Background - “Greeves”, the first single from The Human Circuit’s upcoming album, ‘Electric City’, is the perfect introduction to the band. Combining classic Indie Rock elements like male / female unison vocals and a driving beat with the more eclectic instrumentation of Jazz. “Greeves” touches on Arcade Fire, `a poppier take on Talking Heads and piano rock for something truly unique. Mat, The Human Circuit, on “Greeves”: “We too often look at love as a singularly defined “thing”. By desiring love, we immediately crave the array of expectations composing our concept of it. How much more at peace would we be if we could narrow our focus to the meanings we use to define love, rather than “love”, in and of itself?” The Human Circuit is a touring Alternative Indie-Rock band from Austin Texas. Their catchy psychedelic grooves range from the mystic vibes of David Bowie to the intricate arrangements of Arcade Fire. Their most recent album, Frequent Seas (2015) independently charted top ten on public and college radio stations nationwide. The Human Circuit has performed with bands such as The Zombies, The Octopus Project, Boogarins, The Peach Kings, Smoke Season, Calliope Musicals, Ringo Deathstarr, and has been booked by Transmission Events, C3 Presents, among others. The Human Circuit has performed events and festivals including SXSW, 35 Denton, Pecan Street Festival, and more. Website here, Facebook here.
There is an upbeat feel to 'Greeves' right from the opening notes. Vocals are lustrous and lively whilst the musical arrangement shows off the quality and capability of the band. As a taste for the new album, then the band clearly are capable of some extremely good music, definitely on my must hear list.
Background - British cold wave artist Wendy Bevan has shared new track "Love From The Moon". t's the title track from her forthcoming new EP, out May 12th on Kwaidan / !K7 Records. Wendy Bevan’s own take on cold wave inspired electronica has seen her compared to the likes of Depeche Mode, The Knife and Siouxsie Sioux. Her debut album ‘Rose and Thorn’ produced by Marc Collin (Nouvelle Vague) was released on Kwaidan Records & !K7 in September 2016. Wendy’s vocals accompanied by glimmers of dark, pulsing electronic synths, minimalist post punk basslines and featuring live strings from the Balanescu Quartet. Her vivid, often surreal theatrical storytelling to creates something thrilling unique in her vocal delivery, both in performance and on the album. The new 4 track EP, ‘Love From the Moon' is out May 12th. It features a remix by Bruno Coviello (Light Asylum/ Bliscord) and a remix of her song Lover by D-Code & Psylence. In addition there is a new bonus track; ‘Running From Waking’ produced by Robert Harder (Nenah Cherry and the Thing, Brian Eno).
Wendy Bevan is a British Musician and Multimedia Artist who combines a surreal and theatrical approach to her work across genres in performance, photography, live visuals and experimental art-works, on stage, musical performance, galleries and photographic imagery. She has developed a unique cinematic world and style of her own making. Wendy’s free spirit and personality as an artist in the most authentic sense enables her to freewheel between genres making panoptic, multifaceted art works. She believes in creating a universal language and balance in the crossover of disciplines. Her vivid and dramatic imagination reveals her immense creative, surreal energy as a story teller, conjuring an alternative, ethereal universe. The various roles Wendy has cast herself over the last decade, be it as vocalist, visual artist, lyricist, photographer, filmmaker, and performer she melts and morphs wherever a concept leads her, conceiving and manipulating her work as a means of creating a character, enabling her to deliver immersive experiences to her audiences. Wendy is a visionary and her love of theatricality is ever present in whatever she pursues. The world she creates as an artist will continue to mesmerise, inspire and bewilder audiences. Website here, Facebook here.
'Love From The Moon' is a smooth and clean cold wave piece, where Wendy Bevan's vocals melodically surf above the flowing deep and rich synthy sounds.
Background - On June 16, Trevor Sensor will release his debut album Andy Warhol's Dream via Jagjaguwar. The album was recorded at Steve Albini's Electrical Audio studio in Chicago, IL and was produced by Richard Swift (The Shins, Damien Jurado), Foxygen's Jonathan Rado and Brandon Darner (Imagine Dragons, The Envy Corps). Backing Sensor up is a rhythm section of Julien Ehrlich (drums) and Max Kakacek (bass) of Whitney. Today, Sensor shared "High Beams," the first single from the forthcoming album. "The song derives from the desire to be one of those people on the television - a desire instilled in us since childhood in America and the western world at large. A desire that consumes us, especially those few born in middle America who look for supposedly greater things beyond the horizon of cornfields and prairies, or the northern factory towns of England - those places where nobody of any pop cultural significance is suppose to come from - for there is only so much room in the camera lens, the television screen, and we must save it for the pretty, plastic people," Sensor explains. "It revolves around things lost, things hoped for and the dreams we tell ourselves to keep us from the possibly horrifying conclusions that forever creep up on us in the back of our minds. To these conclusions and this desire, I curl back my feelers and hiss - for I am twenty-three and tired." Trevor Sensor has just announced a spring and summer tour with The Family Crest and Mt. Joy, respectively. Find a full list of tour dates below, with additional dates to be announced in the coming months. Website here, Facebook here, live dates on Beehive Candy's tour news page.
There is something beautifully bizarre about the video for 'High Beams' which struck a chord with me, before I fully appreciated the actual song. The vocals are arguably quite unique, and once the music and chorus hooks dug in, the track really did resonate with me. An ingenious song, can't wait to hear more.
Background - Coventry-based singer Jordan Mackampa is sharing 'Battlecry' - the second single from his new EP ‘Tales From The Broken’, set for self-release on 15th May. A track about refusing to be silenced - and standing up for what you believe in, it's a sumptuous, passionate return. New single ‘Battlecry’ showcases his unique gospel-tinged vocal, paired with irresistible folk-pop instrumentation - delivering a track as delicate as it is powerful and inspiring. Speaking on the release of the new single, Jordan explained: “Battlecry is a reflection of the times, it’s about standing up for what you believe in, refusing to be silenced and coming together. It was written to make people feel powerful in the face of adversity, comforted in times of isolation and brave in the face of change.” Often described as a troubadour, Jordan Mackampa is an artist with timeless soul, and lyrics drenched in heart-felt empathy. As a man who was born in Kinshasa, grew up in London and became an artist in Coventry, Jordan’s music is swimming in the sounds and stories of the cities he’s inhabited over the years. Website here, Facebook here, live dates on Beehive Candy's tour news page.
Our second feature for Jordan Mackampa this time with 'Battlecry'. I think it reasonable to say that this individual has a certain WOW factor. Musically the piece has a rhythmic background that allows the vocals and harmonies to carry both the melody and the heart of this beautiful song.
Background - Poignant, dreamlike, beautiful: The Last Dinosaur’s The Nothing is a record to swim in. The brainchild of Londoner Jamie Cameron, it’s an album that addresses a tragic event from his teenage years, and transmutes that experience into a cathartic work of art. At 16, Jamie had met kindred spirit James Macdonald at music college and recorded the 2004 album Good Morning Sunshine… and Goodnight with him under the name When I Was a Little Girl, a well-received debut through the independent label Where It’s At Is Where You Are. But a year later, Jamie was in a car crash that tragically claimed the life of his best friend. Out for the day with one of Jamie’s sisters and another friend, the car aquaplaned and hit another car at a junction. James’ injuries were the worst among the passengers, and when he passed away, Jamie was in a state of shock. “I’d had a pretty idyllic life until then, nothing particularly bad had happened,” Jamie says. “That was a difficult experience to comprehend. Despite how harrowing it was, I thought came out of it relatively mentally unscathed, although in hindsight that’s a trick you tell yourself.” Instead, he began recording with another music college friend, Luke Hayden, as The Last Dinosaur. Jamie’s parents split up, he broke up with his girlfriend, and The Last Dinosaur’s debut album Hooray! For Happiness, covered glowingly by the likes of Uncut, The Line Of Best Fit and more, attempted to come to terms with these experiences, while avoiding the real elephant in the room. “I was doing everything to avoid confronting this really big thing that happened at an age when you don’t generally experience death and loss,” Jamie says. Afterwards, depression took hold of him, but over the course of years, he began writing, recording and amassing songs that addressed his grief and own fear of dying. The powerful The Nothing began to take shape. “It wasn’t an intention of mine to write an album about dying or anything like that, but I realised after I’d written a few songs that they all were about it in some way. It got to a point where I couldn’t really avoid it. I’d done the divorce album and it was all I was left with, trying to make sense of this thing that happened. Halfway through I realised it was profoundly cathartic, it made me felt less scared of dying.” The Nothing is uplifting, life-affirming. Its lyrics may tackle the subject of mortality, but the gorgeous, overlapping, interlacing melodies are like drifting in a blissful reverie. ‘We’ll Greet Death’, with its strings, piano, saxophone and acoustic guitar is defiant, possessed of an emotional complexity. On ‘Grow’, Jamie’s lovely acoustic plucking forms the basis for a song about the fragility of life, while ‘The Sea’ is a meditative post-rock movement that begins in a hushed place and concludes over five minutes later in a gorgeous string-laden denouement. Although Jamie professes to a childhood love for R.E.M, Tortoise and most of all, Talk Talk, the music here is very much his own, self-penned and performed with close friend Rachel Lanskey providing viola on most of the songs. “I’ve had a very strong sense of never wanting to copy anyone else’s music, I just want to sound like me,” Jamie says. Created between 2009 and 2016, The Nothing is a stunning, affecting album that is also a touching tribute to Jamie’s late friend. “Someone called it elegiac,” Jamie says. “I quite liked that notion.” Facebook here.
An album that's taken around seven years to create sets expectations high and the song 'Grow' suggests those expectations are going to be rewarded. It's a beautiful track, tender and touching without being self indulgent, and the arrangement and production is superb.
Background - First Blush is the brainchild of Charles Sekel, a former Julliard pre-college program kid-turned-indie musician. Sekel's music is a reflection of his battle to defeat a continuous cycle of self-destructive behavior stemming back nearly a decade. From his college days as a classical/jazz musician at the Peabody Institute, Sekel struggled with alcohol abuse and panic attacks, and turned to original music to help with his mental health. Now completely sober thanks to the help of music, a good therapist and assistance from his girlfriend (now wife,) he was able to pull himself out of addiction and confidently release his solo venture. As dark and heavy as it turned out, the music video for Gold started in a pretty silly place: GIFs. I love a good GIF meme, especially if it's well-placed to maximize its comedic effect. But I began wondering if the concept of GIFs could be used in a more serious, dramatic context to invoke feelings of monotony and dread. The director, Adio Ash, created a variety of different scenes to explore different aspects of that underlying concept and wove them together in a TV-channel-based narrative arc, to powerful and dizzying effect." Facebook here.
Charles Sekel's vocals are both passionate and powerful when required. 'Gold' is an exquisite song, with a layered lo-fi soundtrack making the perfect backdrop for some wonderful singing. The video is equally artistic and makes for a fine accompaniment.
Background - Juxtaposition, the second single from The Human Circuit upcoming album, Electric City, straddles the line musically and lyrically. Lyrically about being stuck between two paths or choices, the music itself reflects this dichotomy by its forward propulsion meeting a certain lighter bounce and its jazz-inflected Indie Rock mixed with a darker melody. Mat, The Human Circuit, on Juxtaposition: Juxtaposition illustrates a very natural state of humanity; uncertainty. The discomfort of feeling caught in the middle, forever being torn between clear choices with elusive outcomes. It so often seems we are teetering on the brinks of our lifes greatest ambitions and utter insanity. The Human Circuit is a touring Alternative Indie-Rock band from Austin Texas. Their catchy psychedelic grooves range from the mystic vibes of David Bowie to the intricate arrangements of Arcade Fire. Their most recent album, Frequent Seas (2015) independently charted top ten on public and college radio stations nationwide. The Human Circuit has performed with bands such as The Zombies, The Octopus Project, Boogarins, The Peach Kings, Smoke Season, Calliope Musicals, Ringo Deathstarr, and has been booked by Transmission Events, C3 Presents, among others. The Human Circuit has performed events and festivals including SXSW, 35 Denton, Pecan Street Festival, and more. Website here, Facebook here.
Our second feature for The Human Circuit and this time we have 'Juxtaposition' the bands second single from the forthcoming 'Electric City' album. It's a vibrant indie rocker, with captivating dual vocals and a sprightly musical arrangement.
Background - For the first time in four years the acclaimed and beloved band Deer Tick announce the September 15 release of a long-awaited new album...actually, two. Never a group to stand by conventional protocol, the celebrated Providence, RI quartet will release two separate albums of original material, Deer Tick Vol. 1 and Deer Tick Vol. 2 (Partisan Records), recorded at Ardent Studios in Memphis, TN. The two albums complement each other yet reflect completely contrasting styles, both of which accurately represent the two distinctive musical personalities of Deer Tick — quiet and thoughtful / loud and raucous. Deer Tick Vol. 1 showcases the folk-driven, roots/rock style with right amount of grit, that Deer Tick is known for. Lead singer/songwriter John McCauley is a masterful introspective and observational songwriter, who documents inner struggles and external conflicts with a perfect balance of heartfelt sincerity and wry wit. The opening track "Sea of Clouds" encompasses all of what brought so many fans to Deer Tick in the first place, and also what kept them there. Guitarist Ian O’Neil’s “Hope is Big” and drummer Dennis Ryan’s “Me & My Man” expand on the group’s already dynamic range. On Deer Tick Vol. 2, the band turns it up and lets it fly with an injection of punk-inspired garage rock at it’s finest. Clever lyrics, infectious hooks and captivating melodies pack Vol. 2 with bassist Christopher Ryan skillfully laying it down with authority and attitude. The propulsion of opener “Don’t Hurt”, edgy pop of “Jumpstarting” and rowdy punk of “It’s a Whale” reveal that there was an obvious Jekyll & Hyde approach to recording Vol. 1 & Vol. 2. Vol. 2 closes with boisterous “Mr. Nothing Gets Worse”, with all three singers taking a verse on a song that would have made The Replacements proud. Deer Tick defines the term outlier. Their ever-evolving style has never been claimed by any one scene or genre. They encompass key elements of indie-rock, country, punk, pop, Americana, folk and so much more, which is what makes it difficult to nail them down. With Deer Tick Vol. 1 and Deer Tick Vol. 2, the question really is, why would anyone want to? Website here, Facebook here.
Two tracks are shared 'Sea of Clouds' and 'It's A Whale', one from each album. Both have an element of raw and natural enthusiasm, notable vocals and fine musicianship, after that they part ways and genres, and do so with class!
Background - Fassine are pleased to share the animated video for 'Gold', taken from their forthcoming second album, 'Gourami' - released 28th July. "The video for the track is just as dramatic. Animated by James Gilleard, it shows the group, or at least a version of them, retreat to a mountain-top mansion where they’re joined by friends for some time off the grid, or so it seems. Things soon take a sinister turn, and the real reason for the group’s getaway becomes apparent. The video is just as cinematic as the track itself, so we won't give away any spoilers." The London trio made a name for themselves last year with their icy, cinematic take on electronic music for ‘Dialectik’, a debut album that saw them gain praise & support from the likes of Spin, Q Magazine, The 405, The Guardian, Giles Peterson, BBC 6 Music and more. The band have a keen ear for the cinematic with their songs featuring on the backdrop of high-profile American TV drama’s including Sky Atlantic’s The Following, Fox’s Lucifer, Sony’s The Art Of More and more... The band recently featured on artist Robot Koch’s haunting track, Spine and also re-worked his latest single ‘Heart Is A River’ released on Monkeytown Records. Website here, Facebook here.
'Gold' is atmospheric pretty much from the first few chords. The video add's a level of intrigue, whilst the song mixes beautiful vocals alongside an expansive music arrangement.
Zoe Konez and Antonio Lulic have shared 'Echo' a gorgeous alt pop song with beautifully harmonised dual vocals and a sweeping musical arrangement. === Lake Jons return for a fourth time on Beehive Candy with 'Human'. Last month we shared the track 'Simone' also taken from their brand new album 'The Coast', as the Finish folktronica duo continue to really impress. === We have the debut E.P from Philip Brooks entitled 'Half alive in a dream' which comprises of singles released this year where dream pop reigns supreme.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Zoe Konez and Antonio Lulic - Echo.
Singer-songwriters Zoe Konez and Antonio Lulic combine on the rousing alternative-pop anthem “Echo”. Drawing on influences from Zoe’s indie background and Antonio’s stadium-filling pop tones, it’s an epic piece of pop-fusion that details a longing for adventure at the expense of personal relationships.
A coming together of two worlds, Zoe is a singer-songwriter and producer from South London whose musical background is rooted in grass-roots venues and indie culture. Her impressive catalogue as both a solo artist or as part of her band CATBEAR, has picked up support from BBC 6Music, Clash Magazine and Spotify, who supported Zoe on their influential Out Now playlist. A DIY musician to the core, Zoe takes complete control of her artistic output, producing all her own tracks and recording her vocals in her wardrobe for better acoustics. She also runs a regular grass-roots music night Stop Look Listen at The Finsbury, a platform for London’s emerging artists including Eliza and the Bear, Kimberly Anne, Holly Walker and Karima Francis.
Antonio Lulic has spent the last few years touring around the world. From humble beginnings in Yorkshire, he found himself touring the live circuit where he became good friends with none other than Ed Sheeran. Years later, this chance friendship and a lot of hard work led to Antonio supporting Ed Sheeran across the UK & USA, as well as his stadium shows in Latin America. The track was recorded between tours with Ed Sheeran, Zoe working on the production while Antonio travelled across the globe. It’s an anthemic piece of songwriter-pop that showcases both musicians’ expansive musical skill set. On the new single Zoe states:
We wrote Echo just after Antonio came off tour with Ed Sheeran. We recorded it before he went on tour for the second time with Ed whilst I finished the production. The lyrics tell of longing for adventure and escaping the everyday life, sometimes at the expense of personal relationships when the pull to get away is too strong to stay together.
Lake Jons, hailing from Helsinki and born from the woods by the darkest waters as their namesake reflects, is comprised of Jooel Jons and Mikko Pennanen, who walk a fine line between producer-tandem and full-on band. Since their formation in 2014, the Finnish duo has come through with delicate folktronica-tinged dream-pop. Following from their self-titled debut, which the band performed on their live circuit during the last year, and championed at festivals across the Nordics as well as by Ja Ja Ja, who showcased the band across London, Berlin and Hamburg.
With the upcoming release of their sophomore full-length ‘The Coast’, Lake Jons reconnect with their roots, leaving the city and delving into the viridescence of their moniker’s birthplace, the Towars forest. Thematically, the album is Jons’ endeavour to dismantle life, space and time. They present parts of rough instrumental parts, layering them with harmony-laden toplines, while each of the singles’ overall structure seems to assemble again seamlessly.
Jooel Jons comments on ‘Human’, focus track for the album: “I’m fond of lyrics that are more like thoughts rather than stories. This one feels like a stroll in the forest for me. Almost a story but not quite. “I wanna turn around” resembles the idea of turning back from the road we once started as humans. Honouring nature more and more. For me it also means dancing in the forest among the trees and animals like a hippie cliché. This song has evolved from two different songs that I felt were at a dead end. Combining them left some good parts unused but made one whole.”
“There are all kinds of emotional releases when roaming in the nature far from civilisation,” he adds in his short essay on the new album, “In a way ‘The Coast’ is an emotional perspective. There are times when you are simply stuck in that gateway. Looking forward to the oceans or backward to the mountains, you choose. Time is irrelevant as long as you’re moving and evolving. I believe that’s the essence.”
For their self-titled debut album, Lake Jons retreated to an isolated cabin deep in the Finnish forest during the few summer months of the year that the Nordic country thaws out. The cabin had no running water and no inside bathroom. It’s there, in a state of severe isolation and deep connection with the wilderness that they wrote and recorded the majority of the self-titled album. The aim was to try and examine, capture and represent whatever tenuous connection still exists between the natural world and all its organic elements of randomness and authenticity and the human world.
Philip Brooks releases his debut EP, 'half alive in a dream', a collection of previous singles from this year, and his now signature shimmering and dreamy indie pop sound.
Featuring previous singles like the pounding four-to-the-floor 'so long see you someday', and the stunning 'can't fix the things i left behind', the EP rounds off an incredible year for Philip which has seen him quickly establish himself as one of the most exciting new artists to arrive, being described by early critics as “nostalgic and emotionally charged” and a “dreamy mélange of spacey guitar lines and airy melodies”.
'half alive in a dream' sees Philip tackle the painfully relatable lyrical themes ingrained in his generation: millennial on-off relationships, the pains of modern dating, anxiety attacks and the fear of being alone, all rapped into a blend of dreamy indie-pop inspired by the likes of Bleachers and The Japanese House
Philip has also been cutting his teeth in the live arena, touring with acts such as EUT and Tiny Ruins as well as a sold out headline show at Paper Dress Vintage in late November where he confirmed himself to be not only promising as a recording artist, but as a live performer as well.
Background:Fuel Box is a Soul/Dub/Blues/Hop-act from the Netherlands that delivers raw, psychedelic but melodic beat songs. Kind of a mixture between Madlib, The Black Keys, Wu Tang Clan, Bill Withers, Lee Perry and Prince.
They generate a sound that is best described as if a 60's Soul singer and a latter day hip-hop producer cut an album together in 70's Jamaica. It all started out with singer Remy Britsemmer and producer Josh Boon but today it's a fully operating and functioning live-band.
Now they released a Free EP, called "The Pre-EP". It's the preview for the complete album "1" coming out this fall, 2011.
"It rarely ever happens that you like a demo this much from the start. But apparently, once in a while there's an act that combines exactly the right amount of passion, technique and musicality that touches you. This duo, consisting of singer Remy Britsemmer and producer Joshua Boon, makes a mixture of hiphop, soul, funk, pop and dub tracks that appeals to a wide audience. Songs of outstanding quality that will remain for years."
Fret Magazine
2011Candy Says: This is an outstanding EP, and it's free on bandcamp! These people deserve your time and attention and as Fret magazine say this will appeal to a wide audience, the question is, are you wide enough? Listen:The One. Web:Bandcamp.
________________________________________
Background: Three young players with deep ties to Quebecois music sail to Borneo and Egypt. As they travel, they tell wild stories of shrinking skirts and noble cats. They sing forgotten songs of old New France, of its log drives and lost rivers. They play dance numbers with their tongues and feet, and unwind trippy reels.
A tall tale come true, Genticorum navigate the silly and somber moods of North American Francophone tradition on Nagez Rameurs (“Pull Together, Rowers!”; Mad River; June 21, 2011). Firmly rooted in family and regional traditions, the trio’s wit, rich vocal arrangements, and masterful musicianship turn old songs about traveling into catchy and moving glimpses of a quirky New World.
“There’s a big chunk of Francophone repertoire linked to voyagers, because they shaped the colony by exploring and settling the country, and by interacting with the native peoples they encountered,” explains guitarist and singer Yann Falquet. “It’s interesting because unlike a lot of Quebecois songs, many of these songs are not from Brittany or Normandy. They aren’t about France. They tell the stories of people once they reached North America.”
These are stories of the joyful life of a freewheeling fur trapper (“Canot d’écorce”), the struggles of log drivers on Quebec’s rivers (“Grand voyageur sur la drave”), or the hearty calls of oarsmen working for the Hudson River Company (“Nagez Rameurs)”.
Many old tunes, the ones Genticorum tackles with greatest gusto, jump from the New World into a side-splittingly absurd alternate universe. Humor is part and parcel of Quebecois musical culture—“We’re bad at being sad,” laughs Falquet—but Genticorum take the merriment to psychedelic places.
2011Candy Says; OK my grasp of the French language is limited to bonjour and a few other words however this is just stunning music regardless of my language limitations, for all I know they might be singing beehive candy is absolute piffle, but I will still say listen to this! Listen: Turlutte Hirsute. Web:Official.
_____________________________________
Background: Once upon a time, there was a young man named Matt Sever. He lived in Austin, TX, and he worked as a journeyman electrician. Every morning, when it was still dark outside, he would go to work, and wire houses all day long in the blistering Texas heat. When he would come home, again, it was dark outside. And then, sometimes, with no time to shower or change his clothes, he would go straight to the bars and nightclubs of Austin to play his songs for whomever would listen. And he would apologize for his appearance, and explain to the audience that he was an electrician, and he found a certain nobility in this, even if no one wanted to sit too close to the stage. So they called him Matt The Electrician, and he did not mind this, for he was proud of himself, for there is no shame in a hard days work.
But eventually, he quit his job as an electrician, to spend more time writing and playing songs, and the name stuck with him, because everyone needs an electrician sometimes. And there are some who say, that when the moon is full, and Jupiter is aligned with Mars, you can often hear Matt The Electrician in the distance, wiring a house, and whistling softly to himself.
Matt is the perfect example of the modern day musician - over the last 10 years or so, he has managed to create an accomplished catalog of songs & albums completely on his own. Not only that, but he's fully self supported & financed, and makes a living doing his thing. On June 14 he'll release his 7th studio album, the wonderful The Accidental Thief.
2011Candy Says: An upbeat foot stomping song that should have you dancing around the room in no time. Listen:All I Know. Web:Official.
________________________________________
The Hussy recently released a new LP, on the Chicago based, Slow Fizz Records, The LP is called "Cement Tomb Mind Control." The Hussy are a two-piece garage/punk, guy/girl group from Madison, Wisconsin.
Press for the LP includes: "...Despite the torrid pace, Cement Tomb never feels rushed. It bolts everything together with an overbearing sense of playfulness, and if The Hussy wrote a really great garage rock record, then the band is the last to know. But Cement Tomb really is an impressive collection of choice rock ’n’ roll nuggets. It flashes both a wild ambition and a hyperactive means of tackling it, and it needs to be played over and over again—not just because it ends too soon, but because it hardly ever needs to end at all." - "A" rating - THE AV CLUB - Onion.
2011Candy Says: It's pure punk, garage or whatever. No nonsense music that takes me back to 1977 whilst remaining right here and now. Turn up to eleven on your amp. Listen:I Have A Say. Web: Slow Fizz Records.
______________________________________
Background: After spending several years on the road singer/songwriter Casey Burge retreated from music to work on farms in the east and west of the country. He returned to his hometown of Kansas City at the end of 2010 to pursue his new band Minden. He recruited longtime friends and musical veterans Ryan Johnson (drums), Evan Houston (bass), and James Taylor (guitar) to help him realize his swollen catalog of songs. Minden quickly worked out a set and began booking performances immediately. Existing outside of fresh and cleverly-named genres, Minden plays pop music, the classic art of creating songs that are interesting and relatable.
During a fertile two-week period in February 2011, Burge wrote and recorded demos for several new songs. Two songs from these sessions were brought into the studio with the full-band in March, resulting in a forthcoming 7" single Swift Way On on hometown label The Record Machine. As of April the band has only played a hand full of shows but has already shared the stage with the likes of Appleseed Cast, A Lull, The Casket Lottery, Bird's and Batteries, Pepper Rabbit, and played as part of Middle of the Map Fest. With the release of their debut 7" Swift Way On, Minden plans to hit the ground running and will be on tour regionally this summer.
2011Candy Says: Good guitar pop, with fine vocals and well crafted chord changes, plus a touch of originality = a happy beehive candy. Minden have the formula to please. Listen:Swift Way On. Web:Bandcamp.
________________________________________
Background:Candle is the songwriting project of Kevin Coons, a poet, writer and musician based out of San Luis Obispo, CA. He started writing and recording under the name Candle in 2005 and with the help of several friends, started performing all around California soon after. By 2008 Candle had become a full blown folk-rock band and released their album “Miles and Miles and Miles” to great reviews and followed it up by touring the nation.
In late 2009, Kevin put music on hold in order to travel to Alaska where he lived and worked aboard commercial fishing vessels, and spending weeks and months out at sea. He followed that experience by backpacking around South America before settling in with as an English teacher in Southern Chile. It was these experiences that inspired the songs on Candle’s new release “The River You Drink From Will Drown You.” Many of the songs were written in Alaska and Chile.
The album is a collection of dark ballads as well as upbeat folksy numbers that is very personal but always remains accessible. All instruments were recorded together live in a local winery’s barrel room over the course of one long evening. Candle looks forward to playing more and more in California and beyond.
2011Candy Says: This has an edge from the opening moments. Stripped back Americana that captivates. Listen:Goodnight Firefly. Web: MySpace.
_______________________________________
Background:Terakaft (meaning "caravan" in Tamasheq) is a genuine desert rock band, sculpted by the pure searing air and the endless rolling sands of the Sahara. The stark, harsh conditions of the Sahara have permeated their wild riffs, and as a result Terakaft are the perfect embodiment of all that is wild and free in desert blues today. They have taken the electric guitar and made it their own.
Terakaft was formed in 2001 by Sanou Ag Ahmed, then based in Kidal, Mali with Kedou Ag Ossad. Kedou was a member of the original line-up of Tinariwen (four of Kedou’s compositions are embodied on their first international release "The Radio Tisdas Sessions").
Liya Ag Ablil (aka Diara), Sanou’s uncle, joined the band in 2006. Diara was also an original member of Tinariwen and was known for his fierce and passionate style of rock’n’roll guitar playing. He played with Tinariwen for almost 20 years, but stepped back just before Tinariwen started touring internationally. He’s still a close friend of Ibrahim "Abaraybone" Ag Alhabib, and played on Tinariwen’s last album "Imidiwan: Companions" (as did Sanou and Abdallah of Terakaft).
Terakaft recorded their first studio album "Bismilla, The Bko Sessions" in four days at the legendary Bogolan Studios in Bamako, Mali. Following its release, Terakaft went on their first European tour in Spring & Autumn of 2007 with its line-up of the time: Sanou, Kedou, Diara and Rhissa Ag Oghram on the bass.
Terakaft are a band that must be seen live. The perfect mix of two rhythm guitars (one keeping the beat effortlessly, the other soaring and sweet) and the deep tones of the bass, bringing to mind the delicate but strong steps of a camel making its way through the wastelands, will send you on a journey to the deepest heart of the desert, from which you’ll never want to return. The heavy, pulsating heartbeat of the percussion holds everyone together and completes the sound of Terakaft.
Terakaft have just recorded a new CD called "Aratan n Azawad", produced by Cali in France. It will be released in 2011 by World Village and distributed throughout the world by Harmonia Mundi.
2011Candy Says: Well desert rock is a new genre for myself and one that has grabbed my attention. Some very blues orientated guitar work, superb rhythms and mixed beautifully. Listen:Taikoba. Web:EyeForTalent.
_______________________________________
Background: As America observes the sesquicentennial of The American Civil War, that historic conflict still resonates today with lessons that can be expressed in the language, stories and songs of the present. Inspired by their shared passion for American history and their love for their adopted home in the American south, musical colleagues Thomm Jutz, Peter Cronin and Paul Schatzkin have collaborated to create The 1861 Project, a one-of-a-kind collection of songs that imagine the lives of the real people who lived through and fought the American Civil War.
With A-list guitarist/producer/songwriter Jutz (Nanci Griffith, Mary Gauthier) at the helm, the acoustic, roots-based, Americana sound of The 1861 Project comes brilliantly to life with the help of songwriting and creative direction from Cronin, executive production from Schatzkin, and stirring performances from some of Nashville’s finest singers and songwriters, including country legend John Anderson, Grand Ole Opry star Marty Stuart, Americana stalwart Dana Cooper, rising Bluegrass star Chris Jones, and a host of others. Under Jutz' direction, these distinctive artists have collaborated to create a musical collection that not only explores this historically rich era, but also seeks out the wisdom and warnings latent in countless Civil War stories.
Brought together by their interest in the Civil War and their shared belief in the inspirational and restorative power of music, Jutz, Cronin, and Schatzkin were naturally drawn to the stories of everyday people who experienced the war. The 1861 Project pushes beyond the broad strokes of Civil War history with compelling, emotional songs. “I Have” tells of a man counting his fallen friends as he walks the hundreds of barefoot miles home from the surrender at Appomattox. Another song, “Eyes,” relates the story of an Irish immigrant, one of many drafted into Union service from their new home in New York City, while the exuberant "Gospel Train" is sung in the voice of a runaway slave "riding" the Underground Railroad to freedom.
The songs on The 1861 Project explore this fascinating history from the perspective of the people who lived it, relating these stories from an entirely new and fresh perspective. These songs relay a message of hope and community, reflecting on the issues that drove the country to civil war without rancor or partisanship.
“This project seeks to bring change via affirmation, not defamation,” Schatzkin explains. “Though the Civil War was won by the North, the inequality at the heart of the fight remains an issue that continues to be worked out in American society. This music is our way of contributing to that effort.”
The founding principles of America, and the great fight over those ideals by the Union and the Confederacy are especially relevant and poignant to German-born Project producer Thomm Jutz, who is currently in the midst of the naturalization process to become an American citizen. It's what gives Jutz – and The 1861 Project – such a unique perspective, and it's at the heart of his heartfelt desire to express that distinctly American idea through music.
The sounds, the stories, and the people that populate The 1861 Project are uniquely American, and deeply human. “We love our country, but not in a ‘my country right or wrong’ way,” Schatzkin says. “In the song ‘Ridin’ Like a Rebel,’ the lyrics state ‘One thing can not be denied, brave men fought on either side.’ We’re presenting the Civil War story in a non-partisan manner, in the hope of initiating a sincere discussion about what the Civil War means in American society today.”
2011Candy Says: It was a tough choice on which artist to feature from this collaboration, however this is such a charming song and as you may know I am one for female vocals. Listen: Nicole Maguire - Old Before Our Time. Web: Official.
______________________________________
Background: Hidden Shoal Recordings recently announced the release of ‘Sexy, No?’ by Portland-based avant-pop quartet Iretsu, the second single to be lifted from their latest album Fang.
Iretsu know how to duck and weave like maestros, and their new single ‘Sexy, No?’ is a fleet-footed marvel. The track oozes funk-addled confidence as it struts forward, layering harmonised guitars with Ryan Cross’s inimitable vocals, all driven by an unstoppable rhythm section. ‘Sexy, No?’ is one of those tracks that gets under your skin like a musical virus, leaving you humming its melody and sidestepping to its stomping beats long after the final note fades.
‘Sexy, No?’ is taken from Iretsu’s latest opus, Fang. Iretsu set out to write and record a playful, diverse yet accessible album – and they’ve nailed it, with Fang full to the brim with intention and energy. Written in four improv sessions and then broken apart and rebuilt, these songs bounce off each other in compelling directions, revealing addictive new pop dimensions with each spin.
2011Candy Says: 'Sexy No' is just one dimension of a very pleasing and diverse album. If the featured track is to your liking, expect a good lot more from the album Fang. Listen: Sexy No. Web:Hidden Shoal.
________________________________________
Background: Anti-folk superstar, Turner Cody, released his latest opus on May 17th via Tummy Touch Records. Gangbusters! is the latest recording from a young songwriter whose story is already an accomplished one. Over twelve years and nine albums, Turner Cody has molded himself into an artist of great form and scope whose vision blends the old with the new, the hope-filled with the melancholic, the sacred with the profane.
Gangbusters! was conceived in the vein of heartache and the redemption of love. "The Only One I Had Is Gone," "Can You See Me, Mon Amour" and "Lost As Lost Can Be" narrate the pathos of failed relationships, and the tragedy of unfulfilled expectations. "Au Revoir" is a classic modern breakup song. The latter half of the album is a testament to love found culminating with the anthemic "Nobody Like You," and ending with the symbolist imagery of "You Know That About Me," which expresses the joys, and sober realities, of true love and commitment.
Gangbusters! is Cody's third studio album with Herman Dune, and many of the tracks were fleshed out over their two years on the road together. The lyrical flare displayed on previous Cody albums are here given a color, meter, and phrasing as never before. Jon Natchez and Kelly Pratt (both of Beirut) add melody and texture in poignant horn arrangements that add depth to the vocal track. For the final mix, Dan Myers (Adam Green) worked well to turn live studio takes into a mature, well-balanced final product. Gangbusters! will stand as a prime example of infallible contemporary songwriting.
2011Candy Says: This song really builds into something special with superb musicianship and Turner Cody's addictive vocals. Listen: Back In The Land Of The Living. Web:Official.
________________________________________
Background: 16 years since his last album, it’s time to salute anti-hero Gavin Friday, who returns to form with his new album “catholic” which had it's digital release in North America on May 17th with CD to come in late August on MB3 Records/ EMI Music.
In recent years, Gavin Friday’s career has been dominated by cinema, soundtrack and theatre. So its no surprise that their collective, lush shadow looms over catholic. Friday takes conventional song structures and scores them, adding Bowie-synths, sci-fi swirls, epic strings and Germanic rhythms. Friday still puts the same energy and passion into his work that he did as a founding member of seminal post-punk band, Virgin Prunes.
Fittingly enough, “catholic” comes to us at a time of upheaval, of political chaos, and of spiritual, financial and moral bankruptcy. Our world is a very different place since Friday’s last album, Shag Tobacco, was released. The intervening decade and a half coincided with a prolific work period for the singer. From award winning soundtracks - William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet, In America, The Boxer, Get Rich Die Tryin' (with Quincy Jones) and three songs to In The Name Of The Father which featured two collaborations with U2’s Bono ("In The Name Of The Father", "Billy Boola") and a Golden Globe nomination for “You Made Me The Thief of Your Heart” as sung by Sinead O’Connor - to collaborating on Nothing like the Sun with Gavin Bryars and the Royal Shakespeare Company. Then there was his acting debut (in Neil Jordan’s Breakfast on Pluto ), Scott Walker collaborations and a Kurt Weill show at Dublin Theatre Festival. In personal terms, he endured illness, the end of his marriage and his father’s death. To some, the personal is political; but Gavin Friday is clear that this is “an emotional, not a political, album”. The singer likens catholic to “waking from a deep sleep, of letting go and coming to terms with loss”. And somewhere in the middle of all that, there are slivers of love, contentment and romance.
2011Candy Says: 4 star Reviews from Uncut, Q, Mojo and more, and all thoroughly deserved. This is an incredible album. Listen:Able. Web:Official.
________________________________________
Background: When it comes to hotbeds for indie music culture, Italy probably isn't the first place that comes to peoples' minds. But with all three of The R's members originating from Brescia, Italy, that reputation is about to change.
Their sound is an encapsulation of time. Rock and folk influences from the 1950s up to the present day can be found in The R's addictive indie tracks. From the a-side of one of two soon-to-be-released 7-inch records, "Easy Way Out" is an upbeat blend of '70's FM radio and contemporary folk. Flip over to the b-side and you'll find a modern indie-pop vibe infested with catchy hints of reverb-coated 1960s surf rock. The band lands in New York City on June 13 for a series of NYC gigs including one at Bruar Falls in Brooklyn on June 14th and another at Pianos in Manhattan on June 16th.
And the appeal is obvious. The R's won a music contest sponsored by Italy's most widely read newspaper back in 2007 and released their first EP. Since then, the Italian band have released the album Money's On Fire, collaborating with producer Giovanni Ferrario (P.J. Harvey), and gained a large following in their home country after being featured on a major national advertising campaign and receiving exposure on MTV Italy.
The subsequent 7-inch that they will be releasing features the expertly-crafted track "I Love My Family." Its bright chord progression jumps with each staccato strum and is accompanied by a hopping and syncopated percussive rhythm. There are trails of Elvis Presley in the articulation of Pierluigi Ballarin's lead vocal lines, and the track is soaked in punk rock inspiration. The R's are now signed to Nat Geo Music, the record label of the National Geographic Society, and are preparing to make their U.S. debut in the late Spring with the release of their latest album De Flora Et Fauna.
2011Candy Says: In what is turning out to be a rather international round up of new music, indie rock from Italy has to be the icing on the cake. Great song and mad vocals - am loving it. Listen:I Love My Family.Web:NatGeo Music.
________________________________________
Background: From Paper Gardens Lovely Hearts Club we quote - It’s been a rainy spring so far, but we at the Lovely Hearts Club haven’t let that stop us in our tireless mission of seeking out the best new music to share with you. If you’re craving something to get you moving in spite of the gray weather, just have a listen to our latest find: the electrifying Brooklyn quartet GunFight! The band are all New York natives, but they formed in 2006 in Boston, where they made a name for themselves on the house party circuit. This shouldn’t be surprising to anyone who hears their debut album; while the songs have all been polished in the studio, they are still infused with the sort of kinetic urgency and contagious energy of an all night rager. Their unique blend of countrified rock and classic punk is just the thing to get you jazzed for all the summer fun looming just on the horizon.
If you’re in New York, make sure you don’t miss their set at Brooklyn’s best outdoor music festival, Hillstock, where they will be rocking the block party at 106 Emerson Place on June 4th. If you can’t make it out, you can check out their rollicking track Sticks here, bust out the whiskey, and party on your own.
2011Candy Says: Grab hold of something and hang on for your life otherwise this song will hurl you into the saddle of a crazed run away horse... Listen:Sticks. Web:Bandcamp.
________________________________________
Background: Once based entirely in Chicago, and now in near-constant motion, Pillars and Tongues is a formidable force, large and looming. The Pass and Crossings is the third full-length offering from the trio, and their second for San Francisco vinyl label Empty Cellar out June 28th, and are currently touring the US in support of the record.
Having spent years developing a uniquely textured sound, Pillars and Tongues have now given teeth their creation, and the doom is manifest. Like French experimental chanteuse Catherine Ribeiro's early '70s collaborations with Alpes, Pillars and Tongues brings passion, cohesion, and lyricism to the avant-garde. This is immediately apparent in the lyrical depths of the album opener, "A Dance in the Billowing Absence", a song seemingly conjured by seduction from some very dark places. Beth Remis' lush violin lines swell and sing over plodding, taiko-like drums, moving at a pace and with a weight that would not be out of place on an Earth record. Mark Trecka's baritone pleads with absent forms and howls haunted poetry to reach them.
Heavily melodic, rolling, desert drones permeate this album, rendering the listener captive to deeply hypnotic vibes punctuated by the heavy, danceable and almost tribal rhythms on tracks "Thank you, Oaky" and "The Making Graceful". As with their previous album, Lay of Pilgrim Park, Pillars and Tongues continues to evoke a certain era of 4AD releases - think the goth-drama and global grooves of Dead Can Dance.
2011Candy Says; Theres nothing like some layered mood music with more than a nod to goth masters Dead Can Dance (as mentioned above). That said I found this song quite calming and more lifting than perhaps my description indicates. Listen:The Making Graceful. Web:MySpace.
________________________________________
Background: The duo Lawrence and Leigh recently released a video for "Glow" which is described as a work of stunning visual art that brilliantly complements the shifting moods of the song. Kalleen and Stokes merge the two arts in the painstakingly created video, which features stop-motion animation and breathtaking desert scenes. As with everything Lawrence & Leigh do, both contribute equally essential parts: Stokes, puppetry; Kalleen, photography and editing with concept and design being a shared vision. We follow the protagonist, a puppet (manipulated so that his "still" face seems to somehow change expression appropriate to his situation), as he moves through a series of beautiful worlds, each with its own unique style and purpose. "Glow" is now available HERE.
Lawrence & Leigh are not the sort of artists who wait for inspiration to come before producing great work. The duo spends their time, thought and energy creating and perfecting their music. The result of this hard work is beautiful and bold, with a refreshing originality and an infectious sense of style. The duo's first major undertaking, entitled Odyssey, is a set of three EPs, each with its own distinct sound and character. The first release, which has been a year in the making, is in fact the final chapter, Volume III: Hills and Masts. Hills and Masts was released back on March 7th.
2011Candy Says; We first featured Lawrence and Leigh last December and are so charmed by this latest song that we had to give them another mention. The video is cool and lets hope they keep on coming up with these musical gems. Listen:Glow. Web:Official.
________________________________________
Background: In February of 2008, Jamison, aka Teen Daze, spent seven weeks studying philosophy in a somewhat remote village in the Swiss Alps. His life became engulfed in books, as he spent his days sipping black tea, filling his mind with the teachings of great thinkers who had passed long before he was born, and staring off into the abyss of the mountains before him. During this time, he also discovered the importance of fiction; his evenings were either spent drinking wine with his friends or reading stories. One of the most profound stories that he read was a novel called “Out Of The Silent Planet” by legendary theologian and storyteller, C.S. Lewis. The story centers around Dr. Ransom, and the mystical, celestial journey that he takes to a new land. The part that resonated the most with him was the telling of Ransom’s first encounters on this new planet, and his re-contextualizing to this new place, and this new environment. A new world was being created in Jamison’s imagination, as he visualized what it must have looked like for Ransom.
Fast forward three years, and Jamison found himself re-located to his parents’ big, mostly empty house, which rests neatly at the base of one of the most recognizable mountains in the Fraser Valley, Mt. Cheam. He began work on a group of songs dedicated to the beauty and monolithic qualities of this powerful natural landmark, when he found that his mind was taken back to Switzerland. “Out Of The Silent Planet” became a bit of a myth to him by this time, and he strangely began to hear it in the songs he was creating. The discovery, the awe, the feeling of helplessness in the face of such beauty and wonder reminded him of Ransom. He picked up “Out Of The Silent Planet” again and began to treat it as his musical guidebook; he began a soundtrack to his imagination’s adaptation.
The six songs that appear on the EP are the result of many musical experiments, auditory accompaniments, and an attempt at a re-creation of Jamison’s experiences with this novel. In order to do his visions justice, he couldn’t simply write an electronic album, or a lo-fi pop album, or anything that he’d become known for. Teen Daze needed new sounds, and a new feel. Even though these songs may not resonate with those people who have come to admire his past works, he hopes that the listener will be able to see what he saw when writing and recording this album; that they’ll be able to feel what it would be like to explore a vast a new place.
Teen Daze's upcoming EP, A Silent Planet will be released August 9th, on Waaga Records.
2011Candy Says: I like this song and love the opening synth's that for some reason remind me in part of Mother Gong. You just close your eyes and float away... Listen:Surface. Web: Official.
________________________________________
Hannah James has shared 'Canal Song' which is the first of ten tracks on her forthcoming 'The Woman and Her Words' album. Beyond Hanna's distinguishable and melodic vocals the album has an array of rich musical arrangements as a variety of creative avenues are explored. The often intriguing lyrics add even more to a highly credible and pleasing album.
A couple of months back we featured the debut song 'Need To Change' fromMagnapop ahead of their upcoming album 'The Circle is Round'. Today we get another taste of the album with 'Dog On The Door', where the bands deliver a vibrant and catchy alt rocker.
Sonny Winnebago has released 'Take Me For A Ride' a bright and uptempo pop song with Sonny's vocals rightly centre stage, supported by an equally melodic and pleasing musical backdrop.
Ahead of debut album 'Visitor' due next month Dominic Sen has released her final single 'Natural History'. We have already featured a couple of songs from the collection, and once again we have a beautifully arranged & very impressive piece, accompanied by a fine video.
Maddee returns for a third time this year with her brand new song release 'Wwy', a soulful and creatively arranged track and another absolute tease for next months six song E.P release.
We are always on the look out for creative and original music, so Skeleton Flower are very welcome and we have two music videos for 'My Double' and 'Fitcher's Bird' where imagination, art and great music come together superbly.
Atlanta-based, Arizona-born rock band, The Endangered Species round today's musical round up off with a unquestionably refined natural rocker entitled 'Magic Man'.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hannah James - Canal Song.
Innovative musician and dancer Hannah James and her most recent project The JigDoll Ensemble, announce the release of their impressive new album The Woman and Her Words on October 4th; and first single Canal Song has just been released.
Recorded in Hungary, at the prestigious music venue/studio Budapest Music Centre, the album hosts an international line-up of musicians - András Dés (Hungary – Percussion); Marti Tärn (Estonia – Bass Guitar); Kate Young (Scotland – Fiddle / Vocals); Toby Kuhn (France – Cello).
"I deliberately put together this band of extraordinary musicians because, at this time, I feel it's so important to keep international friendships strong. I have always felt European, not English, and this band is a celebration of that and an example of the great things that can emerge when people from different countries and backgrounds have the freedom to meet and work together". Hannah James.
One of the key figures in the revival of English percussive dance, Hannah is renowned as one of the best accordionists of the British Folk scene, her musicianship extends far beyond the tradition and flawlessly incorporates beautiful vocal-stylings with both classic and contemporary applications of English clog dance.
The new release is a celebration of ageing, gaining wisdom, and of the many women who have delivered essential truths along the way. Artist and puppeteer Katarina Cakova, based on Hannah's stories, created the physical form of 'the woman’, which appears on the album cover.
A previous collaborative project, Songs Of Separation, won the BBC Radio 2 Folk Award for Best Album in 2017; while Hannah's vocal trio Lady Maisery produced three critically acclaimed albums and was nominated for the Horizon Award at the BBC Folk Awards. Her most recent project began solo before becoming the JigDoll Ensemble, was acclaimed as 'the highlight of the festival' at the Folk Expo Manchester in late 2017, debuting to a standing ovation from professional delegates from across the world.
Magnapop’s new album, The Circle Is Round, is the Atlanta-based group’s debut release for HHBTM Records, and is their sixth album, coming nearly a decade after their previous record, 2009’s Chase Park. Prior to this, the group had a fruitful run during the Alternative Rock heyday of the mid-90s, finding critical acclaim with 1994’s Hotboxing (with single “Slowly, Slowly”) and 1996’s Rubbing Doesn’t Help, which featured their most beloved song, “Open The Door.” And although the phrase was an endearing joke courtesy of slacker film Singles, Magnapop were indeed “big in Belgium,” finding enduring success that has led them to visit the Benelux region numerous times over their three decade career. (They have a tour slated for the area this September.)
Yet let’s not think of it as a “comeback,” shall we? Magnapop never really went away, appearing on the live circuit in Europe sporadically since their last release. The seeds that would blossom into The Circle Is Round were planted in 2011. “We reunited in 2011 when bassist Shannon Mulvaney contacted us about playing a benefit for Criminal Records, a local record store,” says guitarist and songwriter Ruthie Morris. “Playing together was easy, but we knew we needed time together to play our old songs again. The more we played together, the more we realized we wanted to work on new material.”
The Circle Is Round was recorded at Furies Studios in Marietta, Georgia, and produced by the band and studio owner Ed Burdell—he worked with the band on one of their first recording sessions—the album came together quickly this past February. Furthermore, there’s a sense of the circular nature of existence at play, as a few of the songs are some of the band’s earliest. “’Change Your Hair’ was the very first song Linda and I ever wrote together, before there was a band,” says Morris. “Our drummer, David McNair, was the one who came up with the idea of recording it. At first it seemed like a crazy idea, but the more I listened to it, the more I thought it would be fun!” The album also includes two demos from a 1992 recording session, previously unheard until now. Longtime fans of the band will find much to love with The Circle Is Round, while new listeners will get a taste of what converted listeners way back when to become lifetime fans.
“During one of our recent tours of Benelux we were interviewed on a Belgian radio program,” says Morris. “We were talking about the four of us reuniting and coming back together as a band. The interviewer said something in Flemish and he translated it as "The circle is round" to describe our situation. At first it sounded kind of funny, but the more we thought about it, the more poignant and appropriate it seemed.” - Indeed.
Sonny Winnebago is the moniker of Welsh-Australian troubadour /musician Harvey Jones, who's spent the entirety of 2019 living out of his battered suitcase and beloved camper van, all whilst feeding other people's cats and dogs. He was born with hypermobility syndrome which allows him a heightened flexibility, creating a very dynamic and unusual performance style. His infectious music embodies a 'melody is king' approach to pop writing, drawing inspiration from 1970s figures Harry Nilsson & Cat Stevens.
Following a string of profiled support slots, including Michael Kiwanuka & Joel Baker, Sonny Winnebago will be releasing his anticipated debut single 'Take Me For A Ride'. It is one of four tracks he'll be releasing with the support of Welsh artist development scheme 'Forté Project', enlisting the skills of producer Charlie Francis (R.E.M, The High Llamas), featuring session musicians Davey Newington (Boy Azooga), Matt Evans (KEYS) and Steve Black (Sweet Baboo).
Harvey says that 'Take Me For A Ride' was written from a place of restlessness, following the event of a long-term friendship going south."It's a true story, and a relatable one too, with strong themes of detachment and self-empowerment" Backed up by an uptempo rhythm section and bright, choppy chords, 'Take Me For A Ride' ultimately engulfs the listener with feelings of summer abandonment and child-like joy.
‘Natural History’ is the final single from Dominic Sen's debut 'Visitor' out on October 18 on Roll Call Records. Chronicled in this song is protagonist Tal Naata’s experience of finding meaningful connection during a trip to the American Museum of Natural History following months of social isolation post-arrival on Earth. Her companion, a paleontology graduate student, transforms into something more as looking at objects from our distant past begins to lay out before her a future of endless possibilities.
“‘Natural History’ makes tactile the rush of a fantasy becoming reality -- the first few, intoxicating brushes of physical contact, a hypersensitivity to every single sensation” comments the albums’ author, Dominic Sen, a Galaxy M64 émigré who was drawn to Earth by our colourful pop culture, convinced they had a shot at Earthbound stardom.
But connection means vulnerability and vulnerability comes with a cost: “In this snapshot, Tal may be free falling enthusiastically into infatuation, but she still holds onto secrets and the fear that she will not be valued fully as an alien or, as she slowly learns from her terrestrial experiences, as a woman” explains Sen.
Dominic Sen's terrestrial debut is a space opera and thought experiment that tells the tale of Tal Naata, a biologically human female coming from a distant and socially progressive civilisation to study Earth. Taking Tal Naata’s story as their prism, Sen casts our own primitive ideas of gender, duality and social cohesion back at us through shimmering, crystalline pop that pays homage to our recent past.
Like Tal Naata, the album's creator Dominic Sen is themselves a visitor to Earth. The seventh and only surviving child of the supermassive black hole at the centre of “The Evil Eye Galaxy,” Sen drifted around space in limbo until intercepting the radio waves from Earth’s broadcasts during 1980’s and 1990’s.
‘Visitor’ will be released on Roll Call Records on October 18. It will be immediately available for pre-order, including as a limited edition LP in “Interstellar White” vinyl. Dominic Sen will play an album launch show in NYC on Oct 26 @ Trans-Pecos,
The Toronto-based artist, Maddee is today sharing the wonky funk of ‘WWY' - listen here. Taken from her forthcoming debut six-track EP, ’Red Mind’, which is due for release on October 17, 2019, the new cut finds the artist locking into oscillating grooves underneath syrupy electronic textures.
‘WWY’ - an acronym for ‘Where Were You’ - finds the 21-year-old artist collaborating with Louie Short to mine personal experiences once more, this time with Maddee turning attention to times of abandonment in close relationships. Speaking about the track she says: “‘WWY’ was written about a really bad night I had where I was seeking comfort and support from the person who I thought was supposed to be there for me and quickly found out that they weren't. I thought I needed their support and in the end, I had to learn how to provide that for myself.”
The latest cut to be taken from the EP further examines the overarching subject of the forthcoming collection, wrestling with the ramifications of a negative relationship and the emotions that Maddee felt throughout that period. From love to infatuation and naivety, the complex theme of love and emotion is further accentuated through the accompanying scarlet artwork.
Maddee cut her teeth initially with features on the ‘Colours EP’ from Toronto-based producer, Harrison - from here, she picked up slots opening for the likes of Lil’ Yachty, Willow Smith and Tennyson, alongside which she showcased across festivals including SXSW, NXNE and Field Trip. A pair of debut singles were released in 2017 (produced by Toronto’s Birthday Boy and Shagabond respectively), earning the buzz-building artist tips from tastemaker blogs, Majestic Casual and the attention of Red Bull Sound Select who handpicked her as one their spotlight artists.
Skeleton Flower’s debut album is a musical collection filled with gritty honesty, wild imagination, a generous sense of humor, and unleashed artistic expression. It is based on a new performance that is a semi-autobiographical exploration of a creative person’s struggle with identity, depression and the awakening of personal power.
The Stranger Recommended, Don’t Miss: “They've created a seven-song collection that takes indie rock to art school in the manner of St. Vincent, Dirty Projectors, and Deerhoof. Nishimura’s endearingly quirky voice comes off like a Japanese Joanna Newsom, and Nortness’s bass clarinet and saxophone lines sometimes skew the songs into chamber-jazz territory. However, Skeleton Flower's final two tracks—“The Red Shoes” and “Mirrored Sky”—hint at Björk's phantasmal electronic songcraft, and are all the more interesting for that.” –Dave Segal
“"Listen and watch after reading the fairy tale (or a synopsis of it), and it’s impossible not to be struck by how elegantly Nishimura’s visceral words metamorphose and compliment the source. The beauty of “Fitcher’s Bird” is that, as befits any great dark fairytale, enchantment and eeriness walk hand-in-hand. It’s an uneasy but irresistible path.” –Anthony James Kay, Artist Home
As with all of Degenerate Art Ensemble ’s work, Director Haruko Crow Nishimura draws on her own difficult and at times violent childhood which led to major breakdowns and years of depression. The work balances compelling supernatural narratives along with exploring how, through creativity, Crow was able to not only survive, but also share the fruits of her imagination with others and transform herself in the process.
The Skeleton Flower dance performance was shown as a work in progress in Bulgaria as part of the Spotlight USA Festival and premiered in Seattle in March of 2019 and they are excited to debut the Skeleton Flower band in September.
Atlanta-based, Arizona-born rock band, The Endangered Species, tell a tale of loss, hardship, and redemption on their video "Magic Man” and forthcoming, self-titled album, produced by music industry veteran, Joey Huffman (Izzy Stradlin, Soul Asylum, Drivin n Cryin). Music this raw and authentic stems from experience, and brothers and central figures, Wade and Robin Divver, have had more than their fair share of hard times. On February 12th, 2001, their father was brutally murdered by the Sinaloan drug cartel. The only living memory the brothers have of their father were his most prized possessions: a 1983 Fender Stratocaster and a 1967 Gibson SG. The album arrives October 18th, just in time for their father’s birthday.
Eight years later, inspired by their life experiences and their passion to see the world change for the benefit of all species, the pair officially started their band The Endangered Species.
The concept of the video is to capture the groove of the song. The idea was to show all types of different dance being done to the song. Pole dancers, break dancers, astronauts on the moon listening to the song, dead people dancing, etc. The lyrics are more serious and dark in nature, so instead of a doom and gloom video I wanted to create a video that put the focus on the groove of the song. I think it makes the song more fun and exciting for the listener. The lyrics will speak for themselves for the listener who can relate. As I stated before Magic Man is the drug dealer who is benefiting off the addicts addiction. Fueling the demise of others for his own gain. The song expresses the path of the desperate addict giving up more and more to satisfy their addiction, until they are so desperate they take everything they need from Magic Man by putting a gun to his head.’But they ask so politely indeed.’ The video was created and produced by Robin Divver (Rock & Roll Rd. Productions).”
For the Divver brothers, The Endangered Species are more than just a band: they are a movement raising awareness, consciousness, and trying to spark an awakening of thought and revolution in their listeners. If humans do not become more conscious of their impact on the earth, the other species that exist, the water, the future generations, humans will cease to exist. They urge fans to stand up and change the world for the better, to not be mindless sheep used as pawns in a society ruled by the powerful elites and their money first mentality. They want to be a voice for the people who have been forgotten, left behind, and demand change. The pair live by the motto, “Try to save a life a thousand years away, it starts with a change inside yourself.”
The brothers and family lived a humble life in Arizona on Rock & Roll Road, where Robin was born at home. Living off the grid one mile from the U.S. Mexico border, they pumped water from a windmill, took bucket baths, had no electricity other than a generator, and utilized two school buses that once served as the family’s home. In fact, Wade was given birth to in one of the buses while his parents lived in Contreras, New Mexico. Despite the hardship this family faced, they got through it thanks to their shared love of Rock & Roll. But it was going to take a while before the family saw the light at the end of the tunnel.
The Human Circuit - Greeves.
Trevor Sensor - High Beams.
