Alternative Take: Rococode - Cayetano - Emancipator - Blade of Grass

Rococode - Panic Attack.

Background - Rococode is Laura Smith and Andrew Braun. They released their debut album 'Guns, Sex & Glory' to much critical acclaim in early 2012. The record was produced by Ryan Guldemond (Mother Mother, Hannah Georgas) and mixed by John Congleton (St.Vincent, Polyphonic Spree). Upon the release of their debut, the band took to the road and spent the better part of the next 18 months touring Canada and the US in various capacities.

When it came time to work on their follow-up, Rococode coaxed producers Caleb Shreve (Phantogram, Bear Hands) from New York and Ted Gowans (Tegan and Sara, Fences) from Los Angeles to set up a studio in a cabin, off the grid, in the isolated coastal forest of British Columbia. Between building fires, checking the solar panels, and failed fishing trips, the foursome set to work on music that shared none of the characteristics of their rustic surroundings. They arranged an army of synthesisers, guitar pedals and drum machines into tight, crisp Alternative gems that sparkle, shuffle and shake at every turn. The result of this incredible collaboration is the 'Panic Attack' EP (Released back on October 9th). It will be followed by the full length album due out in February 2016.

Upcoming Tour Dates:

November 17th - Saskatchewan Cultural Exchange — Regina, SK
November 18th - Starlite Room w/Dear Rouge — Edmonton, AB
November 19th - Broken City — Calgary, AB
November 20th - The Slice — Lethbridge, AB
November 21st - Spirit Bar — Nelson, BC.

Released last month the five track 'Panic Attack' EP is a taste of what to expect from next February's album. With thumping synths and percussion the title track is accompanied by some 'softer' songs and consistently fine vocals. The remix of 'Panic Attack' strips back the layers a little, giving it a more intricate feel. It's a hard one to call so we have added both versions.


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Cayetano - Talk To Me.

Background - It's been 3 years since Cayetano's "Once Sometime" album, which received great reviews from the Press as well as amazing feedback and support from artists such as Thievery Corporation, The Herbaliser, Mop Mop and Skeewiff to name a few.

Now, Cayetano is back with 11 different stories about everyday life, love and loneliness to be heard as one. It's the first album where he plays almost all instruments by himself, apart from the guitars, performed by Alex Papoulidis.

From the fusion feeling of "Talk To Me", or the deeply emotional "Something In You" and "Hold Me Tight", to the funky "Third World War" and the cinematic "Leningrad", from the jazzy "Fading Away", to the pop oriented "Treat You Right", "Where The Sun Shines" and "Never Said It's Easy", Cayetano creates another sonic kaleidoscope for your special moments.

'Talk To Me' is the first of eleven quite diverse songs, on this album. I just love the whole way this track flows, and was pleasantly surprised by the impressive quality of the rest of the material. As said, it ain't all the same, but it is a very good album.

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Emancipator - The Key (Live).

Background - In the wake of the release of his fourth studio album Seven Seas last month, hip hop/down tempo producer Doug Appling, aka Emancipator, has decided to release a live version of album track "The Key" for free download. This cut, which features live drums, bass, guitar, and violin, was recorded at the same show as his Live In Athens album, but was not included because the studio version was unreleased at the time.

Seven Seas debuted at #2 on the iTunes Electronic chart, and Doug and the Emancipator Ensemble are touring the west coast throughout November with openers Blockhead and Manatee Commune. Featuring bass and drums, along with a variety of string instruments played by Doug and close collaborator Ilya Goldberg, the Emancipator Ensemble brings his music to life at the crossroads between a DJ set and a live band.

Remaining Tour dates:

11/15 - Hi-Fi Music Hall - Eugene, OR
11/17 - Ashland Armory - Ashland, OR
11/18 - The Catalyst - Santa Cruz, CA
11/19 - Regency Ballroom - San Francisco, CA
11/20 - Regent Theatre - Los Angeles, CA
11/21 - Belly Up Tavern - Solana Beach, CA
11/22 - Glass House Concert Hall - Pomona, CA.

Well we have been known to share to odd live track or two on Beehive Candy. This is just superb, what else can I add, that hasn't been said in positive reviews by the likes of the New York Times and others.

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Blade of Grass - The Day Will Come.

Background Words - Blade of Grass is a two man organic electronic project based out of the seascape-y areas of the LA space. Back on October 20th they released their follow up EP to this year's two track EP She Was. From the onset, their latest release Skydream swiftly pulls the listener into a sonic landscape that dilates the senses and clears the stressful congested and racing mind.  

More so than this year's She Was, Skydream acts as a vehicle for Michael and Josh (Blade of Grass) to act as lackadaisical shamans of the secular world. In other words, all four tracks on Skydream are quintessential chill out music. Take a break from social media, anxiety, possessions, and let Blade of Grass' newest release be your convoy to momentary escapism.

Any outfit describing their music as 'West Coast Electronic Space Rock' deserves at least a listen. Vocals are good and strong, and nicely 'up in the mix' across all four tracks, each of which stamps it mark in a positive way. On reflection west coast electronic space rock is a fair description and you can add me as a fan.

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Saturday Sounds: Deep Sea Diver - L.U.V - Sugarmen - Postal Blue

Deep Sea Diver - Secrets.

Background and the story so far - "Wide awake, and I'm chasing after you" - exclaims a breathless Jessica Dobson, singer and multi-instrumentalist of Seattle's Deep Sea Diver. The lyric is one that best encapsulates the front woman's bravado and fearlessness which dominates Deep Sea Diver's forthcoming sophomore LP, Secrets out February 19th on their own High Beam records. In their desire to explore dualities, Deep Sea Diver urgently and deliberately move you from rock experimentation to dreamy soundscapes, Kraut-esque drum and bass grooves to angular danci-ness, and full fledged orchestration to bare bones simplicity. Dobson has the voice and authority to tie it all together, and turn it into a cohesive unit that soars yet remains beautifully delicate and intimate. Live, the band has received acclaim for their festival-ready power and presence, Jessica's larger than life guitar hooks, and their cascading layers that build upon each other until they reach their explosive peak.

In late 2013, Dobson put in her notice to former Shins boss, James Mercer, in order to give full attention to her own musical vision. Mercer agreed, saying "I'll miss you, but I give you my full support. You've gotta pursue Deep Sea Diver." While much was gleaned from the experiences in her many years spent playing with top tier musical outfits (Beck, the Shins, Spoon, Yeah Yeah Yeahs,) something was brewing that demanded a sort of dedication and alertness that couldn't be fully engaged while moonlighting as a side-woman for those greats.

Recorded with Darrell Thorpe (Radiohead, Beck) and Luke Vanderpol at the Bank in CA, Jessica and band (comprised of husband Peter Mansen on drums, Garrett Gue on bass, and Elliot Jackson on guitar and synth) have together created an album that is colorful, energetic, and varied-with an emotional depth and pulsating charge that demands the listeners full attention. As she and Mercer sing together on "Creatures of Comfort," "I'm in my own world", the listener is brought in, and very content that this is the world that she has chosen and invited others into. Secrets is an album you will not want to keep to yourself.

'Secrets' is the first single from next February's album of the same name. A potent and powerful song, both Jessica's vocals and the music, cut to the action, demanding your attention.

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L.U.V - I Can Be The Answer.

Background - Following their debut single 'Take Me to the Sea', Sunshine coast sister pop duo L.U.V are proud to present their new single 'I Can Be the Answer'.

Mixed by Brisbane’s Konstantin Kersting (Art of Sleeping, Moses Gunn Collective), the song’s dreamy karmic melody and harmonic overlapping vocals flirt playfully with psychedelia while demonstrating the young sisters innate ability to produce effortlessly gripping hooks. Think kaleidoscopic glimpses of bonfires by the lake on dark summer nights enveloped by the hypnotic voice of a young girl trying to seduce a lover with song. 'I Can Be the Answer'- beautiful, imploring and channelling the siren - is the second taste of a plethora of material forthcoming from L.U.V before impending live shows in 2016.

'I Can Be The Answer' is a catchy melodic pop song. Superbly performed and produced, that surely has to be enough, I think so.

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Sugarmen - Plastic Ocean.

Background - 2015 has been a huge year for Sugarmen. The band played two Hyde Park shows with The Who and Blur, as well as sharing stages with Sleaford Mods, The Bohicas, Hooton Tennis Club, Deer Hunter, Metronomy and British Sea Power. The four-piece have toured hard and reinforced their growing reputation for high octane live sets, driven by charismatic cool and electric chemistry.

Debut single 'Dirt', produced by Clash legend Mick Jones, was made XFM single of the week on its release in March and has racked up over 100,000 plays on Spotify. It’s easy to hear why: 'Dirt' is two-and-a-half glorious minutes of pure accelerating guitars matched with anthemic vocals.

Their new single 'Plastic Ocean', a galactic track that explodes into life with a collision of fractured rhythms and angular riffs, boasts clever lyrics, power-surged vocals, and spaghetti western guitars, all driven by an unrelenting rhythm section and infectious melody. 'Plastic Ocean' captures on record the on stage energy the band are renowned for, it's as sharp a statement of intent as you’ll ever hear.

Swaggering with attitude 'Plastic Ocean' is like a massive shot of adrenaline, delivered with a timeless 'Mod Rock' feel.

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Postal Blue - Bitterness Is Sweet.

Background promo - This is the second album from Brazil's Postal Blue, who have been around (though not very actively) for nearly 18 years now, with previous releases on indie pop royalty labels like Drive-In, Shelflife and Cloudberry Records. One listen and anyone could easily be convinced that this was a lost Sarah Records release, with its songs echoing the Orchids and Field Mice (in both their exuberant and melancholic moments) at some times, a less fragile Blueboy at others, and even Secret Shine at their dreamiest in a few spots. 

The production is crystal clear and shimmers brightly throughout the entire 35 minutes of this album, making it easy to see how it took so long to complete (you just can't rush perfection!). Overall, this is a very beautiful batch of songs that will make you wistful for the indiepop days of old and elated that the torch is still being carried on...

'Bitterness Is Sweet' is the first of ten songs on the album, all of which are at the very least, on a par with this featured track. If you were asked to describe 'indie pop', this could be as good a starting place as any.

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Friday Five: The Goldhearts - Indigo - Radiation City - Martha Bean - James Clark Hangover

The Goldhearts - Here's The Thing.

Background - The Goldhearts have had a big year. Not only did they master playing in a band with an interstate guitarist. They released their first single “On The Run" which received weekly spins by iconic Los Angeles DJ KROQ Rodney on his show Rodney on the Roq. The single was also embraced by community radio and received regular spins on SYN, ZZZ, Radio Adelaide and others.

So here' the thing... The Goldhearts are about to release their second single called "Here's the Thing”. "It's short and sharp" says Margy, the singer/guitarist and "a change in mood from the country swagger of our first single ‘On the Run’. The track highlights the punchier grittier side of The Goldhearts but with the same hooks and melodies that they are becoming known for as well as saluting the bands of the nineties where they draw their inspiration.

The single is the second of their forthcoming debut album which will be released early next year. The Album was produced by Govinda Doyle (Angus and Julia Stone, Big Jet Plane). The single will be supported by shows at Studio 56 at Miami Marketta on November 26, and the Zoo in Brisbane on November 27. And Chicks with Picks 19 December at Sydney Town Hall.

The Goldhearts formed earlier this year, bringing to life a solo recording project created by indie music stalwart Margy Joughin who stepped away from her usual duties on bass and guitar to record an album of engaging tunes with Govinda. Margy says "people seem to like the song “Here’s the Thing” because for some reason people love saying ‘here's the thing...’ maybe its because it makes them feel like they are about to say something very profound and people are going to listen to them, even if it's, ‘I think it's time for a coffee.’”

Straight rocking and with a respectful nod to artists as diverse as PJ Harvey and Hole, The Goldhearts sound is full of hooks. 'Here's The Thing' has repeat play written all over it, another band ensuring rocks legacy is in safe hands.

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Indigo - Moving On.

Background - Indigo are a four piece band out of the South West of Western Australia. The current line up consists of Christopher Kinna on lead vocals & guitar, Dylan Keirnan on guitar/backing vocals, David Williams on bass guitar/backing vocals and Joshua Beaumont on drums. 

Together, the four boys produce a sound that reflects the good summer vibes that we all know and love. This soft rock/indie/alternative outfit easily translates from CD to an electric live performance that will have you dancing all night, singing along to their catchy tunes.

The Indigo boys have just finished the recording of their next single “Moving On" and it’s due to be released November 2015 along with an official film clip. ‘Moving On’ is a feel good song written about getting over the hard times and finding balance. ‘Moving On’ is the new single off an upcoming EP that Indigo is currently working on, look for it to be released in early 2016.

'Moving On' is a pleasing indie rock song, and yes it does have a little bit of a 'summer lift' to it, even though it's definitely early winter where I am. This might be how Arcade Fire would sound if they were stripped back and more gritty.

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Radiation City - Juicy.

And the story so far - In late 2013, with two well-received full-lengths and an EP under its belt, Radiation City got the itch. The band had built a strong following in its native Portland and connected with fans around the world, and from the outside, the path seemed clear enough: find a great producer to work with and further develop the smooth, space-age doo-wop sound that had put them on the map in the first place.

But on the inside, things weren't so simple. Cameron Spies and Lizzy Ellison, Radiation City's founding couple, were falling apart. Rad City, a tight-as-family band that always seemed to work so effortlessly off- and onstage, was on the verge of calling it quits. Then a funny thing happened: Spies and Ellison got together to record some new, urgent and semi-spontaneous songs and rediscovered that old magic. "None of it felt rushed, or belabored," Spies says. "It was honest and unafraid."

Of course, it was also the product of just 40 percent of the group. So, in the face of ambivalence and the band's impending implosion, Ellison and Spies decided to do something they'd never done before -- they transformed Radiation City from a democracy into a monarchy. They curated a new tracklist for the third full-length (half new songs and half old ones), enlisted Unknown Mortal Orchestra's Riley Geare to be their studio drummer, and found their great producer in John Vanderslice (Spoon, Death Cab For Cutie) of Tiny Telephone Studios.

The band's issues didn't end with these revelations-Spies and Ellison broke up temporarily and called off their wedding, one band member was let go, and only half of the group went to San Francisco to record the tracks for the new album-but the die was cast. Radiation City was not going to polish up its old style for Synesthetica; it was going to completely overhaul both its process and its sound. After recording with Vanderslice, the band took its new directive back to Portland and turned to Jeremy Sherrer (Modest Mouse, Gossip) at Ice Cream Party to flesh out its studio sessions.

Based on the condition known as synesthesia, whereby a person links one sensual experience with another (for Ellison, who experiences it, that means seeing specific colours when she hears different musical sounds), Synesthetica is a place where multi-sensory experience is commonplace; where feelings and definitions blend and melt, and surreality becomes reality. The word synesthetica is the summation of a pivotal third album that, from the outside, probably seems as effortless as every other Radiation City release. Synesthetica almost killed this band, but instead, it serves as the opening salvo of a monumental second act, and Radiation City is invincible.

The album is due out February 12th 2016, and as the (edited) story above shows it's been some journey arriving at this point. Thankfully 'Juicy' suggests we are in for a treat regarding the forthcoming album. A great song that twists and turns, bring on the album.

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Martha Bean - A Better Man.

Background words - About ‘A Better Man’ - With Martha’s pacific acoustic picking and radiant gliding vocal to the fore, ‘A Better Man’ is an enchanting composition of mellow orchestral folk. Completed by warm components of electric piano, bass, a string section and a rolling yet respectful tom-tom pulse, it conveys both the classic English harmony of retro-roots torchbearers The Unthanks and the ambient indie stylings of This Is The Kit. “What does it take to be a better man?” wonders Martha in a breathy, beautiful hook, reflecting on the contradictory, confusing nature of the information overload surrounding self-improvement, before reaching a sage conclusion in the final chorus:  “A little dignity, and a willing hand/Now that’s the start/Of a better man”.

About Martha Bean - On her acclaimed debut album, ‘When Shadows Return To The Sea’, released earlier this year, Martha Bean not only wrote and bathed all of the tracks in her haunting, ethereal falsetto, she also played guitar, piano, double bass, banjo and clarinet, as well as orchestrating the string arrangements throughout. It’s perhaps not surprising, then, that this Leicester-based polymath – whose aforementioned LP drew her comparisons to the likes of Lisa Hannigan, Fiona Apple and Norah Jones – began her musical education early, at the age of three, when her parents got her started on piano. This immersion into sound led Martha to pick up the guitar as a teenager and then study music composition at Dartington College of Arts in Devon. From this creative resume came a broad church of inspirations, from alt-folk maestroes such as Nick Drake and Fionn Regan to fellow boundary-breakers Radiohead and Claude Debussy. Martha’s sonic template has been further expanded by support slots and festival appearances alongside the likes of Marika Hackman, Seth Lakeman, Bombay Bicycle Club and Bon Iver, while she’s even been heard on primetime TV: her songs have featured on trailers for EastEnders and Midsomer Murders, as well as in several advertising campaigns. It’s indicative of the crossover appeal of Martha Bean, for what’s not to like about intense, sincere songcraft, authoritatively composed and passionately performed? 

See Martha live in November:

Saturday 14: In The Woods, Lage Vuursche, Netherlands
Sunday 15: Het Oude Theater, Oss, Netherlands
Thursday 19: Jam Café, Nottingham
Tuesday 24: The Finsbury, London N4

Wednesday 25: The Musician, Leicester

This is a beautiful song. Vocals are stunning and the music is in perfect harmony. What else can I say, I love it.

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James Clark Hangover - Maria.

A message from James - I've been playing professionally for 35 years.. I started in the bars of the 1980's playing punk rock. Over the last five years I've reevaluated my music, I've relearned guitar and learned piano. And started to concentrate on keeping it simple and delivering the message in the most concise and universal way. 

For instance, for my new song Maria the intro is 5 seconds long, and then quick to the chorus.. Bubblegum! The Ramones are a huge inspiration. It's not easy to "dumb it down" but here's my attempt at it...with Jordon Zadorozny (Blinker The Star/Lindsay Buckingham/Courtney Love/Sam Roberts) singing back-up vocals and producing. The video was filmed in three locations: An old Barber Shop, a garage that looks like it had been hit by a bomb and finally a classic bar. I think it worked out to look like an ad for H&M directed by Herb Ritts. It's a Black & White arty affair. Some pretend singin' and playin' and a vague concept but I think it came together nicely.

The video will be added to our BeeVids page, and the album 'Volume 3' is out November 20th. 'Maria' is a timeless rock piece, no bells or whistles, just straight gutsy 'how it is' music, with well suited and passionate vocals.

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The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Hell.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Hell.

And Kip and the band tells us - A couple months ago I posted a demo for the song "Hell" and some people said, "why don't you record that for real?" So we went over to my friend Danny's studio (House Under Magic) and recorded the track along with two cover songs - "Ballad of the Band" by Felt and "Laid" by James as a way to mark our forthcoming tour of Japan. 

The latter has lead vocals by Jen Goma, who sang on our last album and also performs with the excellent pop contortionists, A Sunny Day in Glasgow. The Felt song is really the UR-Felt song, the wry articulation of what Felt is most famous for - not being an eighth as famous as they ought to be. The song "Hell" is about how insufferable performances of sensitivity are when there's a good song playing and someone you want to dance with.

Remaining Tour Dates:

November 28 - Hong Kong - Cockenflap Festival
November 29 - Singapore - Neon Lights Festival

There is something quite raw and genuine about this three track release. 'Hell' has that natural rock feel to it, not to polished, it just lets the bands collective talent do the work, and is pleasingly unpretentious. Having found a link to the cover of 'Laid' I could not resist sharing this as well. I love so much of the music James have released down the years, and this version does the original justice, whilst demonstrating that this band can put their stamp on a whole range of music, in a really good way.

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