Caleb Clardy - Lauren Lakis - The Decrees

Caleb Clardy - Keep Up.

Background - Over the past decade or so, Brooklyn-based songwriter Caleb Clardy has co-written and collaborated with many artists, most notably with Zach Williams from The Lone Bellow. After years of developing as a writer, Clardy is set to share his debut record Invincible Things, (available October 13th) and aiming take listeners on a lyrically-driven, modern Americana journey.

The release of Invincible Things was made possible through impromptu writing sessions with Jonny Aherne, bassist for The Temper Trap. Aherne offered some help and encouragement that ultimately led Clardy to move forward as a solo artist. Aherne says of the project, “Sometimes it takes a very long time for things to happen suddenly. After many nights of jamming, I realized Caleb had ten years of writing and it got me. There were these poetic ramblings and straight up heart poured in.”

Demos for Invincible Things were graciously recorded by Amy Lee of Evanescence at her home studio in Brooklyn. The irony of a veritable “queen of rock” helping the self-described “Ned Flanders singer-songwriter” was not lost on either of them. The final recordings were produced by Jonathan Seale and tracked at Mason Jar Music in Bed-Stuy.

Drawing from admiration for songwriters such as Bob Dylan, James Mercer, Jeff Tweedy, and Conor Oberst, the twelve songs that make up Invincible Things trace a line over the stark contours of change in Caleb Clardy’s life that have spanned the decade.

Clardy’s first single, “Keep Up” echos mid-2000s indie bands such as Cold War Kids, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, and Modest Mouse. Meanwhile, the jangly call and response chorus in “Stoic World” exudes a spirit often found throughout the history of Americana-folk music. In his own words, Clardy says, “These songs have been spots to put a lot of the unresolved mixture of stuff that comes with people dying, or moving, or seeing your work change shape after 10 years, or confusion at how our country got where it is, or being generationally downstream from some real pain and dysfunction while still being somewhere upstream from where it all ends.” WEBSITE.

Caleb Clardy's distinct and vibrant vocals give 'Keep Up' some real edge, supported by some polished music that is broadly alt rock, with a loose melodic vibe.

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Lauren Lakis - Mourn The Dead.

Background - Electric doom-folk artist Lauren Lakis has released her latest track "Mourn The Dead" in advance of her debut solo album Ferocious in Early 2018. 

“Mourn The Dead" was one of the last songs I wrote for the album, when I was beginning to reclaim my life post-trauma. As I was tapping into my own anger, I was thinking a lot about the systematic repression of emotions in men, and how it ends up usually only being expressed as anger. I make reference to it via the line, "All the words that we swallow, all the walls that you hit" - Lauren Lakis.

A child of Baltimore, Lauren grew to embrace the fatalistic spirit of the city with an ever-present & fearless approach to her work & art. The hand-crafted rawness of her sound bellows deep & true, unscathed by the prevailing winds of today's polite rock. Lauren's persistence & growth in the Los Angeles scene can be attributed to her previous bands Hobart W Fink (vocals), Slow Coda (vocals & keys) and LA Nova (vocals, keys, bass, programming). She's performed in such LA staples as The Echo, The Satellite, & The Mint; as well as Echo Park Rising & Make Music Pasadena. Most recently, Lauren mounted a solo-performance in a 2017 SXSW showcase in Austin, TX.

Ferocious, her first full-length solo album, is a product of passion & experience folded with a recent personal tragedy. In collaboration with her Producer-Engineer Billy Burke, Lauren explores the full spectrum of the grieving process against a backdrop of shoe-gaze inspired guitars, haunting synth swells, deep-driving beats, & lyrics imparted with true candor. All instrumentals were written & performed by Lauren with the exception of AJ Brown on drums & additional guitars by Chris Garcia. Mixing tasked to the talented Chris Kasitch (Adele [Grammy-winning], Phantogram, Cee Lo Green). FACEBOOK.

Electric doom folk is a specific enough sounding genre and 'Mourn The Dead' makes sense of the description. The track is actually quite rocky in nature and Lauren Lakis vocals are melodic and dreamy, the doom element is less dark than I expected, this is quite a catchy song.

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The Decrees - Sons of Rage / West Sierra.

Background - Scotland's The Decrees have released their new single 'Sons of Rage', comprised of two tracks, the other one being 'West Sierra'. Hailing from Fife, Scotland, The Decrees are a no-holds barred Rock 'n' Roll band possessing high-octane energy from the punk realm. They mix different blends of genres in their songs but still retain a raw and provocative take on music that is reminiscent of a bygone age.

'Sons of Rage' was recorded by Michael Brennan, Jr. of The Substation (Mogwai, Snow Patrol, Super Furry Animals, Loop, Primal Scream) and mastered by Pete Maher (U2, The Pixies, Jack White, The Rolling Stones, Lana Del Rey).

The band was formed in early 2016. Their line up comprises of vocalist Lewis Akers, bassist Caitlin Petrie, guitarist Callum Bell and drummer Kieran Bell. Since their formation, The Decrees have become quite popular locally and are now becoming better known on the national scene.

In April of this year, The Decrees released their debut four-track EP 'Screams From Suburbia', offering a musical account of the everyday experiences of the monotony of modernity. This release blends full-throttle rock music with catchy choruses and beats. BANDCAMP, FACEBOOK.

'Sons of Rage' is a stomping rocker & 'West Sierra' ups the energy and buzz even further. The vocals have a determined feel to them as they compete with the band to ensure they share equal presence.

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Document - The Blood Moon Howlers - Gasoline Lollipops - Jonny Taylor

Document - Hustle.

Background - A brooding, slinky affair, Hustle showcases a new side to scuzzy Tel Aviv quartet Document. Understated, but bristling with the same electric energy as previous single Habit, it’s a swampy call to arms for disaffected youth. Vocalist Nir Ben Jacob explains:

"’Hustle’ revolves around themes of digital addiction - spending hours online and having nothing to show for it, wasting time scrolling and swiping, while not being able to stop. The screen has become an extension of the self. Humans have now become more like plants - they need to be interconnected and depend on technology. Phones are the roots that allow us to be connected to everything else. We‘ve rooted ourselves in our modernity. Our identities can change online. We project what we want others to see. The screen has become a mirror. The phone takes away the ability to be intimate, and you are left alone with a distortion of reality. There’s the addiction of immediate gratification, the online approvals are ‘pseudo-pleasure’. This has all led to pointless compulsive behaviour."

In 2008, after finishing university, Nir moved back to Tel Aviv and started hanging out with his cousin and a couple of his friends.  As bored 20-somethings, and the only people around who listened to 80's post-punk or art punk like Wire, The Fall and ‘90s bands like Fugazi and Dinosaur Jr. they decided to play together and start a band.

Their tracks explore themes of dis-connectivity and digital addiction, the individual dealing with bureaucracy, corruption and the repeating void of the modern life, oscillating between moments of anxiety and outrage to moments of hope and ecstasy. Yanniv Brenner (Guitar), Amit David (Bass) and Amir Reich (Drums) complete the line-up.

Hustle is taken from forthcoming album The Void Repeats, out November 9th.  The album was recorded at The Junk in Tel Aviv and was mixed by Bill Skibbe of Key Club Recording (The Black Keys, Protomartyr, Blonde Redhead and The Kills among others). WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

A simple & catchy riff allows 'Hustle' to resonate from the start. As layers of sound are added and the punchy vocals add further energy to the track, the song is pretty much demanding a second listen.

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The Blood Moon Howlers - Motor Mouth Mission.

Background - Neo-psych rock band The Blood Moon Howlers released a video for their brand new single "Motor Mouth Mission" today, showcasing clips of the band performing live and in studio. The single leans heavily into the band's hard rock, stoner rock, and punk influences, showcasing a darker and heavier version of their sound.

Jumping straight into heavy power-chords, tastefully distorted guitar, and a driving beat, "Motor Mouth Mission" demands your attention and builds into a powerful force. "It's compiled of "making of" studio footage and different gigs played in 2017. We like doing videos like this because we like to show the recording process and various locations used to make each recording," shared the band. "We feel it's the most genuine way to show who we are as musicians and people. The main shots were filmed at Ultimate Studios Inc. where we also recorded the drums to "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree". We had a great experience at that studio and want to work there much more in the future so we wanted it to be featured. We also show shots of our gig at Kulak's Woodshed from September 24, 2017 where we played "Motor Mouth Mission" for the first time. We wanted to include footage from there because we filmed/recorded a live album which we are planning to release in January of 2018."

"Motor Mouth Mission" was released today in conjunction with a B-side cover of "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree", originally by KT Tunstall. "We thought a cover of "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" would be a fun B-side to the single because we've played that song for a long time acoustically and the idea came up to make it rockin' after Matt got ahold of a Fender Bass Vi!"

Both songs were recorded between Artisan Road Studio and Ultimate Studios Inc., then mixed by Mike Bear of Artisan Road Studio and mastered by Hans DeKline. They are now available for purchase on Bandcamp, Itunes and all major digital retailers, as well as streaming on Spotify. The band recently recorded a live album, which is scheduled for release in January 2018. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

Potent and energised and with a timeless feel to it 'Motor Mouth Mission' is a straight out of the box blast of fuzzy psychedelic rock & roll.


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Gasoline Lollipops - Soul Mine.

Background - Colorado-based band Gasoline Lollipops recently shared new single "Soul Mine". The song is the title track and first single from the Boulder group's forthcoming album, Soul Mine, out December 16. Gasoline Lollipops singer-songwriter Clay Rose explains that the song "reflects all these trials and tribulations with an intensity usually reserved for the angst of youth and heartbroken lovers."

Gasoline Lollipops is a Colorado band that combines the sincerity of dirt-floor folk with the energy and rebelliousness of punk. It's an all-new incarnation of alt-country that’s both high-energy and heartfelt, like the American highway's soundtrack. This year marked the release of the GasPops' debut full-length album, Resurrection, and the band’s first-ever vinyl release, Soul Mine, will be celebrated at the Fox Theatre in Boulder on Saturday, December 16.

Colorado Daily readers voted Gasoline Lollipops "Best Local Musician/Group" for 2017, and in 2016, Denver Westword named Gasoline Lollipops Colorado's Best Country Artist. 2014 and 2015 brought multiple awards and accolades to the Gasoline Lollipops, including being selected to play six showcases in Austin during SXSW 2014; getting voted "Best Local Musician/Group" in the Colorado Daily's 2014 and 2015 polls; being selected as one of only six bands across Colorado for the highly coveted SpokesBUZZ Emerging Artists Incubator program; and winning the Oskar Blues Battle of the Bands in 2015. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

A little bit funky, maybe even bluesy at the beginning 'Soul Mine' gradually morphs into a folk rock song, where the music is delicious and the deep vocals and pleasing harmonies, make this a fabulous tease for the new album due in December.

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Jonny Taylor - Better Day.

Background - Jonny Taylor's new album 'Dig Deep' is due out November 17; with the new single 'Better Day' out now. Caught in the whirlwind, it seems like only yesterday that West Australian based singer songwriter Jonny Taylor signed his first record deal with label Red Rebel Music. In fact for new album Dig Deep it has been two months of intense planning in support of its November 17 release date that is now almost upon us. To thank his loyal supporters over the years, a unique album promotion is currently on offer with all pre-sale purchases giving one lucky punter the chance to win three nights away with flights included to Jonny’s hometown of Dumbleyung, with Jonny as your host!

Described as a fortuitous mix of Pearl Jam and Keith Urban, Taylor fuses rocky riffs and poignant lyrics with clever melodies. Dig Deep has been four years in the making since Jonny’s debut album Something to Say landed in the ARIA  charts in 2013. An emotionally charged musician who doesn't set out to sound like anybody in particular, Jonny lets his love of grunge and rock music fuse seamlessly with his passion for a meaningful story.

Taylor says it took time to accept his position in the music scene, exploring how an artist could sit on the fringe of many genres, to focus on his roots and create a record that made him proud. “I spent a couple of years wondering how I can tailor my sounds to fit in one spot or another. I was scared of falling in a void between genres. Karen Waters (head of Red Rebel Music) heard the album, rang me up and said “Mate, this is a great album!” It was exciting to have a label hear my work and understand who I am as an artist.  I’ve finally worked up the courage to just do what comes naturally and make a record that blends all my influences, without necessarily being influenced by any one particular thing.”

With new single Better Day currently scoring airplay around the country, launch dates (with full band) for WA already announced, a national tour set to include various festival slots planned for early 2018, it’s no surprise Jonny is nominated for Regional Act of the Year at the upcoming WAM Awards. The timing couldn’t be better for Dig Deep to cement Jonny Taylor as one the brightest
​prospects Australia has to offer. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

'Better Day' is a confident rocker, with Jonny Taylor's refined vocals driving this catchy and classic sounding song forward. All the vital ingredients are there, this is perfect music for a road trip.

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Terra Lightfoot - Sam Valdez - ONR

Terra Lightfoot - Norma Gale.

Background - The new single from Canadian roots-rocker Terra Lightfoot - Norma Gale is taken from the new album New Mistakes. Terra explains - "I was inspired to write this song after meeting a Canadian woman named Norma Gale who was a near-famous country star in the 1970s. She played all over the world but specifically had a great following in Nashville, played with Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty. This song is one of my first songwriter songs, I'd say. It chronicles the life of Norma as a musician in the ’70s, and trying to bring up her young son while she's gunning for sustainable success. I kept in touch with Norma and her son and let them know when I finally made it to Nashville to do some writing, but unfortunately she had passed away two weeks earlier."

Following the release of Every Time My Mind Runs Wild in the UK last year, Hamilton’s Terra Lightfoot back with a brand new album New Mistakes available now on Sonic Unyon Records, with UK tour dates to be announced soon.

With New Mistakes, Canada’s Lightfoot offers up something rare: the kind of genuine document that can only come from a road-tested breed of songwriter and performer. Shot through with the guitarist-vocalist’s powerful, bluesy soul, vivid lyrics and ferocious six-string virtuosity, it’s an unforgettable album that will have you hooked in seconds.

From the ground-shaking stomp of first single “Paradise” about and the wild-eyed  energy of “Pinball King” that open the album, to the psychedelic, gospel-tinged album closer “Lonesome Eyes,” the steel town native’s third record distills her masterful talent to its electrifying essence. FACEBOOK.

Fourth time around on Beehive Candy for Terra Lightfoot with the new single 'Norma Gale' taken from the equally new album 'New Mistakes'. I am well aware that Terra Lightfoot can deliver some full on & foot stomping rockers, this shows another side of her music, with a more measured rock ballad, which mixes emotion & melodic power with considerable style.

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Sam Valdez - It's Alright.

Background - Sam Valdez is a Los Angeles based singer-songwriter, whose music is built upon the fusion of shoegaze and vintage Americana indie folk. Embodying the best of both genres, Valdez has created dreamy, yet haunting atmospheric soundscapes that resonate with her listeners.

Valdez grew up at the edge of the Nevada desert, in Las Vegas and credits the desert as a major influence in her writing and composing. The vastness and solitude of desert life is apparent throughout her writing, with cinematic resonance and euphoric arrangements. 

After performing in numerous bands, she found the essence of her solo sound and decided to run with it, indulging in her own creative process and ultimately developing a sound that is true to her own. As a classically trained violinist, Valdez has a sense of musical maturity within her songs, adding technicalities that bring her to the forefront of her genre.

Lead single, ‘Its Alright’ oozes beauty and grace through it’s forthright lyrics. Featuring fuzzy 90’s shoegaze melodies, wistfully innocent vocals and driving drum rhythms, it’s a melancholic tale of both love and loss. ‘Its Alright’ thematically focuses on coping with the disillusion that comes with relationships. Valdez reveals, “I wrote this song in a dream-like state of mind”.

Valdez has seen success with her previous release ‘Hours’ receiving acclaim from prestigious media outlets including Black Book.  She has also performed at high profile venues throughout Los Angeles. FACEBOOK.

I was fascinated by the above promos description "(her) music is built upon the fusion of shoegaze and vintage Americana indie folk". That's quite a stretch however 'It's Alright' suggests it's a pretty apt description, where the delights of these differing genres combine to create a fabulous sound. It's worth mentioning that the song is also a very good composition, where melodic hooks and atmospheric vibes add even more!

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ONR - Jericho.

Background - Scottish artist ONR. (aka Robert Shields) started making waves after leaking some demos via indie label Leftwing, then was swiftly signed to Capitol Records in the US. Debut single “Jericho” was released this summer, and has received early support from LA stations KCRW and KCSN. 

Early reviews have lauded the ‘supreme confidence’ of ONR.’s sound, drawing comparisons to Echo & The Bunnymen, Depeche Mode, Arcade Fire and David Bowie.

"I'm delighted to release the official video to debut track Jericho," says ONR. "We’ve really tried to capture those first few months of our beginnings -- so like the track itself, it’s a bit of where we’re from, a bit of who we are, a bit of what we do. The response to Jericho has been just incredible, I cannot thank everyone enough for their support. And this is is only the start."

ONR. recently performed on the main stage at Electric Fields Festival in his hometown of Dumfries & Galloway, and was one of the first artists announced to perform at the 2018 SXSW Music Festival. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

'Jericho' has a natural & almost live feel to it particularly towards the beginning. Beautifully layered, the song builds with power and passion, ONR are definitely on our 'watch out for' list.


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Loyal Lobos - Attic Salt - Blinker The Star

Loyal Lobos - Dirt.

Background - Heartbreak breeds many things, few of which could be filed under the “good stuff” column- tears, Oreo addictions, questionable hookups, impulsive bangs. And yet, sometimes a heartbreak, and the relationship that preceeded it, can signify a shift, a pivot, some change in the fundamental direction of a life. Perhaps hearts don’t break after all; perhaps they just change directions. 

Such was the case with Loyal Lobos, the nom de musique of Bogotá native Andrea Silva. An entanglement with a Nashville man frayed, then snapped. Silva was left heartbroken, but in the midst of her sadness, inspiration struck. She set aside her previous musical projects and dove headfirst into guitar-driven folk music. In the ruins of a relationship, Loyal Lobos was born.

The seeds of Loyal Lobos were planted in Silva’s childhood in Colombia. Years spent steeped in her parents jazz records imparted a flair for melody. Growing up in a culture that prized machismo and conventional female beauty fostered a desire to empower women. A series of childhood performances gave her the confidence to perform. And finally, a the decision to attend music school in the US cemented it all.

Loyal Lobos’ music lives in the liminal space between folk, rock and country. Abandoning the synth-pop leanings of her earlier music for something more , Silva’s output as Loyal Lobos finds her stripping everything away. Armed with a guitar and a sinuous voice (and some occasional backup), Loyal Lobos presents delicately transcribed missives from Silva’s most internal worlds. She deliberately orients her songs, she tells me, in a place of sadness, of yearning, of emotional semi-darkness. “There’s such beauty in sadness,” she tells me. “People forget that. There has to be darkness for there to also be light.” Taking the confessional lyricism of singer-songwriters like Elliot Smith, and infusing it with her penchant for haunting melodies, Loyal Lobos sets out to create a synthesis of music and lyrics, and ultimately chart the unexplored recess of human feeling.

In September, Silva released The Fall, a warm, intricate collection of melancholic folk songs, and her debut EP. The Fall focuses, naturally, on heartbreak, an experience Silva points out is both universal and deeply specific. The title track and debut single showcases both the vibrancy of Silva's voice and her capability for nuance. It's a song that makes loss seem like an appropriate object of nostalgia, that makes that heartbroken hair decision seem less awful and more like something to treasured. After all, as The Fall and Loyal Lobos remind us, heartbreaks aren't all bad. Sometimes they're pivot points- moments in which we change the course of what we're doing in search of something great, in which our destinies become malleable enough to change them. FACEBOOK, BANDCAMP.

Andrea Silva vocals soar above an Americana rock backdrop on 'Dirt' a beautiful and rich song, that surprised me by it's energy, which builds as the track unfolds.

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Attic Salt - Passenger.

Background -  Springfield, IL indie/punk 4-piece Attic Salt has signed with Dodgeball Records. The label released the band's debut album on October 20th.

Fred Malcom (drums), Andy Harmon (guitar/vocals), and Alyssa Currie (guitar/vocals) started playing together in late 2015. Lanny Durbin (bass) joined up in early 2017.

"Attic Salt is one those bands that comes out of nowhere and blows you away. 

Their sound is a mix of power pop that fits in the indie rock world as well as a resurgence of 90’s college rock. They are aggressive and melodic, everything a rock band should be."

"I'm really digging this local-to-Springfield (IL) band called Attic Salt. Good crunchy, melodic, hooky rock with alternating male and female vocals. Right on. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

'Passenger' typifies Attic Salts' full on rock & roll. The new album is a collection of ten predominately super charged & unpretentious songs, where melodic hooks & feisty tracks are given some additional edge, with the male & female vocal switches.

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Blinker The Star - Orion.

Background from Jordan Zadorozny - A new Blinker The Star album, "8 Of Hearts" is just around the corner. "As is my custom, I recorded alone at my Skylark Park Studio in Pembroke, Ontario, layering and fussing for months like a lonely Jeff Lynne until it was just right.
 
As I got close to finishing, I brought in a few friends to open things up a bit: Mitch Bowden from Don Vail, Eric Matthews, and Honeymoon Suite's Ray Coburn all chime in with some lovely contributions.

"Orion", the album's lead off track, is a meditation on the slightly odd high tech/low tech life I lead, living and working in a modern recording facility located in the middle of a corn field in a forgotten rural Ontario town" BANDCAMP, FACEBOOK.

'Orion' is the first song on '8 Of Hearts' an album that comprises of eight songs (I bet you didn't see that coming - oh you did). Although Blinker The Star has an overall core sound, I was pleased by the amount of variety found in this collection. This includes the various musical styles, the differing moods & feeling, all of which has been developed with clear passion & attention to detail. The featured song 'Orion' is a fine track, expect a whole lot more from the album.


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