Monday, 26 February 2018

The Tracys - Alessi’s Ark - Super Hi-Fi

The Tracys - People Scare Me.

Background -  If you're feeling stuck in a repetitive blur of everyday life, NYC old-school punk-rockers The Tracys new single and music video "People Scare Me" will jolt you awake with a blast of sonic power. The single comes with a darkly alluding and paranoiac music video, that will leave you looking over your shoulder when you're next traveling alone.

The band utilizes the track to question the current state of the world, with the actions and behaviors of others developing a slow-building anxiety of questioning where society is headed.  The band shared, "'People Scare Me' is a humorous jaunt into the feeling of alienation, derived both by the day to day struggle of living in a city that has largely given away its creative, cultural heritage in favor of impossible real estate values and self important millionaires, and living in a world controlled by social media that celebrates and rewards Tide Pod eaters and elects narcissistic half-wits to the highest office in the land."

Directed and edited by Benoit Gabriel, the video for "People Scare Me" features drummer Matt Ernst's son, Jonah, an amateur boxer. Cutting between live shots of the band and following Jonah's day throughout the city, an increasingly unsettling feeling of worry and fear is formed through simple yet powerful scenes and split screens. Jonah's portrayed as, "an alienated and possibly deranged young man, stalking the band and perhaps being stalked (by Matt)... or is that all in his mind?"

The video was shot on-location at Ernst’s home in Bed Stuy, Brooklyn, along with scenes from the NYC subway system, and Hank’s Saloon in Brooklyn. "[Hank's] is one of the last great punk rock venues in NYC, slated to be demolished at the end of the year," the band shared remorsefully, as regulars of Hank's musical rotation.

The Tracys upcoming third full-length album Humdinger is scheduled for release on March 23; the band will celebrate that night will celebrate their record release show at Hank's Saloon on March 23, with Live Ones, Cash Register, and The Measurements. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.


Lets liven things up a little with 'People Scare Me' a scrumptious classic punk rocker with all the trimmings including, energy, manic vocals and a band that are on fire. At just two minutes duration, that's all the boxes ticked for a refreshing blast of pure punk.

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Alessi’s Ark - DLD.

Background - London based singer-songwriter Alessi’s Ark AKA Alessi Laurent-Marke releases a warming video this winter for the single ‘DLD (Door Light Dream)’ from her new album Love is the Currency, produced by Mercury Prize nominated producer Jago Jago, and in collaboration with Felix and Will White of the Maccabees.

DLD (Door.Light.Dream), is the directorial debut for long-time friends Aude Chagnon-Caument and Paris based photographer, Julien Bourgeois. Having collaborated on the album cover of Love is the Currency, Julien and Aude were the natural pairing for Alessi's new video.

DLD captures the closing of British summertime on the beautiful Isle of Wight. Weaving through the hills and along the coast, the video follows two strangers while they independently traverse the same route through a Victorian seaside town. For a moment, their paths intersect. However, the strangers never actually meet.

The video closes as Alessi discovers a photograph of the two strangers together, looking out to sea, and we're left wondering whether the photo is a premonition of the two strangers eventually finding one another.

Hailing from Hammersmith, Alessi Laurent-Marke takes influence from bands such as Broken Social Scene to incorporate electronic elements into folk songwriting. Her work has seen her tour with the likes of Laura Marling, Jenny Lewis, M. Ward and John Grant. FACEBOOK.


Hammersmith is an old stomping ground of mine and the Isle Of Wight is my favourite UK Island therefore Alessi's Ark has my geographical interest before even playing the video! 'DLD' is in fact a graceful and melodic song, where the vocals hold my attention and the soundtrack adds some layers whilst allowing the singing to standout, wonderful...


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Super Hi-Fi - Gone.

Background - The process of creating Super Hi-Fi's new video for "Gone" started when bassist Ezra Gale snuck into the Pratt Institute and hung-up fliers advertising a need for filmmakers. It wasn't long after this stealthy mission that Gale connected with aspiring cinematographers William Bermudez, Sam Friedman, and Caden Ghen, who were eager to collaborate. From there, the conceptual vision for "Gone" quickly came into focus; a vision that would lead the group to Dead Horse Bay and what they would come to jokingly refer to as their "Revenant" experience.

"Gone," was filmed on a freezing December afternoon in Dead Horse Bay. It is this one-time Brooklyn landfill that provides the bleak setting for Super Hi-Fi's mysterious music video for "Gone." Littered with old bottles and debris, the polluted beach in Dead Horse Bay is the perfect backdrop for a song that uses the concept of pining for lost love as a metaphor for mankind's fragile relationship with mother earth. Actor Gus Cuddy stars in the video, playing the role of a man who is desperately trying to repair an old shipwrecked boat to search for his lost love. He wanders the shoreline futilely picking-up bottles and trying to clean-up a mess that far exceeds his capabilities. After stopping to rest, he awakens to discover that the boat has vanished, and all that is left is the trash-strewn beach and a small blue vial containing a mysterious note.

The song itself is built upon a slow-moving reggae groove that features Super Hi-Fi's signature, interweaving trombone melodies. At times the music builds to almost cacophonous heights, with wild flourishes of experimental electric guitar, only to ease back down to its original relaxed pace.  Much like the lyrical content, the music for "Gone" conveys a sense of losing control, or feeling powerless in the face of unnameable forces.

"To me, the song "Gone" is supposed to work on two different levels; on the surface it's a song about a relationship and pining away for someone who doesn't care about you, but on a deeper
level it's about our relationship with the earth, assigning all these protective feelings to 'Mother Earth' when in fact the planet is indifferent to us." - Ezra Gale. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

This is our second feature for Super Hi-Fi in a matter of weeks this time with 'Gone' which is another refined and catchy reggae affair. Vocals and harmonies are a fine fit for the genre, the musicianship is fabulous, Super Hi-Fi are naturals through and through.


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Sunday, 25 February 2018

Blue Nation - Blake Brown & The American Dust Choir - Fontaines DC

Blue Nation - Rich Girl.

Background - Blue Nation come confidently striding out on to the streets to deliver you their brand new grooving slice of gritty sing-a-long, fist in the air, authentic rock. ‘Rich Girl’ the new single from midlands very own Blue Nation is released 23rd March. The single is taken from the brand new forthcoming album due for release later this year.

The riff-rocking Birmingham trio, pair the unrestrained emotions of music with the capricious nature of life. Front man Neil Murdoch explains; ‘Travelling on a train back from London a girl sat next to me (Neil) and began to sob her heart out. She had just left her fella as she had caught him cheating. During the journey, said cheater rang the heart broken girl and begged her to come back to him, promising to never do it again. It became obvious that the relationship was based on lies and convenience.

Said girl then started to negotiate with the cheater about what he would give her to come back to him…a car, a holiday you name it. The song is not about love but more the contractual terms that this relationship was based on.‘

Blue Nation hit the road with fellow UK up and coming rockers ‘Dirty Thrills’ this month for four shows including London, Birmingham, Manchester and Norwich.  Murdoch and the boys are raring to go as he adds;  ‘The tours are going to be off the scale! We can’t wait to hit the road with the Dirty Thrills lads.  The audiences are going to see one hell of a show.’ WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.


Blue Nation on tour this month with Dirty Thrills:
26/02 | Factory, Manchester
27/02 | Waterfront Studio, Norwich
28/02 | Underworld, London
02/03 | O2 Institute 3, Birmingham


Whilst the video is steeped with sixties imagery 'Rich Girl' is anything but dated, the rich rock production, the superbly definitive vocals and an energised presence from start to finish, ensures this rocker stands out. Blue Nation are clearly not following the crowd, they are doing their own thing, and splendidly at that.


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Blake Brown & The American Dust Choir - Between The Lines.

Background - Denver-based group Blake Brown & The American Dust Choir shares the second track off their debut LP Long Way Home, with the song "Between The Lines."

"Between The Lines" is about growing up, plain and simple. Frontman Blake Brown says of the track, "I’ve always been taught to follow my dreams, so there’s that dichotomy that I really struggle with. Do I follow them, or move on from them? No choice is necessarily right or wrong, it’s just a deep down feeling that I’m constantly questioning. Reminding myself to hold my dreams with both hands, as to not drop such delicate things. All in all, I’m still not sure what the result is, but I think baring your truth and admitting that  “I don’t know” is important in figuring it out. Only to understand that there may be a time when a choice has to be made. So what will it be? Dreamin’ is believing so start. You gotta hold them with both hands.”

Blake Brown & The American Dust Choir is made up of frontman Blake Brown (vocals/guitar), Tiffany Brown (keys/vocals), Adam Blake (drums), Jason Legler (bass), and Trent Nelson (guitar).

Long Way Home is a collection of songs that represent different periods and experiences in Brown's life. Heartbreak, healing, deception, reflection, growing up, and everything in between. Produced and engineered by Joe Richmond and mastered at Lurssen Mastering by Reuben Cohen, Long Way Home is due out March 9, 2018 on We Believers Music. It will be available on CD and vinyl direct through the website, and available for pre-order on all digital outlets on March 2, 2018. The first time they will be performing the record live will be at SXSW 2018, in an official showcase to be announced. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.


We featured 'Stop Shakin' at the end of January and just weeks later we have 'Between The Lines' another top quality alt rocker from Blake Brown & The American Dust Choir. There is a hint of Southern rock vibes on this hook laden song and an atmospheric groove that is hard to shake off, the album is looking plenty good.

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Fontaines DC - Boys In The Better Land.

Background - Fontaines D.C. met as a quintet in Dublin, influenced and driven in equal measure by the rich history of their hometown’s counter-culture, their response has been to make concise and immediately authentic indie-punk that has done anything but fall on deaf ears.

The last six months have seen Fontaines D.C. release two hotly received double A-side singles, both of which were named as singles of the week by Rough Trade, and garnered early support from the likes of Steve Lamacq and others on BBC 6 Music, as well as earning feature space from every major Irish publication. Similarly, the band have played a number of shows across Europe, Ireland and the UK earning a reputation for their brooding and trenchant live performances, supporting the likes of The Horrors, Girl Band and The Lemon Twigs, as well as playing festival slots at Electric Picnic, Hard Working Class Heroes and Other Voices.

Previous singles such as ‘Liberty Belle’ and ‘Hurricane Laughter’ call to mind the likes of the Modern Lovers, The Fall, Iggy Pop and The Strokes, seamlessly blending immediate lyrical hooks with melodic golden-era indie instrumentation, and ‘70s Stooges punk thrust, all of which is strewn with defiant rock and roll overtones. On their new single ‘Chequeless Reckless’, the band have decided to delve even deeper into their influences (which they personally cite as spanning from The La’s, to The Pogues to Buddy Holly) employing hypnotic, kraut-rock infused cyclical riffs, whilst channelling Dublin into their concise and often-unassumingly poetic lyrics with a distinctive gritty Irish drawl.

Fontaines D.C. have gone from strength-to-strength with each release, and with a vast range of critical acclaim, renowned live shows and a series of sold out releases behind them over the course of just six months, ‘Chequeless Reckless’ stands as a huge statement of intent, which is not to be ignored. FACEBOOK.


Live Dates:
 Fri 2nd March - Derry - Dutch Kills, Mason's Loft.
Sat 3rd March - Dublin - Button Factory
Wed 7th March - London - The Victoria, Dalston
Fri 30th March - Mayo - Garbo's - Castlebar.


Now in my modest opinion (well I think it is) Fontaines DC may very well be a band to keep an ear out for and an eye upon this year. 'Boys In The Better Land' might have just a twist of The Fall vocals wise, however they are clearly natural & not contrived. The sheer energy and desire the band display is noteworthy. The most striking feature is the ease in which the band appear to deliver their material, slick, uncompromising and very addictive.


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Saturday, 24 February 2018

Zoë Dellaca - Ganser - The Busy Twist - Angela Soffe

Zoë Dellaca - Still.

Background - Zoë Dellaca writes songs that make you want to cuddle up in front of the fire on a rainy night. Still is the first single from her debut album Sweater Weather. Hailing from Bunbury in WA, Zoë has been making her mark on the local music scene, playing regular shows around the south-west and peel regions since 2016. Still explores the darker side of the indie-folk genre featuring haunting electric guitar swells, moody bass and a raw, vulnerable vocal performance. The track is a soul-exposing song dealing with themes such as heartbreak. Still was recorded and produced in Zoë’s hometown of Bunbury by Nat Marshall at his studio Township Sound.

“Still is essentially about being hurt by someone you care about and allowing them to keep on hurting you even though you know you shouldn’t. Writing Still was a long process that happened over several months as I was able to gain some perspective. Completing this song was a very freeing experience for me, helping me to accept that it was time for my heart to move onwards.” – Zoë Dellaca. 


Telling a story and creating an emotional landscape which others can relate to is one of Zoë’s main aims when creating music. She prefers for the lyrics and feel of a song to be the main focus, lending a stripped back feel to her music.

In 2017, she started chipping away at recording her debut album, Sweater Weather with local ‘Legend’ producer Nat Marshall. While still new to the scene, Nat has already proved himself to have extraordinary vision and helped to shape the songs that Zoë brought him into more than she could ever have hoped for. Centred around Zoë’s stripped back acoustic sound, the album incorporates sensual synths and catchy guitar riffs that complement her sweet and melodious voice.

Accompanying the upcoming release of her single Still in 2018, Zoë is excited to be playing a myriad of gigs at some of her favourite local venues where she will continue to promote her original music. FACEBOOK, WEBSITE.


There is a warm expansive feel to 'Still' from the opening notes. Zoe Dellaca's melodic and engaging vocals passionately drift gently above the music, and it's just so comfortable and easy to be drawn right into this piece and leave reality behind for a while.

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Ganser - PSY OPS.

Background - Ganser are an awesome post-punk band out of Chicago. The band has just announced the release of their debut album Odd Talk (out 4/20 via No Trend Records) along with sharing its first single “PSY OPS.”  This is a frantic, runaway train; half-growled absurdist vocals from Nadia Garofalo dance with chaotic, crunchy guitar riffs that are in a knife fight with an unknown assailant.

The music video juxtaposes a droll dream with its groove-based momentum - it’s a dance song for end times, with the video focusing on routine as spectacle. Directed by the band with camera work by Jason Kraynek, the individual members haunt a subject (Matt Blanton) preparing his morning's breakfast. He is observed and filmed as such, the paranoia of the song creeping into the cinematography. The absurdity and strange in the banal makes for a strange morning ritual. Coupled with Brian Cundiff’s sinewy, propulsive drumming, the rhythm section plays off the tension between danceable no wave and post-punk’s determined focus.

Throughout Odd Talk, Ganser’s amorphous sound takes on the form of their comedically grim, absurdist subject matter. Exercising both introverted melody and extroverted noise, the band finds meaning through echolalic shouts and murmurs. Garofalo shouts and barks with an acerbic edge, while Alicia Gaines' vocals soothe and swell. Mumbled, spit out, Ganser explores communication breakdown from beginning to end... seeking meaning in mess, they sort through syllables and signals to find the right words.


After a string of big hometown shows in Chicago supporting the likes of Ought & Snail Mail and Shopping (on top of their record release show @ Empty Bottle on 4/16), the band will also be heading out on tour in support of Odd Talk (all dates below). They’ll be performing a string of shows with Bloody Knives before heading venturing out on their own in the Southeast. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

Ganser Tour Dates
3/09 - Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall (w/ Ought, Snail Mail)
3/28 - Chicago, IL - Beat Kitchen (w/ Shopping, Tyvek)
4/16 - Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle (Record Release Show)
4/25 - Detroit, MI - Outer Limits Lounge %
4/26 - Pittsburgh, PA - Howlers %
4/27 - Brooklyn, NY - Alphaville %
4/28 - Philadelphia, PA - Mothership %
4/29 - Providence, RI - Alchemy %
5/01 - Brooklyn, NY - St. Vitus
5/02 - Baltimore, MD - Sidebar
5/03 - Richmond, VA - Flora
5/04 - North Carolina TBD
5/05 - Atlanta, GA - 529
5/06 - Memphis, TN - Bar DKDC
% - with Bloody Knives


'PSY OPS' is a feisty post punk song, where energy and emotion collide, the vocals call out for attention, the music is urgent, in this shock wave of gorgeous chaos.


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The Busy Twist - Sunny Side.

Background - Since last releasing music in 2016, The Busy Twist have been busy been travelling, exploring and working hard on some of their most ambitious music yet, setting up new label, Busy Life Records, in the process.

Busy Life is a project focused on joining the dots between West African, South American, Caribbean and UK electronic music by developing a sound which not only melds the sonic genealogy of all four palettes, but also presents such crossovers faithfully. Developing an exchange with local artists that works in both directions is key to the label, and crucial to creating borderless music that can be shared with their family worldwide.

The label’s debut EP, ’Sunny Side’, is a record years in the making and highlights the ever-decreasing gap between UK and modern African music. Many of the ideas heard on ‘Sunny Side’ were born during their very first trip to Ghana, and have been continually refined as Afro and UK sounds intertwine year on year.

The EP is led by strong vocal performances from lead singer Zongo Abongo, an artist from Northern Ghana who has been part of the Busy Life family since its inception, and also features additional vocals from Kyekyeku and Siaka Djarra from Burkina Faso. FACEBOOK.


Global styles collect together on 'Sunny Side' and merge seamlessly into a feast of upbeat smile inducing music. The Busy Twist create a beautiful musical arrangement, the vocals add even more energy, and dancing becomes close to mandatory!

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Angela Soffe - Rocks.

Background - Angela Soffe was raised in the Philippines, but her father was American and her mother was raised in Argentina. She grew up speaking English, Spanish, and Tagalog, surrounded by Filipino and international friends. Her family was devoutly religious, and Angela would spend much of her life dedicated to the​ Mormon​ faith.​

Angela found joy and musicality after ​escaping the religion and establishing healthy mental health habits to create a life of purpose and joy. Today, Angela is a galvanizing speaker, and soulfully rousing musical artist, sharing an uplifting story of recovery after abuse and psychological confinement.

"​This song was written while sitting on a mattress on the floor one evening, in the aftermath of leaving a religion. The song is about feeling judged on a personal level, and the judgement we each carry around for humanity as a whole. It calls for social change and greater acceptance for the people who share our planet.​" - Angela Soffe on "Rocks" FACEBOOK.

'Rocks' opens with a flourish of folk vibes and Angela Soffe's elegant vocals add both power and melody. This is one of those songs that gently throws out musical hooks and before the finish, is cued for a second listen.

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Friday, 23 February 2018

Hero Fisher - Let's Mars - Allman Brown - Second Still

Hero Fisher - Lonely.

Background - “Lonely is about self delusion. We all wear blinkers to hard truths in one way or another. A common condition people have is loneliness or feeling secluded. I think it’s a sentiment a lot of people can relate to, if they don’t, then they may have mastered self delusion.”

Hero Fisher’s new song ‘Lonely’ is a masterclass in reinvention. Rich in ambience and with a slow crawling beat, Hero’s subtle and tender vocal performance evokes a deep sense of isolation amidst the cluttered mysteries of daily life. Drums, pianos and synths all work in tandem brewing a restless sonic tempest as the song subtly crescendos to its cathartic conclusion. ‘Lonely’ could be the soundtrack to a deeply arresting and sad movie, long expanses of sound create a panorama over which Hero lays some of her deepest and most internal lyricism yet. As her career progresses onwards it’s anyone’s guess where her sound will travel next, but if ‘Lonely’ is any indicator, she’s already one of the most unique new offerings this year.

British-born, French-raised and London-based, Hero Fisher (yes, that’s her real name) is returning to release her sophomore LP Glue Moon. Hero’s career has so far seen her collaborate with Alison Mosshart and Boy George in the Mark Ronson-scored ballet Carbon Life, open for The Rolling Stones and Neil Young at Hyde Park, and get shortlisted for the 2014 Glastonbury Emerging Talent Prize. In 2015 she released her debut album, the critically-appraised Delivery which won her fans in The Horrors and Blur. 


By turns a blistering rock and roller in the vein of Patti Smith and PJ Harvey, and an experimental folk storyteller à la Jeff Buckley, Hero Fisher resists easy generic categorisation with her protean and cinematic musical storytelling. Able to expertly strike a variety of different narrative poses, she is at once the spurned lover and the fired-up rabble rouser, predator and prey. With Glue Moon previous singles ‘Sylvie’ and ‘Push The Boat Out’, Hero’s lyrical imagination proved unique and bountiful. Her matchless new single ‘Lonely’ is the latest chapter in her development as an artist. She’ll reach many more milestones yet on her creative journey. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

See Hero Fisher Live:
March 15th: St Pancras Old Church, London, NW1 1UL
May 19th: The Great Escape Festival


We featured Hero Fisher a couple of times last year and now she makes a welcome return with the new song 'Lonely'. The pace is slow and the musical arrangement understated to begin with and then the layers gradually build. This makes a very fine backdrop for some sultry and alluring vocals that add melody to the track, along with a beautifully personal vibe.


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Let's Mars - Dedicated.

Background - Dark indie-electro duo Let's Mars are set for the International release of their second single "Dedicated". The band says of the single: “We decided to record “Dedicated” because we felt it carries a combination of melancholy and happiness that was ideally suited to our aesthetic. We chose to release it as our next single because it brings Oren back to his youth and we both agreed it was a good way to pay tribute to the Tel Aviv scene where we met and started our partnership”

The duo’s uniquely personal, effortlessly accessible music is the result of the seemingly unlikely songwriting and recording collaboration of American singer Talia​ ​Londoner​, a Los​ ​Angeles​ native who previously harbored no ambitions of a musical career, and Israeli​ multi-instrumentalist Oren​ ​Emanuel​, a seasoned musician and producer with an extensive resume in the realm of electronic music.

Based in the emerging creative mecca of Tel​ ​Aviv​, Let's Mars​ ​​makes music that’s bright and uplifting yet possesses a dark twist, combining catchy melodic songcraft, inventive sonic settings and heartfelt, emotionally rich lyrics that resonate with insight and humanity. Their expansive sound merges the D.I.Y. digital sampling techniques, timeless R&B grooves, propulsive bass lines and Londoner​’s intoxicating, expressive vocals. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.


'Dedicated' opens with rich driving synths that give way to some gorgeous vocals that take over before both elements merge together and the melodic hooks really do kick in.

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Allman Brown - Moonlight.

Background - “Moonlight” is the visceral new single from Allman Brown’s new Bury My Heart EP. The London songwriter is releasing the EP on March 16th while he’s in the US for SXSW. Produced by his frequent collaborator Liz Lawrence (Cash + David), the EP incorporates lush, subtle electronic elements to his atmospheric sound, with his dynamic voice always at the forefront. Following the EP’s lead single “Bury My Heart”, “Moonlight” is no exception, with ambient, reverb-laden guitars set against Brown’s dynamic vocal harmonies and sparse percussive elements.

According to Allman Brown, the song is also about how the epic and the intimate go hand in hand, and attempting to capture the sensation of how small intense moments can have an impact on your entire life. If you like what you hear, I hope you can keep Allman in mind for Beehive Candy in the coming months - same goes for any playlist or SXSW opps, if you happen to be going?

Coming off a breakthrough year that saw the release of his debut full-length 1000 Years, Brown’s 2018 is already looking bright. Known for his compelling live performances, last year also saw him selling out shows all over the UK and Europe, sharing stages with the likes of Julien Baker, Palace and Siv Jakobsen along the way. After his stint of shows at SXSW, he'll be back later this spring for more US dates. FACEBOOK.

Live Dates:
3/11 - Dallas, TX - Deep Ellum Art Co. (Skate or Die Fest)
3/13 - Austin, TX - Seven Grand (Reverb Nation x Killing Moon Live SXSW showcase, 8:15pm)
3/17 - Austin, TX - Barracuda (AGI x Xtra Mile Recordings SXSW showcase, 7:45pm).


It was back in late 2016 that we featured Allman Brown, time flies by and now we have 'Moonlight' a gentle song that slowly unfolds into something very special. The vocals and harmonies are stunning, the understated musical arrangement allowing them to shine and charm the listener, this is one magnificent song.

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Second Still - Opening.

Background - Second Still are back and set to release their second EP Equals on April 20th, 2018 on vinyl via Belgian label Weyrd Son Records, and on cassette through the new tape label Sentimental Records  This week they share "Opening".

While the songs from this newest release retain the sheer power and intensity of the band’s previous two releases, Equals sees Second Still evolving their sound and progressing forward into sonically uncharted territory. The four main components of the band’s signature sound are still there –chorus and delay-heavy guitar, hypnotic bass grooves, heavyweight drum machine beats, and hauntingly beautiful vocal melodies– but they have added a couple analog synthesizers into the arsenal for Equals, mixing a whole new element into their already uniquely realized style of post-punk. Commanding synth bass, subtle ambient soundscapes, and forceful lead synth hooks now supplement and enhance the distinctive sound that Second Still had already crafted on their first two releases.

The band also explores a more pop-orientated and lighter sound on Equals, especially on the A-side, while the B-side stays true to the band’s more melancholic and gloomy roots. The EP kicks off with “In Order”, an upbeat and throbbing dance-floor anthem with a pulsating arpeggiated synth line driving the song forward. Following that is “Ashes”, a six-minute pop ballad who’s feeling is constantly shifting, at times being tastefully reserved and atmospheric, while at others totally unleashed and unhinged. The B-side offers a nice contrast to the pop sensibilities of side A, with three unrelenting back to back tracks of aggressive and forceful coldwave outpourings. FACEBOOK.


It's around ten months since we featured Second Still stating at the time that "the band create unique material, that challenges referencing." Now we have 'Opening' a song that has some classic punk vibes to it, alongside a hint of shoegaze and a swathe of catchy hooks.

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Gilanares - Lauren Freebird - The Jaws of Brooklyn

Photo - Eden Mili Gilanares - Cat's out of the bag / If Chaos killed the dinosaurs. New York-based artist Gilanares releases “Cat’s out...