A Couple Of Live Ones: Sweeney - We are Bandicoot

Pure Phase Ensemble 4 (ft. Mark Gardener) - Happy Dancing Woman (Radio Edit).

Background promo - This coming weekend, Liverpool hosts the fifth installment of the city's International Festival Of Psychedelia (a.k.a. Liverpool Psych Fest or PZYK), hosting over 100 live acts and DJs across its four stages for two straight days - Friday, September 23rd and Saturday, September 24th.

Pure Phase Ensemble is a Polish international music collective with revolving membership and several core players. Previously featuring members of Spiritualized, Stereolab and Ride, this space-rock collective renews its lineup every year, showcasing a wide range of collaborators from the world of PZYK.

Created specially for the SpaceFest! festival of shoegaze, space-rock and psychedelia in Gdansk (Poland), the 4th edition of the project – Pure Phase Ensemble 4 feat. Mark Gardener – was particularly successful, with the 'Live at Spacefest!' album receiving over 100 rave reviews and loads of airplay worldwide. Apart from featuring the frontman of legendary shoegazers RIDE, this collective also includes Ray Dickaty (ex-Spiritualized), Karol Schwarz (KSAS, 7faz), Jacek Rezner and Kamil Hordyniec (Wilga), Michal Pydo (Hatifnats), Michal ‘Kostek’ Stolc (Cisza nocna). Website here.

Having listened to the seven song collection 'Live At SpaceFest' (Bandcamp), the radio edit of 'Happy Dancing Woman' gives just a taste of the bands space rock and psychedelic excursions. Oh to be in Liverpool this weekend!


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We are Bandicoot - Temper (Live).

Background - Kent five-piece We Are Bandicoot have been topping the lists of Indie tastemakers throughout 2016 and their debut album “Temper” out Friday 18th November shows just why these inventive trendsetters are causing such a song and dance, literally.

Living together in a secluded farmhouse in Kent, the band have been busy sweating away all summer finishing their debut album “Temper” in their purpose built home studio. Cut off from civilization and phone signal, who knows what went on within the walls of the We Are Bandicoot live room, but whatever the conditions were, the band could make a fortune by bottling it.

Recalling the likes of Pink Floyd, Jeff Buckley and recorded entirely live no less, “Temper” brings erotic guitar grooves and sweeping drums to deliciously compliment the inventive vocal hooks and harmonies from frontman Simon Briley, the likes of which have already secured the attention of more than just the Internet’s most revered bloggers. Not content with invading our screens, We Are Bandicoot have been attacking the airwaves in 2016 with multiple spins on BBC Introducing from Tom Robinson and plays coming from far and wide with Radio Kaos Caribou in France and The Justin Wayne Show in Montana, both championing the band.

Following shows with Broken Records, Moulettes and Heg & The Wolf Chorus and festival appearances at Boardmasters, El Dorado and The Great Escape, the trailblazers from the South East will be on the road from September to December supporting 90’s Brit Pop legends My Life Story, 60’s Rock legend Arthur Brown, Folk Rock favourites Blackbeard’s Tea Party and hosting an exclusive Album Launch Show in November. “Temper” is released by Blizzard Records on 18th November 2016.

Catch We Are Bandicoot at a show near you:
24/09 - Fools Paradise Festival, Leeds
08/10 - Folkstone, Leas Cliff Hall
15/10 - London, The Borderline - Supporting My Life Story
20/10 - Wolverhampton, The Robin 2 - Supporting Arthur Brown
11/11 - Sussex Arms, Tunbridge Wells - Album Launch Party.

Second time on Beehive Candy this year, and the live version of  'Temper' suggests Novembers album release will be a good one. It's also a very good indication that if you are local enough in the UK, one of the above live dates is worth the ticket.

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Genre Wander: Avakhan - Firebug - MV & EE - Terence Jack

Avakhan - Just Let Go.

Background promo - Swedish female fronted indie-pop Avakhan share latest single 'Just Let Go' + Album coming 2017. Written and produced by the band, their latest single Just Let Go is an upbeat, feel-good pop tune. An outrageously addictive chorus paired with Tegan And Sara - esque vibrant vocals is the perfect combination for what feels like a summery hit. The piece is taken from their upcoming album to be released in 2017.

It all began when Ava, Kristoffer and Joakim met in Stockholm and started a band touring clubs and festivals. After many celebrated concerts it was not long until they were the labeled as “Sweden’s best unsigned live band” by a Swedish Idol Judge on Channel Four. After they released their debut album it’s not what you believe in which one of Sweden’s greatest jazz musicians Magnus Lindgren collaborated on it. Website here.

'Just Let Go' has all the right ingredients for a fine, melodic indie pop song. It's good to here a Swedish band, where the vocalist does not adopt a mid Atlantic accent, for me, it feels more from the heart.

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Firebug - For The Love.

Background - At a time when society seems hellbent on working itself to death just to get a paycheck, New Orleans psychedelic indie rockers Firebug are committed to pursuing their passions, no matter the cost. Frontwoman Juliette Tworsey calls Firebug’s soulful new single, “For the Love,” an ode to “doing what you love, no matter how difficult, simply because you love it.”

“For the Love” is the first single from Firebug’s upcoming full-length album, Homeostasis. Co-produced by Chris Goss (Queens of The Stone Age, Arctic Monkeys), Homeostasis is set for a 2016 release. More information on Homeostasis and Firebug is available on the band’s official website.

Fueled by Tworsey and multi-instrumentalist Jules Shapiro, Firebug embrace a variety of musical genres, including soul, ’60s/’70s rock, ’90s alternative, and modern rock. Tworsey’s charismatic presence helps the outspoken singer stand out, earning her comparisons to rock icons Chrissie Hynde and Grace Slick.

Based in New Orleans, Tworsey and Shapiro are inspired by the city itself and its rich musical history. Upon their arrival in New Orleans from Los Angeles, the duo performed as street musicians in the French Quarter. “We met so many talented musicians on the street,” Shapiro remembers. “It was a real awakening for us. New Orleans has inspired new ideas that we’ve incorporated into our sound and our songwriting.” Bandcamp here.

Juliette Tworsey really can deliver rootsy soulful vocals as 'For The Love' demonstrates. This is a passionate and powerful song, with both vocals and an equally superb musical performance pumping things up, something akin to The Black Crowes with a female vocalist! (now there's a thought - followed by a swift apology to Chris Robinson).

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MV & EE - Feel Alright.

Background - "MV & EE take their homespun hypnotics and cosmic country sounds to new levels on Root/Void. I love this album - it trips hard and hauntingly - a gift for languid golden afternoons or late night moonlight powwows. 

Anthem-worthy tape edits on some cuts crack open surreal and cinematic vistas. While joined by fellow travelers here and there, this LP remains in essence a fecund duet from two entwined souls, updating and re-defining their unique pool of sound. Intrepid audio bathers: get thee immersed!" - Lee Ranaldo Italy, July 2016

MV & EE - LP / digital - pre-order here. Release Date: Oct. 7, 2016.

I like the description "cosmic country" and for 'Feel Alright' it's just so right. The video paints a picture of just what that means, so more cosmic country please.

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Terence Jack - Errors.

Background - Choral swells and cascading guitar riffs envelope the triumphant new single 'Errors. 

As with the previous single, Eastern Rise, Jack partnered with producer and fellow Vancouverite, Daniel Klenner (We Are the City, Tourist Company, Hey Ocean), to write and co-produce the song.

Errors was conceived during a wine jam-session and evolved from a punchy riff to the full-bodied song in The Space studio with Daniel. Errors details the bitter-sweetness of leaving someone, or being left, in favour of chasing dreams. The departure, the return, and the ride reflect that concept.

"We just succumbed to the poppiness of the song and served the song. The bridge was added last and turned out to be my favourite part of the whole record."

Summer engulfed Terence in a 45-day tour and a ton of festivals. He'll be heading back to the studio to work on his next full-length album soon, due for release in 2017. Facebook here.

Second time this year on Beehive Candy for Terence Jack and the brand new song 'Errors'. Once again we are treated to his distinct and pleasing vocals, against a solid alt rock background. Next years full length is likely to create considerable interest, if this years material is anything to go by.  

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Mood Mixer: Allie & Ivy - TwinFin - Real Numbers - Dark Mean

Allie & Ivy - Best Friends.

Background promo - Best Friends is the latest summer party jam from Sydney electropop singer-songwriter, Aleisha (Allie) Conlay who goes by the musical pseudonym, Allie & Ivy.

"This song is my 'happy place',” says Allie. “It’s about those summer days spent drinking in the sun at pool parties with your best friends – the days when it feels like you don't have a care in the world. I wrote Best Friends when I was living in an epic sharehouse that had a pool and a jacuzzi, and that’s literally what we did all summer. It was one of the happiest times of my life.”

A cocktail of hook-driven melodies, bright synths and energetic beats infused with infectious group vocals and the carefree spirit of youth, Best Friends is an escape from all your worries.

Allie & Ivy is indie electropop singer-songwriter Aleisha (Allie) Conlay, from the sunny northern beaches of Sydney, Australia. Writing songs since the age of 11 and picking up the guitar at 14, Allie was schooled in music at a very young age by her father, a guitarist and record collector from London with a passion for 60s music.

Having developed a deep infatuation with The Beatles at age 11, Allie had dreams to one day front an all-girl rock band called The Ladybeetles but unfortunately never managed to find her Paul, George or Ringo. Not one to let that get in the way of her plans, Allie conjured up alter ego Ivy, giving her the comradeship, confidence and support a real band couldn’t.

Allie & Ivy’s fresh sound and penchant for catchy hooks and infectious melodies have gained accolades both in Australia and internationally with success in the International Songwriting Competition (2015) and the Unsigned Only Music Competition (2016 & 2015). Facebook here. also on Itunes.

Imagine a bright sunny day, clear skies and just a gentle breeze. Oh and to add to the pain, it's your week off and it's a choice between a cool drink or a swim, or both, with more fun to come. 'Best Friends' would have to be the song for that week, and some...

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TwinFin - Jungle Room.

Background - Twin-Fin's high-energy music has topped national jazz and blues radio airplay charts (since March of 2016). Their swingin' songs have been streamed more than 3 million times in wildly popular viral videos. They have performed for raucous and rollicking swingabilly audiences from London Music Hall to the East End Rockabilly Riot and Rockabilly Shake Up.

Now, London, Ontario-based rockabilly-swing, blues and jazz band, Twin-Fin and Infinite Entertainment Group are happy to announce the September 18, 2016  worldwide release of the band's debut album, Whiskey Wine and Venom Love. The album features 10 original songs of gin-soaked deception, debauchery, and determination, including the band's #1 radio hits, "Straight Six and Four on the Floor" and "Jungle Room." Whiskey Wine and Venom Love was produced, recorded and engineered by Cole G. Benjamin, at Higher Ground Sound and mastered by Juno Award Winner, Dan Brodbeck.

Twin-Fin is: Dana MacCabe: Vocals, Guitar Cole G Benjamin: Vocals, Saxophone Paul Wickerson: Guitar, Vocals Eric Roelofsen: Upright Bass, Vocals Brad Ondrovcik: Drums.

Twin-Fin is high energy Swing, Rockabilly, Blues and Jazz. Based in London, Ontario, this 5-piece band loves to perform original songs along with repertoire by Janis Martin, Louis Prima, Brian Setzer, and Tarantino soundtracks to keep the shows jumpin'. Website here.

'Jungle Room' is a vibrant energised swingin' song, that demands a little foot tapping at the very least. The video concentrates on their natural live flair, and the hooks are everywhere!

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Real Numbers - Frank Infatuation.

Background -  Wordless Wonder is the long awaited full length from Real Numbers.  It follows up a pair of 12" EPs on Three Dimensional Records, a single on Florida's Dying, and recent appearances on cassettes from Forged Artifacts and No Problem. Tenderly crafted by Matt Castore at his St. Paul, MN studio A Harder Commune from late 2015 to early 2016, it is presented here on Slumberland Records for your enjoyment.

Members of the band include Eli Hansen (Cozy, Boys Club, Retainers) on vocals and guitars, John Eggerman (Cozy, Private Interests, Mystery Date) on bass, and James Blackfield (France Camp, Nice Purse) on drums. The addition of full time lead guitar player Ian Nygaard (Nice Purse, Howler) reveals a much fuller sound while maintaining the band's trademark DIY simplicity.

 Real Numbers made their debut East coast rounds last summer and are planning a return trip in September.  Previous jaunts have consisted of Gonerfest (2011), SXSW (2013), UK/Europe (2010 & 2011) and Japan (2013 & 2014).  An Australian tour in 2013 yielded such tremendous opportunities as lawn bowling with The Stevens, performing live on FBI Radio, crashing at Gooch Manor, and having Shorty and Joe from Royal Headache fill in on drums and guitar.

Wordless Wonder will be released by Slumberland records on October 14, 2016.

'Frank Infatuation' typifies the timeless feel of the forthcoming album. The band come across to me as content with a back to basics approach, where adding a twelve string guitar or wind organ is more than enough excess. I have to say the approach works, their focus on each song and ensuring the core sound is right and production crisp, leaves us with a straight down the line rock'n'roll album mixing indie with new wave vibes, and their own unique and forcefull sound.

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Dark Mean - Settle Down.

Background from the band - For the past year we've been quietly chipping away in the studio. We've focused our spontaneous fits of inspiration, normally captured on cell phones and wired between Ottawa and Hamilton, into something concrete. Our new song  'Settle Down' is the first to come from these new sessions.

Years of struggle and extended hiatuses are nothing new for us. That’s how we've always operated. Incessant file sharing and e-mails, frustrating Skype calls, relentless attention to detail, and the odd show amidst chaotic life schedules, are just a few ways we've not only hung together, but they've made it possible for us to keep releasing music. A focus on the music that could only come from a group of guys with no time for dilly-dallying.

'Settle Down' has a raw feel to it, as the song slowly builds, and draws the listener in. There is a lofi vibe to the song, where emotion takes centre stage, and it works.

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Quality Not Quantity: Adult Future - Jen Baron - Carey Ott

Adult Future - The Leaf House.

Background from the band - We made a record about you. Yes, you read that right. In a time of disconnect and increased alienation of the individual, the band wanted to make a record that emphasised the singular stories that we all have and share as human beings. What personal story was life-changing for you? How would it come to shape and refine you? What would make your lead headline? Your front page?

All of the songs on this record were inspired by personal stories and were utilised as a method to reconcile those feelings of estrangement. It was an attempt to bridge those feelings of isolation that seemingly contradicts a shared environment where people are literally living on top of each other. Drug abuse, mental and physical illness, violence and love – all of these things impact us individually, but when seen as an amalgamation – is the totality of human history. So, we’re here. And we’ll continue to listen to your stories because they inspire us. Thank you for being our muse. Full album releases on September 30th.

'The Leaf House' is a rich alt rock song, with thoughtful lyrics and enough grit and energy to stand out. It's my introduction to the band and a fine one at that. Find out more about Adult Future on their website here.

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Jen Baron - 'Til I've Got You.

Background - Jen Baron is a songwriter and producer from Santa Barbara, CA. Her work can be seen in multiple films including Sharon Stone's, Femme. She has worked with some of the industry's top song writers. 

She is also the Executive Director of Girls Rock SB, a non-profit organisation that empowers girls through music education, creative expression and performance. More about Girls Rock here.

This song was written and produced by songwriter Jen Baron and sang by recording artist Sophie Rose for the demo

'Til I've Got You' suggests that Jen Baron has a very natural flair for writing intimate and intriguing songs. The production brings the best out of the musicians and vocalist, giving the song that little extra edge. It's also provides me with an opportunity to mention Girls Rock (link above), which is a pleasure.

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Carey Ott - Nocona (High Hangin' On A Limb).

Background - Nashville singer-songwriter Carey Ott has just dropped his new album Nocona, which follows up the acclaimed Lucid Dream (released by Dualtone Music), 2010’s Human Heart and 2012’s Muddy Water. The album features contributions by a group of Nashville friends and stalwarts that includes Will Kimbrough, Cage The Elephant co-founder Lincoln Parish and Dualtone recording artist Rebecca Roubion.

Ott, who grew up in Ottawa, Illinois, moved to nearby Chicago in the mid-90s where he fronted the band Torben Floor. The group recorded albums with esteemed engineers Steve Albini and Brian Deck and toured nationally before calling it quits in 1999. The breakup allowed Ott to concentrate on his solo career, which found him relocating to Nashville, and has yielded the Uncut Magazine-acclaimed 2006 album Lucid Dream (released by Dualtone Music), 2010’s PopMatters recommended Human Heart and 2012’s Muddy Water, which WRLT radio described as "a landscape of musical soul, grit and passion."

Ott’s songs have been featured in episodes of Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice and The Gates, as well as the feature films The Killing of John Lennon and 37. Other commercial placements include ads for Coors Light, Piraeus Bank and Burton Snowboards.

Nocona (No-koh-nah), a Comanche word meaning “The Wanderer,” refers both to a small town in Texas and a song that Ott co-wrote with fellow Nashville musician Ryan Culwell, who was actually born in Nocona, Texas, a town which Ott has never visited but feels a spiritual connection to.

Carey Ott’s Nocona, an album inspired by a sleepy North Texas town of barely 3,000 people, is a collection of ten songs – co-produced with Neilson Hubbard – that play like a roadmap through an amalgamation of emotions and themes. Opening track “Nocona (High Hangin’ on a Limb)” (which has already received airplay on Lightning 100, Nashville’s Independent Radio) explores leaving small towns for big dreams; “Til the Well Runs Dry” is a lighthearted and fun song about lust; “Cosmic Joke” asks listeners to learn to laugh, love and live without taking life too seriously; “Speed of Love” is about healing and slowing down enough to appreciate the good that’s all around us; “We Are a Circle” talks about the eternal thread of love that connects all of us.

'Nocona (High Hangin' On A Limb)' is the first of ten tracks on the recently released album. It's a good representation of what is a high quality selection, of Americana and alt rock songs. Carey's music does not follow any one format, the one consistent feature for me are his vocals, the rest is left to discover, song by song.

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