike Snow and Tame Impala, to Kendrick Lamar and David Bryne; however, they both reserve a special place in their hearts for Paul McCartney’s RAM and David Bowie’s Hunky Dory, going so far as to have “1971” tattooed on them to commemorate their year of release. Website here, Facebook here.

With rhythmic beats at the fore 'Life's A Coma' is a powerful track with the vocals also playing a key part in driving the song along. The 360 video is an additional treat, giving even more potency to a feisty song.

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Sinners & Saints - Promise Land.

Background - Americana duo Sinners & Saints share their new single "Promise Land," an upbeat track featuring dulcet harmonies, a swinging bass line and bright harmonica. The track comes to us from the duo's forthcoming second full-length album On The Other Side, available March 10th via Silent Uproar.

Sometimes you need a friend to laugh with and sometimes you need a friend to cry with. The two-man band Sinners & Saints, from Charlotte, NC, fits the bill for both. Whether they’re crooning about heartbreak or tearing it up with joyful abandon, you’ll feel happier for having listened. Perry Fowler and Mark Baran infuse their acoustic, country-tinged tunes with compelling harmonies and foot-powered percussion on repurposed drums from an abandoned kit.

Since the band’s formation in 2011, the band has shared the stage up and down the east coast with the likes of Flogging Molly, Shovels and Rope, Robert Earl Keen, Daniel Romano, St Paul & the Broken Bones, SUSTO, Sun Kil Moon, Bombadil, and many others. On The Other Side will be available on March 10th, 2017. Upcoming tour dates on Beehive Candy tour page. Website here, Facebook here.

Americana with a hint of more traditional country vibes, is notable on the featured song 'Promise Land'. The album takes the listener into a varied collection of Americana ideas and tunes, with the duo keeping it interesting and enjoyable with differing styles and plenty of catchy tracks.

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Bokito - Better At Getting Worse.

Background - Peddling an uproarious blend of rock, soca, funk and roots, London-based five-piece Bokito have coined a phrase for their unique genre mashup: tropical indie. Anyone fortunate enough to have witnessed the group’s jaw-dropping live sets, where edgy grooves and unforgettable hooks are delivered as if every show is a sun-baked carnival, would relate to this label. Though much of the attention naturally falls on singer Moses – a man whose extraordinary voice is married to eye-popping stage-front shape-throwing that proves a catalyst for the audience to follow suit – the vice-like tightness and melodious flourishes of the band, comprising Jody (bass), Joe (guitar), Tom (drums) and Sam (keys/percussion), are equally essential. Bokito take inspiration from such diverse sources as J Dilla, Jeff Buckley, Fela Kuti, Justin Timberlake and Queens of the Stone Age to bring a little of the rousing celtic spirit of Moses’ Irish homeland to London’s global soundscape. The thrilling results proved irresistible to Lost In The Manor Records, which added Bokito to its roster as a signing sure to put a rocket under 2017.

Though an unequivocal dancehall classic, a booming amalgam of Afro-funk and indie, ‘Better At Getting Worse’ is something of a cautionary insight to the male psyche. Frontman Moses explains: “The song is primarily aimed at men and their own handling of their emotions... and how useless most of them are at it. But we men are talented at one thing, which is suppressing everything and moulding it into a smile.” Indeed, one listen to ‘Better At Getting Worse’ and it’s hard not to crack a grin the size of an alpine crevasse, right from the song’s swirling organ-and-guitar refrain soaring across an angular calypso rhythm, to its absolutely astral chorus, a spine-tingler of a hook that finds Moses proclaiming “Everyone thinks I’m better but really I’m just getting better… better at getting worse”. Produced by Bradley Spencer and Alex Beitzke in London’s Fish Tank studios, and mastered by legendary Grammy-nominated engineer Greg Calbi, ‘Better At Getting Worse’ is a characteristically compelling first salvo from a band who have a rich seam of ready singles in waiting. Facebook here.

There is a funky upbeat groove right from the very start and singer Moses just rides above the band, delivering delicious vocals throughout 'Better At Getting Worse'.

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