sir Was and Casper Clausen just released 'Flyder' and it's a creative beauty, with gliding vocals and a wonderful soundscape. === Just a week after featuring 'Clean' from Sam Valdez she returns with another gorgeous song entitled 'Toothache' and again her blend of genres (anything from Shoegaze to Americana) really impresses.
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sir Was and Casper Clausen - Flyder.
sir Was and Casper Clausen, singer of experimental Danish post-rockers Efterklang, yesterday released their collaboration ‘Flyder’ ( Floating). sir Was’ album ‘Holding on to a Dream’ and recent follow up EP ‘Letter’ have received praise and support worldwide from BBC 6 Music, BBC Radio 1, Radio Nova, KCRW, Double J, Complex, Les Inrocks and Notion. He headlined Scala in November and would have had a mainstage appearance at All Points East alongside Tame Impala and Caribou before the current lockdown.
Efterklang released their 6th studio album 'Altid Sammen' in Sep 2019 which was a welcome return for their multitudes of dedicated fans. They took the album on a sold out European and US tour peaking in a triumphant celebration at the stunning concert venue Elphilharmonie in Hamburg. Joel and Casper first met whilst in Berlin when they were both invited to be part of PEOPLE, a 7-day creative experience put together by and involving musicians including Beirut’s Zach Condon, Justin Vernon, Feist and the National’s Dessner brothers.
Casper recalls “It was a kinda love at first sight, Joel and I clicked and during that week of creation, we developed a friendship which led to many more hangs and recordings over the past couple of years. Joel joined the Efterklang recordings of our most recent album “Altid Sammen” last year and we also wrote the Efterklang song “Lyset” together in Joel’ studio in Gothenburg. I love writing music with Joel, his ability to frame a moment and his ear for melody, texture and groove is a rare treat to be around. We supplement each other well and we have a lot of fun making music together.”
‘Flyder’ started as a small sketch around the time when Joel went to join the Efterklang recordings in Copenhagen last year. After bouncing the song back and forth, between Gothenberg and Casper’s studio in Almada (looking across the bay to Lisbon), the song was finally finished off by Joel back in Gothenburg where he added his signature live drums and production magic. The result is a sumptuous track that bears the unmistakable warm sir Was sound and Casper’s tender vocal sung in his native Danish.
“Flyder is a song to the stream that carries our boat, a celebration and a fear for the metaphysical place where we decide to stay and grow our roots, our home on a floating dock, a moving hub and a made-up flower of all the things we give importance. When you manage to let go on your own power of control, when you are floating and staying at the same time.”
Sam Valdez’s immersive indie-rock sensibility reflects her childhood growing up at the edge of the Nevada desert, and her formative musical experiences as a child violinist. The mystery, beauty, and haunting quality of desert life has shaped the LA-based artist’s sense of dreamy textures, and her flair for abstract but emotive lyrics. Classical music’s majesty has informed her imaginative arrangements, and cinematic sense of dynamics.
Sam has melded in an intriguing blend of shoe-gaze, Americana, indie-rock, and pop into a signature aesthetic. Select career highlights thus far include garnering rave reviews in Clash Music, Consequence of Sound, and Earmilk; earning heavy rotation from KCRW for multiple singles; and opening tours for Stella Donnelly, Cayucas, and Giant Rooks.
“I’ve always tried to write from the most genuine place that I can, but, lately, and with this record, I’ve been working on sharing more sides of my views and emotions,” Sam details.
A feeling of 1960s nostalgic balladry courses through many of thesongs on Sam’s debut. She says:” Melancholic, comforting and thought provoking is what I look forin music and what I feel and hope comes across in mine.” The album’s first single, “Toothache,” is a reverb-dipped slow burner glowering with sensual vocals and a twist on a breakup narrative. Here, the feeling is a longing to reconnect with one’s sense of self post romantic rupture.
Grace Gillespie makes her fifth appearance here with 'Empty In The Capital', we've described her music as creative and beautiful in the past, so have some more of all that, with the new song. === Zoe Polanski shares 'The Willows' which is a delightful mixture of dream pop and ambient soundscapes. === Shem Sharples just released 'Clear Crystal View' where his distinctive and energized indie folk is irresistible. === Zachary Kibbee has a double A side out which kicks off with a potent rocker 'Somewhere To Put My Gold' accompanied with 'Come Back' and a gorgeous bonus track that could be a single in it's own right.
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Grace Gillespie - Empty In The Capital.
Grace Gillespie is a London-based artist and producer originally from Devon, who spent much of 2017 touring as part of the live line-up for 4AD’s Pixx. Her first two singles found their way onto Spotify’s ‘Fresh Folk’ playlist and received extensive support from Apple Music, appearing on their ‘A-List’ and ‘Best of the Week’ playlists.
Grace’s sound takes influence from the folk, psych and dream-pop traditions, providing a backdrop to her intriguing vocal melodies, shifting harmonies and introspective lyricism, as heard on her new single “Empty In The Capital.”
I wrote my new song, “Empty In The Capital,” just before lockdown about themes that were coming up in my own life. Then suddenly, Covid is here and we are all sharing in my isolation, fear and frustrations. I don’t like London at the best of times and the idea of being stuck here was almost scary to me.
The track very much follows the pattern of a day for me. Much of my time is spent trying to reassure myself through rationalizing and acceptance, heard in the song’s verses, coupled with outbursts of inward frustration that I express in the choruses. I think it’s a pattern we have all been through throughout lockdown. We are trying with all our hearts to make the most of this gift of time and be ‘grateful for the day’ but then realizing that we are sipping coffee and trying to create (or just get on with work) while ambulances are filing past. - Grace Gillespie.
We have the new single of beautiful ambient dream pop from Zoe Polanski. “I wrote ‘The Willows’ after spending a few months far away from home, traveling with a guy across the U.S. It was a surreal affair I had with a musician which I really admired, and it ended painfully. When I returned to Israel, the 2014 Gaza conflict started, and I remember being stuck in my room, which was on a rooftop in Jaffa, hearing long sirens and then explosions over my head. I recall being conflicted between empathizing with the civilians in Gaza and southern Israel while at the same time longing for being as far away from this as possible. I longed to go back to those magical days of traveling, and writing the song kind of helped me do that. Years later I recorded a demo of it on a 4-track, and then played it to Aviad when we met. It was the first song we ever worked on together.” - Zoe Polanski
New York-based record label Youngbloods presents Violent Flowers, a glistening collection of Experimental Dream Pop from Israeli singer, songwriter, and film composer Zoe Polanski. Written in collaboration with producer Aviad Zinemanas, Violent Flowers uses Polanski’s tranquilizing voice as a guide across a vibrant landscape of inner musings that reflect her visual, and often cinematic, approach to songwriting.
Born to a musical family in the tense northern city of Haifa, Polanski sought from an early age an escape from everyday life through music, first learning cello then piano and eventually guitar. In contrast to her family's affinity for jazz and world music, Polanski was drawn to the entrancing and transportive effect of ethereal, lo-fi sounds. After her obligatory service in the IDF, Polanski moved to New York City to record with the band Katamine and enrolled for a summer course in cinematography at the School of Visual Arts. Becoming enraptured with music’s ability to enliven a visual scene, she returned to Israel settling in the liberal, multicultural hub of Tel Aviv and started her new project named after the renown Hungarian avant garde filmmaker Béla Tarr. Like the project’s namesake, the music was imbued with a sense of slow cinema verité, juxtaposing dark lyrical observations against the surreal aura generated by spacious, floating guitar lines soaked in reverb.
British singer-songwriter Shem Sharples has joined forces with bass powerhouse Thor Brown to create his beautiful new single Clear Crystal View. The song is an indie-folk gem that portrays an uplifting and joyful outlook on the world, more important now than ever.
From the first line, “Sunlight sparkles in the champagne afternoon,” Shem sets set the scene to the song’s positive message. He unites smooth, swirling vocals with captivating lyrics to take us on a journey as we celebrate the end of a dark regime and welcome in a bright new adventure.
Clear Crystal View is the first single taken from Shem’s upcoming album ‘Strange Sounds from the Wreckage’ due to be released on September 25th. The whole album showcases Shem’s talent and love for using masterful lyrics to create a narrative of his surroundings and a true view of the world, Clear Crystal View is no exception.
The album unites the talent of Shem and lifetime friend Thor Brown to create a masterpiece. The pair have been playing together since 2014 and have built up a tight act which allows them to perform live as a duo and share their unique sound with fans. An uplifting lyrical adventure starts here…
Zachary Kibbee - Somewhere To Put My Gold / Come Back.
Born and raised in sunny Los Angeles, California, Zachary Kibbee’s childhood was surrounded not by music, but by sports. Though the melodies of The Eagles and The Backstreet Boys could be heard from the car, thanks to the musical tastes of his mother and sisters, Mike Piazza, Vin Scully, and baseball were what inspired him. The music bug bit him at 14 when he traded in a cracked baseball bat for a new bass-guitar and started jamming with friends from the neighborhood. Not long after, he was playing in his first bands, one of which opened for B.B. King at The Abbott Kinney Festival in Venice, CA at the age of 17. After getting his feet wet in the local LA bar scene and on small tours around the Pacific Southwest with his band Stonefeather, Kibbee decided he needed to carve his own path in the music world, combining his love for blues and classic rock with more modern elements from bands like Sublime and the Red Hot Chili Peppers who also brought a SoCal flair into the equation.
He enlisted friend, mentor, and producer Joseph Holiday, and together they recorded his first EP, Little Clocks which came out in 2014. Notably one song, "My Own Two Feet" was used by Microsoft for their Surface Pro 3 commercial nationwide. From there the duo would go on to create music together on a weekly basis, and what came from it was his first album Songs From The Mud, released in 2016 as well as several other singles.
Since then, Kibbee has branched out as a songwriter, recording artist, and producer collaborating with up-and-coming and established artists, even Grammy award winners, around the world. His songs have been used in over 100 television shows, films, and commercials since 2014. His music can be heard in advertisements like Victoria’s Secret, Volkswagen, Microsoft, and Uber Eats, and on television shows like Ray Donovan, Daredevil, Lucifer, Shameless, and The Night Shift, for which he wrote the theme song.
After several tours of the West Coast as well as one national tour, Kibbee set his sights across the pond and has had 2 successful tours of the UK and Sweden to date. His latest album Life In Low Fidelity will arrive July 31, 2020 worldwide. It is a hard-hitting, yet tender rock record that is surely a huge step forward for Kibbee musically, bringing in more modern elements to his already established gritty, bluesy style.
All Things Blue just shared 'Dicking Around' alongside announcing that their debut album 'Get Bit' will be out in October. The new song is stylish and atmospheric dream pop, however expect additional genres when the album arrives. === From Texas we haveGarrett Owen and 'These Modern Times' which is released today and it's a lush indie folk piece with a superb musical backdrop. === Jody & The Jerms also have a new double A side released today with 'Deeper' and 'I Knew A Boy' both sounding really good as the bands timeless indie music once again delights.
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All Things Blue - Dicking Around.
Dream-punk band All Things Blue have announced their debut album Get Bit will be released 2nd October. Along with the album announcement, the LA-based outfit led by frontwoman India Coombs (or simply, Blue) and collaborator Jon Joseph, are releasing new single "Dicking Around".
All Things Blue traverse genres and sounds. One moment flirting with abrasive garage-punk, the next soaring psych-pop; debut album Get Bit finds the band weaving between the spirited psychedelia of Melody’s Echo Chamber, the timeless proto-punk of Patti Smith and the exhilarating alt-pop of St Vincent.
New single "Dicking Around" looks darkly inward as an all-too-casual narrator contemplates acting on their worst impulses. Sonically toying with the paisley underground sound of the 1980's but with a distinctly modern flair; "Dicking Around" utilises an expansive array of swirling guitars, psychedelic electronic flourishes and a potent rhythm section. Speaking on the new single, India Coombs said: "The phenomenon Edgar Allen Poe once coined 'the imp of the perverse' rang true to me as a strong parallel of the tone in Dicking Around. The mind can be surprising without what feels like the ability to help it. I wrote this as a wrap for thoughts of acting on my own worst impulses despite recognising they’re naughty hehe."
New single "Dicking Around" follows the previously released cut "Chad", and are both lifted from All Things Blue’s forthcoming debut full length album Get Bit, which will be self-released by the band on October 2nd. Covering everything from pensive love songs to directly addressing social issues and political ironies; India herself compares the album to Gabriel Garcia Márquez’s ever-relevant novel Love In The Time of Cholera. Indeed, the the band's new material promises love, however ethereal it may seem, at the end of a very dark tunnel, if not somewhere along the way.
India and Jon originally met in LA at the age of 18, having both independently moved to the city; Coombs driving across the country in her broken down pickup truck from Philadelphia, and Jon hailing from further south in California. The pair wasted no time becoming friends and firing out an eclectic assortment of demos. They did so namelessly for some time, but eventually settled on "All Things Blue”. The name itself was coined by India's late mother, who, when India was having trouble getting by in the rough and overpriced world that is Los Angeles, told her that she was just feeling blue and sometimes all things are blue for a bit but they'll get better.
Garrett Owen, is a Texas troubadour who is pushing the boundaries of indie-folk with his forthcoming LP Quiet Lives, due out Sept. 18th. The album's lead single, "These Modern Times," is out today Friday, July 3rd.
Garrett's got an interesting perspective from which he views the world and writes his songs; raised in Africa by parents who were missionaries, Garrett's landscape teemed with the kinds of wild animals we have to pay admission to see.
When the family transitioned back to the States, Garrett struggled to fit into a culture he couldn't understand, which led to pain, confusion, and an attempt to take his own life. Now, he's strong and ready to share this collection of songs, his observations on the culture, with the world.
Oxford’s Jody and the Jerms return with not just one but two fiendishly catchy new tracks ahead of their much-anticipated debut album. With added support from Spanish radio giant RTVE and BBC Introducing, ‘Deeper’ and ‘I Knew a Boy’ are the crystallised indie-pop tunes which are just what the doctor ordered for your post-lockdown shindigs.
It’s difficult to believe that this time last year, Jody had never sung in front of anyone. Now with a band assembled around her, comprising former members of the band The Anydays, and who played with Radiohead and Supergrass in the 90s, hit the pages of the NME in it's heyday and gaining airplay on Mark Radcliffe’s show on BBC Radio 2, Jody is ready to take on the world!
Jody & the Jerms’ sound harks back to those untouchable days indie music enjoyed in the 90s, possessing seemingly effortlessness melodies and choruses which embed themselves in your head for days. If you detect an influence for some of the breakout bands from the power pop movement of the late 70s and 80s, you might be onto something, checkout their recent cover of The Only Ones ‘Another Girl, Another Planet’!
Lockdown has proved a fruitful time for Jody & the Jerms, not only seeing them sign a vinyl distribution deal but also recording a full album’s worth of tracks…as well as the cover version! The benefits of guitarist Niall Jeger being the husband of singer Jody certainly ensured work never stopped! With their ranks swelled from three (alongside drummer, Alex Bridge) to six to allow for a full tour of the UK and Spain in the New Year, Jody and the Jerms are a well-oiled machine and this summer looks set have their songs imprinted in the musical minds of audiences everywhere.
Aaron Burdett latest single 'Dirt Poor' has now had a video added, the song itself is a refined mixture of Americana and folk, the imagery adding even more to the story line. === Ceder has shared a new and dreamy song 'Closer' her indie pop sensibilities are superb as is the production on this track. ===Rex have now released their self titles E.P 'Rex' comprising of five tracks, we have already shared a couple of them, the full collection living up to all the high expectations. === We have already featured two songs by Carmanah this year and now we have 'Stand Up' taken from their forthcoming album 'Iris', the melodic and beautiful vibes are once again present and wonderful. === The Highway Women have a brand new video for 'Shake The Dust' which came out a week or so back, the bands vocal harmonies and mixed vocals are simply stunning.
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Aaron Burdett - Dirt Poor.
Aaron Burdett has released a video for his song "Dirt Poor". The latest single from the award-winning songwriter, "Dirt Poor" is recorded with a lean, yet irresistibly rhythmic acoustic sound. It’s an authentic, clear-eyed but loving look at the distance between yesterday and today.
“This new video for ‘Dirt Poor’ is shot at my childhood home, where my folks still live. It includes old scrapbook photos of my family and their friends, interspersed with shots of my daughter playing in the same places and in the same way my brothers and I did back in the ’80s'. "To me, this song at depth is about nostalgia and aging and time. Things are totally different now, but also the same as they were way back when. As hard as it is to remember to do, we should all try to cherish the moment we’re in now, today. It may well be what we’re looking back on years down the road as the ‘good old days.’ Hope you enjoy it!”
Aaron Burdett’s lyrics are soul-touching, intelligent, witty, and poetic all at once, while his music style is a seamless blend of Americana, country, blues, bluegrass, and folk.
Aaron is listed as one of the Top 10 most important musicians of western North Carolina by WNC Magazine, alongside such greats as Doc Watson, Steep Canyon Rangers, and The Avett Brothers. He has also received critical acclaim as a songwriter, Most recently winning the grand prize in the folk category of the USA Songwriting Contest with “A Couple Broken Windows” from his latest album Refuge (2018). His new single “Rockefeller” is one of three finalists in the bluegrass category In the prestigious Chris Austin Songwriting Contest at Merlefest for 2020 (postponed until 2021).
Ceder, 25, is a Swedish singer/songwriter and producer. She writes honest indie-pop with ear-catching melodies.
The ambient textures paired with her dynamic and vulnerable voice takes you on an emotional trip amplified by the creative arrangement and production choices.
"Closer" is a chill indie-pop song based on harmonies and emotions. It's about when you're seeing someone but the timing is off. You want that person closer, but if you do, you might fall in love. Written and produced by the Swedish artist and producer, Ced.
Known for post punk, new wave and Spanish rhythms, the Amsterdam-based band Rex explore topics on the darker side of life. In a chaotic whirlwind of lost love, loneliness and companionship, the band are soon to release their self-titled debut EP ‘Rex’ which will be available from 26th June 2020.
Despite sharing the same influential interests from the likes of The Bad Seeds, Lou Reed and Leonard Cohen, the bands idiosyncratic sound stems from their own musical backgrounds. Frontman, and guitarist Jonathan Rex was born with flamenco in his blood, while Drummer Nout Kooij was raised as a die-hard punk, and Bass player Sara Elzinga was introduced to blues music before she could walk.
Opener ‘Palaces’ embraces love and death and the many facets in-between; the band say, “it’s the sorrow of loss and powerlessness you feel when someone close to you steps out, and how to continue on with your dreams.”
‘Lovers Like We Used To Be’ is a sensational blend of mellifluous guitar riffs and lead singer Jonathan’s robust vocals. Subjected around hopeless romanticism and resentment, they tell us “It’s a story that happens on a certain night, when you think it’s better to leave a person because all that you have done together is repetitive. You’re left feeling frustrated, but soon realise that it’s your own patterns that causes the friction.”
Elsewhere on in the record, focus post-punk track ‘hondje’ is a story told through the perspective of a dog and the bittersweet relationship that he shares with his companion. Discussing further, they say “The dog’s best friend has returned to him after time apart; someone he has really missed. Although the dog is glad to his friend, something is different. He follows his owner to the same bars and then a tragedy occurs. Together they want a change, but then he realizes it’s too late.”
Dark ballad ‘Dm’ deals with a troublesome male calling for his lost lover. Expanding on the story, Rex say “His lover tells him that they can only be together if he chooses to cross the ‘other side’ where she will be waiting for him. Knowing that he will have to cross the river to the land of the dead, insanity starts to creep in.” While ‘Punk por buleria’ wrestles between desire and aversion. Explaining further, the band tell us: “It’s like being trapped in a game; where you can only escape by playing it. There are no winners or losers, but you’re still attracted to it, whilst loathing it. It makes you feel a deep loneliness."
Like the rainforests from which their name derives, the steady beat of the west coast can be found in the sound of Carmanah. The band’s first album, Speak in Rhythms produced two #1 CBC Music tracks, setting the tone for their west coast sound.
With one album behind them and one ahead, Carmanah crafts a vintage blend of the intuitive and the technical; a blend that lies somewhere among roots, rock and blues — all seamlessly woven together by Laura Mina Mitic’s soulfully luminous vocals.
The band just released a new single from their upcoming album, Iris. “Stand Up” is a kind of lullaby for anyone who sometimes feels like the world is weighing them down.
The track was intended to be a little cheeky, but the song was also written as a simple wish for love to prevail and for all the haters to just sit down and listen.
The Highway Women release a new music video for their most recent single “Shake The Dust” which released on June 19, 2020. The all-women band are following the release of their stunning single with an equally compelling video for their fans.
The music video for "Shake The Dust" is a triumphant call to action completing their 3 song trilogy of the Highway Women's music journey in the music industry. "Stand Up and Fight" inspires the listener to find their voice and courageously fight for what they believe in. "God Made Me Right" is a beautiful statement of victory that everyone is beautiful and perfectly made. "Shake The Dust" completes the message of empowerment and encourages action in making their mission and dreams come true.
“In the newly released music video for “Shake the Dust”, the Highway Women tell the story of how they have indeed, shaken the dust, and pursued the life they wanted. This video points out that following your dream isn’t always easy but it’s always worth it. The group showcases the reliance on faith they have to walk into the great unknowns as the lyrics “sometimes it takes a leap of faith” play over the image of them joining together in prayer. It is a beautiful visual addition that enhances the musicality and lyrics in “Shake the Dust”.
Shake the Dust is a call to action for every former prom queen, previous football quarterback, and anyone who has ever been apprehensive to follow a dream. In contrast to previous releases this song is meant to intimately come alongside listeners and gently say "you can do this". Featuring familiar acoustic guitar sounds and powerful electric guitar riffs this single blends musical elements that echo its lyrical message." - Aria Mae (Music Update Central).
