Friendly Rich - NØMADS - Soft Fangs

Friendly Rich - The Melon Sun.

Background from Friendly Rich - My name is Rich but most people like to call me Friendly Rich. I wear various hats in the creative field ranging from composer, to publisher, and even soon to be Dr in Music Education. 

My journey in the music industry started back in the 90s composing music for 3 seasons of The Tom Green Show on MTV. Flash forward to 2017 and I now have released 10 records, a book, and now soon to be a one-of-a-kind video for my new single! 

When it came time to make the video for the single, I knew I had to reach out to the folks at Everything Is Terrible, as I’m a big fan. It’s been wonderful working with them, as they perfectly melt my song about a high profile Canadian divorce with North America’s forgotten past!

 ‘The Melon Sun’ is from my new full length studio recording The Great Blue Heron, out on Sept 14th, featuring Kevin Breit & Hawksley Workman, Facebook here.

'The Melon Sun' is a rowdy and riotous blast of crazy rock'n'roll where the vocals are wonderful, the music explosive, & the video suitably insane.

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NØMADS - Phasmophøbia.

Background - NØMADS’ new single “Phasmophøbia”, is the August installment of the post-punk duo’s forthcoming/ongoing Phøbiac project. Phasmophobia is the fear of ghosts. The phenomenon of paranormal experiences presupposes a duality of time between the past and the present; a figure existing in both the past and present planes. Phasmophobia is often confused with Spectrophobia, a fear of mirrors or reflection, which is interesting in that a ghost is in essence a reflection of a past reality.

We all have our ghosts. "Phasmophøbia" tells the story of an ex-lover, haunting the streets of the paranoid narrator's daily world. After last month's release of “Megalophøbia”, the duo has chosen to release the next two singles in live video form, showcasing the band's progression towards the synth-driven shape of Phøbiac Part 2, to be released in a March of 2018.

Featuring swirling, long-form synth improvisation, and man vs machine drums from Brian Wolfe (of David Byrne & St. Vincent and the Dap Kings), the Live from Pittsburgh video series was filmed in the cavernous shadows of an abandoned Catholic school's furnace room, executed in one full take with no edits. The full Live from Pittsburgh video EP will be included with any download of Phøbiac Part 2 next year. Phøbiac Part 1 (comprised of previously released songs) will be released this October. Facebook here, Bandcamp here.

This is our third dip into the year long single by single release that makes up 'Phøbiac' a collection of material that is proving to be a feast of energised inspiration. The latest release is 'Phasmophøbia' a song which is a little less full on post punk & where the synths are more upfront. The passion & increase in melody only serves to add more diversity to what is a very fine the collection of music.


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Soft Fangs - Honey Colony.

Background - Soft Fangs is the musical project of Brooklyn-based songwriter, John Lutkevich. Since his first EP (soft fangs | 2014) and subsequent full length (The Light | 2016), Lutkevich has been enticing audiences all over with his purposefully crafted dark pop.

Influences like The Beach Boys, Leonard Cohen and Pavement melt together to form a scuzzy tangle - from which emerges a dreamier sound reminiscent of acts like Sparkle Horse - while literary inspiration comes from the magical realism of author Gabriel Garcia Marquez and avant-garde poet Robert Creeley.

On his latest release ‘Fractures,' Lutkevich says: “The LP is a collection of songs that I wrote over the past year in fragments and then recorded in three days during a snowstorm in Maine. I wanted to take these songs that I’d written leisurely over the span of a year and then record them very quickly.  It’s the first album where I've enlisted the help of others to engineer, so I let my good friends Bradford Krieger & Chaimes Parker (Big Nice Studio) handle all of the recording aspects, and I just got to run from instrument to instrument.”

Songs like ‘Honey Colony,’ drip around the ears of the listener, melding the story of a bee with that of a workaholic, while other songs like ‘Elephant Girl’ and ‘We Don’t Live Together Anymore’ take on abstract interpretations of loneliness and alienation.

“The album varying in concept is precisely the concept, hence it’s title. They are fractures from my life and other people’s.” Bandcamp here, Facebook here.

'Honey Colony' gently unfolds with a lazy drum rhythm and soft guitar background allowing the subtle vocals to shine & carry the melody.

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Monogold - QTY - Keep Shelly in Athens - Cormac O Caoimh

Monogold - Cinnamon.

Background - Monogold’s new album Babyfood (their sixth album since 2011, out September 29th via Chill Mega Chill Records), includes the heartwarming video for the album’s first single “Cinnamon”. 

The prolific NYC-based psych-pop trio recruited a group of young art students from The Good School, a mobile arts education school for young NYC students that specializes in stop-motion animation. Students at The Good School work out of schools all over Manhattan and Brooklyn, so Monogold went into a class to meet with a group of them and talked to them about food, candy and dreams, and the students created this absolutely adorable video that was as weird as the band hoped. All of the kids who worked on the video were between 6-7 years old and did all of the animation by hand, completely on their own. Pretty, pretty amazing!

Monogold has been incubating since the release of Yolk in late 2016, with their style and lyrical content developing and slowly evolving into something more than single-celled. Whereas “Cinnamon” approaches the concept of one discovering another’s body, “Feelers” shows what it would be like to see sunshine for the first time, if you were a newly born bug. Surf-pop gem “Pink Lemonade” strives to remind us of the simple pleasures of beautiful awkward first loves and strange nakedness in the summer. The egg has hatched and Monogold is ready to eat. Or, perhaps, they’re ready to feed the world with their new album Babyfood. Facebook here.

Refreshing, charming and melodic 'Cinnamon' is all of that and more, plus the video adds another layer of beauty, this one upgrades your day!


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QTY - Dress/Undress.

Background - New York duo QTY have revealed the video for Dress/Undress. The track is available as a limited edition 7” through Dirty Hit and is taken from their forthcoming debut album, produced by Suede guitarist Bernard Butler.

To take us further here are a few well chosen words from the band....

The bands North American tour dates are on Beehive Candy's tour news page, Website here.

Rich, distinct vocals are supported by a raunchy free flowing rock soundtrack. 'Dress/Undress' has a timeless feel to it, & is rammed full of hooks.


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Keep Shelly in Athens - Game Over (Daniel's Scene).

Background - Keep Shelly In Athens shares new single, "Game Over (Daniel's Scene)" -- new album Philokalia due Sept. 29. The ethereal and swirling sounds of the ambient-influenced pop of Greece's Keep Shelly in Athens captures the transient feelings of city life and the inevitable passing of time. With lush melodic beats and dreamy vocals Keep Shelly's production is an accessible and lighthearted entry into the world of down-tempo electronica.

With previous releases on labels including Forest Family Records, Transparent Records, Planet Mu, Cascine and Friends of Friends, the duo have already transported their whimsical arrangements and soothing productions across the globe, including performances at Coachella Festival, Parklife Festival, Brighton's The Great Escape Festival and Austin's Fun Fun Fun.

In addition to their own releases they have also done official remixes for Tycho (Ghostly International), Blood Diamonds (4AD), Steve Mason (Domino) and many more...

Their third LP, Philokalia, is coming out on September 29, 2017 via their own record label Athenian Aura Recordings with the Aussie award-winning novelist/poet Jessica Bell as their new singer. Website here, Facebook here.

Out third track in three months ahead of the new album, this time we have 'Game Over (Daniel's Scene)' a stirring & atmospheric piece, which for me cements the deal for 'Philokalia' an album that is clearly destined to join my collection.


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Cormac O Caoimh - Silence And Sound.

Backgroud - Cormac O Caoimh released his 4th solo album “Shiny Silvery Things” earlier this year to great acclaim in his native Ireland. It charted in the official IRMA charts and was launched with a sold out show in the Triskel Christchurch, Cork. All 12 songs have already received airplay and the first single (his most successful to date) reached over 3 million listeners in Ireland. The song was played in over 23 stations in Ireland and many more in the UK (including the BBC) and Europe (Italy in particular has attracted a big following with Italian cities topping the Spotify listener charts).

His intimate vocals, magical melodies and exquisite guitar playing has always attracted very favourable appeal to critics (with Mojo, The Irish Times, Hot Press, R2, Americana UK, OndaRock in Italy and many more) always quick to point to his unique style as well as comparisons to acts varying from the dreamy pop of The Go Betweens, Badly Drawn Boy, Elliott Smith and Prefab Sprout to the introspective and more folk-oriented Nick Drake, Leonard Cohen and Paul Simon. But he seems himself as a pop song-writer. When pop was good.

Specialized alternative radio stations were always on his side. Every album has received airplay from radio stations and DJs who love music and who love uncovering hidden gems. But with this album Cormac has seemingly hit a pulse on the mainstream and has also been playlisted on daytime stations and shows reaching a far bigger audience than previously possible. His loyal and enthusiastic fanbase (cd sales are still important for this man...the budget of every album is strictly based on the previous album sales) is growing. Finally too in his home country of Ireland where up to now the majority of sales were outside of Ireland (in the UK, Europe and US). The second single (Silence and Sound) is due for release Sept 15th 2017. Facebook here.

'Silence And Sound' is one of those less is more songs. Gradually building however never saturating, the melody, the vocals and a superbly understated yet very complete musical arrangement, makes for one fabulous song.

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Discolor Blind - The Rigs - Josh Taerk - WYO - Silk Village

Discolor Blind - Poor Receipts.

Background - Montreal's Discolor Blind has revealed 'Poor Receipts', the second single from their debut EP 'Long Vivid Dream', set for release at the beginning of September. This follows up their well-received single 'Black and Grey'.

‘Long Vivid Dream’ was recorded in Montreal between April 2013 and October 2015. It features vocalist Alexis Nadeau, who Malayeri met through a mutual friend in September 2013. The EP also involves Grammy and Oscar-winning music producer Jeff Bass, best known for his long-term work with Eminem and collaboration with George Clinton.

This EP is laced with the melancholia and angst that crept in from the cold Canadian winters Ashkan now found himself acclimatising to, summing up the myriad textures found on the record. A mix of chilled and measured washes are used as platforms for more intricate sounds from raw guitars and plaintive pianos to pop beats and even sultry jazz grooves.

Building up the songs involved a long and dedicated process, where Askhan plays the core sounds across a variety of instruments and digital methods, many of which are then replaced by other players for the final recording, and vocals added above the tracks. He likened the process to “rebuilding a large cathedral brick by brick”. Facebook here.

Our second feature for Discolor Blind in just over a month, this time with the second single 'Poor Receipts'. There is a distinctive and quite original sound emerging from this duo, where genres are merged with considerable attention to quality & detail. An underlying sense of passion, is matched by the growing energy as the song develops, fabulous stuff!

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The Rigs - Fall or Fly.

Background - With a plethora of film/tv placements under their belt, Los Angeles duo, The Rigs, debut their haunting new single “Fall or Fly.” Born out of the desire to create, TJ Stafford and Caitlin Parrott began collaborating in 2014. Both prolific songwriters on their own, their unique synth-pop meets gritty alternative rock sound immediately began gaining attention. 

Their tracks have been featured on major television shows like HBO’s True Blood, AMC’s The Walking Dead, NBC’s Parenthood, FreeForms Pretty Little Liars and many more. The mix of emotive vocals, harrowing melodies and unexpected instrumentation create music that has captivated audiences and critics alike.

Their new single, “Fall or Fly,” begins with a pulsing beat and whispering vocals. Though the track begins in a subdued manner, their voices mingling in a breathy duet full of nuance and frisson, it explodes into a radioactive electric chorus that serves as a warning. Serrated distortion and a pounding rhythm build unexpectedly beneath layers of vocals that convey a suffocating intensity akin to the subject matter at hand—a relationship that is falling apart. This haunting track combines two incredible songwriting and vocal talents, each coming at the music with a ferocity that lives wildly in the melody. Website here, Facebook here.

'Fall Or Fly' might be described as synth pop meets EDM, however there are also rock undertones that need to be mentioned. By the end of the song what's really clear is, the way it moves from a more haunting start to become a very catchy and addictive track.

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Josh Taerk - Learning To Let Go.

Background - Back with his new single,  "Learning to Let Go," the track  is about taking that leap of faith, letting go of the need to know all the answers and about living in the possibilities of right now.

"This was the first song I wrote with my producer and good friend Teddy Morgan who I was introduced to by John Oates (Hall and Oates).  Teddy and I wrote it in Teddy's studio in Berry Hill, Tennessee and recorded it at Buzz Cason’s studio, The Creative Workshop. Cason was a backing singer for Elvis Presley and Kenny Rogers. In 1970, he founded 'Creative Workshop', a recording studio, where Dolly Parton, Jerry Reed, Merle Haggard, The Judds, The Doobie Brothers, Emmylou Harris and Olivia Newton-John recorded material.

This past year, Josh toured the U.S. and has charted on Hot AC Commercial Radio. On tour, Josh and his band have opened for famed blues guitarist Robin Trower (Procol Harum), Kevin Costner & Modern West, Jon McLaughlin, Austin Jones amongst others; and have played shows from coast to coast. They even headlined a show in his hometown of Toronto this past March.

Josh has an amazing history - he was playing local venues in Toronto when Max Weinberg - drummer for Bruce Springsteen – saw him play. Max was so impressed, he  invited Josh to open for him at his sold out show in New Jersey, as well as play with him onstage to pay tribute to the late Clarence Clemons at Summerfest. He was then selected to play the 7908 John Oates Aspen Songwriters Festival, where he met another great mentor and now friend, John Oates who would later record back up vocals on his album and connect him to his producer Teddy Morgan. Facebook here.

Josh Taerk's fine vocals really do drive 'Learning To Let Go' forward with considerable power & passion. Musically this is also a great track, the band are just so smooth, the arrangement tight & understated at times, which works so well with the vocals.

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WYO - Down by the River.

Background - Indie rock outfit, WYO, debuted their cinematic, heartfelt music video for lead single, "Down by the River."  Shot in the band's hometown of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, the video features the epic mountainsides and landscapes that inspired the forthcoming record, Untamed. 

The band WYO found its roots in a small town south of Yellowstone National Park.  Inspired by the surrounding natural beauty, singer-songwriter Andy Sorge utilizes an organic instrument palette to create the soundscape that is WYO. 

After attending film school in New York, Andy met multi-instrumentalist, Scott McKay Gibson, and the two began composing music for documentaries, commercials, and short films together in Wyoming. Perhaps this explains the reason that WYO's music has a way of evoking such striking visuals that stir the imagination. The pair began delving into Andy's original songs that would soon become this debut album. They teamed up with Los Angeles-based producer, Brad Wood, to provide a fresh ear to finalize their work. 

The product is the full-length album, Untamed. This record is a search for a place that's alive and wild. It's a record that deals with love, loss, and constant exploration. It's a tale of reconciling city life with the Wild West of Wyoming. WYO releases their debut full-length, Untamed, worldwide on October 20th, 2017. Instagram here.

An atmospheric vibe is there from the word go on 'Down by the River' a rich, melodic and quite haunting indie rock song. This is a beautiful track where the music video adds something extra, and I am left hoping it's not long until we can hear more from the band.


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Silk Village - Company.

Background - Silk Village are an emerging 4-piece psych-rock group hailing from the tropical paradise of Darwin, Australia. Bringing together their signature vocals, pleasing leads, and an earthy sound to the stage and the studio. Even with the tropical heat, the band’s mellow attitude reflects the laid back lifestyle of Darwin.

Silk Village’s debut single ‘Company’ finds itself from feelings of disorientation and loneliness. ‘Company' combines unique vocals and luscious leads to create a sound that brings together the smooth style of the band.

‘Company’ was recorded at Masters Studio in Darwin, along with their upcoming EP. Even though the recording process was quick at Masters Studio, it also took place across multiple bedroom studios over the course of about 6 months.

"Being our first experience recording not just a single but our first studio release, there were inevitable set backs along the way, never the less, the band pushed through together to create a body of work that truly represents our collective intuition,” says the band on making the EP.

The band’s first release was mixed by Jez Giddings and mastered by David Briggs, who were both based in Melbourne. "They brought out what we wanted from the track, and were very professional throughout the whole process, Jez did a great job of bringing out a sound that reflected the feel and tone we were trying to communicate.” Facebook here.

A gentle start allows 'Company' both to gradually unfold and from there build into a splendid & melodic rock song. The band & vocalist work so well together & as debut songs go, this track really deserves to travel not just beyond way Darwin, but Australia as well!

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Matthew James and the Rust Belt Union (Video Premiere) - Gill Landry - Sarah Cripps

Matthew James and the Rust Belt Union - Goodbye.

Background - American music nostalgia as if finding an odd record in your uncles hidden collection of 1970’s country and blues bands. Galloping drums with a relentless and lonesome holler reigned in by steady upright bass and soothed by the lost watering hole of pedal steel. This sound is self described as Midwest Junk Soul.

Impromptu Musicals for the Skeptic is singer Matthew James’ story album about moving to Des Moines from his home of Detroit for a girl and leaving everything thing behind including music with his nationally touring string bands. The single “Goodbye” was written on that drive as heard in the lyrics.

Director Josh Berendes is known for his work with nature including his current film on the Galapagos Islands. Here he shot these animals in their natural environment partying and playing music!  Rust Belt Union is shown as a pack helping each other load in during the grind and chill before they release art and energy like a caged animal on stage. There's a feeding of the beasts as a hot dog gets cooked on an acoustic bass. At one point the upright bassist chugs beer out of the pedal steel players boot!

As the scenes pass by it begs the question what scene does this music belong? Matthew James and The Rust Belt Union call their music Midwest Junk Soul as their sound doesn't fit the typical Americana, freak folk, or cow punk. Here lies a bluegrass rhythm and vocal cadence laced with electric pedal steel and drums. Listening to the other songs on the record, nobody is playing this style, not even the hipsters in Portland or the cool kids in East Nashville. The video shows nearly extinct instruments hitting new territory and ready to take over like an invasive species.

Capturing raw live footage and intimate b roll, the vibe is set for whiskey and cigars. If this environment seems like a get away, grab their new vinyl at sumppumprecords.com, Facebook here.

The vocals are gritty, determined and flaunt the passion that underpins 'Goodbye'. Add to this some wonderful musicianship from a band whose love for what they do is all apparent, & you arrive with one beautiful explosion of Midwest Junk Soul, a genre that very much belongs to these folk.

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Gill Landry - Berlin.

Background - Gill Landry has unveiled his brand new single ‘Berlin’, the song is taken from Gill’s newly announced solo album ‘Love Rides A Dark Horse’, set for release on October 6, 2017 via Loose.

Gill Landry’s ‘Love Rides A Dark Horse’ follows his critically acclaimed self-titled 2015 album, which featured appearances by Laura Marling and Robert Ellis among other musical pals. Rolling Stone raved that the record landed at "the four-way intersection between Dylan-inspired folk-rock, atmospheric Americana, dusty cowboy songs and street busker ballads," while American Songwriter hailed it saying “these songs, and especially Landry’s honest performance, resonate long after the last note fades. They beckon you back to further absorb his heartfelt, occasionally comforting, musings on the trials and tribulations of romance-gone-sour. It’s a subject most of us have experienced, can easily relate to and one that Landry explores with taste and subtle, refined passion.” The album earned Landry dates with Ben Harper, Laura Marling, Brandi Carlile, Justin Townes Earle, Warren Haynes, Bruce Hornsby, and more, in addition to festival appearances in the US, UK, & Europe. 

'Love Rides A Dark Horse' breaks new ground for Landry with contributions from fiddler Ross Holmes (Mumford & Sons, Bruce Hornsby), keyboard player Skylar Wilson (Andrew Combs, Rayland Baxter), and drummer Logan Matheny (Roman Candle, Rosebuds), the songs explore a more seductive, stripped-down sound built upon a hushed sense of intimacy that calls to mind Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits. The album's tattered narratives cast aside romanticism in favour of reality.

Landry sets the tone from the outset with the alternately joyous and ominous album opener "Denver Girls," singing, "If it's not paradise now / Tell me what you're waiting for / Don't you know there is no evermore?" The song features haunting background vocals from First Aid Kit's Klara Soderberg, who joins Landry again later for a proper duet on the driving "Berlin." Additional female vocals appear throughout the album, some from Karen Elson and others from Odessa, their presence a gentle reminder that, as Landry puts it, "it takes two to disagree."Website here, Facebook here.

The brand new single 'Berlin' is a beautiful flowing song, that exudes high class Americana. The vocals and harmonies are heartfelt, whilst the music is understated and pristine. A fabulous taste of the album to come & one that sets expectations very high.


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Sarah Cripps - Leave Behind.

Background - Leave Behind is the first single from Sarah Cripps new album. Sarah tells us "During the making of this album, I was going through a turbulent transition in my life. I was struggling with the perception of who I thought I was supposed to be, and who I truly am. 

It left me feeling pretty dark at times. It was making this record that helped me decide I would embrace the darkness and the weirdness. 

I pulled myself out of the perfect box I thought I had to fit into. I found a way to create my own narrative and not subscribe to the one that is often forced on young women.  

Although ‘Leave Behind’ is a reflection of losing myself and some of my lowest moments, ultimately, it’s the turning point that gave me the guts to just embrace the weirdness". Website here.

'Leave Behind' mixes Sarah Cripps melodic and poignant vocals, with a carefully constructed soundtrack that allows her voice to shine whilst providing some additional richness to the song. Melodic and reflective, I cannot wait to hear more.

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