Showing posts with label The Foreign Resort. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Foreign Resort. Show all posts

The Foreign Resort - Wy - Idiio - Hajk - John K. Samson

The Foreign Resort - She Is Lost.

Background - Danish post-punk trio The Foreign Resort release their new single 'She is Lost' on April 19. This is the first song from the band’s next full length album, marking a return to the analogue sound of their 'New Frontiers' album, only this time the sound is more minimalistic and with plenty of electronics and spacious drums to create a dreamy yet upbeat soundscape full of contrast. The release is timed with a 10-day Canadian tour and a performance in Toronto at the prestigious Canadian Music Week. 

For lead singer Mikkel B. Jakobsen 'She is Lost' is a very personal song about what he sarcastically refers to as “the summer of love”: “It was one of the worst summers in my life. I came out strong on the other side, but this song was written partly when things were looking very bad and I was not doing the right things to get to a better place and partly when I had realized it was not just me who was the problem. Hence the title 'She is Lost'.” 

The band has also contributed the track 'Skyline/Decay' to 'Alternative F?acts: A Shoegaze Resistance Compilation'. Curated by DKFM Shoegaze Radio, this involves shoegaze and dream pop artists in opposition to tyranny, and in support of civil liberties and women's health. All proceeds from this compilation shall be split evenly between American Civil Liberties Union and Planned Parenthood. 

The Foreign Resort are Denmark's finest musical export of post-punk and dark new wave, led by singer and songwriter Mikkel Borbjerg Jakobsen. The band combines the shadowy mysticism of The Cure’s Pornography era with a driving production aesthetic akin to LCD Soundsystem. Intricate reverb-enveloped guitar lines glide over Steffan Petersen’s motorik bass and Morten Hansen’s powerful drumming, all while Mikkel’s taut and sincere vocal delivery demands your attention. Bandcamp here, Facebook here, website here, tour details on Beehive Candy's tour page.

We are featuring the album version of the new single release 'She Is Lost'. With a very tight rhythm and vocals and guitar carrying the melody, this is a gorgeously refined post punk song.

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Wy - Bathrooms.

Background - Wy stands out like a diamond in the rough in the midst of the occurring comeback of the dream pop genre. The duo combines mellow instrumentation with attitude and desperation - incisive guitar melodies in combination with Ebba's powerful vocals make their songs swiftly shift between a feeling of dejection and hope. 

With their floating synthesizers and melancholic guitars Wy do sad pop music where bare emotions are camouflaged by reverbed pop melodies. This young duo serves up a taste of tears in heaven.

With their debut-EP "Never Was" they gave a glimpse of the deep emotion that lays ground for their contemporary sound. Their upcoming first full-length LP "Okay" will seek to arouse even deeper emotions, with the duo continuing their exploration of the doubt and confusion of being a 20-something today. 

Preserving their sound, but in a well-groomed manner, the first single "Bathrooms" from their upcoming album surely will touch some of your inner areas that you might have forgotten about. Facebook here.

Deep, dreamy and slowly flowing 'Bathrooms' is a beautiful soulful and moody sounding pop song. Full of emotion, the video helps convey the feeling further. Keeping a watch for the new album.


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Idiio - One Night.

Background - Raised in Christchurch, New Zealand and now residing on the Gold Coast, Australia, Idiio are known for their passion towards music. They strive to create emotion through music around people, whatever the situation may be. Idiio are keen as biscuits to today release their new single into our ears. After receiving worldwide adornment with their breakout single, 'Holding Me Back', Idiio's new track, 'One Night' is out today via GD FRNDS.

'One Night' is Idiio appearing as their most resolute to date. Distinctly haunting, the song cruises on neo-soul vibes before descending into some cleverly structured, yet weighty and solemn bass dips. Taking cues from contemporaries Sampha and Jarryd James, Idiio craft ingenious and sensual electronica.

Frontman Tyler Vivian said this about the track, "'One Night' is a calling from a higher energy that you are pouring your heart and soul into. You'd grow with that person being the blossomed flowers on the tree that represents you. But the higher energy gives you insight to be weary about who this person really is, under all the roses. Put trust in that consciousness, put trust in your gut feeling."

After a generous heap of lineup shifts and now adding two live members as permanent editions, Idiio retain as a blusterous four-piece format–sparing nothing when it comes to their power of soul electronica. Emotions are high for Idiio's reinventive clench on electronic music and 'One Night' pushes them further into the void. Facebook here, tour details on Beehive Candy's tour page.

Mixing soul and electronic music in a highly creative manner Idiio have delivered a superb song with 'One Night'. Vocals bring the soulful feelings and the soundtrack is rich in content and something to be enjoyed with the volume just a little up!

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Hajk - Nothing Left To Say.

Background - Hajk's new single 'Nothing Left To Say' is out this week on all streaming services. Debut album 'Hajk' out Spring 17 via Jansen Plateproduksjon.

Hajk’s debut album is finally here, and the newest member of the Jansen family dazzles us all. Their beguiling mix of indie and intricate pop smarts has gone straight to the hearts of the listeners and fans.

Their first release, Common Sense, was listed by Norwegian radio stations almost before the band got out of their rehearsal space, and the follow-up single Magazine received a great reception from international media. In the US, Vice picked up the single straight away, and this blazed the trail for the band over there. Indie Shuffle went on to include Magazine in their top 10 songs of 2016.

Considering that they’re such a fresh band, Hajk have been surprisingly quick to adjust themselves. Not long after they’d written enough for a set of music, they played at Slottsfjellfestivalen, Øyafestivalen and by:Larm. They were playlisted by radio before they left the stage at those festivals, and now they’re here – with a confident debut and a collection of songs that any band would have envied.

Hajk are fronted by Preben Sælid Andersen and Sigrid Aase, who share the vocals, while Johan Nord (drums), Knut Olav Buverud Sandvik (bass) and Einar Næss Haugeth (keys) are the band’s backbone. Musically, Hajk are situated in a modern landscape, but looking back to the fine pop of the past, 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.

'Nothing Left To Say' might be described as funky indie pop, and as such you can expect plenty of hooks alongside some vibrant music and vocals.



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John K. Samson - Alpha Adept.

Background - John K. Samson has released a new video for “Alpha Adept”, a song from his latest full-length album, Winter Wheat, which was released in October last year, on Anti-.

The video was made by John K. Samson’s good friend and musician/artist Shotgun Jimmie, who made the video for John as a present.

John K. Samson will be touring in Europe and UK in May this year. Website here, Facebook heretour details on Beehive Candy's tour page.

Second time around on Beehive Candy for John K Samson and this time with the new video for 'Alpha Adept'. Another fetching song that is accompanied by some intriguing images that give there own story line to the song.


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Midweek Muse: Doe - He Is Me - If But When - Hannah Telle - The Foreign Resort

Doe - Sincere.

Background promo - Last Friday, September 9, the London-based three piece Doe released their debut album Some Things Last Longer Than You via Old Flame Records. Since their formation in early 2013 after members Nicola Leel (guitar, vocals) and Jake Popyura (drums, vocals) met via a classified ad and bonded over a mutual love of horror films and hatred of sport, Doe have been hard at work cranking out their own infectious brand of emotive, harmony-laden, punk-tinged indie rock to as many people as they can get to listen.

Drawing influences from such 90s stalwarts as Sleater-Kinney, Weezer, Helium and Breeders, the London-based trio have spent the last 3 years furiously honing their live craft and releasing a string of EPs and singles. With later releases on labels including Fierce Panda and Alcopop! Records, their earlier self-released recordings were eventually compiled and re-released as the First Four LP in late 2014, marking the beginning of Doe's relationship with Exeter-based punk label Specialist Subject Records and US indie rock imprint Old Flame Records.

After a lineup change and the addition of Dean Smitten (guitar) in September last year, Doe finally got to work writing material with an album in mind. In March, armed with 10 new songs and bags full of snacks, they ventured to Greenmount Studios in Leeds with producer Matthew Johnson (Hookworms/Suburban Home). The result of that intense 5-day pizza-fueled recording session is the band’s first full-length: Some Things Last Longer than You. Having recorded the majority of their previous output themselves and now with 35 minutes to play with, the album marks a recognisable sonic progression for Doe. 


Can I add Sleeper to the bands mentioned above as an indication of Doe's rock'n'roll sound. 'Sincere' is a powerful two and a half minutes of indie punk for want of a better description. Hooky and raunchy and in fairness with something of a timeless feel.

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He Is Me - Drowning Man/Ocean Man.

Background - "He Is Me" is a collaboration between Portland based songwriter and musician/producer Casey Braunger and Calgary, AB based songwriter/vocalist Steve Moore. He Is Me explores the beauty of the void in us all and what lies beneath with vast soundscapes, crushing atmosphere, gripping lyrical content, and pure emotion.

Casey and Steve first collaborated on a 2001 track called "Silencer". Fast forward to 2016, when Casey reached out to Steve about guest vocals on a new song. Steve liked it so much that they decided to form a new project with the intention of covering musical territory they hadn't covered before. This project would be ambient, brooding, unpredictable.

Casey Braunger, a Portland, Oregon based musician/songwriter/producer started playing bass at the age of 13, shortly after that he began learning any instrument he could get his hands on. He’s played in various punk, metal, blues, industrial, and electronic bands in his career. In 1999 he started his solo music project “Textile Arcade," while he was an audio engineer for an advertising agency. Textile Arcade featured many guests as vocalists throughout both the U.S. and Canada.

Steve Moore is a Canadian vocalist/musician. He has worked with prog rock/industrial metal duo The Unravelling (vocals - 2009 - 2015), downtempo electronic project Post Death Soundtrack (vocals, guitar - 2008 - present) industrial/ambient duo He Is Me (vocals - 2016 - present), and hardcore metal group Inner Surge (as the project founder - 2001 - 2008). He Is Me's 1st single is entitled "Let It Drip". The track showcases an ambient, free flowing, non verse-chorus-verse approach, and is meant as a mantra of sorts. The duo is currently working on a full-length album. He Is Me's 2nd single is entitled "Drowning Man/Ocean Man". It is two separate tracks meant to be heard as a single piece.


'Drowning Man/Ocean Man' starts out with something of a sinister darker feel to it, with Steve Moore's dominant vocals adding to the sense of danger or threat. The second part/song is even more ferocious and powerful. For me the atmosphere and musical theatre really works, not exactly easy listening and more compulsive than calming.

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If But When - The Franklin Avenue Shuttle.

Background - If But When is a pop/rock band from New York City. Their debut single "Never Change" was featured on Matt Pinfield's morning show on 101.9 RXP, as well as on 107.1 The Peak and other stations.

They have opened for such notable acts as Augustana, Marc Cohn, John Nolan (Taking Back Sunday) and Nightmare Of You, and their music was featured on the NY Mets' cable channel SNY. Their albums are hot sellers on iTunes, Amazon, and CD Baby, and they attract large, devoted crowds at such storied NYC venues as The Bitter End and The Rockwood. They have also made appearances at the Pleasantville Music Festival, the East End Greenfest, and the Seaside Music Festival. In May of 2016, they signed with independent Bronx based record label, Evo Music.

Their immensely catchy songs will have you singing along by the time the second chorus rolls around. “The Ghost Picked Me” is available Worldwide September 9th, 2016 on all sites including iTunes / Apple Music / Spotify / Google Play. The new single ‘The Franklin Avenue Shuttle’ on EvoMusic / The Orchard now.


'The Franklin Avenue Shuttle' is a vibrant musical story and the video really does help spell it out. Upbeat alt rock of sorts, If But When really do know how to craft catchy and engaging songs.

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Hannah Telle - Hollow Glow.

Background - Hannah Telle grew up in Shelby, North Carolina. After graduating high school from NC School of the Arts, she moved to Los Angeles to study at USC and become an actress. She is best known forher role as the voice of Max Caulfield, the main character in the BAFTA award-winning video game 'Life is Strange’. Hannah learned to play guitar for a role in a film and fell in love with the instrument.

She soon began to write songs, finding the process to be a therapeutic tool for emotional healing. Playing music opened her mind to a creative freedom she had never experienced with acting. She often plays musician roles and wrote several original songs for her character to perform in the feature film ‘I Live For You’, which premiered at the 2016 Dances with Films Festival. In spite of her very public career choice, she struggles with fear of receiving attention and severe performance anxiety.

She began taking guitar lessons to alleviate depression and her teacher, Ben Schwab, helped her record demos of her songs. They eventually decided to turn the songs into her first album, ‘Hollow Glow’, due September 21st.


'Hollow Glow' is a delightful indie folk song, with Hannah Telle's vocals driving the melody and the excellent background music giving her an excellent platform to seemingly fly above. Totally impressed!

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The Foreign Resort - Under Bright Neon Stars.

Background - The Foreign Resort will be reissuing CDs for ‘The American Dream’ EP via Texas-based label Moon Sounds Records and have announced dates for their upcoming North American tour. This will be their 11th tour on the continent and will also include 3 Canadian dates. 

‘The American Dream’ consists of five songs with a simpler but more intense expression than ever heard before from the band. Following up their 2014 album ‘New Frontiers’, which was produced and mixed by John Fryer (Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails, Cocteau Twins) and ranked among top albums of the year in many blogs and stations like WZBC and KDHX, the band first released ‘The American Dream’ in October 2015.

Led by singer and songwriter Mikkel Jakobsen, The Foreign Resort are Denmark's finest musical export of post-punk and dark new wave, combining the shadowy mysticism of The Cure's Pornography era with a driving production aesthetic akin to LCD Soundsystem. Intricate reverb-enveloped guitar lines and Mikkel's taut and sincere vocal delivery glide over Steffan Petersen's motorik bass and Morten Hansen’s powerful drumming.

Having toured with The Raveonettes, A Place to Bury Strangers and Swervedriver, they have also shared bills with bands like DIIV, The Soft Moon, The KVB and Slowdive. This autumn, the band's 2011 EP 'The Foreign Resort' finally gets a much deserved vinyl re-issue though Moon Sounds Records thanks to a successful crowd funding campaign via Pledge Music. This September-October visit to North America is the final tour in support of ‘The American Dream’, after which the band shall return to the studio to record a new full length, set for release in 2017.


'Under Bright Neon Stars' typifies the quality and emotional depth that is found across all five songs on the reissued EP. The band don't sit comfortably in any one genre which is a plus for me, it really is easier on this occasion simply to say, give them a listen.

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Bumper Catch Up featuring: Rubblebucket - Mollie Elizabeth - Lilly Hiatt - The Kearns Family - WILDES and St Francis Hotel - Lucette - Caroline Strickland - Mon Rayon - Lala Salama

Keeping the comments a little shorter so we can cram a few more songs in than usual, this is our first bumper catch up of some really fine r...