All Things Blue make their fourth appearance on Beehive Candy this year with the new single 'Buddha & Penelope'. The Los Angeles psych pop (& more) band have been consistently creative with each track they have shared ahead of their debut album, this final taster being another fabulous affair. ===== From Wales we have Tacsidermi and their debut single 'Gwir'. If you read the background piece below you may notice we have already shared some music from their Welsh counterparts and as a new duo they have created a wonderfully beautiful new song. ===== During the latter part of last year and the early part of this The Hempolics really impressed us and it's great to have a new video for 'In the Night' which is the final individual piece from their last album. Reggae and Dub fans may now indulge once again to this superb band. ===== We featured The Highway Women back in July with a video for 'Shake The Dust'. Now they have produced a new video for 'The Highway' and it's another powerful track from these fabulous country rockers. ===== We indulged with Silent Forum a number of times last year culminating with a full share of their Welsh Music Prize nominated debut album 'Everything Solved at Once'. Celebrating the first anniversary of said release they are back with a Charlie Francis Smokehouse remix of 'How I Faked The Moon Landing' along with an unreleased song 'Don't Overcook It'. Both songs more than deserve a good listen.
Los Angeles band All Things Blue have released the final taster of their upcoming debut album Get Bit – new psych-pop single "Buddha & Penelope". All Things Blue will also be streaming an album release show from LA venue Non Plus Ultra on December 10th. The show will be ticketed on a Pay What You Want basis, with all proceeds going to Bail Project.
The project of singer-songwriter India Coombs (aka Blue) and guitarist Jon Joseph, All Things Blue’s much-anticipated debut album Get Bit (out December 11th via Terrible Records) follows a series of hype-building EPs and singles, tackling the personal and the political with equal vigour.
New single "Buddha & Penelope" is accompanied by a stop-motion animated video created by Kat Bing. The track drifts in on the back of a lilting guitar line and relaxed drums, with the lyrics asking "How long ago were you someone's baby? / Your belly full, wrapped in warmth and safety". Directly highlighting the disparity between the wealthy and the homeless, especially in places like Los Angeles – the track's blissful psych-infused instrumentals offer up the perfect backdrop for India Coombs's sharp lyrics and sweet vocal tone.
Speaking on the release of the new single, Coombs said: “When I first moved to Los Angeles I met a houseless man named Buddha and his sweet pitbull Penelope. I saw them every Sunday for a few years and we came to know each other well. Having a relationship with someone so open and loving despite their circumstances created a deeper wonderment in my mind. It created a heartfelt realization of this morbid disparity between the rich and poor in cities such as LA. This song is an ode to people like Buddha and Penelope and how they deal with our shared reality.”
Taking inspiration from the weirder, psych-leaning corners of indie-rock, and especially Aussie psych legends Pond, whose latest album Tasmania tackles Australia’s own brand of climate change-related horrors, Get Bit brings together influences from across the guitar music spectrum. “Tipsy” is a loose, lo-fi romp that recreates the feeling of its title, while “Scratch" is a blistering 40-second tirade against unrealistic expectations, which sees All Things Blue bare their teeth and take cues from gutsy garage rock.
Tacsidermi could only have come to fruition as a project during the strange and uncertain year that was 2020!! It’s a positive reaction to all of the years negativity by simply channeling boundless creative energy into writing / recording songs to inhabit and escape within.
Gwenllian Anthony from the ‘Welsh Music Prize’ winning band Adwaith has been jamming and writing on and off over the last few years with Matthew Kilgariff. Matthew toured as a session musician with Adwaith during their post ‘Melin’ tours. It took lockdown for them to decide to form a bubble and move into Matthew’s studio in rural Carmarthenshire and start recording.
‘Gwir’ their debut single is a perfect marriage of both of their influences. With its 90s baggy grove and Flaming Lips twisted popness this is a bold first statement. The Brian Jonestown Massacre psychedelic textures, dancing along to a low-slung Breeders inspired driving bass brings a darkness to the song. It mirrors the uncertainty and emotional vulnerability of the lyrics and Gwenllian’s beautiful restrained delivery.
‘Gwir’ was supported by David Newington (Boy Azooga) on drums and mixed by Matthew Evans (KEYS). Expect new Tacsidermi material to follow quickly in early 2021.
The Hempolics release their official video for 'In The Night', which is taken from their sophomore album 'Kiss, Cuddle & Torture Volume 2'.
Vocalist Nubiya Brandon sojourned to Joshua Tree, California to direct and star in the video with the desert scenes at dusk complementing a dark slant on the end of a relationship. The vintage surroundings of time-frozen Americana are combined with the fresh yet backwards looking sound of The Hempolics to present an audio visual treat.
The album was featured by BBC 6 Music as their ‘Album of The Day’, was included in Rough Trade’s ‘Edit’, and its singles saw support at radio from BBC 1Xtra’s David Rodigan, 6Music’s Steve Lamacq, Don Letts, Chris Hawkins and 6Music Recommends, BBC 6 Music Mix Tape with Tom Robinson and BBC Scotland’s Vic Galloway.
Inspired by their own movement “Be a Highway Woman”, Kristen Kae, Bonnie Dymond (Warner Chappel and BAHW Member) and The Highway Women’s Guitarist Dallas Duff, penned a song that embodies their fierce determination to make their mark in the music industry.
"The Highway" which released on October 30, 2020 generated a great response from their fans, so The Highway Women partnered up with Cowgirl Magazine to release a surprise music video celebrating their fans continuous support of their journey. The Highway Women dropped their EP "The Highway" on November 27th and is featured on iTunes New Releases "Country".
The video depicts a fun road trip with The Highway Women (Kristen Kae, Drew Haley, Jess Paige & Bailey James). They celebrate their music and journey as a band on the road together. True to real life, their personalities shine through in the various scenes and showcase their sisterhood.
The Highway Women wanted to pay homage to their beautiful home city and state of Nashville, TN by featuring famous landmarks such as The Loveless Cafe (yes, they had biscuits) on the infamous Natchez Trail. With scenic drone footage, a cliche cruise in a convertible, a snack grab stop at a convenience store, they really bring their fans along for the ride. The girls bring their humor, charm and talent to the table with the creation of this music video produced by James McGettrick (Nashville).
Silent Forum - How I Faked The Moon Landing (Charlie Francis Smokehouse remix) / Don't Overcook It.
To celebrate the first anniversary of our Welsh Music Prize nominated debut album Everything Solved at Once, our producer Charlie Francis has created a bonkers dance pop remix of 'How I Faked the Moon Landing'.
We’ve also slipped in a previously unreleased song 'Don't Overcook It' which was recorded during the same sessions as our debut.
It feels good to be releasing something in 2020, a year where we have managed to (in between lockdowns) write a lot of material but have been unable to record or gig due to social distancing. We hope these two songs go a small way towards capping a crappy year off nicely!
Kalbells has released 'Cool and Bendable' today along with a video, the song starts out gently enough but builds with wonderful intensity and passion. === We featured The Hempolics a couple of times last December and now we have the new video for 'Bongadasi' which is a potent mixture of reggae and funk. === We began February with a song from Malena Zavala and just four weeks later we have 'La Yarará' a vibrant mixture of Latin influences and Reggaeton. === Jenny Banai has shared a new song entitled 'Couch Walker' and it's a melodic and rich modern pop ballad with plenty of class.
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Kalbells - Cool and Bendable.
Today, Kalbells (the project led by multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Kalmia Traver) announced Mothertime, a four track EP she co-produced with Jeremy Malvin (aka Chrome Sparks). The cathartic lead single and accompanying music video for “Cool and Bendable” was also released
Mothertime will be out April 10th, 2020 and is now available to preorder via NNA Tapes. This spring, Kal and her band will bring their new material to select dates in North America.
In April 2015, Kalmia Traver (Kalbells, Rubblebucket) had just come out of an intensive 2-month writing retreat with 27 songlets in hand, 10 of which would become Kalbells’ debut album Ten Flowers. Jeremy Malvin (Chrome Sparks) loved what she shared with him then, and the two began regular co-production sessions in his studio in Brooklyn, where classical percussion ensemble So Percussion also worked. Drawing inspiration from the abundance of acoustic sound-makers all around, Jeremy performed marimbas, cactus shakers, and massive bass drums, while Kal layered flute arpeggios, penny whistles, and saxophones through tape echo to make smooth harmonic waves of rainbow velvet layer cake. They pretended to be an orchestra.
Lyrically, the Mothertime EP sees Kal processing themes she has been continually chewing on in the 6-year wake of surviving ovarian cancer and transforming a codependent relationship wither her long-time music partner Alex Toth (Tōth, Rubblebucket): resilience, yielding, beckoning creativity, self-exploration, and joy.
The Hempolics drops the video for their recent single ’Bongadashi’, the third cut taken from their upcoming second album ‘Kiss, Cuddle & Torture: Volume 2’, planned for release in April 2020 through their own record label Zee Zee Records via Kartel Music Group. The band will also support Toots and the Maytals farewell UK tour in May.
’Bongadashi’, is the follow up to the upbeat soul and reggae mash ‘Play On’ and the trip-hop meets dub-influenced single, ‘Full of Surprises’, which saw support at radio from BBC 1Xtra’s David Rodigan, 6Music’s Steve Lamacq, Don Letts, Chris Hawkins and 6Music Recommends, BBC 6 Music Mix Tape with Tom Robinson and BBC Scotland’sVic Galloway.
In the words of the band’s mainman and producer Grippa Laybourne - who has previously worked in the studio with a variety of international top acts like Mattafix and Faithless – ‘Bongadashi’ is “a pure British reggae-funk stomper full of swagger and verve”. The song is about the inherent danger on the streets whether in London or Port of Spain in Tobago, the home of Hempolics collaborator Franz who lends the vocals to the track. “When fear comes out of the blue, when you’re walking down the street and someone starts on you not sure whether you’re safe or not on the streets - Bongadashi coming,” Grippa adds.
The Hempolics’ blend of Reggae, Hip-Hop, Dancehall and Pop has already been heavily supported across UK national radio by BBC Radio1, BBC 1Xtra, BBC Radio 2 and BBC 6Music, where the band had three playlisted singles. They went on to have 6Music ‘Album of The Day’ and were subsequently chosen by Liz Kershaw's pick for 'Album Of The Year', after an impressive live session for Lauren Laverne.
‘Bongadashi’ is another stand out track and a statement of intent ahead of their forthcoming sophomore album and support slot on the Toots and the Maytals farewell UK tour in May, playing at O2 Academy in Bristol on Friday 15th May, London’s O2 Academy Brixton on 16th May, Leeds’ O2 Academy on Fri 29th May and Manchester’s O2 Apollo on 30th May.
Malena Zavala has today released the title track from her upcoming new album ‘La Yarará’, available April 17 on Yucatan Records. The follow-up to her critically acclaimed 2018 debut ‘Aliso’, ‘La Yarará’ cements the Argentinean-born, UK-raised musician as a songwriter with a unique perspective on where she’s from, where she’s headed and where her music can take us.
‘La Yarará’ draws from the various aspects, colours and shades of Latin music and culture: cumbia, Afro-Cuban, Afro-funk, Andean folk, Argentine folk, bolero-son, and in the case of the title track/new single, reggaeton. The percussion deliberately evokes the sinuous movements and character of a serpent.
“The yarará is a venomous snake, a viper, in Argentina,” explains Zavala. “It’s also used as a diss to a sassy woman, and my parents always called me that, so I’ve named the album that as a kind of in-joke.
“With the whole album I was researching every single Latino rhythm and style. With ‘La Yarará’ I started on reggaeton, but wanted to make it in my own way. I also wanted to make a song that’s really angry. And when I do that live, it is a challenge, because I normally sing very sweetly,” she admits. “But I’m trying to summon that yarará.”
‘La Yarará’ is the third single to be taken from the album following 'En La Noche' and 'I'm Leaving Home'. Zavala will follow the release of ‘La Yarará’ on April 17 with a headline show at London’s Courtyard Theatre on April 23.
Born in Argentina to parents with Italian passports, Zavala’s family relocated to Hertfordshire when she was a small child. She began her musical journey in a band with her brother called, Oh So Quiet. At the time she tried to write songs, “but they were really shit so I concentrated on being a performer. But then my brother met a girl and moved to LA. So I decided to do my own thing. And I wrote my first album.”
I was sitting on a couch next to a buddy (tbh, a potential more-than-buddy… we’ve all been there).
I don’t co-write very often, but there was a playful willingness in the room. I started off with a very Andy Shauf-esque melody; a creative inspo to many in our scene. I led with melody and my potential more-than-buddy followed with chords.
We made a little voice memo which he coined “jenny on a couch.” I wrote the lyrics later. The curiosity and hope about a relationship, as well as the frustration and heartbreak that ensues when one doesn’t work out, inspired my words.
It feels like walking a tightrope sometimes – the excitement, the back-and-forth, the risk. All of these emotions, in real time, take place with you sitting on a couch beside someone. I keep walking. I keep carrying all of these moments in my pockets. They are important and each human is important, not whether I have control of the narrative of my life.
The Hempolics return only a couple of weeks after we shared 'Full Of Surprises,' with their second single from their second album due in April next year, this time we have 'Play On' where the soulful vocals, reggae vibes and more are simply splendid. === JES shares a video for an acoustic version of 'Imagination' with her melodic vocals and a whirling guitar giving the song a very different feel. === This Time have released 'Runaway' a sprightly alt rocker that has a no nonsense rock vibe and is tight and polished. === We finish with three artists from the Waterfall Of Colours record label beginning with InBetween Movies and a video for their recently released and gorgeous dream pop song 'Murmurs'. === From Beach SCVM we have 'Summer Jobs' a lo-fi pop song with hints of shoegaze and plenty of hooks. === Finally Soften have released a refined indie folk piece entitled 'True Love' which gradually adds a little more musical richness as it unfolds.
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The Hempolics - Play On.
The Hempolics unleash ‘Play On’, the second single from their upcoming second album ‘Kiss, Cuddle & Torture: Volume 2’, planned for release in April 2020 through their own record label Zee Zee Records via Kartel Music Group. Following the recent release of their trip-hop meets dub-influenced single, ‘Full of Surprises’, which saw support at radio from BBC 1Xtra’s David Rodigan, 6Music’s Steve Lamacq, Don Letts and 6Music Recommends, ‘Play On’ examines the game-like aspect of some relationships, mashing up soul and reggae with horn hooks and electro dub flourishes.
Born from a studio session with Juno Awards-winning Canadian reggae and electronic artist Dubmatix, the new cut is the result of a different approach to music writing for the band; “we wanted to make something fresh and with an instant upbeat feel”, recalls the band’s mainman and producer Grippa Laybourne - who has previously worked in the studio with a variety of international top acts like Mattafix and Faithless - “I wanted the band to be more involved with the writing process, it’s the only track they found, wrote and recorded their own parts before I arranged it and finished it off adding horns and keys overdubbed”.
Vocalist Nubiya’s infectious soul-pop vocals and empowering lyrics show one of the main strengths of The Hempolics, the capacity to talk about sensitive topics while channelling their own struggles into something positive and exciting. The Hempolics’ blend of Reggae, Hip-Hop, Dancehall and Pop has already been heavily supported across UK national radio by BBC Radio1, BBC 1Xtra, BBC Radio 2 and BBC 6Music, where the band had three playlisted singles. They went on to have 6Music ‘Album of The Day’ and were subsequently chosen by Liz Kershaw's pick for 'Album Of The Year', after an impressive live session for Lauren Laverne.
‘Play On’ is The Hempolics most captivating offering yet. And with a new album coming out next year the band is set to cement their status as one of the most interesting bands of this generation. The Hempolics are Grippa Laybourne (Dub FX, Keys), Nubiya Brandon (Vocals), Dandelion (Vocals), Harry Collier (Vocals, Guitar), Leon King (Guitar), Lorenzo (Bass) and Craig Boorman (Drums).
JES continues her series of impromptu live performance videos, with a guitar-based version of her Billboard #1 hit Imagination. Proving that a compelling performance requires nothing more than true talent, JES accompanies herself on a dreamy sounding electric guitar to deliver an entirely new performance of the dance classic.
“I’ve always loved performing up close like this, the raw emotion comes through without any barriers,” she said when asked about what prompted the acoustic series. “It’s more representative of what inspires my songs and I’m excited for everyone to hear these new authentic versions”.
JES’ highly anticipated “Memento” future-spective album is set to drop early in the new year. It will be followed by an acoustic-only album as part of the package and looks set to be a must-have release in 2020.
Second time’s the charm! With a couple of decades, many guitars, and a chance reunion, Andy Vogan (guitar, vocals) and Sean Gazeley (guitar, lead vocals) formed “This Time” in the fall of 2016. Lifelong friends and musical collaborators, they cut their teeth performing thousands of live shows together, writing songs and developing a style unique to their outlook on life. The band calls Kingston, Ontario home and this is where the creative juices started flowing again, reigniting their love of music and melody in a truly Canadian way!
In the two years following the formation of their collaboration, they tossed into the mix three extraordinarily talented and diverse musicians, Rick Moniz (drums), Colin Bowe (lead guitar and keys) and Scot Mulligan (bass), with an equal passion for original music to complete their lineup. With the help of a super cool “genius” recording engineer at the most “HIP” studio in Bath, Ontario, they put it all together in an atmosphere that has already produced many great Canadian bands.
In 2018 This Time Band recorded and released their first studio album, “One”. And now, the band is ready to release their follow up studio album entitled “Two” which features the lead single and video called Runaway', created in a live off-the-floor approach that captures the fun and energetic style of their music.
Waterfall Of Colours Records 2019 - Various Artists.
2019 was really a cool dreampop- and indie-year at Waterfall of Colours. In case you've missed some our latest releases we're happy sending you our 3 current singles.
InBetween Movies (CH) - In late summer, Zurich-based electro-shoegazers Inbetween Movies have landed a small indie hit with their debut single 'Lava'. It has broken the 50'000-plays-mark without much support on Spotify and Youtube. Now the four-piece release another great dream pop-track. 'Murmurs' declares love to all gentle rumours that everyone spreads on a daily basis. And of course, this can set you up (sometimes at least) as it can be annoying. Beach Scvm (FR) - Beach Scvm brings back the summer. With sweet melodies, so wonderful they could have been created by Temples as well. Or by Dinosaur Jr and The Jesus and the Mary Chain. Ther melodies are carried by subtle beats that are never intrusive, but still indispensable. That's exactly how good Lo-Fi-Bedroom-Pop is meant to sound. By mixing this sound with wild Shoegzae, Beach Scvm has created a brand that sounds both relevant and timeless. 'Summer Jobs' is the first track by Beach Scvm being released through indie label Waterfall Of Colours. Some more cool – sunny – music is set to follow. Soften (CH) - It's getting cold now, winter's ahead of us. May the first snow fall! Soften makes the ice melting anyway. By listening to the multi-instrumentalist's wonderful and folky indie-sound you'll forget that winter's knocking at our doors. Soften from Lausanne/Switzerland sends all his warmth with his enchanting new single 'True Love'.
Charli Adams may be a newcomer (I'm quoting below) however 'Backseat' is a confident and imaginative alt rocker of sorts that exudes class. === West Wind share 'River' the band only formed last year however this is a smooth and tight musical excursion that takes dance music close to the border with sophisticated rock. === Four years on and Sea Wolf returns with 'Fear Of Failure' an indie rock song with a good helping of folk sensibilities. === Songwriter and a creative one at that Walter Martin shares the delightful and extremely catchy 'That's All I Need' an exotic song that conjures up so many fine mental images. === From South London we have the five piece bandMargot with 'In Your Palm' a dreamy, laid back and lush song oozing class. === Known for their cinematic pop Fassine have just released the rather gorgeous song entitled 'Limbs' - expect a whole load of beautiful musical hooks. === With a stylish video The Hempolics introduce 'Full Of Surprises' a song with some beautifully deep dub and reggae moments, alongside a fresh and more modern feel. === We finish today's selection of new and good tunes with a music video from Aqua Seca and the track 'Slowdrive' a song where decades of rock music come together in a fusion of old meets new.
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Charli Adams - Backseat.
Drifting seamlessly into the alt-rock landscape, newcomer Charli Adams excels with stirring lead single Backseat, the first track lifted from debut EP Good At Being Young, out 31st January via Color Study (Haux, Henry Jamison, Rosie Carney).
Growing up around rural Alabama through broken homes and a conservative Christian family, Adams left her life there as a cheerleader at 17 and moved to Nashville to pursue music, setting about creating a wealth of material somewhat unbecoming of her adopted hometown. Evoking comparisons to contemporaries Phoebe Bridgers, Angel Olsen and Sharon Van Etten with her fiercely anthemic tendencies, the alt-rocker’s songwriting tackles her formative years, and the ensuing friendships and hardships, coupled with romance and heartbreak.
Discussing Backseat, an ode to the tail-end of adolescence, Adams explained: “The night before I was heading into the studio to finish the EP, I was on a drive with two of my friends on some back roads outside Nashville. It was the first time our conversation had ever felt robotic to me, like small talk among close friends. So I turned up the music and put my head out the window and tuned out for the rest of the drive. I went home that night to write Backseat and I immediately felt like it was the missing piece of the EP”.
Live Date: 31 Jan – The High Watt, Nashville (EP launch).
Upon the release of lead single River, Ulladulla outfit West Wind set their sights on a golden horizon of their warmly understated and deeply irresistible selection of soulful dance tracks on their EP Sundown. West Wind are a four-piece band who distill elements of funk and downtempo dance genres into a style of dance music that tastefully balances the acoustic and electronic. Producer Marc Andrews and singer Mitch Fa’oa's songwriting dynamic elicits the sensual juxtaposition of deep house escapism and indie- dance approachability. Their EP, Sundown, will be released January 24th, 2020 and supported by an east coast tour. ‘When the wind blows west, where we live the ocean is clean, the weather is crisp and everyone’s having a good time. That’s the vibe we want at our gigs.’ - Marc Andrews.
The single and the other three songs on the EP were produced and recorded independently in Marc’s home studio. River is a crystalline exploration into dance genres as agile guitars and effervescent synths get people moving. The lyrical theme follows the excitement of seduction, contrasted with the downfalls of single life, an emotional flow held only by a focused groove.
West Wind began in 2018, with Marc Andrews producing and Mitch Fa’oa on vocals. After the release of their debut album Vision of Her, the band expanded to include Mark Beasley on bass and Zach Lucas on keys, allowing them to build a live show that gained strong support locally. This larger dynamic allows greater interplay between the Marc’s electronic techniques and the vitality of a supporting band.
Across the four tracks, Perfume with a confident air and raspy melodies, Hollywood’s easy ability to sass a late night workload through to Stay Calm’s chillingly reflective state, Sundown sets a refreshing tone for house sensibilities and soulful desires. The band plan to share this sophisticated sensation on a tour of NSW’s east coast, with plans for Wollongong, Sydney and the Gold Coast to come. The ‘Sundown’ EP by West Wind is out January 24th, 2020.
Los Angeles-based artist Sea Wolf has released a moving new track titled “Fear of Failure”, his first new music in four years. Showcasing lush, indie/folk melodies and carefully crafted lyrics, “Fear of Failure” is a raw, contemplative song that highlights the power in vulnerability and bravery in the face of fear.
“For me, this song is both incredibly personal and very much about the world we live in,” explains Sea Wolf leader Alex Brown Church. “It took a long time for me to get to a place where this song could come out, so it feels really good to finally be sharing it.”
Sea Wolf first captured attention with the breakout track “You’re A Wolf” off the debut full-length Leaves In A River. He has since released two more studio albums and one stripped-down LP, establishing a reputation for his poignant delivery and dexterity as a songwriter and garnering positive coverage from NPR Music, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, The New York Times and more. After experiencing several significant life changes, Church returns with his most personal and intimate material to date. The heartbreakingly honest “Fear of Failure” is a breakthrough moment that showcases his ability to gracefully illustrate deep, complicated human emotions, while also offering a sense of hope by the song’s end.
Renowned songwriter and Walkmen co-founder Walter Martin will release his new album The World At Night on January 31st via Ile Flottante Music. Produced by multi-instrumentalist Josh Kaufman (The National, Hiss Golden Messenger, The War On Drugs), the album is Martin's most richly orchestrated and grandly cinematic collection to date, as well as his most poignant. Today he shared two new songs from The World At Night: "The Soldier," a vivid character portrait sung from the perspective of his 96-year-old grandfather-in-law, and "That's All I Need," a burst of humor and celebration about familial love.
He remarks about "That's All I Need," stating "I guess I just wanted a moment of pure joy on the album. I think it adds depth to the whole album. In my mind it's more about familial love and not really romantic love - more like about a longing to be loved and to be with the people you love."
With sweeping strings and lavish horns fleshing out his spare, understated vocal delivery, The World At Night calls to mind everything from Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits to Randy Newman and Harry Nilsson. Dedicated to his dear friend and late Jonathan Fire*Eater bandmate Stewart Lupton, it balances soul-baring intimacy with sophisticated arrangements as they walk a delicate tightrope between despair and hope, faith and doubt, security and uncertainty. In addition to Kaufman, the album features an all-star cast of musicians including Sam Kassirer and Zach Hickman (Josh Ritter), Stuart Bogie (Arcade Fire, The Hold Steady), Rob Moose (Bon Iver, The National), and pianist Thomas Bartlett (Glen Hansard, Norah Jones).
Lupton's memory looms large on this record and his spirit informs the music in ways both explicit and implicit. Album opener "October" sets the tone from the outset, pairing exuberant music and ominous lyrics about fate and mortality as Martin sings, "The trees have gone bald / Guess the world is getting older / October is here." It's followed by the title track "The World At Night (For Stew)" which grapples with the confusion of loss and draws much of its imagery from a collage that Stewart made that now hangs above Walter's writing desk. In a recent interview with Billboard, he stated, "I'm not really a religious person, but I do believe in ghosts and in magic and in plenty of beautiful stuff that I can't see. Writing this album - and especially this song - was an effort to get closer to that stuff. And to Stew."
South London 5-piece Margot share new single In Your Palm alongside an animated video directed by Jenny Wright, and announce the release of their debut Margotzeko EP which follows on 7th February 2020.
Margot are drawn to what they describe as “melancholy’s softer side”, and of all the tracks on the forthcoming Margotzeko EP, In Your Palm is most indicative of this. A dreamy waltz of a song where the band’s usual fusion of hazy neo-psych, dream-pop and jangle guitar - which pulls influence from Real Estate through to The Smiths - is replaced with late-night smoky romanticism.
In Your Palm could be a break-up song, with the soft hues of frontman and lyricist Alex Hannaway’s vocal taking on an emotive troubadour tint. However, as with all Margot’s songs which are often bittersweet character studies with an eye on the minutiae of modern human existence, there’s a much deeper social-political undercurrent. In Your Palm is an ode, of sorts, to disillusioned teachers. As Alex expands “It’s about a teacher feeling that their job to teach is becoming untenable due to the outsourcing of schools to corporations driven solely by profit.”
Taking a literal cue from the song’s title, Jenny Wright’s animated In Your Palm is set inside a hand, with the palm a springboard into different locations inspired by the meanings of the lines within palm reading. In Your Palm and the Margotzeko EP from which it is taken was recorded and mixed by Ben Andrewes of Margot at the band’s home studio in Peckham, London and out of hours at a studio in Kings Cross where Andrewes’ works. It was mastered by Kevin Tuffy at Alchemy Mastering.
In Your Palm is released now as a stand-alone digital single with Margot’s debut Margotzeko EP following on 7th February 2020.
Cinematic pop creators Fassine return with ‘Limbs’, a typically dramatic and chaotic single that sees the London trio chart heavier, more aggressive waters. With previous acclaim and support from the likes of The Guardian, The Independent, Giles Peterson, Clash and more, Fassine bring back their genre-bending take on alternative electronic music, and it’s even bolder than before.
‘Limbs’ is replete with punishing, reverberating guitars, war cry howls and thunderous drums. Of the track, Fassine say: “Limbs is the warfare waged over someone else’s well-being. The silence of the middle while all around are screaming.’’
While ‘Limbs’ does possess glimpses of the filmic and vivid qualities Fassine became famed for on ‘Gourami’ (2017) and Dialectik (2016), for the most part it shatters any preconceptions you had of the trio. “One limb / give him two limbs / give him something / just wrap your heart around him’’ Sarah Palmer sings on the chorus, her macabre words perfectly complementing the apocalyptic backdrop.
“We try to create small vignettes of people’s lives, their flaws, their strengths, their beauty, their ugliness. We put ourselves in their world, look from their perspective and the songs are our own little plays. Every song we create is a different story tied together by people's consistent inconsistencies", the band added. ‘Limbs’ reveals just how comfortable the band are in this new skin.
Since their last release, Fassine have been busy on our screens, their XTC cover of ‘That Wave’ appeared on the Sky Arts documentary on the seminal band, This Is Pop. Their track ‘Whatever It Takes To Help You Sleep’ played as the backdrop to Netflix’s first feature film Velvet Buzzsaw, and their track ‘Leaves’ was featured on Oprah Winfrey’s Queen Sugar.
The Hempolics return with ‘Full of Surprises’, the first single from their forthcoming second album ‘Kiss, Cuddle & Torture: Volume 2’, planned for release in April 2020 on their own record label Zee Zee Records via Kartel Music Group. The single has already gained support at radio from BBC 1Xtra’s David Rodigan, 6Music’s Steve Lamacq, Don Letts and 6Music Recommends.
“Musically I wanted to make something completely different to ‘Boss Clock Me Style’, which was one of the singles of our debut album to make it onto the BBC 6Music Playlist,” recalls Grippa Laybourne about what he defines as a “dark, winter Portishead trip-hop meets dub track but with Nubiya’s pop vocals.” Expanding on the production of the song, the renowned mixing engineer and record producer explains, “we used synth bass instead of live bass to create an even darker, dirty sound. Bass leads the way on the track,” he strongly declares.
Filmed in the dark, lost corners of London and directed by Blue Laybourne - known for directing videos for the likes of Maison Margiela X Highsnobiety, Puma and Novelist - the visuals complete the song’s lyrics and its story - perfectly depicting the band’s lead vocalist Nubiya Brandon’s past experience.
“It’s a window into my 17-year-old self,” reveals Nubiya talking about the lyrics she wrote for “probably the darkest and introspective song I’ve written”. Recalling her favourite moment after a party “when all that was left was me and a few close mates,” a time she could stop being “the overly flamboyant person at the party” that wasn’t really her. The title ‘Full of Surprises’ is about people not always seeing the real side of her personality in social situations. “I don’t really party so crazily anymore due to London’s dying venues and house parties being not what they used to be,” she adds, reflecting on a version of herself she’s largely left behind.
The Hempolics’ blend of Reggae, Hip-Hop, Dancehall and Pop has already been heavily supported across UK national radio by BBC Radio1, BBC 1Xtra, BBC Radio 2 and BBC 6Music, where the band had three playlisted singles. They went on to have 6Music ‘Album of The Day’ and were subsequently chosen by Liz Kershaw's pick for 'Album Of The Year', after an impressive live session for Lauren Laverne. The Hempolics are Grippa Laybourne (Dub FX, Keys), Nubiya Brandon (Vocals), Dandelion (Vocals), Harry Collier (Vocals, Guitar), Leon King (Guitar), Lorenzo (Bass) and Craig Boorman (Drums).
Aqua Seca releases their music video for their single, “Slowdrive.” Trent Hankinson and Derek Stewart decided to take on the music scene following the attention they received for the music video for their previous single, “Whipped Cream,” which garnered over 12k views on YouTube not long after its release. The original idea for “Slowdrive” came to Trent a little over two years ago and now the music video brings their vision of a thoughtful night alone to life.
"As the name entails, the song really came to stand for the kind of place of you get to on a long, lonely drive. Alone with your thoughts, just you and the road. Nobody else around, just you thinking things through, really getting deep into your head." - Trent Hankinson
In “Slowdrive”, the audience is introduced to Trent as he walks to his car that is parked on an empty dirt road. The sun is starting to fade into the horizon while Trent puts his truck in drive. He rides slowly into the night, stopping to watch the nighttime take over the sky a few times. Alone with his thoughts, Trent appreciates the time he has to himself with his car, music, and an open road.
The guys have known each other since they were freshmen in high school and have always enjoyed jamming out together in their spare time. At the time that Trent began writing the songs for the upcoming LP, focusing on music was the last thing he should have been doing. He was a full-time student in college with an overloaded class schedule and an internship, with his songs just voice memos he had on his phone. When Trent decided to stop holding himself back from his dream, he reached out to Derek and Jacob to be permanent fixtures of Aqua Seca. Like Trent, Derek and Jacob had other commitments such as a full-time apprenticeship and school. However, the pull towards their music was not something any of them could ignore and now the songs are more than just melodies in Trent’s head and memos on his phone. “Slowdrive” is dominated by the force of Trent’s guitar playing, Jacob's bass, combined with the driving beat of the drums and high-hat played by Derek. “Slowdrive” is perfect for fans of early Tame Impala and Led Zeppelin.
Trent Hankinson (main vocalist and guitarist) is in charge of the entire writing, recording, and production process; and with Derek Stewart (on drums), and Jacob Horne (bass, guitar, and keys) they are ready to take on the music world.
