Showing posts with label Sorority Noise. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sorority Noise. Show all posts

Wednesday, 22 February 2017

Midweek Muse: Sorority Noise - Janet Blair - Uruguay - Nacho Londono - Lost Lakes

Sorority Noise - A Better Sun.

Background - Sorority Noise have shared "A Better Sun", the second single off of their upcoming record You're Not As _____ As You Think. The single follows the highly regarded first single "No Halo" which was released in January.

Sorority Noise write important songs. They go to uncomfortable places, unafraid to let the darkness in – but they’re also not shy at kicking back until the sorrow subsides. They’re songs of confusion, anger, life, death, mental health and, most importantly, hope. They’re what it means to be human.

It’s in this way that the album’s title comes into view, and it only takes inserting a few adjectives – sad, happy, rich, poor – to realize life is all about perspective. Hardships are inevitable, but so is hope. Rather than living in the shadows, Sorority Noise have learned the only way to move past the struggle is by never stopping moving forward into the sun. Website here, Facebook here.

We featured the bands first single a month a go today and the new song 'A Better Sun' tends to confirm that the forthcoming album is one to watch out for. If the first song was highly regarded, then the band have upped the stakes even further with this track.


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Janet Blair - Eternity Grows.

Background - Janet Blair is a captivating singer-songwriter from New Mexico, who built a bridge between her classical roots and pop-influenced songwriting with Songs for the Waiting, her forthcoming debut.

Janet brought her yellow upright piano to the middle of White Sands, NM to capture her single and album art which I love, and hope you do too. 

Blending modern piano-pop and bright melodies "Eternity Grows," channels artists such as Regina Spektor and Ingrid Michaelson.

Janet Blair never fails to explore an array of emotions, taking the listener through journeys of tragedy and triumph. Website here, Facebook here.

'Eternity Grows' is a melodic and delightful pop song. Janet Blair has a tuneful and playful voice that is comfortably matched to the song alongside that extra something. In this case for me it is palpable element of emotion, that became clearer with a second listen.

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Uruguay - Sabrina Segment.

Background - Uruguay is a transient electronic band created by Stepha Murphy and Benjamin Dawson-Sivalia. Their music features hauntingly beautiful vocal melodies atop driving and atmospheric production, and is largely inspired by the duo’s diverse musical backgrounds as well as their experiences since moving to New York City. 

Both Stepha and Benjamin have extensive, and largely self-taught, musical backgrounds. Stepha’s mother was a trained opera singer and began giving her voice lessons at an early age. She then began learning classical piano, by ear, at the age of 11 and continued playing for eight years.

The son of a violin maker and a vocalist, Benjamin grew up playing drums, guitar and piano. He studied jazz saxophone in college, going abroad to London and Barcelona where he began to simultaneously delve into production and classical guitar.

After meeting in North Carolina the two moved to New York City to pursue careers in modeling (Stepha) and music production (Ben). Moving to NYC proved difficult as they were initially scammed out of their savings, leaving them homeless.  They endured further triumphs and difficulties, which laid the groundwork, and need, for creative expression that eventually manifested itself as Uruguay. Website here, Facebook here.


I personally feel that if you can create some atmosphere and intrigue within seconds of a song beginning, then you certainly have a pretty unique and desirable piece on your hands. 'Sabrina Segment' did it for me, what about your wonderful self (as all Beehive Candy visitors are).

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Nacho Londono - Abiertos.

Background - Colombian, singer-songwriter, Nacho Londoño, makes his Miami GrassRoots Festival debut this Friday, February 24 at GrassRoots Live! in Wynwood Yard. The 7:00 p.m. live performance, a blend of folk and experimental pop-rock, includes Nacho Londoño on vocals and guitar, Sammy Gonzalez on bass, Moises (Moi) Linares on drums, and Charles 'Chip' Gardner on keyboards.

Londoño has worked with renowned producers and recording engineers including Matt Knoble (Lenny Kravitz), Tom Dowd (Aretha Franklin, Eric Clapton, Lynyrd Skynrd, Rod Stewart), Doc Wiley (Sonic Verve Studios), Juan Pablo Manzanero, son of singer-songwriter and musician, Armando Manzanero, as well as A.T. Molina (Locos por Juana, Jorge Moreno), and Mark Kondrat and Javier 'lakambra' Delgado (Locos por Juana).

Founder of the band Arboles Libres with which he released the self-titled album in 2010 and sophomore album, Father, in 2012, Londoño launched his solo career in 2014 releasing a series of songs on all major digital platforms. His current single "Abiertos" features Sophy Encanto (Elastic Bond) on bakcground vocals, Mark Kondrat and Javier 'lakambra' Delgado (Locos por Juana) on guitar and drums, respectively, Charles 'Chip' Gardner (Fusik) on keyboards, and Sammy Gonzalez on bass. Website here.


'Abiertos' is one of those songs that comfortably flies above any language barriers, for one reason alone, it is just so catchy. Lets also add in that the music is high class, the melody naturally appeals, and the whole arrangement is pristine.

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Lost Lakes - Give Up The Ghost.

Background from the band - Lost Lakes is a Madison, WI based collaboration between Corey Mathew Hart and Paul Mitch. We met during a songwriting competition held by a local radio station. The first time we played together, we clicked musically and personally. Our collaboration has grown over the last few years developing into a strong songwriting and production team with a focus on well-crafted tunes and tight vocal harmonies. 

We produced the record ourselves and enlisted drummer/percussionist Shane Leonard (Field Report, The Stray Birds) along with our longtime bandmate Rusty Lee on keyboards, and pedal steel player Charlie Rose (Elephant Revival, Aoife O'Donovan). The project was recorded over a ten month period in a shared warehouse space called the Dojo. The Dojo is a 3600 square-foot warehouse filled with eclectic gear from homemade microphones and recording equipment to guitars amps, and drums of all colors, shapes, and sizes.  Being fairly porous to the Wisconsin elements, the temperature in the Dojo ranged from 41 degrees to well over 100 over the course of the project, adding a little chaos and adventure to the sessions.  We enlisted Justin Guip (Levon Helm, Hot Tuna, The Stray Birds) to mix the album. The album is due for release on March 3, 2017. Website here, Facebook here.


Lost Lakes have created a beautiful album and the featured song 'Give Up The Ghost' is but a taste of whats in store. The bands attention to detail and quality musicianship, is matched by an evident desire to develop music to relate to. One thing is clear, there is plenty of life and ideas to be found, in tried and tested musical genres.

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Sunday, 22 January 2017

And The Beat Goes On: Soulin Wild - Sorority Noise - SPC ECO - Heavy Tiger - Tall Tall Trees - Hajk

Soulin Wild - Instinctive Echoes.

Background - Soulin Wild began as an outlet of musical expression for Dan Gunn and Matt Bracknell and has now grown into a collective of gifted musicians and talented artists with over eight years of musical experience together.

Soulin Wild are excited to share their first single, ‘Instinctive Echoes’, from their album Balance. Produced and recorded by Soulin Wild at Womb Language Studio on the banks of the Kalgan River, WA, ‘Instinctive Echoes’ is a song that expresses and evokes intrigue into the mystery and magic of instinct, intuition and other unconscious elements that reside beyond the thinking mind. The track moves through light and heavy sounds with vastly contrasting sections, yet remains fluid, held together with solid grooves, fat guitar riffs and lush euphoric vocals.

Embracing the technical facets of recording and music production, Soulin Wild built a bedroom studio on the banks of the Kalgan River in Albany, WA. Four years later, their self produced album Balance was complete. Mixed by Tim Morris and mastered by Dick Beetham, Balance is “a sensory journey through our creative soul expression. Each of the twelve tracks is sort of stitched together to create one long musical piece,” says Matt Bracknell.

On stage, Soulin Wild create alluring rhythms and intricate instrumentation whilst sharing lush harmonies and swapping instruments. Intertwining music with elements of live visual art, they align in intuitive expression to present a performance of highly concentrated creativity.

Currently performing shows with live Fremantle visual artist Jess Richards along the West Australian coast, Soulin Wild aim to share their soulful sounds with ear canals and open hearts in their community, Australia and eventually the world. Bandcamp here, Facebook here.


The richness of the music on 'Instinctive Echoes' is superb. Mixing detailed rhythms, calm soring vocals (reminded me a little of Grant Lee), and the occasional explosion of guitar riffs, I can't help but just love this song.

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Sorority Noise - No Halo.

Background - Sorority Noise have just released "No Halo", the first single off of their new full length record You're Not As _____ As You Think. You're Not As _____ As You Think is the follow up to 2015's critically acclaimed Joy, Departed. The new album us set to be released on March 17th via Big Scary Monsters. Pre-orders are available now here. A quote from singer/guitarist Cam Boucher on the story behind the song can be found below.

"This song is about having a friend pass away and still keeping them fondly in your mind to the point where you show up to their house forgetting that they're no longer there. It's about struggling to keep up with the people you love when you're away and how to be/how it feels to not be there for them when they need you most." - Cam Boucher

Sorority Noise have also recently announced they will be touring this March with Modern Baseball, Kevin Devine and The Obsessives. Website here, Facebook here.
(Tour details via tab at the top).

The new song 'No Halo' is really getting some attention. It's a tight indie rocker with a chorus so full of hooks, that it is potentially going to be huge!

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SPC ECO - Under My Skin (EP).

Background - Electronic dream pop duo SPC ECO present their single ‘Under My Skin’, which also just featured in Series 6 Episode 7 of the MTV series 'Teen Wolf'.

"It was fantastic to wake up and hear what had happened with the Teen Wolf sync. Under My Skin is very close to both mine and dad’s hearts so it couldn't have been a better track for something like this to happen to," says SPC ECO vocalist Rose Berlin.

SPC ECO is comprised of alternative electronic maverick producer Dean Garcia, the musical mastermind behind seminal alternative rock band Curve, and his daughter Rose Berlin.

Rose is a Sound and Light artist, having graduated from Camberwell College of Arts in 2013 with a first class honours degree. She experiments with the potential for sound and light to be used as atmospheric mediums, intent on bridging the gap between art and music. She has exhibited her work in various shows around London and, in 2015, was selected to showcase her work as part of the Venice Biennale. Rose is currently making artwork for a show in London.

For his whole life, Dean Garcia has been sculpting sound to create alternate-universe pop hits that simultaneously straddle several genres. Apart from a decade with SPC ECO and nearly 15 years with Curve, Garcia has also toured the world several times and recorded multiple albums with such established artists as Eurythmics, Mick Jagger, Jeff Beck, Bryan Ferry, Sinead O'Connor and Ian Dury. Website here, Facebook here.


Title track of the new EP 'Under My Skin' is a sweeping and majestic piece, where the lush musical sound scape provides a wonderful background for Rose Berlin's sweet and ethereal vocals. As for the other tracks, expect an aural feast of quality.

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Heavy Tiger - Saigon Kiss.

Background - Thanks to their involvement in TUI's new commercial and the success of the song "Let The Sunshine In" (in writing at top 10 on ITunes Scandinavia Rock section) Heavy Tiger is at the moment receiving a great deal of attention as well as a lot of new fans. They plan extensive touring in Europe spring/summer 2017.

It's been a busy time for Heavy Tiger, spending the two past years constantly on the road. The Stockholm trio has been touring all over Europe, making national television and even playing in Japan as well as Vietnam to the delight of their ever-growing fan base. However, after completing another European stint last spring together with Backyard Babies, it was finally time to exit the tour bus and record a new album.

Glitter, the band's sophomore effort and the logical sequel to their debut Saigon Kiss is now ready to be launched to an unexpected crowd! The album was produced by Rikard Löfgren with Gustav Ydenius handling the recording duties at Leon Music Studios (Mustasch, Sparzanza, Sister Sin).

So, what can one expect from the Stockholm rockers? The first single, entitled Devil May Care was written for the band by singer Ola Salo of the Swedish pop/rock-phenomenon The Ark. With Devil May Care, this little Adam Ant-scented pop song is no exception. The single was the band's first release on Wild Kingdom Records. The new Heavy Tiger album Glitter - Release Date: 24 March 2017 - Label: Wild Kingdom. Facebook here.


Title track of their previous album 'Saigon Kiss' is shared as a substitute at the moment. It's a little frustrating having a copy of the forthcoming release but nothing to feature, hopefully that will change soon, however to be ahead of the game, here is a taste of this feisty trio, for your listening pleasure. As for the new album 'Glitter', it's eleven thumping, raucous, rockers and everyone of them are fabulous!

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Tall Tall Trees - Free Days.

Background - To say that Mike Savino is an innovator would be an understatement. Touring under the moniker Tall Tall Trees, the banjo-wielding bard has reshaped the landscape of what is possible with the instrument. On stage and in studio, Savino breaks down the banjo into its most basic iteration, reminding audiences that the banjo is, at root, a drum. Coupled with his mastery of electronic effects, loops, toy ray guns, and heaps of spontaneous creativity, Tall Tall Trees has been encapsulating audience members worldwide with his mystifying solo shows, as well as playing alongside fellow innovator Kishi Bashi.

His latest album ‘Freedays’ is, in a way, his debut album. Having recorded two previous albums in a traditional collaborative band setting, ‘Freedays’ is the first album Savino wrote and recorded as a solo project. Beginning in 2015, Savino took a much-needed respite from New York City, where he had spent a decade and a half honing his craft, and assumed the role of sole caretaker at an abandoned health retreat nestled in the green mountains of northern Georgia. The Bird’s Nest, as it was called, completely surrounded by national forest, provided the freedom and space to work without time constraints or interruption.

Composed and recorded over a period of eight months, ‘Freedays’ tells the story of a man in transition and documents an artist alone at the crossroads of the life he has and the one he wants. The album begins with “Backroads”, which drops the listener into a darkened forest amidst a chorus of wailing coyotes and quickly takes off on a midnight drive. Tracks like “Being There”, “A Place to Call Your Own”, and “CLC” provide an honest look into the author’s thought process and decision making. Although it’s often hard to imagine, most of the sounds on the album are experiments with the banjo, and they all reflect the innovative musings of one of the freshest sounds to come out of the Appalachians in decades. Facebook here. (Tour details via tab at the top).


Banjo and musical innovation aside Mike Savino is one fine singer as well. 'Free Days' is lush, powerful, highly melodic and layered beautifully, to allow every sonic inclusion to stand out.

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Hajk - Best Friend.

Background - Hajk's new single 'Best Friend' is now out on all streaming services. Their previous single 'Magazine' received plenty of support on line. Both tracks are taken from Hajk's self titled, highly anticipated, debut album due to be released early this Spring. Hajk’s debut album is being released by Jansen Plateproduksjon.

The band said of the track: "This is an in-your-face little pop-tune. We wanted it to sound modern and tight, but also with a little '80s vibe, referring to our childhood music. This is a song about close friends who might expect too much of each other and get to the point where it finally falls apart - just like it did for me in my late teens, for better or worse."

Hajk are fronted by Preben Sælid Andersen and Sigrid Aase, who share the vocals, while Johan Nord (drums), Knut Olav Buverud Sandvik (bass) og Einar Næss Haugeth (keys) completes the backbone of the band . Musically, Hajk are situated in a modern pop/rock landscape, with an emphasis on very strong melodies. The band are influenced by artists like Dirty Projectors, Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Amason, but still they stand firmly on their own feet, with an original sound that also challenges the genre they belong to. Facebook here.


'Best Friend' is another fine tease for the forthcoming debut album. With a well structured indie pop soundtrack, it's the vocals and harmonies that standout at first. However paying attention to the instruments, Hajk can and do deliver some funky tight sounds that just add to the overall flavour.

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Friday, 26 February 2016

Gentle Friday: Sorority Noise - Those Pretty Wrongs

Sorority Noise - Either Way.

Background promo - Ahead of the band’s first ever UK dates, headlining and in support of Modern Baseball, Sorority Noise announce a new EP for Topshelf Records, “It Kindly Stopped For Me”, the follow-up to their critically acclaimed 2015 album “Joy, Departed”. The EP was recorded and produced by the band with exclusive artwork from Mitch Wojcik.

The intimate first song from the EP, “Either Way”, is available to stream now. Frontman Cam Boucher said the following of the track: “I wrote this song in our van outside of chain reaction in Anaheim, ca. I had found out I lost another friend a few days previous and was having a difficult time thinking about how I had made positive strides in dealing with my mental health but hadn't been able to help friends around me that I didn't know we're suffering from the same thing.”

'Either Way' is a soft acoustic number with calm vocals and harmonies. Keyboards add to the lilting melody, in what is a very delicate song.

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Those Pretty Wrongs - Ordinary.

Background promo - Those Pretty Wrongs are Jody Stephens and Luther Russell, two old friends and veterans of the music scene in different ways.

Jody-as many people in rock and roll (and beyond) know-was the drummer for the legendary band Big Star. He went on to help run the equally legendary studio Ardent in Memphis and play with the endearing troop Golden Smog. Luther Russell was the leader of seminal roots-rock band The Freewheelers and went on to make several acclaimed solo records, as well as produce many important artists over the years. Together they have forged a sound that is brand new for both, yet begets a strangely familiar feeling...

It was the documentary Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me that brought Jody and Luther together creatively, when Jody asked Luther to join him for some promotional performances. A chemistry was immediately noticed. They began writing songs and performing them whenever possible, soon taking their name from the opening line of Shakespeare Sonnet 41, which they slipped into one of their first collaborations, "Fool Of Myself". A relationship was soon struck up with underground SoCal label (and two-man revolution) Burger Records when the first track they cut in Memphis, "Lucky Guy", was sent to Sean and Lee, who jumped at the chance to release it as a 7", along with the aforementioned "Fool Of Myself" for the flip side. There was an outpouring of support for the new music, which gave Jody and Luther the confidence to move forward. Regarding how this all came together, Jody declares: "In a word...serendipity. So many of the events that brought Luther and me together were just by chance and born out of the Big Star world. I actually thought we might write three or four songs together for an EP but we just kept writing beyond that. 'Another window opened up and through it' we became Those Pretty Wrongs."

Luther lives in Los Angeles and Jody in Memphis, so the commitment had to be strong to persevere in composing these songs and cutting them until they were completely satisfied.

Tour Dates:
Mar-21 - Melbourne, Australia - Melbourne Recital Centre *
Mar-22 - Sydney, Australia - The Factory *
Mar-23 - Sydney, Australia - Petersham Bowling Club
Mar-24 - Melbourne, Australia - The Gasometer
Mar-26 - Tallarook, Australia - Boogie Festival
* = w/ Tweedy.

'Ordinary' has so much going for it. Vocals and harmonies rise above the predominately acoustic soundtrack, as the song gently builds. Melodic and calm and very pleasing.

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The Yesters - Steph Cameron - St. Catherine's Child - The Yagas

The Yesters - Billy Blue. Dynamic classic rock duo, The Yesters, has released their latest song and music video titled Billy Blue. This evo...