The Toronto-based band, Tallies are today sharing their new single, "Memento" which comes as the final advance preview of their forthcoming album, Patina which is out this Friday, July 29 via Kanine Records (US), Hand Drawn Dracula (Canada) and Bella Union (UK/EU). The latest single arrives following a string of recent tracks which have found support at many major publications and notable radio stations.
Speaking about this new single, Sarah of the band says: "I am a firm believer in “what goes down must come up,” people usually say the opposite, but this is a motto I’ve used throughout my life. When things aren’t going well, they have a tendency to bounce back. 'Memento', to me, is my pick-up song. When I sing “gotta get you on your way now”, I’m saying that it’s time to move on and move forward. I’ve had many moments in my life where I’ve lost momentum and felt directionless like I’d fallen into a black hole. It’s hard to crawl out of the hole and get back on track. I think there are a lot of people who spend their time thinking about how they need to get back on track. Listen to this song and remind yourself it’s time to look forward and lean into the future."
The balance of optimism and something more world-weary and wise is symptomatic of Tallies' music, this new single "Memento" lays into those ideas once more while drawing on gliding, shoegaze-adjacent jangle-pop reminiscent of The Sundays, Galaxie 500, Ride, etc. While many of their songs are upbeat, with Frankland’s breezy guitar lines drenched in reverb, soaring over Cian O'Neill’s propulsive drumbeats, Sarah’s lyrics pull out deep thought and emotive responses to day-to-day struggles.
Coming produced by Graham Walsh (of Holy Fuck, previously helmed records by METZ and Alvvays) alongside Dylan Frankland of the band at Palace Sound, Baskitball 4 Life and Candle Recording in Toronto, Patina arrives as a true labor of love; one that was delayed due to the pandemic but ultimately marks a truly rewarding collection for the band. Upon sharing the music with labels, it pricked the ears of Cocteau Twins' Simon Raymonde – a hero of the band – who signed Tallies to his Bella Union label, providing "a light at the end of a dark tunnel" according to Sarah Cogan of the band.
New York-based singer-songwriter and folk artist Steven Keene is adept at handcrafting consistently powerful and timely songs with the ability to resonate across generations, with deeply meditative lyrics and lessons that deliver progressive, universal messages of hope to the collective consciousness.
The newest emanation of Keene’s signature ethos arrives in the form of his latest single “Soon” (out now via Reviver Records), a track that seamlessly melds a James Agee-styled social critique with the ardent defiance of the best in American protest music. Once again leveling the sights of Keene’s masterful compositional craft dead-center on the faltering heart of the matter, “Soon” holds an unflattering yet hopeful creative mirror up to the great lumbering leviathan of a numb world sleepwalking into yet another World War.
Whether motivated by ignorance or outright disregard for the most costly lessons of human history, or by an equally untenable lack of collective self-awareness — it has now become frighteningly clear that the world is falling in, single-file, behind political pied-pipers bent on night-walking us straight into chaos. An eloquent creative effort to reclaim some sense of collective reason and spiritual autonomy, “Soon” represents a kind of exorcizing incantation against unwanted hate, propagated by powerful corporate and governmental interests who run the world and have too much to gain by sowing discord around difference.
Atlanta's Mamalarky released their debut full length on Fire Talk (Dehd, Bnny, Deeper) in 2020. An immediate critical breakthrough, the album saw praise from outlets like NPR, Bandcamp, NYLON, FADER, Billboard, Consequence, Paste and Pitchfork, who highlighted it's "complex instrumental interplay that inspires lean-forward listening."
As soon as they were able the band began hitting the road in earnest, touring with Slow Pulp, Jerry Paper and like-minded label mates PACKS and Wombo, which has only seen the buzz around the band grow in the last few months. Today, the band are returning with track entitled "You Know I Know", that arrives with a video featuring the Mamalarky's trusty tour van.
"'You Know I Know' was never supposed to come out," singer/guitarist Livvy Bennett explains, "but my bandmates told me it would make for a great single. I accidentally wrote a rock banger that sounded like it could have come out in 2007, like MGMT meets Weezer meets Sheryl Crow.
"The song is about growing up in Texas and having really overwhelming dreams of playing music and takin' it on the road. Having those dreams come to fruition recently has been exciting and has further grounded me in appreciating how much Texas, and Austin specifically, gave us the proper nutrients to do what we're doing now.
"It's also a bit about, ya know, death and impermanence. Having all your accomplishments and high notes framed by mortality is a good way to make sure you're taking it all in."
The Toronto-based band, Tallies are today sharing their new single, "Special" which comes as another preview of the band's forthcoming second album, Patina which is out July 29 via Kanine Records (US), Hand Drawn Dracula (Canada) and Bella Union (UK/EU). The latest single arrives following a string of recent tracks which have found support at Stereogum, Paste, Clash, Brooklyn Vegan and more with the new record following their self-titled debut which earned acclaim at, KEXP and BBC 6 Music in 2019.
Speaking about this new single, Sarah of the band says: "'Special' is about longing to be seen and heard by those who matter to you most. Sometimes feeling invisible is particularly painful when the indifference comes from someone whose opinion means a lot to you."
The juxtaposition of light and dark is a strong theme in the music of Tallies and certainly apparent once more with this new single, "Special" – another fine example of their gliding, shoegaze-adjacent jangle-pop reminiscent of The Sundays, Galaxie 500, Ride, etc. While many of their songs are upbeat, with Frankland’s breezy guitar lines drenched in reverb, soaring over Cian O'Neill’s propulsive drumbeats, Sarah’s lyrics can add a hint of shadow to even their most jangly tunes.
Coming produced by Graham Walsh (of Holy Fuck, previously helmed records by METZ and Alvvays) alongside Dylan Frankland of the band at Palace Sound, Baskitball 4 Life and Candle Recording in Toronto, Patina arrives as a true labor of love; one that was delayed due to the pandemic but ultimately marks a truly rewarding collection for the band. Upon sharing the music with labels, it pricked the ears of Cocteau Twins' Simon Raymonde – a hero of the band – who signed Tallies to his Bella Union label, providing "a light at the end of a dark tunnel" according to Sarah Cogan of the band.
Just four weeks on from sharing 'Clouds' Toronto based Maddee returns with 'Dry' another song taken from her forthcoming debut E.P 'Red Mind'. Her soulful vocals are smooth, intimate yet powerful when required and the musical arrangement really is splendid.
Leon Rosen shares his debut single entitled 'Summers Edge' described as an end of summer piece the vocals exude heartfelt emotion and are gorgeously distinct as they hold centre stage on this song.
Dorking (England) quartet Vinyl Staircase have a new video for 'Sidewalk!' a feisty and potent song where the bands influences inspire rather than dominate. I had some friends from Dorking many (OK many many) years ago, so a little added reminiscing for me, but the song is a fine one.
We are back to Toronto again, this time for Tallies and a 360 degree video for 'Midnight'. It's a rich indie pop song and I'm pleased that they referenced The Sundays and Cocteau Twins in their promo, this really does have the strength of both bands combined, a feat and a half in my opinion.
We have a storytelling video by The ROAMies and the melodic and beautiful song 'We Can Work It Out' where the duos duel vocals and harmonies are just fabulous.
Moon Panda have shared a colourful and creative video for 'On The Attack', which works so well with their mixture of psychedelic nuances and high quality dream pop sensibilities.
Over the past year or so we have featured a number of Welsh acts performing in their native language and it's with pleasure to share a couple of new songs from Breichiau Hir namely 'Yn Dawel Bach' and 'Saethu Tri'. It just goes to show, you can enjoy the rock and passion of any good band whatever they are saying and singing.
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Maddee - Dry.
The Toronto-based artist, Maddee is now sharing the downtempo R&B of ‘Dry'. Taken from her forthcoming debut six-track EP, ’Red Mind’, which is due for release this coming autumn, the new cut finds the artist exploring silk-smooth brass sections and pinpoint percussion, threading her lucid vocal in between.
‘Dry’ once again finds the 21-year-old artist working with Gray Rowan (Charlotte Day Wilson, The WAYO) on co-production, this time thematically turning her attention to self-worth and the importance of loving oneself. “It’s about trying to escape the feeling of loneliness but realising it’s perhaps better just to face it head-on,” says Maddee. “It’s also about realising my value in a relationship and what I'm ultimately worth and willing to give.”
The new single further examines the overarching subject of the forthcoming ‘Red Mind EP’, wrestling with the ramifications of a negative relationship and the emotions that Maddee felt throughout that period. From love to infatuation and naivety, the complex theme of love and emotion is further accentuated through the accompanying scarlet artwork.
Maddee cut her teeth initially with features on the ‘Colours EP’ from Toronto-based producer, Harrison - from here, she picked up slots opening for the likes of Lil’ Yachty, Willow Smith and Tennyson, alongside which she showcased across festivals including SXSW, NXNE and Field Trip. A pair of debut singles were released in 2017 (produced by Toronto’s Birthday Boy and Shagabond respectively), earning the buzz-building artist tips from tastemaker blogs, Majestic Casual and the attention of Red Bull Sound Select who handpicked her as one their spotlight artists.
Leon Rosen was born and raised in San Francisco, the son of an abstract painter and a belly dancer. His prodigious talent on the piano was recognized early on and by his teens, Leon was enlisted by Bay Area jazz legends such as Herbie Lewis and Sonny Simmons to back them on keys. He also fell in with the founding members of Burning Man who were pioneering the San Fran art scene in the early 2000’s. They invited Rosen to compose the opera which would be played for the 20,000 in attendance on opening day.
Rosen was always interested in pursuing singer-songwriter music in the pop vein, but made a more practical move to New York to study Jazz. Rosen thrived in the energetic and aggressive atmosphere of NYC, but eventually felt the call to move to Israel. Being both Jewish and Armenian, Rosen felt he was in a unique position to bridge the boundaries of race and religion. “I’ve always hoped to transform the world, so I often find myself taking a childish leap into the impossible,” Rosen notes. “Of course, you get punched in the gut by reality but I will always stay naive and get back up with a feeling of innocence and purity.” While studying Arabic, he became infatuated with Middle Eastern music which led him to Kochi, India, where he studied the musical traditions of the far East.
During this time, he had a prophetic dream that took place at a breakfast diner. Tom Waits sat him down and gave him a talking to about his initial dream of pursuing a career as a singer-songwriter. Waits told him, “Singing wasn’t about hitting the notes...You gotta just lay it in the bucket.” Rosen took this message to heart and returned to San Francisco. He struck up relationships with new collaborators and began exploring a more ‘baroque pop’ sound, combining his love of Jazz with the singer-songwriter pop of the late 70’s. The resulting recordings boasted a sweet, nostalgic vibe with modern beats and arrangements, falling somewhere between Harry Styles and and Tobias Jesso Jr.
Rosen’s debut single “Summers Edge” is now out. The heartfelt track is “...aimed to evoke the end of Summer. It’s a gentle sendoff of sorts, saying goodbye to Summer camp, Summer romance, Summer nostalgia or perhaps returning to a Summer lost - a place where an era ended, at a new time of change.”
Equally inspired by the fuzzy, garage rock vignettes of Ty Segall and the arch new wave of NYC legends Talking Heads, Dorking quartet Vinyl Staircase’s new single ‘Sidewalk!’ is a twisting, attitude-filled statement of intent. Channelled through a filter of resplendent Brit Grit, it’s a live favourite that has been tamed and committed to record.
There’s a taut feeling to the track, a disconcerting rigidity reflected in both the way the wiry guitars interact with locked-in bass and drum groove, and the panicked element to the vocals. Thematically this bears out, as the band elaborate:
"'Sidewalk!' explores the paranoia that can occur while walking around at night listening to music, also referring to larger worldly anxiety. Simultaneously it’s largely a non-sensical and erratic journey, reflecting the instrumental strangeness of the song."
Taking time out of touring to get to work on their latest batch of recordings has given the band a moment to reflect. Self-producing in their own homes in the small town of Dorking, they feel like outsiders with regards to any ‘scenes’. Using this relative solitude to their advantage, they have managed to avoid the tendency to take misdirected over-inspiration from their peers. Instead, the ability to grasp salient cues from other artists and taking them back into their own focused remit allows for the perfect mix between community driven evolution and individualist expression.
This ethos is exemplified in the video for ‘Sidewalk!’, as the band reached out of their bubble to bring the visual element of the track to life: “We wanted to put a big focus on the video for this track, and decided for the first time to collaborate with film makers”. Counter to the night-walk apprehension imbued in the track, the clip sees a figure striding through the streets in daylight, coolly accepting idolisation from an adoring mass, touching on the band’s tongue-in-cheek attitude.
Toronto-based indie-pop band Tallies have released the 360° video for “Midnight” ahead of their second European tour, which includes an appearance at Reeperbahn Festival in Germany. “Midnight” is the next single to be taken from the band’s breakthrough self-titled debut album – which is out now via Fear of Missing Out Records.
Hitting a melancholy sweet spot between The Sundays and Cocteau Twins, “Midnight” recaptures the thrill and excitement of those adolescent years when you’re sneaking out tof he house behind your parents' back and falling in love for the first time. Accompanying the track is a 360° performance video capturing the band in full motion, as director Christopher Mills explains.
“Midnight is an experiment in 360 degree double exposure performance based film-making that takes place in an enchanted rehearsal studio, and in a garden awash with moving light. Our perpetually moving camera embraces glitch, static poses during performance but always comes back to Sarah Cogan’s enchanting coaxing of an imaginary hand held viewers eye. Midnight balances glitch with wood, flowers plants and detritus with fluid and consistent camera movement throughout.”
Tallies navigate an unfamiliar world on their confident self-titled debut album, which blends elements of shoegaze, dream pop, and surf rock into a fresh sound that’s all their own. The band was founded by singer and rhythm guitarist Sarah Cogan and lead guitarist Dylan Frankland, a couple who met in a sound engineering class while attending Algonquin College (Ontario, Canada). Tallies’ sound was fully realised with the addition of Frankland’s friend from childhood rock camp, drummer Cian O’Neill, and bassist Stephen Pitman.
Growing up with a music-obsessed father, Dylan Frankland was introduced to greats like The Smiths, The Sundays, Aztec Camera, and Cocteau Twins. He subconsciously carried these influences into Tallies, which is evident in the Johnny Marr stylings of his guitar riffs and the Robin Guthrie-tinged shoegaze textures of his production. The album was co-produced by Frankland and Josh Korody at Toronto’s Candle Recordings, a hot spot where locals like Metz, Dilly Dally, Austra, and Weaves have made indie classics.
Sometimes life gives us lemons. And, unfortunately, sometimes it throws those lemons at us really hard, one after another, no rest in between, no warning the next one is coming.
Our instinct is to run...hide...protect ourselves. Forget about making lemonade! And what about those we love, those sharing life with us? They’re right there beside us dodging lemons too. That’s where Love steps up. Love’s instinct is to love them as we love ourselves.
Even to put them above ourselves. If we’re all living to love each other as we love ourselves, to put each other first, those difficulties life throws at us become opportunities to work together, to build our relationships, to make them stronger...together. When the harsh difficulties of life fall on us, and nasty disagreements spring up between us, together, with Love and commitment to each other, We Can Work It Out - The ROAMies.
Cross-continental psychedelic dream pop duo Moon Panda announced their debut EP and released a video for their latest single, "On The Attack", earlier today via High Clouds.
While "Attack" details the trials and tribulations of a long-term relationship, the Charlotte Spies-animated video is a technicolor contrast featuring shapeshifting animals. While that might seem visually disconnected from the song, singer/bassist Maddy Myers and Danish guitarist Gustav Moltke contend it couldn't be more relevant to the subject.
"[It's about] going back and forth between self-reliance and feeling like an unattached wild animal, chasing affection and adoration," Myers told High Clouds. "Waiting for a text back, a call, some proof that I’m missed. Hopefully, it outlines that chaos that can happen inside you when you just want that warmth and acceptance."
"Attack" is the latest song off of the duo's upcoming EP, Pastel Pools, which was announced alongside the single last week.
To move from the caustic, the abrasive, the aggressive to a pensive sadness that eventually brake’s into a cacophony of blistering chords with such ease is a testament to Breichiau Hir’s growing confidence. The last 12 month of releases has shown a band forever forging their own individual path. ‘Yn Dawel Bach / Saethu Tri’ is their new Double A side single, it’s also the band's most melodic songs to date. These songs combine Breichiau Hir’s love for loud noise and soft sad moments. Emphatic sounds and melancholic atmosphere. ‘Yn Dawel Bach / Saethu Tri’ belong together, they come from the same emotional and creative place. As Steffan Dafydd the bands lyricist and vocalist explains:
“In Saethu Tri, I outline the dread or regret that can overcome me and how I’m never totally sure how to deal with it. I don’t dramatise it in the song, I kept it matter of factly and tried to convey the numbness and dullness that comes with it. It’s wistful and sombre.”
“Yn Dawel Bach is nearly a response to this dread I talk about in Saethu Tri. It basically points out that these waves of panic can overwhelm you whenever it wishes. It can come crashing at you wherever you are. It doesn’t ask permission, it just arrives, unannounced and uninvited.”
These frail emotional landscapes the songs move through are beautifully conveyed. Calm verses that ease the listener into a false sense of security and control before a wall of sound blissfully brakes into the chorus.
The single will be available on limited edition cassette tape and Breichiau Hir will celebrate the release with a launch night at The Dojo, Kings Road Yard, Cardiff on September 28th.
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.
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.
Along the way, someone unearthed their debut record, Space Age Love Songs, which was recorded exactly 20 years ago. The LP was a hit at the time, winning album, artist and record of the year at the Cincinnati Music Awards and landing them a showcase at the burgeoning SXSW Festival. But the band had all but forgot about its release after a traumatic accident, involving a drunk driver hitting their tour van, killed their manager and momentarily dashed their dreams.
Listening back, they were all impressed with the timeless nature of the material. Indeed, their knack for sharp and concise rock nuggets left little room for any dated production techniques. They had always correlated its release with the accident, but with the buffer of time, it felt appropriate to orchestrate a re-release, a 20th anniversary addition if you will, with 6 additional unreleased tracks from those sessions. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.
We have featured The Tigerlilies a couple of times before, and I really wanted to mention their 20th anniversary addition of Space Age Love Songs that was released just a few days ago. From the re-release we can share 'Contact' a song that typifies the quality of the albums material, and has passed the test of time very well. What is really pleasing is the calibre of the six previously unreleased bonus tracks, it must have been a challenge to choose what to include and what to leave out from those original album sessions, this re-issue uses the expression "bonus tracks" accurately, they are indeed a real bonus!
Background - Tallies (formerly Thrifty Kids) is a 4-piece indie pop band from Toronto, Ontario, founded in 2014 by lead singer and guitarist Sarah Cogan and guitarist Dylan Frankland. While studying recording engineering in Ottawa, Cogan and Frankland worked together on a school project for which they formed what was supposed to be a one-time ensemble but turned into a full-time act. After numerous tours to Toronto, the band chose to relocate permanently in 2015 where they moved in together and have been recording and performing steadily ever since.
Frankland initially met drummer Cian O’Neill at “School of Rock Camp” in 2006, where they learned to rock together at the tender ages of thirteen and twelve respectively. Ten years later, O’Neill and Frankland are rocking together on stage again when O’Neill agreed to join the band. Not long after joining the group O’Neill recommended bassist Stephen John Pitman.
Along the Tallies' wave of success they’ve sparked the attention of Bluesfest, CTV, ET Canada, The Edge 102.1, Ottawa Life and many others. Borrowing heavily from previous generations music, specifically 50s doo-wop and 60s harmonies, they have crafted a sound that’s one part modern with a heavy dose of nostalgia.
Whatever they lack in thriftiness they make up for in stealthiness, the way their soothing beach sounds, shimmery guitars and dreamy heartthrob vocals sneak up on you. Frankland now works at Candle Studios with producer Josh Korody (Beliefs, Dilly Dally, Weaves) who is currently in the process of mixing Tallies most recent work. Their newest material features up-beat drum beats, melodic bass riffs, jingly guitar leads, and fluttery lighter-than-air vocals. FACEBOOK.
Tour Dates: March 01 - The Casbah, Hamilton ON w/ Casper Skulls March 02 - Baby G, Toronto ON w/Palehound March 03 - House of TARG, Ottawa ON w/ Weaves March 04 - Moustache Club, Oshawa ON March 08 - Windsor Beer Exchange, Windsor ON March 09 - The Foxx Lounge Rock Bar, Barrie ON March 10 - House Show, Guelph ON.
With a fresh upbeat tempo and feel 'Mother' is a catchy sixties influenced song, that fires hooks from start to finish. The modern production adds more definition, the gorgeous vibes are timeless.
Background - The titular track of TALMA’s second EP release, ‘Out To Sea’ is the bands most ambitious cut to date. A song of two halves, it starts as a poignant and melancholic reflection on the concept of mortality before morphing into a dazzling progressive outro replete with urgent guitars that rush through the mix like the racing of a restless heart. As drummer Johnny Harrison explains: "Many of our artistic influences write about death in their music - The Smiths, Nick Cave, Pink Floyd. In my own writing I sought to approach the subject from a positive viewpoint, or at least a bittersweet one.
‘Out To Sea’ is about being comfortable with the concept of mortality, an acceptance that can afford us a sense of opportunity in fleeting moments and a perception of fate that gives rise to purpose. The culmination of the track in the second half instrumental almost expresses the ecstasy that comes with these realisations - we can embrace the absurdity of it all.”
Seamlessly blending alt, classic and art rock, London-based five-piece TALMA command a magnetic sound and presence that comes straight out of the underground scenes of London. TALMA’s raw and unshackled live performances are where they truly run riot. They’ve supported the likes of Queen’s Spike Edney and received acclaim for their intense energy and all-out charisma from London all the way to LA, including praise from industry commentator and author Ari Herstand. Singer Henry Adams captivates attention with a bravado and charm that’s rarely seen among many frontmen, while the telepathic tightness of guitarists Jack Rennie and James Creed, bassist Pete Warren and drummer Jonny Harrison make TALMA an artistic unit to be reckoned with.
Where the band draw direct inspiration from the likes of The Smiths, The War On Drugs and The National, they also incisively employ a musical diversity and dynamic range comparable to the likes of Radiohead and Wolf Alice. The result is a band who operate without creative constraints and who are primed to challenge the seemingly predetermined binaries of modern British rock. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.
'Out To Sea' is our third song from TALMA to be shared on Beehive Candy as the band continue to consistently impress. Another well crafted alt rocker, the distinct and addictive vocals are well up in the mix, the bands smooth and capable delivery is notable, the second EP is calling for attention in a powerful way.
