Night Drive - The Little Miss - Karin Page - Winstons - Monarch

Night Drive - Rise and Fall.

Background - Like a synesthesia-induced landscape found within the vivid worlds of films a la Tron or The Neon Demon, Austin + Houston duo Night Drive arrive today with the scattered and lo-fi visuals for their track "Rise and Fall". The group are also thrilled to announce their debut self-titled record, due June 16th via Roll Call Records.

Inspired by sci-fi cinematic landscapes, the duo's modern synth-pop seeks to explore the darker currents of abstract emotion. With infectious melodies wrapped in thoughtful lyrics, layered over pulsing dance beats, the group create an ethereal electronic world drenched in noir aesthetics. With the handful of tracks and remixes they've released, the duo's dreamy songs have already garnered attention from the likes of SPIN as well as causing a stir from tastemakers in the blogosphere.

Night Drive's self-titled debut album brings to mind the aesthetics of acts like Interpol or The Knife, and is an effort best consumed in it's entirety. From the John Carpenter-esque stylings of hazy album opener, "Hyperion" to the urgent synth of "Strange Telepathy" or the slow-burning and subtle "Ghost Craft," from start to finish, the LP is a textured soundscape and surreal journey through sound.

Having recently toured with the likes of CHVRCHES, Austra, Yacht, Robert DeLong, and Miami Horror, Night Drive has several dates coming up in Houston, New York and Austin. Website here, Facebook here.

'Rise and Fall' mixes an uptempo, synthy and layered soundtrack, with vocals that also seem to convey a sense of urgency. It's a little like OMD only with more grit and menace.


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The Little Miss - Doubt.

Background - The Little Miss to release rootsy single “Doubt” April 4th. From the first fuzzy guitar line to organ and to the final fade out, “Doubt”, is relentless. The Little Miss’ new single blends Americana, Fiona Apple and possibly a little White Stripes for a passionate, rousing exploration of self-doubt. The single will be released digitally April 4th. In the words of The Little Miss: Doubt concerns itself with the intellectual understanding that life's answers cannot be summoned, but takes note of the relentless desire to still call for said answers. Essentially, it's about asking questions that you know you will never have an answer for (i.e. "I pray every day and I pray every night, but I'll never know if I am getting it right. Or will I?").

With one foot in the modern era and the other firmly planted in the nostalgia of decades gone by, The Little Miss is a Los Angeles based musician with roots in jazz, blues and folk music. She will be touring the West Coast later this year to support her upcoming EP, "American Dream," recorded and produced by Echo Park local, Joel Jerome. In addition, this will be her first year performing at the Bradley, California-based music festival, Lightning in a Bottle. Hayley Johnson, AKA The Little Miss, is a twenty-six-year-old, folk singer-songwriter originally from San Diego, CA.

Having been inspired by female vocalists such as Fiona Apple and Jewel at an early age, Johnson can remember starting girl bands at recess and writing lyrics in notebooks beginning in first grade. In middle school, Johnson began performing original music around San Diego county with her father at local coffee shops and surf competitions. Having gone by the stage name, "Hazel," for many years, Johnson developed the idea for The Little Miss while in college at San Francisco State University, where she rediscovered her love of music by way of her studies in Philosophy. After graduating, The Little Miss took off down south to further pursue her love of folk, blues and classic Americana music in Los Angeles. She now resides in Echo Park with her dog, Winifred, and continues to start girl bands at recess. Website here, Facebook here.

From the opening notes 'Doubt' suggest your in for some bluesy passion and energy, and the song does not let you down. Vocals are wonderful combined with the guitar lead music which remains potent throughout.

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Karin Page - Still Got You.

Background - Upbeat and irresistibly catchy, Karin Page's latest single Still Got You is a perfect slice of folk pop, dressed up in her favourite embellishments of rootsy grooves and a dusty twang. Taken from her 2017 EP of the same name, Still Got You (produced by ARIA award winning producer Matt Fell) shows why Karin appeals to such a broad range of music lovers – seamlessly weaving several styles together – and is the perfect introduction for new fans.

After 18 months of touring Australia in a caravan with her music/life partner Adam Nyeholt, playing music wherever the road took them, singer-songwriter Karin Page finally arrived at her new home of Byron Bay in 2016. By then, her charming blend of rootsy Americana had already begun making waves around Australia –  emanating from her hometown of Perth – earning Karin a slew of awards and loyal fans in every town she visited.

Karin's nomadic lifestyle has deeply affected her music, which now bears all the character of the endless Australian road. Needless to say, this has made Karin very popular with country, blues and roots fans. Karin took out Female Artist Of The Year and Songwriter Of The Year at the 2017 WA Country Music Awards; she was nominated for a WAM Song Of The Year Award in the Blues And Roots category; she has been nominated for New Artist Of The Year at the 2017 CMC Awards; and she was crowned the 2016 Toyota Star Maker. It seems the harder Karin works, the more her accomplishments are met with recognition.

In support of Still Got You, Karin will be embarking on a slew of dates including a co-headline tour with new pal and talented folktronica artist Tobias. Karin says of the hook-up, “I met Tobias at The Tamworth Country Music Festival in January. I first discovered his music when we were both sitting in the Top 5 of the AMRAP charts. I instantly loved his style and thought our music would work well together on the road." Facebook here. Tour dates on Beehive Candy's tour page.

There is a classic roots vibe with 'Still Got You' that is oh so, hook laden. Vocals are melodic and have some edge, the music plays it's part with a tight and polished delivery.


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Winstons - Enough

Background - Winstons Share "Enough" Video, Single Out Now on Grand Jury/WarHen Records. It follows their first single "Without You". Both tracks will be part of a release slated to come out later this year. The band released two EP's in 2015 entitled 'Turpentine' & 'Black Dust'. Both "Enough" and "Without You" are available via Grand Jury records.

Winstons is a garage-soul duo out of Virginia, residing in Brooklyn. They do love songs, blue songs, and dance songs with drums, guitar, harmonies, and a harmonica. Their live show is raw and earnest, with a dynamic juxtaposing devotion and depravity. Their sound has drawn comparisons to Screaming' Jay Hawkins and The Cramps. Website here, Facebook here.

Our second feature for Winstons, this time we have 'Enough' a blues rock number that packs passion and energy in equal amounts. The band keep it simple, and allow their total commitment to do the work.


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Monarch - Remember Me.

Background from Monarch - We just released our new single “Remember Me”. The three of us come from widely different musical backgrounds, from indie rock to classical to R&B. But when we got together to jam in 2015 we all quickly realized our shared love of synth driven 80s pop-rock and Monarch was born - a mixture of the lush pop harmony and hooks of that era along with experimental modern sounds.

Everyone added their own flavor to this new track, “Remember Me”. Creating the music had to be fun and familiar but with a twist. We wanted to keep it authentic and musically challenging yet lighthearted. Greg brought live classical percussion elements, Ryan, rock guitar and synth solos, and Maya wrote lyrics and stacked those harmonies ten deep - all while keeping common goal - keep the jams sounding like a tropical summer breeze in 1984. Facebook here.

Melodic vocals and a rhythmic backdrop ensures that 'Remember Me' stands out. Add in the synth sensibilities and you have a very catchy song.

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Six On Sunday: Oddnesse - Los Colognes - Dot Dash - No Joy - Winstons - The Forgotten Ghost

Oddnesse - Incoming Call.

Background - Fresh off the success of her first single “Somewhere Somehow”, which was recently featured on Spotify’s “Fresh Finds” and Apple Music’s “Isolation” playlists, Oddnesse dropped her second single entitled “Incoming Call”.

The project began as a studio collaboration between musician Rebeca Arango and producer Grey Goon. The two east-coast expats had arrived independently in Los Angeles plagued by ghosts of old bands, with many gigs at the Cake Shop under their belts and expensive degrees in music on their linked-ins. They both shared a vision for infectious beautiful music with a dark, heavy groove and as friends occasionally dropped by the studio with contributions, the band was born.

Both singles are taken from Oddnesse’s debut self-titled EP that will be released later this Spring via Myster Music. Facebook here. Buy here.

The music on 'Incoming Call' is a swirling, layered and creative feast of sounds. Add in the rhythmic vocals, and we have one very addictive and intriguing song.

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Los Colognes - Flying Apart.

Background - Nashville based Los Colognes have just announced their third album The Wave, out May 12th via Big Deal Media / Thirty Tigers. One of the highest and rarest aspirations in popular music is to reach for the transcendental, to access the spirit. On The Wave, Los Colognes succeeds at this – in breaking through the confines of everyday pop song lyricism to tell a holistic story. It’s not a concept piece, but it’s a brooding and joyful song cycle filled with philosophical rumination, effortless hooks, inspiring musicianship, and expansive arrangements. It’s an album perfectly suited of the current zeitgeist of unease and hope.

Guitarist/singer Jay Rutherford opines in “Flying Apart” - ‘Nobody believed / We’re all just hoping / Floating down streams.” It’s a song that invokes “the wave” metaphor of the album’s title, while churning through its own sonic sea of shimmering keyboards and guitars anchored by drummer Aaron Mortenson. The music evokes any of the best moments of late seventies or mid eighties FM radio while never being weighed down by the specter of influence. Los Colognes are a young band who have managed to forge their own sound while channeling the best sonic worlds of the decades past. Website here, Facebook here. Tour dates on the next page.

The first track from forthcoming album 'The Wave' is the song 'Flying Apart'. After a brief wall of sound intro, we are into a melodic, upbeat soundtrack with vocals adding in some additional feeling. As a taste of what's to come, then it's job done, I'm hooked.

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Dot Dash - 5/5/5 (EP).

Background - Over the last five years Washington D.C.-based Dot Dash has had five albums released, all via Canadian indie label The Beautiful Music. The band have a newly released free-for-download 5-song Dot Dash digital e.p. This comprises of five songs, one from each album.

Dot Dash has played shows with The B-52s, Tommy Keene, The Fleshtones, Ash, The Psychedelic Furs, The Chameleons, The Dickies, Hugh Cornwell, The Monochrome Set, Ian Hunter, Stiff Little Fingers, Glen Matlock, The Bats, Sylvain Sylvain, The Godfathers, Wussy, Urge Overkill, The Drums, The Trashcan Sinatras, Frankie Rose, The Clientele, Drivin'n'Cryin', The Empty Hearts, Matt Pond PA, Jack Grisham, Moon Duo, Chris Stamey, Wax Idols, The Explorers Club, Allo Darlin', The Supersuckers, Stevie Jackson, and lots of other rocking combos.

Washington Post: “Everything we've ever read about Dot Dash plays up the group's collective resume: Singer/guitarist Terry Banks was in St. Christopher and the Saturday People before teaming up with bassist Hunter Bennett in acclaimed indie-rock band Julie Ocean; guitarist Steve Hansgen played bass for hardcore legends Minor Threat and Government Issue, and then the mod group Modest Proposal; drummer Danny Ingram co-founded harDCore band Youth Brigade. Very impressive. But we're more interested in the music, a retro cocktail that recalls the yearning indie-pop of Sarah Records; the '80s neo-Byrds jangle of R.E.M., Orange Juice and other seminal college radio artists, and the tight, throbbing basslines and slashing guitars that evoke the Jam and the Clash."  Facebook here.

The new EP '5/5/5' with one track each from the bands five albums released so far, is a good way to get to know their music. These are no copycats, they consistently create indie rock & pop (and more), of a high calibre, and the comparisons above are at best references of their quality. Checking out who they have performed with along the way, says a lot more.

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No Joy - Califone.

Background - For most listeners, No Joy are a standout from the shoegaze revival, that wall of noise lead by its two female band members Jasamine White-Gluz and Laura Lloyd and their long headbanging blonde locks. In a 2011 Blackbook piece on the band’s detached yet visceral live show, the writer coyly commented “they are playing with their backs to the audience…shy girls.”

For years, principal songwriter and lead vocalist Jasamine White-Gluz was that shy girl. It translated onto their albums (her voice was never too high in the mixes, constantly obscured by layers of guitar) as well as their live shows (instead of standing center stage in the shows, she opted to stay hidden in the corner of the stage). With the latest effort Creep EP, (Street Date, February 24th, 2017) White-Gluz is starting to shed those insecurities and bring a revived spirit to who we know as No Joy.

As the principal writer of their past catalog, White-Gluz steers the material on Creep in new directions, drawing on varied influences ranging from Industrial to New Age. With co-writer and producer Jorge Elbrecht (Violens, Ariel Pink, Tamaryn, Lansing-Dreiden), the pair create a soundscape that is both familiar and fresh. Tracked in Montreal at Hotel 2 Tango and in White-Gluz’s Little Italy apartment, the sound is huge. Dynamic juxtapositions of dark and light, feminine and virile are cemented together with their signature earworm hooks. No Joy are challenging themselves by distancing from the traditional rock band formula, creating a new live show to accompany the release.

By taking control of their new direction, it’s the beginning of a new era for No Joy. Facebook here. See out Tour page for live dates. Amazon here.

From the forthcoming EP we have 'Califone', a jangly and melodic track. With the shoegaze vibe a little more understated, the vocals and musicianship really standout, an indicator of the quality and growing confidence to be found on the new release.

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Winstons - Without You.

Background - Winstons have released a new single "Without You". It will be part of a release slated to come out later this year. The band released two EP's in 2015 entitled 'Turpentine' & 'Black Dust'. The new single came out on Friday via Grand Jury.

Winstons is a garage-soul duo out of Virginia, residing in Brooklyn. They do love songs, blue songs, and dance songs with drums, guitar, harmonies, and a harmonica. Their live show is raw and earnest, with a dynamic juxtaposing devotion and depravity. Their sound has drawn comparisons to Screaming' Jay Hawkins and The Cramps. They self-released two EPs in 2015. Website here, Facebook here. Buy track here.

As genre crossovers go, garage soul was bound to be a must listen for myself. 'Without You' is all of that and more. The vocals are just so naturally soulful and genuine, whilst the guitar rock vibes make a surprisingly suitable musical soundtrack. Winston's have got something special going on here.

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The Forgotten Ghost - Too Close To The Sun.

Background - Clown is Melbourne based, Scottish born, James Henderson’s 5th solo studio album and his debut under the pseudonym, The Forgotten Ghost. He composed all the instrumentation and enlisted some very talented friends to assist with the final recording.

‘Too Close To The Sun’ is the first preview of the forthcoming album. Ambitious and beautiful instrumentation characterises the new single, akin to the most lush tracks on Elliott Smith’s XO. James’ delicate falsetto carries a haunting melody through the song, ranging in atmosphere from intimacy to epic strokes.

Clown was recorded over the course of one year and was engineered and co-produced by Peter Camilleri (brother of Jo Camilleri) who has worked with artists such as the Black Sorrows, Jo Jo Zep, Renay Geyer and Paul Kelly. Clown was recorded in various locations across Melbourne including the famous Buckland room in Melbourne’s Arts Centre (home to the MSO) and was mastered by Peter Mew at Abbey Road Studios. Peter was chosen to master the record due to his work with David Bowie and the Beatles. “I feel very privileged to have been able to work with Peter, his knowledge and experience have added a beautiful sparkle to the finished recording”, says James.

At the beginning of 2016 James set out with intention of moving The Forgotten Ghost from a solo project into a band and slowly amassed a collective of very talented musicians. With the addition of Kirsty Morphet’s stunning voice and beautiful piano, Cam Pretipino’s solidifying bass and Conrad Tracey’s thoughtful drums, the live performances so far have been extremely well received. ‘Too Close To The Sun’ by The Forgotten Ghost will be released 3rd of February 2017. Website here, Facebook here.

'Too Close To The Sun' almost tiptoes into being. James Henderson’s falsetto vocals emerge against a piano soundtrack and we build towards a fuller and delightfully arranged piece. Melodic and refined this is a superb song.

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