Traveller - Mitch Bullen - Healyum - Death By Unga Bunga - Have You Ever Seen The Jane Fonda Aerobic VHS? - The Green Door

Traveller - Been Waiting.

Background -  Traveller are a band on the ascendant. Their latest single 'Been Waiting' follows the success of their debut EP 'All This Time' and with headline shows at legendary venues such as King Tuts Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow, the band are one of the UK's most exciting new musical prospects.

The Scottish based Rock band are Gerry Sheridan on lead vocals, guitar and piano, Martin Yves on lead guitar and backing vocals, Brian Socha on bass and Simon Usher on drums, backing vocals and piano. With airplay earned in over seventy countries and counting, Traveller are winning fans all over the world with their polished and melodic Rock.

Founder member Simon Usher, says "There wasn’t much music in my house when I was growing up. My mum and dad weren’t very musical but there was an old upright piano upstairs on the landing of our house which I would mess about with and there were a few records stacked on a shelf in the sitting room that I would dig out and play repeatedly on their old record player, the best of which were by The Dutch Swing Band and Trini Lopez! I remember discovering ABBA and being fixated by the tight harmonies in many of their songs. I guess they were the first ever band for me that I really connected with because of that, but my first ever album on cassette tape was a pivotal experience for me. It was 'Tunnel of Love' by Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band. I used to shut myself away for hours on end in my bedroom listening to those tracks on repeat reflecting myself within the music and lyrics and focusing on what I hoped would be my musical destiny. Bruce Springsteen’s amazing soul and passion for music is what I am truly drawn towards.

For Simon, his musical journey began when he moved to Yorkshire to study Jazz at The Leeds College of Music. Following garduation and a return to Scotland he founded a music agency called The Gig Supply placing bands into venues all over Scotland. The agency gained a good reputation and won a regional business award for innovation as well as gaining lots of respect from bands and venues across Scotland. It was at this time that Simon first met Brian, Traveller's bass player. As members of a band called Suburbia they were signed to a small independent record label called City of Angels and we wrote and rehearsed daily in an old farm shed in the Scottish borders. Chosen to become the house band for a 'Hype', a BBC Choice TV show, they travelled down to London each week to appear live, performing a new song and playing a couple of covers on each episode. Tony Visconte, after appearing as a guest, was so impressed with the band that invited them to New York to spend a day with him in his studio. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

We featured 'All This Time' back towards the beginning of the year and the latest single 'Been Waiting' is another fine natural rocker worthy of a share. Traveller mix tightly delivered alt rock, with plenty of hooks and are carving out their own sound & it's a very good one at that.

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Mitch Bullen - Time Has Gone.

Background From Mitch - Growing up in Melbourne was the beginning of my passion for music, living in such a vibrant and creative city gave me cause to create everyday.  Having relocated to London in early 2016 I have enjoyed taking inspiration from my travels as well as growing in a new and unfamiliar environment. 

Naturally, being an aspiring musician I spend most of my time working as a barista, which (somewhat) funds my ability to explore this city and draw creativity from everyday life.

My songs are inspired by life, time and relationships, acoustically performed with contrasting vocals accompanied with a literal lyrical style and simple, guitar-driven melodies. 

Drawing inspiration from a range of different eras from a variety of artists such as Ray Charles, Matt Corby, Passenger, Bon Iver and many, many others. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

Second time around on Beehive Candy for Mitch Bullen in a matter of weeks. 'Time Has Gone' starts out as a gentle, well crafted folk song, and gradually builds into a powerful and emotionally charged piece. Mitch can sing softly and melodically, he can also belt out some feisty rock vocals, this song demonstrates both ends of the scale.

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Healyum - Cheap Alcohol.

Background - Newcomers Healyum have delivered on early promise with new single ‘Cheap Alcohol’.  Previous singles ‘Lies’, ‘Three Months’ and ‘Fools Eyes’ have been supported by Huw Stephens on BBC Radio 1, BBC Introducing, and Radio X (where all three have appeared on the evening playlist).  Glowing reviews have come from the likes of The Line Of Best Fit, Dork & The Metro, the band’s music has also found it’s way onto various BBC Drama & Channel 4 TV shows, and they won the ‘Breakout Artist Award’ at the NMG Awards last month.

The band’s BBC Introducing support led to them being filmed live in-session back in June and performing at this years Standon Calling Festival.  They recently played a show with Circa Waves, and are set to play alongside fellow Bedford-boy Tom Grennan and Will Jospeh Cook in the up coming weeks as well as as a show at Sebright Arms for Abbie McCarthy’s ‘Good Karma Club’.

Still only 17, singer-songwriter Jeaná Healy explains that if she threw a part ‘Cheap Alcohol’ would be the soundtrack.  Again produced and mixed by band collaborator Kristofer Harris (Belle & Sebastian, Ghostpoet, Clock Opera), ‘Cheap Alcohol’ sees interest in Jeaná and her bandmates continue to build. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK. 

Live Dates: 30 Nov – Sebright Arms, London w/ Abbie McCarthy’s Good Karma Club.

With distinct and gorgeous vocals and a superb musical arrangement 'Cheap Alcohol' helps make sense of the attention Healyum are attracting in the UK. Vibrant modern pop that is loaded with hooks throughout.

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Death By Unga Bunga - Into The Night.

Background - Death by Unga Bunga have premiered their manic new video for 'Into The Night'. Death By Unga Bunga drummer Ole Steinar Nesset has said:
 
"This video is a delightful mashup of everything that’s cool. ‘Into The Night’ is about how to party. We like to party on jet fighters, playing guitar solos, clinging on for our lives to a flying carpet. Wouldn’t you?"

The band have just come off a massive US tour with Stiff Little Fingers and are now set to play two shows back in Norway this December. Details of these are available here. The 'Bye-Bye/Into The Night' 7-inch is out now on Jansen Records. Order it on vinyl here and digitally here. More details on the new album out early 2018 to be announced soon. FACEBOOK.

'Into The Night' is a rhythmic catchy rocker, with just a little attitude. Add in the crazy video and every ones a winner!


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Have You Ever Seen The Jane Fonda Aerobic VHS? - Magic Swimming Pants.

Background - Finnish 3-piece Have You Ever Seen The Jane Fonda Aerobic VHS? are set to release their second album Jazbelle 1984/1988 on January 19th. Across the course of 11 ‘flower-garage’ tunes, each catchier and more chaotic than the last, HYESTJFAVHS? establish themselves as one of the most exciting and infectious bands to come out of Scandinavia in recent years.

The trio have carved out a unique sound for themselves, opting to use keyboards instead of guitars. This is after songwriter Ekku Lintunen and drummer Janne-Petteri Pitkälä, on seeing the film Drive, instantly decided to form an 80s synth-pop band as a side project to the garage-rock act they were in at the time. When Susse Stemma-Sihvola came in on vocals, bringing her scuzzed out bass tones with her, it ended up being garage-rock with a twist.

They are further shaped by the aesthetic and sonics of the underground cassette culture punk bands in their small town of Kouvola rely on, as well as the thread of styles that have tied the town’s musical history together through the decades. A mish-mash of 60s girl-groups, punk, glam, grunge and NYC/Manchester indie coming together to generate their electrifying style.

Throughout, the album is two-tone. At times playful, and pop-centric, at others darker, more intense. Across the 11 tracks presented HYESTJFAVHS? make whimsical references to He-Man, and Modern Family’s Phil Dunphy as well as including a track titled Hanky Panky. However, there’s also a sadder element – it’s a semi-breakup album, half the tracks written pre- and post-. Hence, there are explorations of both the excitement and disappointment of love. FACEBOOK.

'Magic Swimming Pants' is the first of eleven tracks on the bands second album (Jazbelle 1984/1988) due out in January 2018. This is a high octane collection of music, the band are energetic throughout, mixing up some fabulous pop to punk or glam to grunge styles, with catchy upbeat and potent material every time.


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The Green Door - You Won't Hear That Anymore.

Background - San Francisco psychedelic rock/garage rock band The Green Door have a new EP on the way entitled "Wolf In The Fold". The new release explores themes of life and death as well as hero and anti-hero, using both mythical and historical figures of the old west. These themes are loosely interpreted and recycled so that they look back at this era as an American myth through the tumultuous lens of present day American society. All of this occurs with the sonic aesthetic of spaghetti westerns, 60s psychedelia and garage rock.

Formed in San Francisco in 2008, The Green Door is comprised of Mike Carnahan on lead vocals and guitar, Reese Abell on bass, Evan Wardell on guitar, Vanessa Wolter on percussion, and Devin Triplett on electric organ. The Green Door started as a project between Wolter and Carnahan, as they began writing and recording a series of songs blending the raw, desert sounds reminiscent of Spaghetti Westerns with the uncompromising rhythms of 1960s garage and acid rock. The result is a harmonic force of American myth and counter-culture ideology, best described as "Western psychedelic rock." Imagine wild 1960s rock 'n' roll driving through the desert to meet the analog spirits of psychedelia.

With the recording of a new album, the sound of The Green Door continues to evolve. However, the approach remains the same. The name "The Green Door" stands as an image which beckons the observer to question what's behind and, ultimately, beyond. The music of The Green Door, with its wild and evocative themes of the mythic West juxtaposed with formidable riffs and stampeding rhythms, is an experience that calls the listener to strike out to the badlands, set up camp, and rock out with the ghosts that linger there in the reverb of a bygone age. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

Psych vocals and glorious rock harmonies are just part of  'You Won't Hear That Anymore'. You can add in some bluesy riffs and atmospheric refrains and still there is more. This is one very addictive song.

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Shelley Segal - VHS Collection - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

Shelley Segal - Somebody Like You.

Background - LA-based, Australian songwriter Shelley Segal has announced her latest single Somebody Like You, a rock-infused, in-your-face song about a relationship interrupted.

Somebody Like You is a heavy track, and not just in sound; it details the trauma of being told by family that your relationship must end for the sake of religion – in short, it’s the perfect song to release in the midst of the polarising and supremely topical same sex marriage debate. Electric guitars wail and drums propel the song forward with a strength that Shelley has harnessed herself, as the chorus soars to the heights of her vocal range. 

Somebody Like You soundtracks a confusing, difficult time in Shelley’s life, as she explains, “When I was 18 years old my family told me I needed to break up with my partner because he wasn't Jewish - in line with our religious traditions. I chose to fight for the relationship with my then-partner, leaving home and moving in with him and his family.

Shelley has been living and working in Los Angeles for over a year now, and is currently Stateside touring Somebody Like You. Since making the move overseas Shelley has achieved a lot; spending her time writing with different artists, performing non-stop, and opening her own publishing company which saw her score a sync with the Emmy-award winning web series Venice. 

Shelley loves her new city, but is looking forward to her brief visit home to celebrate Somebody Like You with a few shows. She enthuses, “These new songs have a rockier edge than I've had before and I'm excited to share that energy onstage. Coming home will be bittersweet as it makes me a bit homesick but it will be special to be at home and play these new songs to my fans and friends. As usual audiences can expect lots of stories. Maybe even a bit of the shiny sheen of shameless LA pop will make it back over the pacific with me, we'll see.” WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

The subdued musical arrangement contrasts beautifully with Shelley Segal's vocals as 'Somebody Like You' unfolds. The power is upped and a more forceful rock backdrop emerges, and as the vocals are immersed within, some additional edge is given to the song.

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VHS Collection - Sign.

Background - VHS Collection share their latest single "Sign", which has been featured on Spotify's New Music Friday Playlist upon it's release. The band is currently gearing up the release their debut LP, which is due for release in 2018. Stay tuned for more new music and info coming soon.

VHS Collection is a rock band from New York City that has gained a reputation for high energy live performances and a unique blend of rock, electronic, and disco influences. 

VHS Collection’s songs have been streamed over 25 million times on Spotify and the band has seen festival performances at Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, Bunbury Festival, and Okeechobee Festival in the last year.  VHS also sold out a headline show at Bowery Ballroom in February and Music Hall of Williamsburg in June, as well as LA's Troubadour, in addition to sold out club dates throughout the mid-west and throughout the west coast.  The band has released two EP’s to date and will release its first full length record late this fall.   

VHS has remained independent and is self-managed. They they are able to reach a growing audience via Spotify and other social media outlets without a label, and have also built a live following by word of mouth.  The band sold out Bowery Ballroom and NYC’s 700 cap Music Hall of Williamsburg in the last 6 months and also played several major West Coast headline dates, including LA’s famous Troubadour. FACEBOOK.

Electronic vocal harmonies open up 'Sign', before the beats kick in. It's then a flowing mixture of refined vocals and a rhythmic backdrop, both elements creating atmosphere and melodic vibes.

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Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - King of Bones.

Background - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club are currently putting the finishing touches to their forthcoming eighth studio album, the follow-up to 2013's Specter At The Feast, entitled  Wrong Creatures which will be released on January 12th 2018.

The band have already treated fans to three instant grat tracks, first single “Little Thing Gone Wild”  a dirty, sexy, rollicking ride of big licks and heavy bass – which was the inspiration for the LP's title, drawing on a lyrical passage. “Lord you hear me loud into my soul speaker, why won’t you let me out, you’ve got the wrong creature’.  Next up came the Cave-esque murder balladry of “Haunt” , followed by ‘Question of Faith’. On 20th November the band made a fourth track available – ‘King Of Bones’.

BRMC - Robert Levon Been — Bass, Guitar, Piano, Vocals, Peter Hayes— Guitar, Bass, Harmonica, Vocals and Leah Shapiro — Drums, Backing Vocals, Percussion, started to formulate the album in the summer of 2015. Shapiro was six months clear of  life-saving brain surgery for Chiari Malformation, a rare disorder the restricts the flow of spinal fluid between the brain & spine . The trio had come off a tour and began sketching out new songs in their private lockout space appropriately nicknamed ‘The Bunker’ in North Hollywood. “It’s a crazy making machine, it can chew you up good, I mean we literally toured ‘till the wheels came off and Leah’s brain literally started leaking out of her head” says Been. “I know I’ve battled on and off with mental depression, and Pete’s head never came with any proper instructions.”

Nick Launay, famed for his work with Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Arcade Fire and most significantly here Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, came in to produce the album, and became a fundamental part of the BRMC machine, providing the band with a sounding board. “I find myself writing about death a lot,” says Hayes. “I find myself having a discussion with death, which sounds dark. For me, it's dark humor.”

Adds Been “We are truly an island – come hell or high water, so it’s usually best to dress accordingly. Though I’m not sure what the proper attire is when drowning in fire. But leather usually goes with everything.” WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

I know that Black Rebel Motorcycle Club are more than likely to be given plenty of attention elsewhere however 'King Of Bones' is just to good not to include on Beehive Candy. It's dark, moody and heavy rock & roll with all of the potency this band can deliver. With four songs already shared, I wonder just what else the band are holding back on.


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Pocket Of Lollipops - RJ Thompson - Marble Mammoth - 1971

Pocket Of Lollipops - Ever Needles.

Background - Official video for Ever Needles by Pocket Of Lollipops pays homage to people saying women are weak because they cry. Studies show that when men cry, they are viewed sympathetically, while women are often labeled dramatic, irrational, or manipulative if they turn on the faucet. Crying is a natural healing system.  It's time we reclaim our right to cry, since we have tons of suppressed feelings that are now being voiced by celebrities.

For example treatment of women on social media, sparked by the uproar over actress Rose McGowan's or from Pussy Riot, Nadya Tolokonnikova saying “It’s important not to say to yourself, ‘Oh, it’s O.K..  This video is Pocket Of Lollipops  response to it all, sexual, political, economical; Maitejosune has made her self seem vulnerable for the cameras but the truth is she has healed, and now the viewer has to experience the pain that we constantly hide.

For the Video Ever Needles, Maitejosune took all her angst, tears for the last 2 years and refused to comment on things or even talk about any situation that was confrontational. She held it all in, sometimes she was ill because of it, but she saved those tears for film. She kept telling Tony (husband and drummer of Pocket Of Lollipops) I will let them out soon just have the camera ready. So the band created a "Crying Corner". This past May she texted Tony "I'm on may home, I'm ready for the crying corner." Once she came in she told Tony don't ask questions just tape," I told him to ignore what I was saying,".

Even when Tony watched the footage during editing he would erk at the visual of Maite. Maite's whole goal was to show we all cry. I could be upset about the current political turmoil, a death, the jerks who cut me off. The idea of holding all that tension is what she wanted to release on camera. She worked with Jacqiline Soire to create the other footage. Jacquline had not seen the crying corner footage but Maite did mention they would be combined some how. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

Concentrating on the song 'Ever Needles' first, its a creative and absorbing piece which mixes voices and distant vocals above an addictive soundtrack. The video makes sense thanks to the background details above. It is of course quite personal as tears always are.


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RJ Thompson - Blackout Windows.

Background - RJ Thompson has built a name for himself in recent months as one of the countries strongest up and coming singer-songwriters. His poignant lyrics perfectly capture the mood of the past 12 months, with songs that won’t fail to resonate, and all are set against a colourful (and at times nostalgic) soundscape that goes far beyond modern-day singer-songwriter stereotypes.

RJ is an artist who’s had to graft for every great opportunity that’s come his way, getting his big break through consistently playing grass-roots music venues, pubs and clubs in his native North-East. It was a night in Hartlepool where the work paid off. A sound engineer at an open mic night was working with Live Aid organiser and Ultravox frontman Midge Ure. The engineer submitted RJ as a support act, leading to more than 30 shows touring the UK and Europe. Support shows with Gabrielle Aplin, Deacon Blue and Jools Holland (including a performance at the Royal Albert Hall) soon followed as well as several EPs and a live album.

“Up here in the North East there is a saying… “shy bairns get nowt”. You’ve got to put yourself out there, asking and doing, if you want to make any progress. So that’s what I did throughout my early years. I got out and posted my demos to all the local promoters, played at the grassroots venues, the local festivals, and any community event going - even those that had absolutely nothing to do with music!. Every single show has taught me something.”

Now, RJ is stepping out with his first full studio LP “Echo Chamber”. The album features guest appearances from John Waugh, saxophone player for The 1975, and ex-Bellowhead cellist Rachael McShane and serves as a sonic departure from RJ’s traditional singer-songwriter background. After a few tracks, a love for analogue synthesizers and strong electronic-pop production becomes evident. With tracks like ‘The Girl & The Gunman’, ‘Echo Chamber’ and ‘Think About You’, we can hear distinctive retro arpeggios and lush synth chords - perfected with a contemporary mixdown and epic production standard. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

The second of nine songs on the 'Echo Chamber' album is 'Blackout Windows' our featured track. It's is typical of the high quality production that is present throughout the collection. Musically and vocally RJ Thompson can and does vary the style, his songwriting is notable as is the quality of musicianship, overall this is a timeless sounding collection of contemporary pop if you will excuse the possible juxtaposition with that description.


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Marble Mammoth - The Girl Of A 1000 Thrills.

Background - Swedish, Stockholm based Marble Mammoth wanders seamlessly between classic genres in a dynamic mix of energetic riff based rock and dreamy, melodic psychedelia. A furious rhythm section, screaming organs and fuzzy guitars greets you on their latest single ”The Girl of a 1000 Thrills”, and give you a taste of what’s to come.

The five track self-titled EP immediately draws your mind to the experimental side of early Tame Impala or even classic rock acts like Led Zeppelin, and we find our self as much in the late 60’s as in the present.

"Marble Mammoth is in many ways defined by an endless search. So it only feels natural that the EP sound the way it does. The songs were written in a state of emotional turmoil, and it wasn't until afterward, with some distance, that I really understood what they were all about." – Tobias Bergholm (singer and guitarist)

With band members that have previously played in bands such as The Unisex, that has shared stage with The Libertines, and Dollhouse, that’s been touring the world and done collaborations with Mike Davis (MC5) and Nicke Andersson (The Hellacopters/Imperial State Electric), this is nothing but a pleasant new acquaintance on the Swedish and the international rock scene.

”The Girl of a 1000 Thrills” is out on all digital platforms on November 17th with the full EP to follow on November 24th. FACEBOOK.

A month to the day since we first featured Marble Mammoth they make a welcome return with 'The Girl Of A 1000 Thrills'. Last month we commented "Old school classic rock with a refreshingly modern twist," this time the alt rock vibes are clearer, the power is if anything even more intense, as is the vocal passion.

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1971 - Anxiety (In the Depths of Northwestern Ontario).

Background from 1971 - In February 2017 our bassist, founding member, and friend Cameron Glen Cranston suddenly passed away in the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Center. He was 25 years old.

We as a band decided to not continue without our brother. Now we’re releasing our last existing recordings with Cameron; two demos we recorded for a grant we received and one of his songs.

The first track “Anxiety (In the Depths of Northwestern Ontario)” was written for Cam in 2016 during a really difficult period while Cam was still around. We’re glad we have “his” song, even though it’s hard to listen to sometimes.

We’ll be releasing this song as well as two others on cassette and 7” vinyl via Art of the Uncarved Block this December 1st. The EP is called No Matter Where You Go, There You Are. We really hope this release properly puts this band to rest and we hope it touches some people who might have experienced something similar to what we went through. Cameron was a great musician and an inspiration to a lot of people he knew. He deserves to be heard and remembered. FACEBOOK.

With the sad passing of band member Cameron Glen Cranston, 1971 understandably have decided to conclude proceedings. All of which makes 'Anxiety (In the Depths of Northwestern Ontario)' a more poignant song. It is also a beautiful track and a stunning tribute of sorts, to a clearly missed young man. In any other setting I would be calling for more.


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Autumn - Useless - Small Reactions - Dot.s - Panteon

Autumn - the fall.

Background - Chicago's newly-formed Sett Records has announced the release of "the fall", the new maxi-single by Minneapolis-based trio autumn, who, in their 20 plus years, have always made a big sound.

Autumn is Julie Plante (vocals), Jeff Leyda (bass), and Neil McKay (guitars). Forming in Minneapolis in 1994, autumn has always sought to create melodies that get the listener to feel something deeply, that have the ability to haunt you in some way after the fact. The band released two albums on Tess Records - "the hating tree" (1996) and "return to the breath" (1999), with accompanying tours in support of each album before taking an extended hiatus.

Time, and perhaps fortune, brought them back to the source, each looking to express that nameless feeling that drew them together so many years previous. In 2016, a plan was hatched, and they contacted producer William Faith (Faith and the Muse, Christian Death, The March Violets, The Bellwether Syndicate), who had produced autumn’s debut album with the idea to bring the home team back together to produce something new, with a bit of old world charm.

Between the lost promises of summer and the bitter austerity of winter lives the time between; the shorter, pallid days, the dying leaves, the melancholic reflection of time as it passes… This pensive time between has been evoked and pondered in the words of poets ranging from Yeats to Keats, and once again it finds sublime expression in the lush, passionate, melodic, dark pop of autumn.

"the fall" is the band's brand-new 3-song single, produced by William Faith and released on Sett Records. Leading off with the track “the fall” the band inhabit the onerous tension between ire and loss, with vocalist Julie Plante spitting “I saw the light, and it was not where I needed it to be” over the haunting guitar refrains of Neil McKay and Jeff Leyda’s serpentine bass work, driving the beat onward. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

There is something just a little Gothic sounding with 'the fall' however it is more than that. Layers of atmospheric music swirls beneath the dramatic and emotional vocals, the song builds (& builds) into a storm of passion, fabulous. The second track 'Before & After' if anything takes the emotional vibes even further, followed by a remix of 'the fall' that turns everything around in a curious way, one that I am still not sure about. That said, Autumn have something special on offer with these songs.

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Useless - Madcap.

Background - A lot of bands have dreamed of it - Useless from Winterthur finally have made it!

They've been invited to play on mainstage of Musikfestwochen Winterthur, one of the country's most renowned festivals. 

With their playful grunge and noise-rock they took the audience in a storm. Now Useless release their new ep 'Neglect' with their leadsingle 'Madcap'. 

There the band is combining the melancholy sound of the 90s with their very own energy. Overall lies a strong lo-fi-attitude - and a strong brash feeling. FACEBOOK. 

From the five track EP 'Neglect' we have the opening song 'Madcap' a gritty and loud rocker, with a potent rhythm and fully fuelled vocals. Don't expect any respite from the other four tracks, Useless might be the bands name, but when it comes to serving up Grungy, powerful and addictive rock, they are nothing of the sort.


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Small Reactions - Dinner Song / Dot.s - Rose Lens.

Background - Small Reactions / Dots.s split single release has just been released through Chunklet Records.

Small Reactions: “I’m dying for your light,” Small Reactions’ singer and guitarist Scotty Hoffman sings on the band’s new single “Dinner Song.” Serving as the track’s brief refrain, the line is perhaps more like a mantra for the band’s current state. Small Reactions has always written pop songs, but noise, grit, and reckless abandon helped to not get too comfortable with the label “pop music.” 

On “Dinner Song,” though, the band lets the track stand on its own as an unapologetically catchy single. Trimmed to a taught 3:02, the song finds the band as relentless as ever, but its crystalline post-punk foundation is embraced head on. Polish might not be the right word (it intentionally never will be for Small Reactions), but clarity of sound and purpose is. 16th notes hi-hats, 12-string guitars, a kettle drum, and a file cabinet: it’s a good look. Perhaps pop music is subversive after all? FACEBOOK.
  
Dot.s: Dot.s is the little baby that Ryan James and his friends Bonnie, Joe, Nick, and Garrett brought into the world under their mutual love for drums and synthesizers and the way people move when the two are put together in the right way. Since their initial formation in 2015, 

Dot.s have released two full length albums {Jellyfiss (2015) and We Swim (2016)}. While the two are different in theme and scope, they both attempt to take “dance music” to a place that is unfamiliar and confusing and sweet. “Rose Lens,” their third official release and first official one-off/not-on-an-album thing. It was recorded with Damon Moon at Standard Electric Co. in Atlanta, Georgia. FACEBOOK.

A split single where first we have Small Reactions and 'Dinner' Song'. A tight indie rocker, the vocals are well up in the mix giving the song some character, whilst the band deliver up some pop warmth. Dot.s follow with 'Rose Lens' a psych vibe is there from the opening notes as synths and vocals are supported by more traditional sounds. The contrast between the two songs is significant, however putting them together works really well, they compliment each other in a fine way.


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Panteon - Ballyvaughan.

Background - Brooklyn-based indie-folk singer songwriter, Panteon shares her new single, "Ballyvaughan." The new track comes from Panteon's forthcoming, debut EP, Travel Log 1, due out January 19th.

Curated, written, produced and performed by Yvonne Ambrée, the debut EP is inspired by travels across Europe and The Americas, each composition serving as an ode to the experience of a specific locale. True to its name, the 6 tracks are a charmed soundscape built for going down the road, through the sea, and into the sky. Gorgeous photos (taken by Ambrée herself) of the locations highlighted on the EP were also taken to accompany the tracks, and can be seen in the artwork.

"Ballyvaughan" was written as an ode to Ireland's western coast on the Atlantic. Impose says, "The title of the song – “Ballyvaughan” – comes from the small harbor village close to ‘The Burren’ — a unique rocky wilderness area. Boireann, means “great rock” in Irish and ‘The Burren’ is one of the most beautiful places Ambrée says she’s ever been," adding "A place like this could pull the poetry out of anyone, but there’s something in the way Ambrée expresses it with her dreamy vocals, introspective lyrics, and sonic precision."

An accomplished vocalist, songwriter and musician, Ambrée has traveled the world touring and working with a wide range of artists, such as Sleigh Bells, Little Boots, Lulu Gainsbourg, Eli “Paperboy” Reed and legendary soul singers, such as Syl Johnson, Ann Sexton and Gwen McCrae. She is also one-half of the critically acclaimed duo Take Berlin. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

We featured 'White Jaguar' by Panteon less than a month ago and now 'Ballyvaughan' gives us a second helping of gorgeous vocals and another melodic and atmospheric piece. Indie Folk with creative twists and more, this is a very impressive song.

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