Thyla return just a few weeks after sharing 'Two Sense'. This time we have 'Lenox Hill', where the band are a little less post punk and a tad more indie rock, the melodic vocals supported by a solid rock backdrop ensuring once again that they stand well out in the crowd. === Faultress has released her '5 Myths' E.P. Having already featured four of the songs we now complete the set with a video for 'Icarus' and have also added the full collection below, needless to say the final song is also something beautiful. === HEBE has released a video for 'Hunting Me' the electro pop song gains considerable traction with her melodic and soulful vocals and well crafted musical arrangement.
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Thyla - Lenox Hill.
Brighton post-punk prospects Thyla continue their extraordinary rise with searing new cut Lenox Hill, the second track taken from the band’s eagerly anticipated sophomore EP Everything at Once set for release 24th January.
Racing to the forefront of the emerging indie landscape, the rising quartet returned last month with masterfully crafted lead single Two Sense, having already attracted glowing praise from all corners of the press (Pitchfork, Stereogum, NME, The Line Of Best Fit, Dork) and across the airwaves (BBC Radio 1, BBC 6 Music, Radio X, KCRW) following the arrival of debut EP What’s On Your Mind? earlier this year.
Detailing their newest effort, enigmatic frontwoman Millie Duthie explained: “Lenox Hill is the hospital I was born in, with the track inspired by my early years as a kid living in New York City. It’s an honest and emotional coming-of-age tale. Life can take so many turns and you can forget where you came from and what makes you you. The important stuff like family can get set aside in the pursuit of whatever it is that drives you. Lenox Hill is about realising you’re lost and deciding to go back to your roots to find the way again”.
The indie juggernauts have had a formidable 2019 on the road supporting the likes of Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, in addition to capacity shows at The Great Escape, Live At Leeds and Hit The North, and having just completed their first full-length UK tour, plans are already taking shape for a hometown EP release party early next year.
'Icarus' glides on the waxen feathers of Faultress's soaring voice. It is a song about those thoughts of ours that overreach, set to a soundscape of stunning synth production. Faultress's persona shines resplendent through her mythologic lyricism, mesmerising harmonies and spoken word segments. It is a poised and assertive performance from a musician with a masterly handle on the themes of her art.
5 Myths lyrically examines the myths surrounding the female experience of power, beauty, desire, mental health. All songs are produced by Joshua Davenport, and all except 'Marilyn' are mastered by Dom Howard (Submotion Orchestra). 'Marilyn' is co-produced by Bobby Broomfield (Does it Offend You Yeah) at The Rattle (collective of DIY artists), and mixed/mastered by Morgan Bosc at The Rattle.
Faultress is an extinct word for a female criminal, and this musical project is about wearing your unpolished faults and imperfections on your very female sleeve. As an artist, Faultress embodies the challenge to heterodoxy implied in her name, which she wields as a firebrand to write incisive and psychological songs that offer us a look into the complex fragmentation of feminine power, desire and mental health in a rapidly changing musical and cultural world.
Faultress's prime influence is Kate Bush, a soul she shares a love of theatricality with - Faultress has a playwriting MA from RADA - alongside a diverse set of influences that includes the likes of James Blake, Aldous Harding, FKA Twigs and Joni Mitchell. Her full banshee show is a six-part girl choir replete with synths and drums. In her solo shows Faultress plays piano and loop stations. With the release of her 5 Myths EP, she reveals herself something of a polymath: lyricist, musician, singer and storyteller employing the full spectrum of her skillset to make unforgettably charged music.
See Faultress live:
Nov 18th, The Harrison, London, Kings Cross
Dec 5th, The Ivy, London, Central.
Rising artist HEBE unveils the cinematic visuals for her recently released single ‘Hunting Me’. Out now as a self-release via Kartel, the soulful electro-pop number tackles her fears and anxieties.
Hailing from Amsterdam, the talented artist has been collaborating with some of the Netherlands’ finest musicians. Credits for the new cut see award-winning producer/mixer Huub Reijnders, drummer Martijn Bosman, pianist and vocalist Ruben Hein contributing to the harmonious contrast of warm, catchy vocals set to pulsating electro-pop drums and synths.
The single is the first offering from HEBE’s forthcoming debut album ‘Cards On The Table’, planned for release in Spring 2020. ‘Hunting Me’ tells the story of a vivid dream in which the artist faces her own demons; “I could feel these fears so clearly but couldn’t see or grab them. In ‘Hunting Me’ I try to make these fears tangible by giving them a face,” HEBE reveals.
Growing up in an artistic household - her father is a film and documentary director, while her mother is a theatre designer, and her brother a visual and lighting artist - this all added to HEBE’s fascination with music and the arts. After graduating from the Conservatorium of Amsterdam and influenced by both her contemporaries such as James Blake and BANKS - as well as by iconic songwriters Van Morrison and Bob Dylan, HEBE locked herself away in the studio to hone her sound, one which is both uplifting and melancholic at the same time.
‘Hunting Me’ gives us a small window into her unique sensibility and sound; just one piece of a puzzle which will cement her status as a bonafide songwriting talent.
From Sydney, Australia we have The Dockers with their new song 'Fake It', described as "cheeky and cheerful" it's also bright and rather catchy. === With earnest and gritty vocals John Tiller delivers 'Battle Ready' with plenty of passion, his folk, Americana or whatever other tag might describe best, is beautifully produced. === Back in April we shared 'Black and White' from KEYS who return this week with 'Bad Penny' just ahead of a new album release. This time we have a gentler, psychedelic and dreamy piece with gorgeous vibes throughout.
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The Dockers - Fake It.
Party-starting rogues, The Dockers are excited to release their follow up single Fake It. A single for care-free wiggling and late night grinning.
Cheeky and cheerful, Fake It implores you to let go and just dance, the loose flow and jaunty rhythms are a wink and a nod to the gleeful abandon of troubles. In a dedication to keeping it simple and straightforward, front man and the face of a good (me, Murray Cooke says “basically every inner thought I had, and if I ever had a Twitter account or Tumblr account— these [lyrics] would be in it”.
The band was established in Campbelltown, western Sydney whilst working as lifeguards, the bands deep sense of irony and surrealist sense of fun attributed to snack bar sugar and chlorine. All members of the four-piece outfit are self taught multi-instrumentalists and display this in their live performances. Currently recording and playing gigs all over Sydney, they’ve headlined Valve Bar twice and played a killer sets at Red Bar, generating a ground swell for these high and dry lifeguards as their live recording of acoustic song Sweet Sunset has hit 10k views.
‘I was really into the cover of Twist and Shout. (I loved it that much that I couldn’t stop twisting and shouting)’ - The Music Producer
After the release of Moonshine and with Fake It to come, The Dockers party is only getting warmed up good for nothing but a good time.
Folk-rock, singer songwriter, alt-country, Americana, call it what you like, the art of telling stories through music refuses to die. John Tiller takes influence from Manchester’s rich and diverse musical heritage, incorporating the working class spirit of his hometown, though not without strong influences across the pond.
He looks to his songwriting heroes Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Neil Young and Joni Mitchell for their profound ability to pen thought-provoking lyrics and to give equal importance to both story and song. Though these songwriting giants undoubtedly cast a lengthy shadow, it is through their influence that John steps out into the light, and sets out on a path that is uniquely his own.
Tiller is all but surgically attached to his guitar, having lived the lifestyle of a restless wanderer, travelling and playing everywhere from Oslo to Sarajevo, Kiev to Auckland, where there’s an audience, there’s an opportunity to share his music. Fast forward to Autumn 2019, and John has recently completed the finishing touches on his forthcoming EP Battle Ready. A compendium of tracks that unravel intimate tales of the romantics, the nomads, the fighters and poets.
The narrator often ambiguous, unreliable. Tiller plays with timelines, narrative form and structure. What emerges is a connotative collection of songs, leaning heavily on allegory and metaphor. This music will find a home with anyone thoughtful, anyone who has experienced anxiety or weighty, life changing events. It is for those seeking shelter from the short term, quick fix nature of modern life. At times political, at times personal and heartbreaking, depending on the listener's perspective this short but powerful collection of songs will feel poignantly out of time, or perhaps timeless.
With such a gloriously iconic title, KEYS new album ‘Bring Me the Head of Jerry Garcia’ is not only a collection of road tested songs but also a bold new start for the band. It’s the curtains pulled back on a cold frosty morning to let in beams of exotic, vibrant Indian summer light that brakes over the horizon to fill your tired eyes with wonder.
Recorded over two days in Resolven Miner’s Welfare Institute ‘Bring Me the Head of Jerry Garcia’ captures the KEYS live energy whilst still exploring new musical vocabulary, every note played being vital and of the moment.
The autumnal ‘Bad Penny’ is also announced today as the last single before the album release. The band launches the album at The Gate in Cardiff on 19th December with a big party with support from DD Darillo, Kidsmoke, HMS Morris.
Here are Matthew Evens the bands singers recollection of the creation of ‘Bring Me the Head of Jerry Garcia’
“The original intention and cod-manifesto for this album was “we don’t want anyone to like it”. It was an amusing and liberating stance and I recommend anyone to adopt this posture in the early stages of a project. We weren’t able to sustain that attitude but it certainly allowed us to take a few more risks, musically; and it definitely feels like the beginning of something, as opposed to some sort of conclusion.
To us, everything we’re doing is sounding really fresh and melodic. We’ve been playing these songs for years now and they still feel vital when we play them live. As always, we were listening to a lot of music during the production of this album. Bands like Hooded Fang, ESG, Ty Segall, White Fence, Women, Pavement, Scout Niblett… the list goes on.
The Mowgli's have a new video for 'Fighting With Yourself' where Katie Jayne Earl takes on lead singer responsibility for the first time doing so with abundant charm and finesse. === The first single from Arborist new album 'A Northern View' is 'Taxi'. The video is a grand companion for this fabulous spoken word piece that conjures even more mental images, this really is breathtaking. === Described as off beat euphoric pop Yr Ods song 'Tu Hwnt I'r Muriau' is most definitely that, and the Welsh language once again shines, with or without your ability to translate. === From her first and just released solo album Sasha Bell shares a video for 'Castle Keep'. Having been part of many other musical projects often with a sixties feel, this song demonstrates her ability to move on, without losing any of the class and creativity.
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The Mowgli's - Fighting With Yourself.
The new video from The Mowgli's is entitled 'Fighting With Yourself'. The track narrates accepting change and not fighting against the tide. Sonically the song shines with 90's pop punk influences. 'Fighting With Yourself' is Katie Jayne Earl's first time stepping into the limelight as lead singer.
All of life is a journey and the best journeys are those taken with friends. For the 5 members of The Mowgli’s that road has seen their friendship tested and rebuilt numerous times. From their earliest Venice, California days as a 10+ revolving cast of characters to their current line-up, the core members have evolved from playing midnight warehouse parties to the stages of the largest festivals.
While there have been many highlights - appearances on late night TV shows, incredibly rewarding collaborations with charities and electrifying performances in legendary venues among them - there have also been tests: Losing band members, battling with the stress of constant touring and maintaining their friendship, trying to remain both grounded and optimistic when things go amazingly well and when they don’t. But there have been benefits of creating deep bonds and close relationships, not least the marriage of singers Katie Jayne Earl and Josh Hogan in 2017. “Being in a touring band is hard work,” says Katie, “but inspiring. It only works because people care about the band and we have a core who support us, people who have both been there since the beginning and joined along the way. Those supporters keep us motivated.”
The release of The Mowgli’s first major-label LP Waiting For The Dawn in 2013 saw immediate success with the hit single San Francisco. The record - which focused on the joy of bringing people together - immediately connected in a cynical world. The band quickly found themselves playing to sold out crowds in clubs around the US and inundated by requests for press, sponsorships and partnerships. Appearances at Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Firefly, Osheaga, Bottlerock and many other festivals followed as did performances on The Tonight Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Conan and a stint as the SXSW House band for Andy Cohen’s Watch What Happens Live (Bravo)
The follow up LP, 2015’s Kids in Love (which spawned the feel-good single I’m Good) saw the band explore personal relationships including their own inter-band ones, and their third LP Where’d Your Weekend Go? which came in the Fall of 2016, often found the band working on songs together from their very inception - giving much of the record a relaxed and communal feeling.
Parting ways with their original label in 2017, The Mowgli’s released a pair of EPs: I Was Starting To Wonder (2018) and American Feelings (2019), each backed by national US tours and both exploring the “band experience” to a large extent. The first EP focused on travelling, missing home, looking for excitement in the daily churn of a tour, finding it in the back alleys and on the rooftops of America. The more recent EP American Feelings turned more towards relationships and connections, noticeable in Talk About It and Mr. Telephone which both harken to the lack of discourse and engagement prevalent in society today, especially with technology serving as both a facilitator and barrier. Says singer/guitarist Josh Hogan, “Communication is a very powerful tool. If we could learn to communicate in a healthy way, this place would be much less divided.”
“Taxi” is the first single to be taken from the breathtaking new album, A Northern View, by Northern Ireland’s Arborist. A stand-out, jolt-from-the-blue, set-piece, “Taxi” is a spoken word epic story inspired by Arab Strap, Belle and Sebastian and James Yorkston, who have made the droll Scottish storyteller’s delivery a constant. As singer-songwriter Mark McCambridge explains; “I wanted to do something similar with the Northern Irish voice. It’s a story about a claim from my Dad’s cousin and good friend through his youth, Henry McQuillan, that he conceived the idea of turning a famous Irish traditional song into a rock song.”
The video for “Taxi” stars Dublin actor Barry Ward who was recently in The Capture (BBC), Irish movie Extra Ordinary and has been the lead in Jimmy’s Hall by Ken Loach, amongst many other projects.The powerful video captures the intense mood of the song, with the light-relief pay-off at the end. It was shot in Belfast and created by London-based director Sam O'Mahony who said, "The song has such a strong narrative that I felt, rather than literally reflect the words, we would create our own piece of visual poetry to exist alongside the track without competing with it. Initially, we thought of just having Barry Ward representing Henry, but instead went slightly further and created a kind of time-jumping ballet in which Henry’s memories exist in various dimensions, moving past each other unaware until they are ultimately drawn together."
The single is available on all digital platforms now. There's also a remix by Domino recording artist Seamus Fogarty. Arborist will be hitting the road in Jan/Feb with critically acclaimed Canadian psych-folk second-cousins Kacy & Clayton.
‘Tu hwnt i’r Muriau’ is a slice of off-beat euphoric-pop taken from Yr Ods new album laith y Nefoedd (which follows on 22 November on Lwcus T). Tapping into Yr Ods delicious style of juxtaposing neon-bright off-kilter pop tracks with a much sinister lyrical undercurrent, ‘Tu hwnt i’r Muriau’ is a song about brainwashing people to think just like you, and to come and live your life with you. It’s the sonic representation of what the band described as “kind of a montage vibe of someone going around the country preaching and gaining a following.”
To put it into a context, the theme of ‘Tu hwnt i’r Muriau’ is one that runs through the veins of the long-player laith y Nefoedd from which it is taken. A concept album conceived alongside award-winning Welsh author Llwyd Owen which tells the fantastical, dystopian tale of cults, post-Brexit Britain, nuclear war and bunker-raised virgins. All narrated by a failed alcoholic sci-fi writer and anti-hero T Lloyd Lewis, and with a subtext exploring Welsh youth, culture and confidence.
Yr Ods are instrument swapping musicians Griff Lynch, Gruff Pritchard, Rhys Aneurin and Osian Howells. Since forming in 2008 they have become one of the world’s most beloved Welsh language acts, making a genre-shifting, multi-faceted and left-of-centre fusion of imaginative indie-pop which recalls the quirky experimental charms of Gruff Rhys, Gwenno, H. Hawkline and Cate Le Bon, whilst remaining untouchably individual. Yr Ods have previously released two critically acclaimed albums Troi a Throsi (2011) and Llithro (2013) both released via Sain, they have toured the UK and Europe extensively and performed at big festivals including Maes B, Swn, Green Man and No 6, as well as achieving the career high of headlining National Eisteddfod of Wales alongside a forty-piece orchestra, and an audience of two-thousand fans.
‘Tu hwnt i’r Muriau’ was engineered and recorded by Yr Ods at the ‘old crack den’, mixed by Tom Loffman and mastered by Hafod Mastering. It was released as a digital single on 8th November with the long-player laith y Nefoedd following on 22nd November (digitally and on limited edition vinyl and book box set), both released via Lwcus T.
Sasha Bell has been involved with a handful of projects that have released some of the finest 60s-inspired pop records of the last two decades. Whether with the Ladybug Transistor, The Essex Green, or The Sixth Great Lake, she adds a special touch to her music that is dreamy, lush, and pastoral. Now, for the first time in her storied career, she’s stepping out under her own name, releasing her first-ever solo debut album, Love Is Alright, out now.
The Essex Green’s most recent album, last year’s superb Hardly Electronic, found them contemporizing their sound while retaining the pleasing elements of their distinctive retro sound. Love Is Alright also follows that pattern, blending a more contemporary style with touchstones from the past. Perhaps that’s not surprising, as her contributions had originally stemmed from what would become the album you’re holding now.
Yet Bell’s influential reference points for Love Is Alright are a bit different. Whereas her bands have generally focused on a more baroque pop element-par for the course considering they’ve long been a part of the Elephant 6 collective-the sounds found here touch upon 1970s fare. Vocally recalling Judee Sill or Melanie Safka, while the arrangements occasionally recall the work of Melissa Manchester, Carly Simon, and even the occasional nod to ABBA. Written over the past several years and recorded in San Francisco at The Studio Time Forgot and at Jason Quever’s (The Papercuts) studio, it’s an album full of sophisticated arrangements that is quite easy on the ears.
Love Is Alright is a journey through time, small moments writ large. Whether she’s singing about missing The Essex Green (“Candy Mountain”), stress management (“Molly’s Got A Talent”), reflections on relationship struggles (“Castle Keep”), a grandmother’s obsession with rare books (“The Library” ), or a tribute to a deceased bandmate (“Heavy Doors”, a eulogy to San Fadyl, drummer for The Ladybug Transistor, who passed away in 2007) Bell invites you into her world via a wistful musical diary.
After a rewarding career that has resulted in a discography of excellent music, Bell is now stepping into the spotlight on her own, and Love Is Alright is an unsurprisingly excellent first step forward, a step that isn’t surprising for those who have followed her career, and one that offers up a delightful, subtle, and sublime experience for the new listener.
Lauran Hibberd makes yet another (and most welcome) appearance on Beehive Candy this time with 'Sweat Patch' a slacker pop come rock song, something she is just so good at creating. === From Australia we have Robert Jeffery and 'This Time' a slick rocker of a song. === We have to go back to 2016 for our only other feature for Carroll, well now we have 'Fern' a gently paced psychedelic influenced pop song accompanied by a very colourful video. === Ahead of a new E.P Dante Mazzetti shares 'Ugly' which is a beautiful song with a rich musical backdrop and notably distinct vocals. === Last month we shared a track from The Soft Underground ahead of their new album 'Anemoia' and I am pleased to say we have the album in full to hear below from this creative art pop duo.
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Lauran Hibberd - Sweat Patch.
Effortlessly charismatic and dripping in sarcasm, Isle Of Wight’s indie sensation Lauran Hibberd caps off her phenomenal year with Sweat Patch, the latest addition to her colourful patchwork of sparkling slacker pop.
Arriving hot on the heels of critically acclaimed debut EP Everything is Dogs earlier this autumn, Hibberd’s prolific songwriting and playful personality is encapsulated once more in her newest fizzing cut, and drops in the midst of her extensive UK/EU support tour alongside US punk rockers The Regrettes.
With substantial praise across the BBC Radio 1 airwaves (Annie Mac, Huw Stephens, Jack Saunders) and throughout the online community (The Line Of Best Fit, Dork, Clash, Gigwise), not to mention notable comparisons to contemporaries Courtney Barnett and Phoebe Bridgers, it’s evident the singer-songwriter has made quite the statement over the last twelve months.
Having produced a rousing display on Glastonbury’s BBC Introducing stage, in addition to a slew of supports with Hippo Campus and her own biggest headline gigs to date, Hibberd’s reputation on the live circuit has grown significantly, and with a second headline tour already lined up for February 2020, the newcomer looks primed to bring her unique performance to even bigger audiences.
Discussing her upcoming single, Hibberd revealed: “Sweat Patch is arguably a song about drugs, but it’s not like I’m trying to be cool about it. I’m pretty much frigid with anything unprescribed. But because of that, this song is based on my idea of that world. There’s loads of songs about getting high, not as many songs about watching and I guess analysing other people do it. I guess this is me, soberly sat in a room watching all of my friends take drugs. I guess there’s also a nod to the elephant in the room, A DUDE. There’s always a dude! And I guess this song stemmed from me being into this guy, but he was pretty much into other things more.”
Following up on the solo debut of Don’t Give Them Any Reaction, Robert Jeffery returns with a single a that simultaneously furthers the range of his songwriting and deepens the scope of his classic rock references in This Time. Tracing the tropes of 80’s classicism with re-invigorating entendre and refreshingly modern values, This Time is reflexive and rocking. Jeffery’s attention to detail and desire to suffuse confident energies with widely relatable themes fosters a dynamic entanglement of Muse and Supertramp.
Recorded at Valleysound Studios with producer Pete Dyball (Kasey Chambers) the track can be interpreted in a number of ways with the core theme surrounding preoccupation with a person or object and how exhausting it can be.
‘Sometimes there is something or someone in your life who you just cannot get out of your mind. It may be because you admire them or it could be because you despise them. Either way, they are riding your train of thought without a ticket and you can’t kick them off.’ - Robert Jeffery
His songwriting style of pushing for loud, thundering guitar riffs was suddenly met with a desire to explore old-school styles, tones and melodies. These desires grew as the influence of groups such as The Beatles, The Beach Boys and Foxygen pushed his creative comfort zone out into new territory which was eventually revealed in his 2019 introduction Don’t Give Them Any Reaction which received national airplay across Australia’s Community Radio Network and was also featured on international stations KOR and Uckfield FM in the United Kingdom Robert works out of a home-studio in Coffs Harbour, NSW. It is there that he composes music and records demos to provide a guide for when he takes his songs to a producer to be recorded properly. This has allowed him to hone in on his on a sound over time and focus on performance when it comes to recording.
After a car accident in 2013, he found himself taking everyday life and music a little easier. Robert is working towards expanding his release catalogue and is currently putting together a band to play shows in the Mid North Coast area. He looks forward to jumping back into live performance and sharing his music with the world however he can.
Carroll presents "Fern" The first single from their third LP, out 2020 on Shattered Orb Records The first line of the song "Fern" by Philadelphia band Carroll provides an apt metaphor for the band's sound: "I'm a fern with the leaves curled up / in the light I extend and unravel." Over the course of two critically acclaimed LPs and an EP, Carroll continues to compose blossoms of psychedelic pop that unfurl and bloom as you listen.
"Fern" is the first single from the band's forthcoming third album (out 2020 on Shattered Orb Records). Recorded in the band’s subterranean bunker in Philadelphia and at Berlin Studios in New Jersey, the band is taking their outrospective sonic palate to glistening new heights and some of the murkiest depths of their career.
After years on the road and stints opening for the likes of Dr. Dog, Whitney, and Jessica Pratt, the four members of Carroll are learning to stay in place. “I get used to it / ivy grows when I'm not watching,” sings frontman Brian Hurlow on “Fern.” The vividly colorful video by Karl Cooney reflects this sense of settled unsettling. A fruit bowl signifies mise en place but the band members' faces float on the surface of moving liquid, suggesting something more uncanny. Underneath Hurlow’s plaintive delivery swirl the dense psychedelic landscapes the band is known for.
The propulsive, liquid bass lines of Charles McClung are a second narrator throughout the course of the song and Max Kulicke continues to create micro-climates and sonic storms with his atmospheric guitar. The single’s tasteful and varied synthesizers seem to bubble up from beneath the understated beats of drummer Charlie Rudoy, an indication that the band is working on some of the most enveloping grooves of their career.
Singer-songwriter Dante Mazzetti recently announced his new EP Hotel Vol. 2, slated for release on November 22nd. Keeping with the themes and story-telling from his July EP, Hotel Vol. 2 continues the tale of a troubled man finding a new life and new challenges. Through 4 new original tracks, Dante Mazzetti tackles a darker tone, infusing his sound with somber vocals and bluesy undertones.
In preparation for his upcoming EP release, Dante dropped the first single “Ugly” in September. A combination of jazz, blues, and a slight Latin flair, “Ugly” conveys a story of an unpleasant encounter. Dante once again shows off his diverse artistry, while maintaining his notable songwriting skills.
Reflecting on “Ugly”, Dante Mazzetti offers a clear explanation, "I purposefully wrote ‘Ugly’ to be able to be interpreted in different ways. I like to let the listener make the decision on how they want to receive the meaning. Some people hear it as being about a man who is sponging off of an aesthetically unattractive woman. I like to think of it as a song about a woman who is beautiful on the outside, yet has an ugly soul. I hope to inspire the listener to question the meaning of ugliness and to search for more in my songs than the surface understanding of the lyrics."
In July, Mazzetti made his official return to music with Hotel Vol. 1. With four new original songs, the record brought together acoustic folk and soul, laced with lyrical storytelling. The EP was the first volumes that brought together various unreleased songs in folk and Americana, but emphasize Mazzetti’s ability as a songwriter to express struggles and triumphs in life. For the artist, a piece of music is a living organism - always evolving, improving, finding new creative avenues to explore.
Mazzetti says, “The music on this EP is a mixture of accessibility and wild imagery. I’ve always enjoyed making music that goes off on a tangent but doesn’t fall off the cliff. The songs are doors that open easily into bizarre worlds rather than places of comfort.”
Now, through the introduction of “Ugly”, Dante Mazzetti takes listeners on a different journey. Whereas Vol. 1 incorporated higher energy and excitement, Vol. 2 ventures into the slow tempo darkness. Dante Mazzetti’s new EP Hotel Vol. 2 is set for release on November 22nd and will be celebrated at Rockwood Music Hall on November 19th, with tickets available now.
NYC-based art rock duo The Soft Underground have been hailed as modern descendants of the touchstone bands from Seattle’s 90’s alternative scene, garnering strong international press and plays including a buzzy endorsement from Alt Nation.
Spearheaded by Andrew McCarty and Charlie Hickey (both 26-yrs-old), the duo was formed in 2010 when the two musicians met and bonded over their love of the jangly melancholia. Riffing on their love of the The Smashing Pumpkins and other alternative 90’s bands, the two struck up a friendship and eventually began to hone in on a sound that mined deep into 70’s psych rock, falling somewhere between My Bloody Valentine and The Velvet Underground.
Anemoia is the bands third LP, following 2015’s Lost in Translation and 2018’s Morning World. The LP is a clear indication of their intent to constantly reinvent themselves musically, replacing standard guitar rhythms with more exotic instrumentation, implementing flutes, violins, synthesizers and pots and pans. Anemoia was recorded at Andrew’s house in Memphis, TN, affording them the laid-back, off-the-clock vibe they were looking to capture. As usual, the two worked together to craft the arrangements and instrumentals and worked to cast singers for each song - this time working with guest vocalists Sam Reed and Lisa Mac.
“Thematically, it’s a happy album,” McCarty reflects, knowing that their material often boasts an impenetrably moody veneer. “We tried to capture that state of euphoria where you can appreciate all facets of life, including the lows.”
