Showing posts with label The Kut. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Kut. Show all posts

Sunday, 25 June 2023

The Money War - TANDM - Endless Forms - The Kut

The Money War - I Don't Hear You Anymore (E.P).

Known for their innate talent for crafting beautifully written songs, the Western Australian-based duo, The Money War, was just released their heartrending new EP 'I Don't Hear You Anymore' on Friday, June 23.

Infusing their music with unwavering sincerity, Dylan Ollivierre and Carmen Pepper skillfully blend elegant pop purity with the resolute spirit of indie rock and folk, resulting in captivating melodies and refined production that eloquently capture their intricate experiences.

In 'I Don't Hear You Anymore', The Money War demonstrates their adeptness at navigating tender stories of love, loss, change, and the desperate need for self-expression. This collection of songs, which is both authentic and relatable, allows The Money War to express their innermost thoughts and emotions as they navigate the challenges of raising three young children. Each track on the EP offers a unique and heartfelt experience, beautifully encapsulating the duo's emotive lyricism and undeniable talent, and showcasing their profound artistic depth.

Speaking about the tracks on the EP, Dylan Ollivierre notes, "The songs are special to me because they remind me of moments in the last year where I felt desperate to express myself." As a full-time producer who is consistently occupied with other people's music, time dedicated to The Money War is limited. Ollivierre further explains, "Every now and then, I have this insatiable desire to create something that embodies my own vision and expresses Carmen and me as The Money War. In the past, we often had numerous songs to choose from, but nowadays, with three young kids, our time has significantly decreased. Therefore, a song only progresses beyond the 'idea' stage if it strongly demands to be realized."


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TANDM - 2quick2trust.

On the surface, they're charming in their sweet simplicity – effortlessly compelling thanks to graceful melodies, heartfelt lyricism, and syncopated synergy. But the deeper you dig, the more Toronto duo TANDM's songs seem to transcend time, place, and even stylistic categorization.

Their forthcoming collection, Sirens (out July 26th), finds the duo teeing up their most engaging and enveloping output to date – a potent distillation of the magical individual components that comprise TANDM's masterful take on alternative pop but with a newfound polish and elevated production style.

Their diss track, "2quick2trust," was inspired from negative experiences in their music and personal lives, where they felt that many people have tried to take advantage of them. From having people try to steal their music, take advantage of their band, take advantage of them as humans, TANDM wrote this track as a response.

When we started TANDM, our kindness, generosity, and innocence was taken advantage of, and that put us in a really bad place for confidence and trust in the music industry. This track is a confident clap back at those who have wronged us in the past, proving that all they were to us was 'nameless' and 'song material.' – frontwoman Maxine Beck-Sinderby

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Endless Forms - Make Me Feel Too Much.

Endless Forms was started by writer and producer Justin Allen in 2015 with the release of his debut album ‘Lazarus’ – a thoughtful album reaching out for a cathartic answer to life’s looming existential questions. Endless Forms’ subsequent releases – 2017’s ‘If There Were Water’, 2020’s ‘More Than Candy’ and 2022’s ‘Electric Heat Hypnotized’ each dive progressively further into the fractal, sonically evolving with each release into a dreamy marriage of deep atmosphere, layered rhythms, and earnest lyrics.

‘Make Me Feel Too Much’ is the third track taken from his pending album ‘The House of Love’ – the most intimate and personal album Allen has ever released. A somber, slow-building song that encapsulates the feeling of life “getting large and the stakes start getting high”. The track highlights the feeling of when things become too much, you almost start to feel numb.

He said of the new single: “I always imagined that ‘Make Me Feel Too Much’ could be played live entirely by four people. So many of my recording sessions get really out of hand with tons and tons of tracks, and I wanted to make something that could be played by some kind of Frank Sinatra-esque backing band. I was also listening to a lot of Aphex Twin at the time, and was really inspired by some his weird reverbs, where it sounds like you are inside some impossibly massive metal building. I wanted it to feel like it was in a space like that.”

“Lyrically, the song is a great microcosm for the whole album…There’s a Carl Jung quote that goes “the cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.” What if that massive, scary pool of emotion is actually a sort of gateway into something extremely real and beautiful? How might we have to change in order to let ourselves sink into that pool?” 

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The Kut - Runaways.

The Kut is back with her latest single 'Runaways'. Written around a rolling bass-line, it’s a feel-good track about spending the summer outdoors.

Well it certainly seems to have been for good reason… ‘Runaways’ is the sixth single to release from her sophomore album ‘GRIT’ - a record that reached Number 1 in the Official UK Rock Albums Chart, after years of grassroots touring.

So it’s all the more sweet that ‘Runaways’ releases on the back of tours she and the collective played supporting US rockers Electric Six and Japanese punk-pop band Shonen Knife in the last few months.

The single animation shares a glimpse of the frustration, determination and hopefulness of an independent band on the road.

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Tuesday, 16 November 2021

The Kut - Reptaliens - Roni Bar Hadas - Melted Wings - Abby Sage

The Kut - ANIMO.

Rock solo artist The Kut (PhD) has announced a US distribution deal with Amplified (Alliance / AMPED / MNRK), for her hotly anticipated second album and released a brand new video single ANIMO.

Meaning ‘courage’ or ‘spirit’, ANIMO and the accompanying music video were released yesterday and funded by Arts Council England. Dubbed by NYC Takeover as ‘the revolution waiting to erupt’ the latest Kut single is fierce; pepper sprayed with haunting melodies, driving beats and unapologetically packed with grrrl power.

Written in support of recent women’s rights demonstrations in the UK, the single is the first of a series of releases, leading up to The Kut second album, due June 2022. The forthcoming album features all seven members of her collective of women in music, with the ANIMO single featuring Diana Bartmann (drums), Jennifer Sanin (bass/vocals) and Alison Wood (guitar/bass) performing alongside The Kut.

The Kut’s debut album ‘Valley of Thorns’ was produced by James LeRock Loughrey (Skindred, White Zombie, Bjork) and spent two weeks in the UK Rock Albums Chart (No.7) and No. 18 in the Independent Albums Chart. The album was distributed via Cargo Records, who stay on as UK & Europe distributor.

Her latest single hit the UK Sales Chart on Christmas Day (No.65) and spent four weeks in the Physical Chart (No.10).  These releases have spawned significant interest in the UK and USA, including support from Kerrang!, BBC Introducing, Total Rock, Hard Rock Hell, Planet Rock, Metal Hammer, Sirius XM, AAA, College stations, with videos selected for playlist by MTV USA, MTV-U, LATV, AXSTV & Music Choice.


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Photo - Dan Crayonton
Reptaliens - Like A Dog.

Portland band Reptaliens announce its new LP Captured Tracks with the single & video "Like a Dog" The video is a homage to 90s tv tropes and public access television.

Reptaliens are ready to be direct. After exploring surreal realms of high-concept synth-pop across two acclaimed albums, the Portland, Oregon, duo found newfound clarity in a stark, grounded approach. That may seem unexpected for such a colorful act—known for heady lyrics about conspiracy theories and transhumanism—but Cole and Bambi Browning have streamlined to the lean, propulsive essentials on their self-produced new LP, Multiverse.

Shelving the dreamy synths altogether and working without their other bandmates due to lockdown, Reptaliens reset, picking up their guitars and emphasizing the catchy attack that’s been there all along. Drawing inspiration from the spontaneous energy of the ’90s alternative canon, the pair hit a surge in momentum after a casual-turned-revelatory listen to Jane’s Addiction’s 1990 classic “Been Caught Stealing.” Without even aiming to make a Reptaliens song, they wound up penning the set’s lead single “Like a Dog,” a sun-soaked groove-bomb that’s blissfully unencumbered by sonic baggage. “That really kicked it off,” Cole recalls. “It was so fast and easy and fun that we said, ‘Let’s do more like that.’”

Oregon natives Bambi and Cole started Reptaliens in the mid-2010s as a multi-faceted vehicle for their most adventurous urges. Across their first two Captured Tracks albums —FM-2030 (2017) and VALIS (2019)—they established themselves as dedicated dreamers and deep thinkers, filling their wooly, homespun synth-pop with meditations on outré science fiction and philosophy. With some help from friends, they’ve been able to tackle big questions and explore vast sound worlds. Tapping Julian Kowalski (guitar), Bryson Hansen (synth), and Tyler Vergian (drums) for their previous albums and shows, Reptaliens have bewitched crowds during extended national tours with STRFKR, Turnover, and Turnstile.


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Roni Bar Hadas - Fear.

Roni tells us: "I have always had a complicated relationship with putting my own self care needs before others' expectations or demands of me. Suffering from writer's block last year, I found myself with a new focus to liberate myself from self-criticism."

"Fear" has a deliberate air of empowerment and was written from a place of happiness, breaking my cycle of only writing during low periods. Recording it at home allowed me to go in with greater freedom of mind in a more relaxed setting - free to create something I could dance to.

If I decide to try being healthy, it better be because of me.

This lyric signifies my understanding and constant striving to remember to be mindful of my own needs, so that the motivation for my self care stems from within myself.

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Melted Wings - Capture Love.

Melted Wings is the multi-genre musical project of Michael Wynn, guitarist and founding member of bands Trains of Winter and Vicky von Vicky, who were active in the Kingston and Toronto music scenes in the 90’s and early 2000s.

After several years of not making music, Melted Wings has had a prolific output of songs since 2017, releasing multiple singles and EPs, along with a new album set to come out in early 2022. It all began after playing a handful of songs for a friend of his late father’s in 2017, who encouraged and challenged Wynn to keep making new music. From this initial boost, Melted Wings was born, and the first EP, The Bane of My Existence, was completed and released.

Each album and EP has had broad musical and genre-twisting influences. From folk, country, rock, pop, funk, disco, and alternative, to new wave, electronic, and EDM. From Johnny Cash, Pixies, ABBA, and Grease, to Handsome Furs, Depeche Mode, and TRST. The songs have gravitated lyrically towards love, unrequited love, broken relationships, social issues, and the impact of human existence. Wynn tends to latch onto catchy and quirky phrases, such as “You are the fire that fuels the flames of all my fears,” in “Bane of My Existence,” or “Oh when you run don’t slip and fall, you’ll scrape your skin, bare bums and all,” from the streakers in “Rolling Night.”

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photo - cloudytots
Abby Sage - Fever Dream.

Today LA-via-Toronto singer/songwriter Abby Sage shares her EP "Fears of Yours & Mine."

The 6-track collection is a weighty emotional journey inspired by the trajectory of a relationship from start to finish. Here, Abby plainly expresses her feelings and anxious state of mind, an inward exploration that ultimately leads to self-love and discovery. Created with the help of producer Jeff Hazin (glaive, renforshort, Anna Sofia), the EP emanates quiet confidence and pulls at the details.

"I called the project 'Fears of Yours & Mine' because the whole thing plays upon fears and moments of doubt that l held within a relationship and the path I was on as a whole," Abby shares of the record. "Fear kept me from continuing one journey but pushed me directly into another. Part of that was the creation of this project. 'When I Leave,' 'Fever Dream,' and 'Space for Me' all touch on various problems and doubts within the relationship whereas 'Wasting Away,' 'Smoke Break,' and 'Residing in the Sky' speak on the ending of it all and the ultimate rediscovery of self."

The EP's focus single"Fever Dream" is a moody affair that finds Abby reaching through hazy synths for reassurance in a relationship that's not there. It's a song that burns with hushed intensity as we see Abby peering into a situation where things aren't reciprocated. "Maybe I need you like you don't need me," she intones.

"'There’s a fire in your mind I can’t deny the way it burns me too.' This line is my favorite because it encapsulates the feeling of trying to fix someone knowing the damage it is ultimately causing yourself," Abby shares.

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Friday, 3 August 2018

Joy Autumn - The Kut - Odetta Hartman

Joy Autumn - Brave.

Background - Brave is her poppiest song to date and possibly her best. Her chamber-esque, Kate Bush influenced voice is still front and center, but the instrumentation, full of synths and drum machines, is intriguing and the chorus, incredibly catchy. 

Written as a personal pep talk during a dark period of depression, the song ultimately became something larger—an encouragement to confront your fears, to be honest about your experiences, to reach out for help and take tremendous leaps of faith like approaching a love-interest or chasing your dreams.

“I wrote Brave when I was feeling so depressed I could hardly get out of bed. I forgot why I created music in the first place and Brave was written as a personal pep talk to myself. Depression is something that I’ve struggled with my whole life, but is not something that I’ve talked about publicly, until this song. 


If I can help one person become inspired, despite their obstacles, to get out of bed, take a chance, and continue to chase after what they love, then I feel like making this record was all worth it." WEBSITE.

We shared 'Go' from Joy Autumn back at the end of May and the new song 'Brave' is equally inspiring. Once again her vocals are just so appealing and feel very personal. With some refined melodic hooks and a musical backdrop that ebbs and flows in harmony with her voice, this really is one delightful tune.


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The Kut - Hollywood Rock n Roll.

Background - The Kut debut album has landed entries at No. #7 in the UK Rock Album Chart, No. #6 in the UK Indie Breakers Album Chart & No. #18 in the UK Indie Albums Chart.  This was after a mid-week sales bulletin, putting the album at No. #136 in the Multi-Genre Chart. The debut album 'Valley of Thorns' has been released alongside a string of headline tour dates, with vinyl 12 inch to follow their 22 date U.K. Album Launch Party Tour.

Rock category Finalist of the UK Songwriting Contest 2017 and Semi-Finalist of the International Songwriting Competition, The Kut, is the alter-ego of multi-instrumentalist and PhD Graduate, Princess Maha. Live, The Kut is a three-piece, featuring Diana Bartmann (drums) and Stella Vie (bass / BVs).  Active on the UK and European alt.rock scene, festival performances in the last year have included Download Festival, Camden Rocks Festival, Rebellion Festival, Hard Rock Hell, Amplified Festival, Nice N Sleazy and Strummercamp among others. Meanwhile, tours have spanned the UK, Italy, Czech Republic, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.

2017 was a significant year for The Kut. They featured as one of Kerrang! Magazine's Breakthrough Acts of the year, while 'The Kut EP' was released on 500 limited edition picture discs for Record Store Day 2017, also featuring at number 4 in Kerrang! Magazines Top 10 Record Store Day Releases, alongside Baby Metal and Gerard Way. The summer saw The Kut playing over 50 UK mainland dates, and the year ended with the band claiming the Number 1 Spot in the Beyond 50 Promotions Top 50 Under the Radar UK Bands.                 

2018 has seen a worldwide record deal announced with Cargo Records for the long-awaited debut album, 'Valley of Thorns'. Produced by James LeRock Loughrey (Skindred / Def Leppard / White Zombie / My Vitriol) the debut sees some of the live favourites heard on The Kut tours, and was released back in May. WEBSITE.


'Hollywood Rock n Roll' mixes some classic punk attitude with a truck load of full on, no nonsense guitar rock. The trio are powerful, potent and feisty, with the new video adding some LA vibes to the song.


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Odetta Hartman - You You.

Background - NYC artist Odetta Hartman releases her new album 'Old Rockhounds Never Die' through Memphis Industries on 10th August. Odetta has now released a new track taken from the album. 'You You' is an effusive love song to her partner, Jack, as Odetta explains: "This song illuminates the fuzzy feelings of first love. We've been blessed to have the opportunity to travel the world, exploring & playing music together. From rainbows & waterfalls in Iceland, to Medieval medinas in Morocco, we have climbed mountains & crossed rivers, blossoming our love along the way.”

'Old Rockhounds Never Die' is a bonanza of beautiful contradictions: intimate yet fiercely internationalist, spiritual and yet tangible, sweet and also sexy. It convenes with the ghosts of the past while marching relentlessly forwards. Drawn from experiences as far-flung as riding a train from San Francisco to Chicago with an old-style, rootin'-tootin' cowboy for company ('Cowboy Song'), to experiencing the intense natural beauty of Icelandic waterfalls ('Dettifoss'), it’s a record that taps into the musical traditions of the past while being a collection of songs about living in the moment.

Raised by pioneering parents on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, NYC, Odetta’s milieu was a “colourful culture of artistry,” that included early exposure to community activism, renegade film screenings, poetry readings and trips to CBGB's. Inchoate punk and hip hop were aural wallpaper, as were the 45s spinning in the household jukebox featuring her dad’s extensive collection of soul and afrobeat records, as well as her Appalachian mother’s classic country selections. A classically trained violinist with a penchant for back-porch banjo, Odetta combines these variegated sounds of her childhood with her personal passion for folk music and the musicological legacy of Alan Lomax. Lomax is writ large on 'Old Rockhounds...' at least in spirit anyway. Odetta plays all the instruments on this and her debut '222'.

And yet, 'Old Rockhounds Never Die' also embraces modernity without ever sounding incongruous. It’ll probably not surprise anyone listening to the album then that it's a co-production. Odetta writes and performs all the songs while her partner Jack Inslee is in the background bringing the digital dark arts. Experimenting with found sounds & foley, the two have developed a sonic vernacular built around playing around with a-typical instruments. FACEBOOK.


Having already featured 'Sweet Teeth' and 'Widow's Peak' in June and July, it makes perfect sense to round things off ahead of the new album with 'You You' this month. That "Cowboy Soul" sound is once again lurking around, as Odetta Hartman carves out a glorious niche, doing so in a grand and irresistible manner.

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MF Tomlinson - Hippie Flowers - Little Low - Franklin Gothic

MF Tomlinson - Die To Wake Up From A Dream. MF Tomlinson shares the album's centrepiece and 9-minute title track, ‘Die To Wake Up From ...