Back in July we shared 'Ladidadida' by Union Duke and they return with their latest release 'Atlas Of Love' where the mixture of rock, roots and refined modern country, comes across with ease and style. === Lynne Hanson has released 'True Blue Moon' a gorgeously natural slice of warm Americana. === London-based singer-songwriter, Winnie Raeder, shares her new single 'She' which is a beautiful song, her vocals exude emotion, the production is excellent. === Ausecuma Beats are a delight with their international musical flavour's shining brightly through 'Aida' a song that demands body movement however good or bad your sense of rhythm is.
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Union Duke - Atlas Of Love.
Some songs come along which seem so perfect, it makes you doubt they haven’t existed forever. Atlas of Love is the latest release from Union Duke, a band who have cemented themselves in both North America and Europe as a band can skip effortlessly between pop, folk and country and leave fans of each enraptured.
“Atlas of Love is an ode to everyone who feels like they’re the burden in their relationship. It’s a song for those who haven’t quite figured out the nature of their love, much less themselves."
Based in Toronto, Canada, Union Duke comprise Matt, Ethan, Jim, Will and Rob, genuine friends who take influence from the gems of their parents’ record collections and injecting an extra dose of rock n roll attitude, whilst staying to the traditional roots. Five singers; five songwriters; countless reasons for them to be your new favourite band. With three albums, countless festival stages, and hundreds of thousands of kilometres in the rear-view, the band is excited to be touring new music and winning new fans everywhere they go. In the two years since their last record Golden Days, Union Duke has been steadily travelling and unravelling across the country, and they’re ready to share the lessons they’ve learned with a slate of new music. Atlas of Love is the third of four new songs of love, distance, heartache and revelry which will be finding their way into your ears, eyes and hearts.
Following their previous singles, Ladidadida and 1,2,3, both of which received radio play across Europe and North America, Atlas of Love is the latest glimpse at one of Canada’s best kept musical secrets.
Primed with a mix of gritty ballads and roots-tinged guitar, Lynne Hanson follows an award-winning year as one half of The LYNNeS with new single True Blue Moon (out now) taken from her upcoming new solo album ‘Just Words’ set for release in 2020.
Lynne's deep bluesy croon is pure and full of fortitude; too tough for folk and too blues influenced for country; her 'porch music with a little red dirt' can turn on a dime from a sunshine, blue sky ballad to a full-on thunderstorm of gritty Americana swamp from one song to the next. This hard-living style of music has drawn comparisons to Lucinda Williams, with a touch of Gillian Welch thrown in.
Lynne's seventh studio album, Just Words, produced by Jim Bryson features several fellow established Canadian musicians including Kevin Breit, Catherine MacLellan and Justin Rutledge. Lynne describes the record as more than a break-up album - “I still love a good heartbreak song, but I think the world is desperately in need of more kindness, more tolerance, less aggression, and more compassion”
The album addresses issues such as verbal bullying (Just Words); a desire to be more accepting of one another (Clean Slate) and wanting to rise above and find peace (Higher Ground). The first single True Blue Moon, is an infectious, uptempo, tongue-in-cheek response to the Jacques Brel classic 'Ne Me Quitte Pas', about the perils of falling for a poet and just how rare it is to find true love.
London-based singer-songwriter, Winnie Raeder, is sharing her new single, ’She’.
The new track follows the acclaimed EP, ‘From Here’ that was released earlier this year - it also lands just ahead of UK tour dates with Charlie Cunningham, European spots opening for Tamino and a show at Eurosonic 2020. If that wasn’t enough, she’s also set to headline London’s Courtyard Theatre on November 27 - her third headline in the capital this year following two previous sell-out performances.
Speaking about ’She’, a song written with friends, Josh Record and Jacob Attwooll that strikes a similar temperament to that of Julien Baker and Haley Heynderickx, Winnie says: "We started playing around with some chords and started with the title ‘She’ before we had written any of the rest of the lyrics. It felt really interesting to pair a traditional folk sound with a song written for and sung by a woman. We kept the language poetic and romantic and the song almost wrote itself."
‘A song written for a woman and sung by a woman’, Raeder remarks how the song ‘almost wrote itself and arrived without any overthinking’. Reminiscent of the traditional folk poetry akin to Leonard Cohen or Bob Dylan, ‘She’ is punctuated with the contemporary production we’re accustomed to hearing from a Raeder release.
'Aida', the first single from nine-piece afrobeat ensemble, Ausecuma Beats, is a celebration of love between two people that sees no divide. The song, sung by Gambian-born Yusupha Ngum and recorded live with the band in Melbourne, speaks of a love that grows as new lessons are learned.
Ausecuma Beats will release their full debut EP on November 22, ahead of performances at Melbourne Music Week +Strawberry Fields later this year.
(Nov 29 - Dec 1 @ Strawberry Fields - Nov 21 @ Melbourne Music Week).
Ausecuma Beats was imagined to celebrate diversity in music, and express rhythm as the core of their shared musicality. The nine-strong ensemble hail from Australia, Senegal, Cuba and Mali (AU-SE-CU-MA). They promote unity, recognised through the power in diversity with shared vision. Their individual stories are unique, each treading their own path, each with commitment, strength and focus to catalyse the unique sounds of Ausecuma Beats.
Ausecuma Beats comprises 4 percussionists enhanced by melodic overtones from guitar, kora and sax, offering the Melbourne music scene a unique and exciting musical experience.
Mona Visa have just released their debut song 'Peter Pan' and the brother and sister duo have created a stand out and quite stunning piece. === Chicago post punk band Daymaker have a brand new album 'Let The Sun Fall' comprising of ten tracks, this is natural hook filled and uncompromising material. ===Hurtsfall have shared 'Calling Out' where alt rock and Gothic infused vocals come together wonderfully on this seven minutes of aural bliss. === Seazoo return to Beehive Candy for a third time with 'Heading Out' a bright indie rock song that packs charm and vibrancy. === It's the third appearance this year here from HunBjørn this time with a video for 'Keep Breathing' a synthy and dramatic electro pop song. === We have the latest single from Jaguar Moon entitled 'Bird Song' and we have also included 'Ostrich' both taken from their fabulous alt pop debut E.P. === Brooklyn based trio Wilsen have a new video for 'Ruiner' the title track from next February's new album release, the bands multi genre sound teasing us ahead of the full batch of material.
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Mona Visa - Peter Pan.
Brother and sister Jake and Ashleigh might appear to be the archetypal Australian dream: carefree lives under constant Gold Coast sunshine – sadly, the sunshine has regularly turned to darkness. A life often leading to substance addiction, destitution and chaotic relationships threatened to engulf both their lives before fate intervened and their subsequent rebirth as one of dream-pop’s most exciting talents.
Peter Pan is their debut release, a magnetic whirlpool of imagery, glistening guitars and Ashleigh’s achingly gorgeous vocals. Mona Visa are life affirming and vital in every sense.
Ash is an independent fine artist and fashion curator, Jake a full-time musician. Both are very close and spend every possible breath and second spare working together on their own music with all their energy poured directly into the music. Ashleigh is more the eccentric, anarchic, artist type, whereas Jake is grounded and softer.
Merging their combined experiences, warts and all, and retreating to the seclusion of the Australian bush, their tracks build to molten crescendos, emotionally gut-wrenching and endlessly rewarding. Peter Pan was recorded with ARIA award winning producer Govinda Doyle (Angus & Julia Stone; Big Jet Plane)
Let the Sun Fall by Daymaker is a long gestating collection of songs by the Chicago post-punk band that serves as a celebration of life and a call-to-action.
The album artfully delivers an explosive collage of sound and performances to honor and process the rage and action required in today’s America. Focus tracks "MPC" and "Blood Pressure" function to stir feelings of solidarity to create a more equitable world, while the tracks "Sun Song" and "Mask On" build up the messages of self-love and justice. As a whole, Let the Sun Fall is as much about accepting love as it is about turning our attention outward - to a world that requires holistic action.
Recorded at the Chicago based studio JAMDEK by engineer and producer Doug Malone, the band collaboratively re-shaped their sound into something more grungy and vital that retains the energy and excitement of Daymaker's live performances. The cover photography, which was captured on film without the use of Photoshop, depicts vocalist, Erin Delaney, lying paralyzed surrounded by fruit and dust that appears to be lifted all around her. The image speaks to a moment of stillness among chaos, which is often exactly what music can offer us - affirmation and encouragement while moving through madness.
Daymaker often performs in the Chicago and mid-west region with other notable acts such as Mykele Deville, Deeper, Rich Jones, Blacker Face, Malci, and Ono, among others. Let the Sun Fall comes out November 1st on Diversion Records.
Your new obsession starts here! Hailing from Robin Hood's hometown of Nottingham, Hurtsfall have been steadily building a following, and a reputation for putting on a serious live show!
A post-punk band, with gothic overtones and synth-pop sensibilities; Hurtsfall are unique. Playing (mostly) original material but recalling the essence of your favourites you can be sure to be inspired...
Having already played with Strange Circuits (the first act signed to the legendary industrial label, Wax Trax! Records) you get the feeling Hurtsfall are just getting started.
Established in late 2017, a group of experienced musicians decided to form a new band. Hurtsfall then began searching for a vocalist to complete the line-up. After an exhaustive and lengthy audition process found Sam in January 2018. The rest as they say is history.
Quirky and masterful in equal measure, Welsh noise-pop experts Seazoo share effervescent new cut Heading Out, the second offering from the band’s upcoming sophomore album set for release in spring 2020.
Following on from swaggering lead single Throw It Up, the indie outfit’s trademark positivity and unbridled charisma shines through once more in their playful new effort, tapping further into the ideas likely to be explored throughout their second full-length record.
Detailing the upcoming release, frontman Ben Trow stated: “I wanted the album to explore positive things, something I’d never really done before. Honestly, I couldn’t make this one simpler – a sketch of that feeling when you’re about to meet someone that you like very much. Nerves, excitement, yyeeeah!”
Upcoming Danish electro-pop artist HunBjørn’s 3rd single, Keep Breathing is a catchy electro pop song, carried by dreamy vocals, wrapped in a crisp synth production. Typical of HunBjørn she mixes the soft and vulnerable with a more raw and direct approach – her way of embracing the double-sided aspects in life.
Keep Breathing is a heartfelt encouragement to stand by who you are. It’s inspired by the current tendency to display perfect lives on social media platforms and the direct negative impact it has, especially on young girls and boys’ self image and self esteem. It’s a call to pause for a minute and breathe.
“I think everybody compares themselves to others, but if it gets out of hand, If you’re afraid of actually doing things that you love, things that makes you happy, it’s really time to take a deep breath and reconnect with yourself.
Personally, I love meeting people, that have the guts to show who they really are and be vulnerable. I remind myself of that when I’m on stage, or in the process of releasing music. It can be scary to put yourself out there, but it’s also rewarding. To me it’s cool to be courageous enough to share real thoughts and real emotions and not just the glossy picture.”
The video for the single reflects this modern battle with ourselves. We see a girl walking around in a house, trying on clothes, maybe it's hers - maybe it's not... The further we get into the story it shows that something is wrong with her. She's battling something or someone we don't know... At one point we see her or someone else's feet lying on the floor. Is she dead or did she kill someone?...
In the end she chokes herself or the person that she was. Trying to become someone else. It’s all about standing up for your own ways and beliefs and not being afraid of doing whatever it is that you love.
The track comes from HunBjørn’s spellbinding new EP ‘Next Summer’ which has helped her steadily grow a solid fan base all over the world with her reflective songs, beautiful videos and a unique way of interacting with her fans on a personal level. She has received positive press from media in Denmark and airplay on Danish Radio P3 as well as Amazing Radio, Radio Hoxton, Shoreditch Radio, The Soundlab amongst others.
Jaguar Moon are a new project from Denmark’s Bjarke Bendtsen. They’re releasing their latest single ‘Bird Song’, taken from the alternative pop group’s spellbinding debut EP.
Bjarke tells us the new track is about “setting free the ones you love,” a task that is easier said than done. With minimalistic drum loops and guitar textures akin to Spiritualized and early Pixies, the song represents the spectre of sadness that sits on your shoulders after a thorny separation.
He continues “It might be the hardest thing in this world to do. When you take a step back from the relationship and view it subjectively, you're amazed what a hideous creature you’ve created – warping your perception of reality.”
As a collective, Jaguar Moon build on the skeletal versions of Bjarke’s songs, with layers of vintage reverbs and tremolo guitars creating something akin to Phosphorescent and The Shins.
Wilsen, the Brooklyn-based trio of Tamsin Wilson (guitar/vocals), Johnny Simon Jr. (guitar) and Drew Arndt (bass), will release their new album Ruiner on February 21 via Secret City Records / Dalliance Recordings. Today, they shared the album's title track along with an accompanying video directed by Stephen Michael Simon.
"'Ruiner' is about meeting your various inner selves and a promise to be better," explains Tamsin Wilson. "It was written after a moment of self-sabotage and I wanted to address the inner monster who was responsible."
The album was produced by Andrew Sarlo, who has been praised for his production work on Big Thief's entire catalog and Bon Iver's i,i, and mastered by Sarah Register who has worked with artists as diverse as Ariana Grande, Protomartyr and U.S. Girls.
Ruiner dissolves both the heavy reverb and ethereal moments found on their first recording by instead letting the band’s essentials – drums, bass, guitar, and vocals – have center stage. In the album’s opening moments, you might hear a knotted wash of guitars and Wilson softly humming, for a very brief moment returning you to their dreamscape but sharply, a driving rock rhythm comes into focus and so too does a revitalized band. While Wilsen have retained elements of their fragility, on Ruiner they use bolder sounds and play with gritty textures and jarring grooves.
"Making this record was somewhat of a coming of age process," Wilson explains. "We're getting older and becoming more deliberate, less precious, less measured. Overthinking less and trusting instincts more."
For Tamsin Wilson, she’s also moving towards self-acceptance. “I have an inherent shyness," she says. "I'm acknowledging and finding a way with it as I get older." Throughout the record, she comes to terms with her many sides, including her introversion and her inner, self-sabotaging monster to which the album title refers. On "Feeling Fancy," with her distinctively hushed vocals overpowering the track’s clamorous instrumentals, Wilson offers listeners a powerful, and celebratory, declaration that "Quiet’s not a fault to weed out."
Ruiner is the follow-up to Wilsen's critically-acclaimed debut album I Go Missing In My Sleep, which UPROXX called "2017's finest folk debut." Stereogum proclaimed, "Wilson is capable of drawing blood with swift lyrical jabs that strike chords you didn’t see coming," while NPR Music said, "[Wilson is] a major revelation: a singer whose moody, calmly dreamy voice would sound amazing in just about any genre or context."
Amy Milner first release this year is the haunting 'Shine Off' where her fabulous vocals and imaginative electronica come together beautifully. === They may have only been going for a few months however Kar and their new song 'On Our Own' is a refined indie pop song. === It's getting on for two and a half years since we last featured Natalie Bouloudis still her brand new song 'Outlaster', demonstrates that her creative and distinct music remains as good as ever. === Jackie Charles music is described as existentialist dream pop and their song 'Baby' really does fits that description, with the video adding even more. === Our third feature for Ruthie this year is 'No One On This Earth' featuring Drenge, is a rich melodic alt rocker where the dual vocals are just perfect. === CocoRosie have released a brand new song and video today entitled 'Smash My Head'. The sister duo are once again creative and imaginative, the video imagery challenges, whilst the music is as good as anything previously released and with a seventh studio album due next March, they have set the anticipation off splendidly.
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Amy Milner - Shine Off.
‘A Little More’, is the stunning new collaboration between singer-songwriter Amy Milner and producer Tim Larcombe (Lana Del Rey/Halsey). The second track from a stunning forthcoming project, it’s a breathtaking piece of electronica that’s right at home among the likes of James Blake or Bon Iver. The track is accompanied by a visual, created from clips of Amy & Tim’s process recording the album, showcasing the depth and creative flair involved in their artistic process.
First stepping up to the piano at a young age, Amy was soon composing for her school productions at just 10 years old. Growing up, her inspiration came from her parents spinning The Pretenders, Debbie Harry, Elton John and Dire Straits. Fast forward a few years and after a string of releases on South London label Aesop, Amy’s releases went on to receive support on the airwaves from BBC Introducing, Zane Lowe, Elton John and BBC 6Music. Her music also garnered key support from Spotify’s playlist team, resulting in over 1 million streams since her first release in 2016.
Her first release in 2019 was the haunting and affecting ‘Shine Off’, it’s a track that showcased the depth of Amy’s writing ability and the undeniable production skills of Tim Larcombe. The new single ‘A Little More’, is a stunning composition that builds around Amy’s vocal. Making exquisite use of modern vocal effects, it’s a track that’s rich in emotion and conveys a frailty in its lyrics building to an epic piece of emotional electronica.
No matter how adept we might be at putting on a brave face, at showing our mettle and soldiering on when the going gets tough, when the going just keeps getting tougher, when we’re blindsided, with setbacks and obstacles already piled high, that robust exterior can crumble a little to expose the inner struggle we were endeavouring to conceal. “A Little More” describes that inadvertent moment of fragility and honesty. In the song, the subject confesses they are overwhelmed, seeking solace and fortification from someone closest to them.
The scrambled vocal effect echoes the torment of the individual, while the calm and gentle piano part soothes. Stability is offered with the introduction of a sub bass, while guitar lifts the music to meet the vocal line for the initial chorus. The song evolves until its climactic second chorus, with the addition of developing beats and soaring ambient guitar.
Only formed a few short months ago, indie-pop three piece Kar are a young band hoping to make a big impact, and with their second single due for release this month, they’re set to do just that.
Finding a shared passion in similar musical styles, Kar formed after the trio met while studying music at Bath College, going on to perform gigs in the local area, creating a small buzz in local venues.
Kar went on to be accepted onto the MAS Records development scheme, which aims to give young, aspiring musicians free rehearsal and recording time, in the hopes that they can provide emerging artists with a bridge into the wider industry. With patrons such as Robert Plant, Ricky Wilson and Kevyn Gammond, MAS Records has proved invaluable to Kar.
Their debut single ‘Anything At All’ was released in June of this year and was championed for it’s emotive lyricism and catchy melodies, focusing on new love that can grow from the broken remains of an old love.
Recorded, mixed and mastered with Josh Gallop at Stage 2 Studios, their follow up single explores similar themes. ‘On Our Own’, due for release October 30th, is a tender track about how relationships influence life, for better or worse. Their haunting vocals, atmospheric guitars and melancholic lyrics rounds off a charming second single for the group.
There’s a giant tidal wave incoming; the world is in chaos but there is assurance in the cool and defiant vocals of Natalie Bouloudis in Outlaster, the first single to be released in two years by the London-based and Sussex-bred singer-songwriter.
Outlaster is a song for our time, inspired by Bouloudis’ life-long fascination of the dystopian genre, be it Margaret Atwood’s bleak myths of an unreachable paradise or the sound of dripping oil against one of Ridley Scott’s burnt orange skies. Outlaster combines storytelling with a tenacious spirit, painting visions of a not-too-distant apocalyptic future which is nevertheless overcome with strength of character. An ode to hope and reconciliation and a much needed beacon to lead us out of the gloom of 2019.
Outlaster speaks of endurance, Bouloudis sings of ‘savage beauty’, hard lessons and redemption, with directness and lyricism. The song bursts into action with pulsating drums and an urgent glissando bass that conjures up a sense of suspense. The tension continues to rise like a cool mist, with plucked violin dancing across the droning guitar riff before an explosive release into the hook-laden chorus. It is an exhilarating and transformative listening experience, driven by a melody that rises and falls hypnotically like the waves on an energetic sea, and with vocals that soar on each undulating crest, effortlessly evoking reminders of Patti Smith. The song culminates in a spectacular outro, both melodic and imaginative, completing the track’s triumphal arch.
This is an anthem for survival at a time when we are haunted with the idea of extinction. ‘Here comes disaster’ and ‘I’m the outlaster’ Bouloudis sings, in her unmistakably smoky tones, with both a power and a level of control that can only derive from performing regularly. Outlaster offers an atmospheric soundscape, a revelation to anybody who wishes they could hear David Bowie’s Rock & Roll Suicide for the first time again, only this time with a female vocal reminiscent of the lurching tones of PJ Harvey and the soulfulness of Cat Power.
Bouloudis says, ‘what makes the dystopian genre so captivating is how it provides a thrilling and escapist ride full of awe but even more importantly, it holds up a mirror to human nature’. In Outlaster, we are introduced to the themes to be found throughout the forthcoming EP, Devil is Doubt which she says has ‘moments of reconciliation throughout the record’ but just like Outlaster ‘it holds together with a unifying sense of an unbreakable spirit pushing ahead of existential agonies.’
Jackie Charles are three individuals from disparate backgrounds, united by a desire to use art to cope with the dystopian future that is promised to them by the news cycle on a daily basis. They use Berlin as a creative base to formulate this medicinal yet existentialist dream pop.
Fluctuating synths and flickering basslines provide the backdrop to nihilistic lyrics. The result is a gleaming pop anthem that pleads for listeners to have fun while there are still any parts of the world left to enjoy at all.
Their work to date has seen them embark on international tours and a performance at Øya Festival, along with Steve Lamacq and Huw Stephens regularly championing them on BBC 6music.
Kaja tells us that the video is about “how it feels to be on this earth when everything is overwhelming. And you want it all to end but you're also terrified of that thought. And the world is so beautiful, and the world is so ugly and people are so amazing and people are so horrible. The video is full of symbolism and only the brave can watch it all the way through.”
Having previously brought their live show to London for Eat Your Own Ears and Parallel Lines, Jackie Charles are heading back for a show at Sebright Arms with Caramel alongside an in-store at Rough Trade East.
The track ‘Baby’ is taken from their latest album Future Fantasies. Dividing their time between the rooftop bars of Berlin and a Norwegian fishing boat, the record was recorded in Hannover and mixed / mastered at Oslo’s Propeller Studios.
Timeless yet contemporary, lovelorn but hopeful, Ruthie’s songwriting has enamoured a near A-Z of new music websites; gained radio play at Radio 1, Beats 1, 6 Music and BBC Introducing; and been added to playlists including Spotify’s New Music Friday UK and Amazon’s Fresh Indie together with playlists curated by Dazed, NME and DIY. And she’s achieved all of that in the space of just four tracks.
Now Ruthie shares what looks set to be the biggest moment of her career to date with ‘No One On This Earth’, which features Drenge. The track features on her debut EP, the aptly-titled ‘Universal Heartbreak Now’, which will be released on November 22nd.
As an artist with the ability to hone in on the complexities of love and relationships, Ruthie naturally captures the melancholy of a relationship unexpectedly drifting to an end. Her dreamy, plaintive vocal is perfectly complemented by a duet with Drenge’s Eoin Loveless, who also contributes the song’s fuzz-filled psychedelic guitar solo.
“There are so many songs about being in love, and so many songs about when love goes wrong,” says Ruthie. “This song is about the slow dawning realisation that you are no longer in love, no longer heartbroken, no longer in mourning. It’s a duet between two people who used to speak with one voice, but became strangers.
I didn’t write the second part with anyone particular in mind to sing it, but Eoin’s voice fits the song perfectly. He was a joy to work with and spend time with!”
In addition to ‘No One On This Earth’ and the previous single ‘The Tide’, the ‘Universal Heartbreak Now’ EP will be completed by two new tracks in the shape of ‘Singing Alone’ and ‘Twenty Forty Seven’. All four tracks were mixed by Chris Coady (Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Future Island) and co-written with Ruthie’s creative collaborator Ben Lewis.
Today, CocoRosie, the sister duo Sierra and Bianca Casady, announce their 7th studio album Put The Shine On, which will be released March 6th 2020 via Marathon Artists. The follow-up to their 2015 album Heartache City will be accompanied by their one-of-a-kind live shows in March/April 2020, EU dates below. The single “Smash My Head", including a Bianca Casady-directed video is being released today as a taste of what’s to come.
CocoRosie about “Smash My Head”: "For us, our song "Smash My Head" is a running-on-fire cry from the teenage heart, an inner scream we never dared to let out. The song climaxes in an exaltation, an expression of ecstatic death. It journeys from a hard-knock desert childhood scene to a transcendent cosmic passing to another realm.”
CocoRosie is the music-based project of American cross-disciplinary performance artists Sierra and Bianca Casady. Their songs blend a myriad of styles and references, from hip-hop to folk and opera, shaping the most painful of experiences into memorable and evocative pop songs. Taken as a whole, CocoRosie’s music is an ongoing psychologically intimate dialogue between the siblings. Each sister has multiple personae and vocal styles; Bianca delivers troubadourian-style rap while Sierra often responds with ethereal tones while accompanying their voices on harp, piano, or guitar. A quintessential part of their sound is a percussive landscape made using children's toys and other found objects which adds a particular nostalgia to their songs.
Alas The Sun have released a fabulous indie folk album entitled 'You And Your Love', comprising of ten songs their melodic and varied mixture keeps the whole collection sounding fresh, catchy and quite lovable. === Just a month on andArlo Parks returns here for a second time with 'Sophie' another beautiful song as she begins a live tour today. === Both the song and the accompanying video are superb as Son of Town Hall share the 'The Line Between' where their dual vocals/harmonies are stunning. === Referred to as gloomy Glaswegians belowThe Just Joans have shared 'Dear Diary, I Died Again Today' which is personal, special and exudes beauty, hardly gloomy in my opinion. === Fever Joy have a new single called 'Crazy Love' and it's a hook filled and pleasingly distinct indie rocker.
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Alas The Sun - You And Your Love.
Zurich based Indie-Folk duo Alas The Sun's first full-length is a hopelessly dreamy record, delivering the perfect soundtrack for autumn 2019. Alas The Sun‘s debut album "You And Your Love" takes the listener on a journey full of daydreaming, internal conversations and romantic tales. It offers an insight into the beautifully strange lives of songwriters Anja Tremp and Sandro Raschle.
Tracks like the ethereal "Blueberry Seed" or folky "Dots Of Bliss" evoke a feeling of intimacy due to their stripped back instumentation and prominetly placed tender vocals. "Heading For The Heart" and "Myriad Of Stars", in contrast, are easily approchable, upbeat songs with a romantic notion and tongue-in-cheek lyrics.
Alas The Sun moves between indie-folk and dream-pop. At times broad and spherical, at times personal and quiet, softly plucked guitars sit beside drums and synthesizers. A balancing act that the band masters effortlessly. The duo started recording the album only one year after they met. In and out of the studio Anja and Sandro took their time, sporadically multitracking 10 songs over the period of another year.
Here's what the band has to say about their debut record: "You And Your Love“ marks a beginning. To us it is the story of how we first met, how we got to know each other and, of course, started playing music together. Our songs thrive on chemistry and imply a mutual understanding. To have both of these things from the get-go feels special. We learned a lot in the process of making this record about our abilities as songwriters but also things of technical nature in the long studio sessions. Locked away in that closed environment wasn‘t always easy. People argue when they‘re passionate about something. It‘s part of the deal. We couldn‘t be happier with the outcome of „You And Your Love“ but know deep down that we want more. We‘re already thinking about the next project."
Rising 19 year-old London poet, singer and producer Arlo Parks returns after 'Second Guessing' with her new single 'Sophie' the title track of her second EP.
'Sophie' is a song about "crumbling under expectations and feeling helpless, but with a persistent, quiet sense of hope underpinning it."
True to form, it's a melodic and beautifully articulated sonnet, cementing the notion that she is overwhelmingly considered the majestic voice of Generation Z.
Upcoming shows:
29 Oct Vicar Street Dublin, IE*
30 Oct SWG3 Galvanizers Room, Glasgow, UK*
31 Oct O2 Academy, Newcastle, UK*
02 Nov O2 Academy, Leeds, UK*
03 Nov O2 Academy, Liverpool, UK*
05 Nov Y Plas, Cardiff, UK*
06 Nov Academy 1, Manchester, UK*
08 Nov Dome, Brighton, UK*
09 Nov O2 Institute, Birmingham, UK*
11 Nov Corn Exchange, Cambridge, UK*
12 Nov Rock City, Nottingham, UK*
13 Nov The Great Hall, Exeter, UK*
15 Nov Alexandra Palace, London, UK*
22 Nov Linecheck Festival, IT
*Supporting Loyle Carner
The debut album from Son Of Town Hall - The Adventures of Son Of Town Hall, is due out this Friday November 1st, including new single The Line Between.
Imagine if Simon and Garfunkel were lost at sea, salt on their skin, wind in their beards, and whiskey in their bottles. With only the endless sky above, the wine-dark waters below, and one brush with death after another, what songs would they sing whilst stomping on the boards of their boat like melodious madmen?
Welcome to the mythic world of Son of Town Hall, the unusual union of Ben Parker of London, England and David Berkeley of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Parker, a highly sought-after London- based songwriter / producer / multi-instrumentalist, and Berkeley, a celebrated singer / songwriter / guitarist / author create a world that transcends time and space, complete with shabby Victorian-era outfits, meditations about the sea, and songs that beg you to sing along. It will leave you transformed, with your heart full of laughter and tears, drunk on adventure and the tragic beauty of the human condition.
Gloomy Glaswegians The Just Joans announce their new album The Private Memoirs and Confessions of the Just Joans, due out on 11 January via Fika Recordings, by sharing the first single "Dear Diary, I Died Again Today". This painfully beautiful admission of everyday anxiety explores the trauma of awkward conversations with colleagues and vague acquaintances. With a different spin to their usual jangle pop, the inclusion of strings, arranged by Butcher Boy’s Alison Eales, create a dazzlingly maudlin depth to the track.
The Private Memoirs and Confessions of the Just Joans is a deeply personal collection of songs that hazily recall the past and contemplate the futility of the future. At the forefront remain the mischievous lyrics and heartfelt vocals of siblings David and Katie Pope, aided and abetted by Chris Elkin on lead guitar, Fraser Ford on bass guitar, Arion Xenos on keyboards and Jason Sweeney on drums.
A titular twist on the classic gothic horror novel The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner by compatriot James Hogg, the new album is the follow-up to 2017’s You Might Be Smiling Now… and contains the kind of melodies and mockery that led Uncut to class the band as the point at which “Stephin Merritt lies down with The Vaselines.”
The Private Memoirs and Confessions of the Just Joans is a veritable smorgasbord of misery, longing and unrequited love; stories of small town resentments, half-forgotten school friends, failing relationships and awkward workplace conversations. As David explains: “It’s a collection torn from the pages of the diary I haven’t kept over the past 25 years. There are songs about places and people I vaguely remember, feelings I think that I once may have felt and the onset of middle-aged ennui.”
Despite entering new territory with the addition of brass and strings, they have nevertheless maintained the DIY ethos that made them darlings of the underground indie-pop scene, with each song on the album recorded and produced by the band in various gloomy bedrooms around Glasgow.
Regularly found singing into a tape recorder from the age of three, singer/songwriter Avery Robitaille grew up in the jungles of Indonesia as a missionary kid. Isolated from western and pop culture she spent most of her time writing lyrics and journaling about her dreams of touring the world. At the age of 18, Robitaille made the decision to relocate to Los Angeles to pursue that dream. While performing at an open mic night, Robitaille met Sean Baker and the two quickly realized their aligned visions and ability to translate each other’s experiences into music.
Following the release of their successful single ‘Shots’, mastered by Joe LaPorta (Imagine Dragons, X Ambassadors), alt pop duo Fever Joy is dropping their highly anticipated five-track EP, Reflections. Inspired by real life events and crafted specifically to focus on experiences that aid in you finding who you truly are, Robitaille shares, “This EP is about empowerment, removing a ‘filter’ and just being open about how certain life experiences made us feel”.
The two set out with the mission to create a space which encourages you to stand up for what you believe in, regardless of what others think. Baker confides, “Music is one of the only things that allows us to see into other people’s experiences from a distance and connect with them. With that insight, and connection we can learn to be more understanding and helpful with each others circumstances”. Fever Joy aims to bring that narrative to the forefront of their music, creating honest and authentic releases. The EP was produced by Adam Castilla of The Colourist and mastered by Brian Lucey (Cage the Elephant, Arctic Monkeys).
Fever Joy have seen success selling out shows across Los Angeles, performing at SXSW, as well as receiving airplay on tastemakers KCRW and KROQ.
