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Amsterdam-based trio Rex explore the darker side of life with style, sexuality and a touch of melancholy – combining post punk, new wave and even elements of Spanish rhythms. This month, they are set to release upcoming track ‘Palaces’.
Despite sharing the same influential interests from the likes of The Bad Seeds, Lou Reed and Leonard Cohen, the bands idiosyncratic sound stems from their own musical backgrounds. Frontman, and guitarist Jonathan Rex was born with flamenco in his blood, while Drummer Nout Kooij was raised as a die-hard punk, and Bass player Sara Elzinga was introduced to blues music before she could walk.
With Jonathan’s powerful vocals wrapped elegantly over heavy electric strings and a throbbing drumbeat, ‘Palaces’ dwells upon love and death and the overwhelming emotions that comes along with it. Discussing the song, Rex says: “The song embraces the sorrow of loss, and powerless felt when you lose someone close to you. It raises the questions of how to continue on with life and survive without them.”
Having gained cult status in their native city, the three-piece have also seen action in European cities such as London, Berlin, Spain, whilst touring and at festivals. This year will see Rex on the rising scale, as they welcome the release of their debut EP this spring.
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Amaroun has a reputation for creating strong melodies with simple beats accompanied by scrupulous lyrical honesty. As a self- proclaimed emo kid of the noughties and a lover of many genres from Gospel to Grime & Hip Hop to Reggae, Amaroun is not easily categorised.
With a driving hunger to release music, and prolific writing prowess, Amaroun (aka Jay Brown) is releasing music each month throughout 2020. January saw the self-produced and genre bending track ‘Perish’ with the honey-like ‘Rosey’ following four weeks later. Now, March 27th will see the release of 'Talk', Amaroun's third record this year and first full studio recording. 'Talk', co-written with Charles Watson (Slowclub) and produced by Charlie Andrew (Alt J/ Matt Corby/ Maricka Hackman) is a song about the moment communication breaks down between two people –– “Whenever I sing this song it takes me back to those moments and makes me realise how important talking is to keep your connection alive” she says. “I have no regrets, I learnt
so much about what I wanted from these experiences and use them to inform my own self growth and how I approach the beautiful connections with people I have today”
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Whitacre, the self-described “mountain rock” band hailing from Denver, CO., has premiered the new single, “Prodigal,” with Billboard. The single will appear on their new album, Seasons, to be released April 17th, 2020. Recorded at Third & James in Denver, produced by Joe Richmond (Tennis, Churchill) and mixed by Yuuki Matthews (The Shins), Seasons marks the first time the band recorded in a big space and they found creative freedom to experiment with new ideas, marking an evolution from their last EP, 2018’s Within The Mountains’ Shadows.
Fusing elements of Americana, folk, and rock with punk tinges, Whitacre has become one of Denver’s fastest rising bands, selling out shows with Mt. Joy, Wild Child and Birdtalker, playing legendary venues such as Red Rocks and The Bluebird Theater, and amassing half a million streams on Spotify. With the release of their debut full-length album, Seasons, on the horizon, the four-piece, made up of Paul Whitacre on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Chase Perry on banjo, Mark Cunningham on drums and Joe Fishel on bass, are poised to break out nation-wide.
“At the risk of sounding a bit cliche, ‘Prodigal’ was a monumental song for the band. It was the first time we really collaborated on the writing process - every member contributed to the lyrics, the story, the melody, etc. It was a special moment to let others into the creative process for the first time, and it really set the tone for how we've written songs ever since,” frontman Paul Whitacre explains. “Every member of this band has a story of running away from 'home.' We've all lived through a time that we were doing the exact opposite of what we knew we were supposed to be doing. ‘Prodigal’ touches on the presence of hope and redemption, regardless of how low you are in life.”
A metaphor for the different phases of life, Seasons helped the band process the concept of there being something to use and learn from in each season and experience. The message of the album goes along with the band’s mission: “We have a burning desire to tell a story that isn’t often told in the music industry today. One of redemption and restoration. We want to reassure the broken-hearted that there is hope, we want to show the invisible that we see them and that they matter. We believe that doesn’t only happen in lyrics but in a melody as well. We believe in the power of music and that it is used to soften and heal hearts.”
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Mats Mentzen Wang’s aka Mats Wawa is releasing new album Rock Omelette, the follow-up to 2018’s EP Scuzz. The young songwriter was unwittingly booked to a handful of showcase festivals in 2015, based on a few bedroom demos. And that’s how Mats Wawa was born – he needed a band. Now, four years later, Wang has matured, and so have his musical tastes.
Call it AOR, slacker soul or just classic rock – let the listener decide. Whatever you call it, the album is chock full of tunes. From a short rock opera about French & Moland (two Norwegian mercenaries imprisoned in DR Congo), via the song “Canned Heat” which sounds like…and to the first single “Sparkly Eyes”, some of the most beautiful blue eyed soul you’ll hear this year, with strings imported from 70’s Philadelphia.
It shouldn’t surprise anyone that this record has become an eclectic collection of songs, as the following influences are named: Elton John’s Tumbleweed Connection, Laura Nyro, Lee Hazlewood, The Byrds and Jessica Pratt. Maybe that’s what Rock Omelette means. Still, the innocent naiveté that’s been Mats Wawa’s calling card, permeates the entire album, fronted by Wang’s characteristic voice which keeps it all cohesive.
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All of life is a journey and the best journeys are those taken with friends. For the 5 members of The Mowgli’s that road has seen their friendship tested and rebuilt numerous times. From their earliest Venice, California days as a 10+ revolving cast of characters to their current line-up, the core members have evolved from playing midnight warehouse parties to the stages of the largest festivals.
While there have been many highlights - appearances on late night TV shows, incredibly rewarding collaborations with charities and electrifying performances in legendary venues among them - there have also been tests: Losing band members, battling with the stress of constant touring and maintaining their friendship, trying to remain both grounded and optimistic when things go amazingly well and when they don’t. But there have been benefits of creating deep bonds and close relationships, not least the marriage of singers Katie Jayne Earl and Josh Hogan in 2017. “Being in a touring band is hard work,” says Katie, “but inspiring. It only works because people care about the band and we have a core who support us, people who have both been there since the beginning and joined along the way. Those supporters keep us motivated.”
Their latest single "Weight On Me" is a mid-tempo mashup featuring hints of psychedelia, Jazz & rock n roll. The song talks about the pressures of keeping up with everyday life and taking on the weight of the world around you while keeping your head on your shoulders. It is the latest addition to their catalog of releases that are undeniably infectious and wholeheartedly relatable.
For The Mowgli’s, as for any band, this whole experience is a journey - and not always an easy one. It tests your self-belief, your stamina, your relationships and your mental and emotional health. “Since this band started we’ve been through a lot of changes: gained members, lost members, been shuffled around labels and learned a lot about the music industry,” says Andy. “Now it feels like we’re really independent again, refocused on curating our live show, more in touch with the business of being this band.” He adds “Our sound has evolved but we always circle back to the basic themes: love, feeling good, excited for life no matter what the day delivers.”
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Brooklyn-based experimental art-rock duo, Reliant Tom shares new single "Nevermind the Garbage" and announces a new forthcoming album 'Play & Rewind' out May 8th, 2020 via Diversion Records. We've partnered with Black Book Magazine to bring you the vulnerable and visceral new song. Singer Claire Cuny took inspiration from the tragic passing of her father who died suddenly in 2018 on the day of the band's last album release no less. Claire explains, "The song is about learning to return to a semi-normal routine by learning to manage the grief..."
Tracing their origins to a chance meeting at a DIY show in Brooklyn in 2015, the Brooklyn-based post-rock electronic band and experimental performance art Reliant Tom is centered around its core creative duo, Western Massachusetts-born, Brooklyn-based composer Monte Weber and Dallas, TX-born, Brooklyn-based choreographer and vocalist Claire Cuny. The duo’s collaboration is a seamless synthesis of their individual talents and interests – sound design, wearable technology, modern dance, and hook-driven, yet genre-defying songwriting.
“Reliant Tom gives me the outlet to explore both pulse driven works while maintaining the other musical elements which I find fascinating - timbre, aleatoric processes, and interactive technologies,” Weber explains. Adds Cuny, “Our ultimate goal with Reliant Tom is to be a multi-media performance experience that straddles the line between pop and experimental music - and philosophizing about what that even means, and is that even possible as ‘experimental pop’?”
Thematically, the duo’s two previous releases, 2016’s self-released, self-titled EP and 2018’s critically applauded, full-length debut effort Bad Orange, touch upon the pitfalls of digital communication and the generally blasé nature of modern social interaction – through the guise of avant-pop and avant-punk-influenced musical devices and arrangements featuring electric guitar, vocals, a hybrid electro-acoustic drum kit, synthesizers, and Weber’s Kontrol Instrument, which he developed while studying at the Paris-based Institute for Research and Coordination in Acoustics/Music as a way to make electronic music more tactile and immersive in its performance.
Slated for a May 8th, 2020 release through Chicago-based Diversion Records, Reliant Tom’s sophomore effort Play & Rewind is a decidedly bold and self-assured step forward: Cuny’s sultry and expressive vocals while being prominently placed front and center, effortlessly glide over lush yet spacious arrangements of shimmering acoustic guitars, atmospheric electronics and twinkling keys with the material possessing a cinematic air that recalls Dummy-era Portishead, Tales of Us-era Goldfrapp, Radiohead circa OK Computer and others. And while continuing to be tech-heavy in their means of sonic production, their thematic exploration of communication and interaction in the digital age takes a back seat. This time taking a more human approach, the material may arguably be the most mature yet accessible, most emotionally honest and vulnerable of their growing catalog.
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The Claudettes new album is due out out on April 3 and is entitled "High Times in the Dark".
The band have already shared two songs from the new album, namely 'Bad Babe, Losin' Touch' and 'Declined'.
The latest song ahead of the album is 24/5 and as was the case with the last two songs, it's accompanied by a new music video.
As we have previously mentioned Johnny Iguana the bands piano player and songwriter commented "I believe it's definitely our best yet". It's produced by Ted Hutt (Violent Femmes, The Devil Makes Three, Old Crow Medicine Show, Lucero) and will be released on Forty Below Records.
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