Yesterday Austin, TX's Wild Child released a surprise EP titled 1996 that includes three brand new songs. The EP arrives as the band kicks off their headline tour that will make stops in Boston, Philadelphia, New York and many more.
"We probably had 20 songs in consideration for our fourth LP Expectations and these songs didn’t seem to fit in the final sequencing but we still really liked them," said co-frontman Alexander Beggins. "'1996' was one of the first tracks we recorded for Expectations with Scott McMicken up at Mt. Slippery back in the summer of 2017. We recorded a full version of the song one day, woke up and scrapped it the next day and started working on a new version messing around with drum machines and midi toys. We now play a hybrid version live. "Best Lay" and "Hold On, Hold You" were recorded in our hometown in Austin, TX with the ever talented Adrian Quesada. We work really well and quick together and ended up recording 6 or 7 songs with him for the record. We had a really fun day in the studio trying to figure out who can sing the lowest on 'Hold On, Hold You.'"
The 1996 EP release follows the band's best-selling album to date Expectations released earlier this year on Dualtone Records. For Expectations, the band traveled across the world to work with multiple producers (and accomplished musicians in their own right) on the album, including Chris Walla (formerly Death Cab For Cutie), Chris Boosahda (Shakey Graves), Scott McMicken (Dr. Dog), Max Frost and Adrian Quesada (Brownout, Black Pumas). The album has been warmly received by fans, and has seen Wild Child achieve their strongest radio play yet, with lead single “Think It Over” reaching #15 on AAA. The band’s best selling record to date has also led to 1.8 million monthly listeners on Spotify, and over 75 Million aggregate streams and counting on the service for their entire catalog. Current tour dates and more on their WEBSITE.
We have the video for 'Hold On, Hold You' along with the E.P. which adds the tracks '1996' and 'Best Lay' which is useful as all three songs are very different affairs. Always melodic and full of gorgeous hooks, whether a little feisty are just plain romantic, this is a beautiful E.P.
London-local songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Sands will be releasing his brand new double A-side single, ‘Tomorrow’s Gone’ / ‘Burning Man’, on November 30, via Spaghetti Sounds. Composed, produced and performed by Sands himself, the single follows on from his sophomore EP “Waves Calling”. Sands has already received extensive support from tastemaker publications.
Over the years Sands has worked with producer, engineer and mixer Brett Shaw (Florence and the Machine, Foals, Daughter); Jonas Verwijnen, who did indispensable mixing work for Moon Duo; and Martin Glover aka Youth, famed for his collaborations with Killing Joke, The Verve, Paul McCartney, The Cult, The Orb, Echo And The Bunnymen, Primal Scream and many others.
The mastermind behind the Sands project, Andrew Sands, is based in London. Sands began playing from a young age, but maintains that it was really his discovery of records that inspired him to make music, as well as his experimentation with a variety of different instruments. Starting with drums, Sands soon found, in guitar, his main songwriting tool, then at a later stage, the keyboard and synths too. With Sands’ multi-instrumentalism and skill in sound engineering, as well as his range of influences, it’s no wonder that this talented musician has worked within many different genres.
On the double A-side single, Sands comments, “‘Burning Man’ is something I had for quite some time, basically I was just waiting for the right moment to put it out, and this seemed a good match,” and goes on to explain, "’Tomorrow's Gone’ is on my latest EP - ‘Waves Calling’ - it's a new wave/electronic track. This version was the original demo. I went more 60's psychedelic, and thought it was good enough to be mixed and put out just leaving it like that, quite bare and mantra-like till the end crescendo. I think here lies the soul of the song.” WEBSITE.
One half of the double A Side 'Burning Man' is a well crafted and expansive aural delight. Beyond the production it's also a fabulous mixture of musical ideas, where psychedelic vibes, synths and acoustic instrumentation, and hypnotic vocals (and voices) combine to create a hard to resist song.
Background - Chicago punk band Lifestyles take aim at Scientology on their ripping new single “Wail” that came out late last week. It’s out digitally now ahead of its physical release on 10/26 as part of a split 7” EP with Meat Wave, which their fellow Chicagoans No Trend Records is releasing on October 26th.
The lyrics behind "Wail" came out of Lifestyles' endless obsession with cults and in this case specifically, Scientology. It's about how any written contract among friends or practitioners of a shared belief is inherently a negative and suspicious thing - if one requires a signed contract to prove trust, then that person is clearly indicating they have no trust.
It's also one of Lifestyles' faster songs, with the band dedicating it to the memory of Hüsker Dü’s Grant Hart. Lifestyles' sound is reminiscent of the grungy noise that was blasting its way out of the Puget Sound in the late 80’s and early 90’s... and while often compared to bands like Babes In Toyland, the Wipers and the Misfits, Lifestyles has had no problem implementing experimental song structures and otherworldly vocals in an attempt to carve out their own unique sound. They’re currently working on the follow-up to their self-titled debut album (available exclusively on Bandcamp), which they’ll soon be recording at Electrical Audio. BANDCAMP.
'Wail' by name and wail by nature, this song let's rip with some full on punk fuelled attitude right from the word go. The tonsil shattering vocals are one of a kind, the band roar along and at just over two minutes duration, that pretty much every pure punk box ticked.
Background - Ahead of her forthcoming UK tour, Amy Rigby will be releasing her first solo album in a dozen years, The Old Guys, in the UK on 30 November.
Amy explains more about the track: "Tom Petty is a guardian angel for me, like he was and is for many musicians. I’ve written about him on my blog a lot because anytime I’m on the road it’s like Tom is there on my shoulder, saying “that’s cool” or “you can do better”. This was true when he was alive and even more now that he’s gone.
After another week of discord and divisiveness in the news, I saw a video of J Mascis singing Don’t Do Me Like That in a nearly-empty karaoke bar. I’d sung American Girl with Chuck Prophet and the Mission Express the night before and felt the power of that song reach out and lift people up. Mascis’ karaoke performance was the opposite, it was internal, like prayer. He wasn’t doing it for an audience, he was doing it for himself. I imagined I was J, strummed some American Girl chords and wrote this song."
The Old Guys measures the weight of heroes, home; family, friends and time. Philip Roth and Bob Dylan, CD/cassette players, touring, the wisdom of age and Walter White, groupies, Robert Altman, egg creams, fellow musicians and mentors are paid tribute. Twelve songs written unmistakably by Amy and recorded by Wreckless Eric in upstate New York, The Old Guys is the sound of a good girl grown up, never giving up. WEBSITE.
UK Tour Dates: Sat Nov 10 – Cromer, Hall Wed Nov 14 – Manchester, Gulliver’s Thu Nov 15 – Glasgow, Hug & Pint Fri Nov 16 – Edinburgh, Voodoo Rooms Speakeasy Sat Nov 17 – Durham, Olde Cinema Launderette Sun Nov 18 – Hull, St. John’s Thu Nov 22 – Worcester, Marrs Bar Fri Nov 23 – London, Betsey Trotwood Sat Nov 24 – Portsmouth, Elmsworth Sports Club Sun Nov 25 – Folkestone, Lime Bar Café
We shared 'From Philiproth' from Amy Rigby just four weeks ago and are mighty pleased to follow that up with 'Tom Petty Karaoke'. There is a sense of real passion from the opening moments, the lyrics are wonderful and the hooks are everywhere.
Background - Austin, TX's Wild Child are excited to announce their first run of tour dates in 2019, making stops in Denver, Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles and many more. This follows a winter tour this November & December which will hit New York, Philadelphia and more. Find a full list of tour dates below and via the band's website.
In anticipation of the upcoming fall tour, the band released a one-of-a-kind video for the song "My Town" from their new album Expectations out now on Dualtone Records. Director Aaron Brown achieved a truly unique miniature effect by utilizing two drones: one with a massive spotlight attached to it and the other with a camera. The result is a chilling, "Westworld"-like environment that climaxes with a burning building.
"At the end of last year, we got a small crew of people together to go spend some time out in Teralingua, TX, just shy of the Mexican boarder. It’s surreal out there, beautiful and desolate; West Texas in a nutshell," explains co-frontman Alexander Beggins. "Our director Aaron Brown has a little ranch house out there that we camped out in for a few days but spent most of our time exploring the desert land and were fortunate enough to be allowed to film into some of the towns best kept little secret spots. The entire video really captures a moment in time in our lives"
"This song is one of my favorites from the album. It was very emotional to write and hear come to life in the studio, and it feels even more powerful with the backdrop of the Texas desert behind it," said co-frontwoman Kelsey Wilson. "'My Town was' written from a very dark and isolated place and singing it in a ghost town in West Texas felt hauntingly appropriate. We all had a lot of powerful moments out there together." WEBSITE.
Wild Child made a couple of appearances on Beehive Candy around the beginning of the year and the new video for 'My Town' makes for a very welcome return. Slow paced, melodic and with a beautiful atmosphere both the song and the accompanying video are gorgeous.
Background - Grenadian-Canadian artist Kaia Kater announces the UK release of new album Grenades on January 11th 2019 (on Smithsonian Folkways Recordings); including first single New Colossus out this Friday 19th October.
Known for her prowess as a songwriter and tradition bearer who performs with “the skill of a folk-circuit veteran” (Rolling Stone), Grenadian-Canadian artist Kaia Kater took a decidedly different direction for her new album, Grenades. What started out as a search to discover the roots of her identity became a physical and emotional exploration of history, in particular her paternal ancestry, and has led to bold new heights of imagination and creative expression.
Her father Deno grew up in Grenada, fleeing to Canada in 1986 as part young speakers program, after the U.S. invasion. His voice can be heard recounting those events during the album's interludes — a way for the Canadian songwriter to tie her present with his past, in order to understand our current global climate of war, unease, immigration, and displacement. Kater revisits the past in songs like “La Misère” and “Grenades”; touches on the present in “Canyonland” and “New Colossus”; and looks to the future in “Poets Be Buried.”
As Kater explored multiple facets of her identity, so did she explore varying facets of her sound. She partnered with producer Erin Costelo to create a musical aesthetic that pulled from more than just the Appalachian influences of her past musical efforts. Artists like Aoife O'Donovan and Daniel Lanois figured prominently in the artistic vision.
“I play acoustic guitar on the record, and the title track doesn’t have banjo in it, so we knew it would be different right off the bat,” Kater says. “We anchored a lot of the sound with guitar player Christine Bougie (Bahamas, Good Lovelies). I knew I wanted Christine on the record, and we built the sound from there.”
It’s a sound that starts in Grenada, moves through America, and travels into Quebec. It’s the sound of an artist forging a new path into the future, while holding her history close. Grenades tells stories of courage and uncertainty; it is an odyssey reflecting on the nature of personal identity, memory, family — and how sometimes a person must travel across the world to find out where their home is. WEBSITE.
'New Colossus' is a beautiful, timeless folk song with just a twist of Americana feeling. Subtle alterations in pace have considerable impact, the musicianship is pristine and the vocals of Kaia Kater are enchanting. It may be a couple of months wait for the album, this song suggests it will be worth the patience.
Background - Corniglia is a wonderful, psychedelic infused shoegaze band from Perth, Australia. Their second single from their self-titled debut album, "Strange Desires," both released this week. The songs are ethereal, tinged with a melancholia that somehow coexists with a feeling of transcendence. The gauze-y hooks in the guitar textures blend with Matt and Chloe's voice and bring a feeling of compassion to the bleak themes of the songs.
Matt says of the new single, "It's a song written in two parts. Most of the lyrics were written about 4 or 5 years ago. Looking back, it was mostly about a general sense of feeling lonely or not fitting in. It was revisited and finished off recently, where I view it differently now. Most people probably feel like they don't fit in at some point. Everyone is a lot more similar, working through the same problems and insecurities. I feel the song is more about growing up now."
There is a dark and somber beauty suffusing all of the art the group produces. It is the layers of sinewy texture overlaying the tracks. It’s in the lyrics that paint abstract portraits of these impressions. It’s in both Chloe and Matt’s voices. Chloe lends her artistic strength, as well as her voice to the band. She was raised to adolescence in Italy, before moving to Australia and continuing her creative studies.
Corniglia is a respite from and a reflection on the very peculiar world of Matt and Chloe. The two do not just write and record all of the music but also make all of the art and all of the videos for the project. It is an endeavour that is entirely DIY, with all of the artistic output, naturally with the help of family and friends who help them realise their vision, made by Matt and Chloe at the home they share. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.
Fourth time around on Beehive Candy for Corniglia, this time with 'Strange Desires' the second single from their debut album. Once again we are treated to some dreamy genre spanning music, the rhythm is faster paced than the vocals and other musical components, providing additional energy and another dimension to the bands sound.
Background - Fans of XTC will be thrilled to know that bandmates Terry Chambers and drummer Colin Moulding, the rhythmic powerhouse behind the Swindon-based legends, have reunited to release new music under the tongue-in-cheek name of TC&I. Their new 'Great Aspirations' EP consists of four new original recordings that allow us to fully appreciate Colin’s English pop vision.
On this debut offering as TC&I, Moulding and Chambers put their XTC history behind them to create some truly original music. Not only is this a new start, but also a thing apart from their musical past. This is also the first new material from Moulding in many years.
"I thought I’ve got to do something, you can’t just sit around and eat chocolate cake and then you get the inkling that you should start writing again and you start meddling and the next thing you know Terry’s on the door step," says Colin Moulding.
Terry Chambers adds, “You’re only here once in your life and this felt a bit like unfinished business. When I left XTC it wasn’t the greatest set of circumstances and you can’t go through your life thinking ‘what if?’ so when Colin offered the opportunity I thought, yes lets do this again."
The EP delivers XTC's trademark qualities of melody, rhythm, variety, and idiosyncratic subject matter, mixed in with nostalgia fuelled by an understated political anger. In following with his songwriting history to date, Moulding shows an appreciation of the good things, such as friendship, landscape and longing. Here he again reminds us of what we stand to lose in the name of progress, looking at the rapidly changing world around him. FACEBOOK, PLEDGEMUSIC.
TC&I have a fine legacy to build on and rather than play it safe and set out from where their time with XTC ended, the new EP and featured song 'Scatter Me' are both original and refreshing. There is a certain "Englishness" to their sound, along with some fresh and creative music, TC&I have not let us down, this is a superb EP.
Background - Walter Martin (co-writer/multi-instrumentalist of The Walkmen) will release his new album Reminisce Bar & Grill on February 16th via Ile Flottante Music. His fourth solo record since The Walkmen's hiatus in 2013, it's one that might throw fans of his two award winning kids' records (2014's We're All Young Together and last year's My Kinda Music) for a loop. Listeners will still recognize the same affable narrator and quirky musical style, but here the subject matter is shifted dramatically. With frankness, poignancy and humor, Martin, now a 43-year-old married man with two young children, squarely tackles the subject of adulthood - specifically, his own.
While Martin approaches these subject matters with candor and sincerity, he clearly also enjoys mining them for humor. "I wanted this album to be an entertaining discussion of marriage, fatherhood, work, fear, and weakness," he explained. "I'm definitely influenced by Woody Allen movies. No matter how serious or romantic or dark his story may be, there's always a strong undercurrent of comedy."
Reminisce Bar & Grill was recorded at various studios in Brooklyn and at Richard Swift's National Freedom Studio in Cottage Grove Oregon. The songs were mixed by D. James Goodwin (Bob Weir, Craig Finn), Richard Swift (The Shins, Foxygen) and Phil Ek (Fleet Foxes, Band of Horses). A nimble multi-instrumentalist, Martin handled guitar, piano, organ, bass and percussion duties, but he also relied on the services of a coterie of crafty players and singers: Brian Kantor (Fruit Bats) on drums, Josh Kaufman (Craig Finn, Josh Ritter) on guitar, and Jamie Krents (French Kicks) on bass. The soaring harmony vocals woven throughout the album are delivered by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah singer Alec Ounsworth. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.
Less than a month ago we featured 'I Can Run Now From The Hellhounds But I Can't Hide' by Walter Martin and 'Ride Down The Avenue' is another fine song that pretty much ensures the forthcoming album receives our attention. The song is hard to pigeonhole into any one genre, its melodic, energised and catchy, that much is certain.
Background - Wild Child latest singles "Sinking Ship" and "Back & Forth," were produced by Max Frost and Delta Spirit's Matthew Logan Vasquez, respectively. The band's gearing up for the release of their new album, Expectations, out February 9th on Dualtone Records.
Wild Child won't settle. For seven years now the Austin-based ensemble has carried its infectious blend of indie-pop and infectious melodies across the international music scene, charting viral hits and wrapping their arms around a diverse and dedicated fan base. But earlier this year when the band set out to make their fourth studio album, they found they had their hands full: After half a decade of maturation, the group had grown beyond its traditional writing and recording process. “We had too many ideas for how we wanted to make this record” says Kelsey Wilson, the group’s lead vocalist and violinist. She shrugs. “So we said, ‘Why not just do all of them?’”
The group realized this offered an exciting opportunity to make a kind of record bands rarely get right: To take a new, multispectral approach to writing and recording that went beyond simply trying to engineer success. The band made a list of their favorite musicians who were also great producers in their own right — choosing ones they thought would shine a new and unique light on specific compositions — and then Wild Child set about chasing their album from studio to studio all over the world, never saying no to an idea. The result — the band’s fourth album, Expectations — is Wild Child’s most creative, colorful and intellectually engaging album to date.
Now a seven-piece pop mini-orchestra (Wilson on violin and vocals; Alexander Beggins on ukulele and vocals; Sadie Wolfe on cello; Matt Bradshaw on keyboards, trumpet, and harmonica; Tom Myers on drums; Cody Ackors on guitar and trombone; and Tyler Osmond on bass), Wild Child formed in 2010 when the group's core duo of Wilson and Beggins wrote and released their first album, Pillow Talk. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.
Another band we featured last month and they are back and again sharing two more songs for our pleasure. 'Sinking Ship' and 'Back & Forth' are two very contrasting pieces, 'Sinking Ship' is a beautiful and gentle song with gorgeous vocals and harmonies. 'Back & Forth' is a feisty full bodied tune with a funky blues feel, this band do variety and they do it with style.
Background - Lauren Ruth Ward just released her new song "Sideways". "Sideways" is an anthem for those who get lost while acclimating to a new life."
Says Lauren, "Whether it's intentional or unintentional, you gotta roll with it but not let the people walking faster than you distract you." The song is about when Lauren moved from Baltimore to Los Angeles about 2 years ago.
Her new album "Well, Hell" is coming out February 9th, and you can see the campaign that American Apparel did with her here. She is a hairstylist during the day to be able to keep her music career afloat.
Lauren has organically grown fans in places like Italy, France, Spain, Germany, etc. There is such a love for her music that they created fan pages on Instagram. FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM.
'Sideways' is the second song from Lauren Ruth Ward that we have shared, and once again her rock vocals are centre stage and gripping. This is natural and exuberant rock & roll, dive in and enjoy!
Background - "I wanted to write a song where the focus jumped from person to person, like a contagion. The idea was that each verse would be an ordinary “day in the life of” each character, and that whatever was going on was a banal and daily grind. Each character would be possessed with this spirit, making them push on through, and shake off their demons.”
Hero Fisher’s ‘I Let Love’ is a rare and powerful treat of rock and roll swagger and pointed observational songwriting. Her narrative lyricism is bolstered by her effortless feel for melodies and song progression. From the timbres of the toms and the smooth steely chorus-soaked guitars to Fisher’s own vocal line, every element forms a vibrant sonic fabric of unforgettable musical sentiment. It’s about rising above the banalities of quotidian life, escape through desire, and the reflective trappings of nostalgia. The accompanying video runs the gamut of emotions with a stellar performance by its donkey marionette star enjoying a day at the beach and the aquarium. ‘I Let Love’ reveals the tentacular nature of Hero’s songwriting powers, ever extending into new spaces and new ideas.
British-born, French-raised and London-based, Hero Fisher (yes, that’s her real name) is returning to release her sophomore LP Glue Moon. Hero’s career has so far seen her collaborate with Alison Mosshart and Boy George in the Mark Ronson-scored ballet Carbon Life, open for The Rolling Stones and Neil Young at Hyde Park, and get shortlisted for the 2014 Glastonbury Emerging Talent Prize. In 2015 she released her debut album, the critically-appraised Delivery which won her fans in The Horrors and Blur.
By turns a blistering rock and roller in the vein of Patti Smith and PJ Harvey, and an experimental folk storyteller à la Jeff Buckley, Hero Fisher resists easy generic categorisation with her protean and cinematic musical storytelling. Able to expertly strike a variety of different narrative poses, she is at once the spurned lover and the fired-up rabble rouser, predator and prey. With Glue Moon previous singles ‘Sylvie’ and ‘Push The Boat Out’, Hero’s lyrical imagination proved unique and bountiful. Anthemic latest single ‘I Let Love’ is the latest chapter in her development as an artist, and with fuller production and it She’ll reach many more milestones yet on her creative journey. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.
We featured Hero Fisher back in July & are now really pleased to share her latest song 'I Let Love'. This is a refreshing and catchy track where her vocals are more energised, whilst the simpler musical backdrop allows her voice to shine through.
Background - “Adulting” takes on a new meaning with Lauran Hibberd’s new song, “Hunny Is This What Adults Do.” Lauran’s outside perspective distances herself from friends and peers who are starting families left and right, “dropping like flies.” It’s easy to compare oneself to others in our work, relationships and milestones in life. Lauran prioritizes her musical milestones including performances at Bestival 2017 and earning the support from Clash for her previous track “Eliza.”
In the style of Ingrid Michaelson and A Fine Frenzy, Lauran’s indie tune emphasizes the story of the song through her enchanting vocals. Thematically, it’s another fitting song for Lauran’s coming-of-age indie soundtrack imagined for the film, Juno, which follows the journey of teenage parents. The punctuated guitars and laid back tempo of the song feel like sleeping in on a rainy Sunday and happily spending the whole day indoors. That’s easy to do when you don’t have kids. Maybe around thirty she’ll think about doing what adults do, but until then Lauran will live by her own rules of adulthood.
Lauran says: “The track is coming of age, I think it’s the conversation everyone has to themselves one day, the question ‘am I an adult yet’? This song explores youth, and not wanting to leave it. But realising you don’t have to. It’s fun, brutally honest, and full of teenage fears. If you happen to be at the Isle Of Wight on the 16th December, you can catch Lauran Live at the Strings Bar and Venue. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.
It's third time this year for Lauran Hibberd on Beehive Candy and once again the Isle Of Wight based artist continues to impress us in a big way, this time with 'Hunny Is This What Adults Do?' Her upbeat vocals almost dance above the soundtrack and as we have stated twice before this is a "fabulous, vibrant and lovable song"...
Background - Nights is an old KYLYPSO song (one of the very first) that’s finally getting a studio airing. Inspired by the sounds they got out of a freshly purchased 90’s synthesiser, it’s a song about what could have been, set in the daydreams of a person who could have been a lover once but who chose another. Its nocturnal dance grooves lend it a late night show-stopping vibe, and it’s often the song they finish their live sets with, complete with a reverb heavy synth wig-out.
KYLYPSO’s debut EP Soon Fun is a celebration of the fact that we can usually find good in a bad situation. It’s a work that expresses lyrical vulnerability and doubt, in relationships and in ourselves, but through the sheer joy of the music and melodies it carries the life-affirming sentiment that the good times are just around the corner. Its slick production, unpretentious execution, and relatable human outpourings make it the kind of EP that speaks to a part of everyone’s experience: the tragedy and the fun of finding ourselves.
With their name inspired by a boat, KYLYPSO are an East London three-piece whose luxurious technicolour psych pop pierces through the dour gloom of autumn with its quirky and vibrant style. It’s the sound of an everlasting summer of hope and heartbreak. The teenage tennis playing lovechild of Tame Impala and Caribou, it’s airy, funky stuff, birthed from their hearts, minds and hard drives in various studios around London. Deceptively simple (it’s easy to listen to, but hard to make), KYLYPSO’s sound is vital and rooted in the deep exploration and cosmic wonder of music. FACEBOOK.
Back in May we featured 'Blame Love' stating then that the song "suggests Kylypso have a considerable amount to offer." Fast forward to the bands 'Soon Fun' EP and we can share the track 'Nights', a smooth flowing indie electronic affair with quite personal vocals and a hook laden melodic vibe.
Bartees & The Strange Fruit - Going Going Ft. Rachael Balcanoff.
Background - “This song is about growing up in and eventually leaving Oklahoma, and looking back on people in the Black community who taught me key lessons on resilience and faith, and to not be afraid of who might be knocking on the door. The opening verse highlights some of those competing feelings of fear, hopelessness, and defiance, feelings Black people in the South understand very well.
I eventually left Oklahoma and struggled over the years, as I tried to forget about that place. It’s only now that I’m realizing that the lessons I learned there are what make me different. A lot of people who leave home to try new things probably feel this way, too. This song is for them.” — Bartees Cox
Bartees Cox, a songwriter and guitarist based out of Brooklyn, created Bartees & The Strange Fruit as a conduit to surface stories about people of color. The title of the debut album, Magic Boy, (out on December 8, 2017 via Pineapple Record Co.) is inspired by a lyric from the song “Hear My Train A Comin” that goes: “Well, I gotta leave this town, gonna be a Voodoo chile .. and try to be a magic boy.”
This particular lyric has always resonated with Bartees since he made the decision to leave his home in rural Oklahoma for the East Coast, a change that is looked back on as being a pivotal moment in his life. This record marks Bartees’ obsession with analog recording, tape machines, space echoes, reel-to-reels and a number of other types of hi-fi recording gear. Each song was recorded to tape, or at least mixed to tape, to give it the warmth of a real performance.
“The “Magic Boy” is how my family sees me,” says Bartees. “Their kid that has made it work in New York, chasing a dream.” WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.
'Going Going' is a multi-layered song where the vocals and musical elements swirl around and intermingle with each other. It contrasts well with the other tracks on the album which are in some cases far more stripped back and reliant on Bartees vocal power and acoustic guitar playing. Always present is a simmering emotional feeling, where every note played and word sung, is fully committed.
Background - Austin-based band Wild Child have their fourth full-length, Expectations, due out in February 2018 on Dualtone.
They have just released two singles, "Think It Over" and "Expectations," - a couple of shimmering indie-pop tunes that echo Jenny Lewis' solo work and when she fronted Rilo Kiley. Canadian music fans might hear Feist or the underrated Jenn Grant in there too.
They collaborated with an all-star cast of producer/musicians on this record, including Chris Walla (formerly Death Cab For Cutie), Matthew Logan Vasquez (Delta Spirit), Chris Boosahda (Shakey Graves), and Scott McMicken (Dr. Dog), and recorded in Norway, Philadelphia, and Texas. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.
'Think It Over' is a catchy song where melodic vocals and harmonies are backed up by a lively and equally catchy musical arrangement. 'Expectations' steadies the pace with the bass up in the mix, until the song burst into power and energy levels rise. Indie pop with plenty of rock.
