Native Harrow new song 'Something You Have' has something of a blues feel to it musically, the vocals add additional melody and some heartfelt beauty.
Silverbacks make their third appearance on Beehive Candy with 'Pink Tide' where a chunky rhythm supports some semi spoken vocals as the bands notable style of rock continues to impress.
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Native Harrow - Something You Have.
Devin Tuel may consider herself to be an artist meant for a different time but the singer-songwriter, residing in rural Pennsylvania, now finds herself inhabiting her own true place as she shares the first single from her debut Loose album Happier Now released under her nom de plume, Native Harrow.
Speaking about the single, singer and composer Devin Tuel says Something You Have is written "about a relationship where there is an unbalanced amount of focus on one person. Giving and giving, and giving more even after you’ve sworn not to. Some people seem to have a certain magic about them where they can do no wrong. They are never punished for being a bad friend, lover, child, sibling, etc. I really started protecting my heart and my time this year and at the same time ruminated on the desire I always have to experience emotion as someone else. I struggle with anxiety and bouts of the blues and I look at others from time to time and think, "wow I’d love to know what it’s like to feel this the way you do."
Native Harrow cuts out clear and vibrant narratives on fear, love, the open road, ill-fated relationships, and coping with the state of the world. “I wanted to share that I made it out of my own thunderstorm.” says Tuel. “I had experienced the high peaks and very low valleys of my twenties. I saw more of the world on my own, got through challenges, revelled in true moments of triumph… but all the while the world around me was growing louder, wilder, and scarier. Music for me is a place to be soft. This album was my place to feel it all.”
Happier Now will receive its European release via Loose (Damien Jurado, Courtney Marie Andrews, Israel Nash, The Handsome Family) on 2nd August 2019.
Silverbacks are continuing their fruitful studio partnership with Girl Band’s Daniel Fox with the propelling new track ‘Pink Tide’ that is out now.
“Pink Tide is a song about trendy and stylish revolutions that lack substance and never fully materialise. The chorus is inspired by a YouTube compilation I came across called 'Make Way for The Queens Guard!!!'.
It's pretty much the Queen's Guard yelling the video title every time a tourist impedes them from completing their duty. I told Kilian about the video before he went on a short trip to London and upon his visit to Buckingham Palace he shouted out the line. His moment of inspiration wasn't very well received so we made it into a chorus.
Musically, we had been messing around with the outro guitar riff for a few weeks which we initially attached to another demo, poorly named 'Mark E. Smith Eats His Purple Crayon'. In the end we realised that the riff deserved better, and we started writing what eventually became Pink Tide.”
Annabel Allum makes her fourth appearance on Beehive Candy more a less a year to the day since we last enjoyed a song from her. 'You Got It Good' is another typically emotion packed song, her vocals as earnest as ever and the music equally determined.
'Superclean' from Scott Lavene is accompanied by an engaging video full of low budget moments, that just add to the charm of this hook laden song,
Back in April we shared 'I With Mine' by Merival and now we have 'No Brakes' where the vocals are absolutely stunning as is the refreshing musical backdrop.
Spirit Family Reunion have just released the first taste of their forthcoming album with 'One Way Ticket' a wonderful American folk piece which just fills the room with Americana goodness.
Finally today, Grace Gillespie has released 'I'm Your Man' a song that sits somewhere between Indie pop, rock or even folk, it's might be hard to pigeonhole, but it's an equally addictive and pleasing tune.
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Annabel Allum - You Got It Good.
From playing local pubs in Guildford 6 nights a week, to acclaimed performances around the world, it’d be tempting to call Annabel Allum’s rise a whirlwind. However to do so would belie the steady growth and legwork put in by one of the UK’s most exciting up-and-comers. From single to single Annabel has evolved and added exciting extra facets to her trademark punky sound. Upcoming release You Got It Good, out via cult London label Killing Moon, is the latest peak in her canon of vital, snarling songs.
A common theme throughout her releases is the ease with which tracks boiling over with righteous anger can sit side by side with touchingly sentimental tracks dedicated to friends and family. You Got It Good, with its bouncy 90s style treads that tightrope with aplomb. Annabel explains the origins of the track:
"I wrote this song after a friend came to me in a very low state. This is the conversation I had with them. Sometimes we need to go through hardship to grow as people, and understand ourselves & the world around us better. To adapt & learn from negative situations allows us to appreciate life more."
Long marked out as one to watch, the swell of praise for Annabel Allum from all corners is resounding. Long-time championed by BBC Radio 1, she’s made the daytime playlist, had a live session at the iconic Maida Vale studios as well as performing on their SXSW stage, a festival which she’s now taken by storm twice. Other notable shows include a dream-come-true emotional performance at Reading festival, as well as The Great Escape; tours with Nadine Shah, Sleeper and Beth Ditto have been the perfect way to cut her teeth in the presence of esteemed artists.
Scott Lavene returns his new single Superclean, the latest track to be taken from his forthcoming album Broke that is set for release on 7th June on CD, LP and digital.
Speaking of his latest release, Lavene says “It’s a pop bop, a strut. I wanted to write a song that was less literal than others I write. I wrote it one morning during the recording of the album, in the kitchen of the producer who was letting me stay at his house. It’s about feeling good, a new chapter, eternal optimism, escape.”
Growing up in the eighties his first musical memories were the Stray Cats thrilling rush ‘Runaway Boys’ when he was at nursery before sparking off on The Clash on the Levis ads and Otis Reading, Beatles, Stones and all the classics before embracing the kind of eclectic musical trip that his own songs reflect.
‘I like everything from cheesy pop, hip hop, British music from sixties and seventies Ian Dury, to underground stuff like Suicide and the Membranes. When I first had a band I tried to be something I’m not, cool, hip. indie, like the Kills or The Strokes but I’m not cool and I don’t write songs like that. I’m just a fella from Essex and when I started writing stories and songs about my own life and what I’d seen it all clicked.’
To support the release of his new album Scott Lavene is heading out on the road with his newly formed backing band The Pub Garden.
The new track is shared in-line with news of her debut album, 'Lesson' (out August 2, 2019) which comes produced by Sam Gleason (Charlotte Cornfield, Omhouse). 'No Brakes' sonically finds Merival - who's previous collabs include members of Born Ruffians and Teen Daze - rubbing shoulders with the likes of Haley Heynderickx, Adrianne Lenker and Marissa Nadler; bewitching melodies are intertwined with icy vocals and carousel-like rhythms, all topped off with a slightly tongue-in-cheek video.
Anna is quite open about her mental health and 'No Brakes' explores the writing process when battling these demons. Lyrically, it encapsulates the insecurity that comes with artistry and the perception of 'bad art vs good art', and 'mental anguish vs stability' - whether an artist needs to be in a darker psychological place to conjure up 'good' or credible music.
Speaking about the track, Merival says: “The video for 'No Brakes' was a fun flip around from the track. Whereas lyrically we had a serious subject: depression, and does feeling worse make better art? — This topic was given a spin with contrasting musical elements, for the video we took a kind of goofy narrative and tried to lend some gravitas to the actions around it.”
Nepoer Folk Festival faves Spirit Family Reunion are set to return with 'Ride Free' their first album in four years. Fans will notice a wider variety of instrumentation on a number of songs, from electric guitar to a horn section on “Gradual Power,” though their signature harmonies, Maggie Carson’s banjo, and Stephen Weinheimer’s washboard are alive and well.
Banjo player Maggie Carson contributes lead vocals to the rousing old-time tune “When I Get Home” while washboard man Stephen Weinheimer sings vulnerably about a moment of self-doubt in “Moon In The Mirror.” The insightful “Gradual Power” finds the band exploring the cyclical nature of things. Nick Panken wrote “Come Our Way” towards the end of 2016, exploring the balance between individual action and acceptance on the course of events. The band continues its commitment to traditional folk music with a rousing interpretation of the cowboy classic “Whoopie Ti Yi To.”
Of the single, Panken says, “This is a song about self empowerment, solidarity among outcasts, a thirst for trespassing borders that uphold convention. Being alive is the only permission you need to be here. That is your one way ticket, and it’s as valid as the rest. Though our societies invent criteria that inflict very real suffering upon a multitude of beings, we are all entitled to claim dignified lives simply because we are here. Ultimately this is more real than any fabricated rule or restriction, and this song suggests that the validation you need is contained within you.”
Spirit Family Reunion has played Austin City Limits and headlined the Brooklyn Folk Fest; performed an NPR Tiny Desk Concert; joined tours with Hurray for the Riff Raff, The Alabama Shakes, and Levon Helm; and been streamed well over two million times on Spotify.
London based artist and producer Grace Gillespie is releasing her new single ‘I’m Your Man’, announcing her debut EP ‘Pretending’.
After “a very musically immersive experience” touring as part of Pixx’s live line up “getting to play alongside the likes of - Nilufer Yanya, Sorry, Cosmo Pyke and Trudy and the Romance”, South London based Grace Gillespie is exploring the world of psych-pop with her new solo material.
Releasing her take on a woozy, romantic ballad, a self-proclaimed “pyjama clad, songwriter living in a fictional apocalyptic world”, the track was born from Grace’s job hunt : “I could imagine an interview scenario where I was dressed up very sharply and was selling myself in an Elvis voice, shaking all their hands: look no further I'm Your Man.”
Originally from Devon, Grace was constantly surrounded by art: “Both my parents, my grandmothers, my grandpa, auntie and great aunt are all incredible painters, sculptors, print-makers.”
As a child, the most influential gallery she could visit was her own home, filled with visual art by her parents. She explains, “childishly, I liked seeing how the work that related to me – paintings that my mother or father had painted in the years before I was born or in the years when I was very young.”
“For me, all music - my own song writing as well as much of the music I have listened to throughout my life - is attached permanently to specific images and locations,” she continues, carrying on the artistic tradition.
‘I’m Your Man’ is available on all online platforms on 17th May, is the first track from Grace’s debut EP ‘Pretending’ out 28th July on Kaleidoscope.
Just a couple of songs today. First off we have Scary Hours with 'The Real Disease' a song with a message that is conveyed through thoughtful lyrics and some robust musicianship.
Gathering Of Strangers have shared an acoustic live session version of 'Lady' and although I am a little short on info about the band, the video and song stand on their own merit, this is refined alt rock.
Scary Hours - The Real Disease.
Scary Hours create unsettling and raw anti-folk, rich with socio-political humor and the confrontational spirit of punk and hardcore.
Band spearhead Ryan Struck is officially from Jersey, but his songwriting is chock full of references to work life in NYC. The term “Scary Hours” is actually pulled from the Wu Tang Clan track from their 97’ album Forever. It seemed appropriate considering the hours Ryan was working in the city and also references the late hours of a party, when everyone is most intoxicated and you’re not sure what you did the next day. Often Ryan would find voice recordings from those nights that he didn’t remember making and the bones of Scary Hours debut album, Live to Serve, were built on those memos.
Struck cut his teeth in various punk and hardcore bands through his teen years and early 20’s and is currently a sought after multi-instrumentalist who moonlights on bass with The 65’s and drums in Voice of Doom. Reluctant to coin himself as a solo artist, Scary Hours was conceptualized with the intent of writing stripped down acoustic songs, and while it contains some of the jingle and gloss of punk-tinged acoustic pop, Scary Hours debut album is more basement show than coffee shop - Elvis Costello meets Lawrence Arms or possibly a Bukowski-esque Bright Eyes.
MwS have shared 'Moonlight' a smooth, melodic and soulful song with that all important wow factor that makes the piece stand out.
'Sea Will Return You' is from the Southern California folk ensemble Eve & The Vagabond Tales. The vocals are beautifully melodic and the bands musical structure is wonderful and full of Americana refinement.
We don't often feature remixes however Future Rootz have created some really enticing music that is just crammed with quality and fresh creativity, it's just got to be shared, this really is exceptional!
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MwS - Moonlight.
Although the pair recount working with other talented musicians and producers, the scene is unquestionably stronger on the British Isles so a move was always on the cards. However, the whole plan was nearly derailed early on as the pair booked tickets into the UK on the very day we decided to leave the European Union. It’s a wound reopened recently with the uncertainty in the air around the subject and growing worry about the position of touring musicians in the UK.
"The Brexit decision made us feel a bit uneasy about heading to the UK only at the beginning... We have a lot of faith in London, which we know is a very open city that somehow needs people from all over the world. We knew that this was the place for our music so we had to make it happen regardless. In the last months though, there is a lot of worry around Brexit for touring musicians."
The duo first graced the airwaves with their debut EP ‘Swim’. Written and produced between the UK and Italy, with a carefully curated roster of different artists and producers.. The project has since racked up over 600K Streams on Spotify and had support from the likes of Complex, Clash, BBC 6 Music, The BBC Introducing Mixtape, Amazing Radio. They followed up with the beachy, pop-soul leaning ‘Island’. Produced by Grammy winning Aamir Yaqub (Ne-Yo, Rihanna, Will.I.Am) - Island was their first release solely created in the UK. Spotify got behind the track again, with support on their influential “Alternative R’n’B” playlist.
Looking forward to 2019, Giulia and Francesco are looking to take their art to the next level with a string of single releases and a full EP in the summer months. Their last singles were both supported on a number of official Spotify Playlists. This led to support from Jamz Supernova on BBC Radio 1Xtra and BBC Introducing London. The duo are looking to expand on their live presence this year, with live dates for Wilderness Festival confirmed, as well as a fast-selling London headline show. Although their next single is titled ‘Moonlight’ - it’s an exquisite piece of sunshine alt-pop, with a disco feel.
On the track, the duo state: “Moonlight was inspired by a dream Giulia had after watching La La Land. Most of the images come straight from the surreal atmosphere of dreams, where you can sometimes meet ‘your self’ and find the courage to break out of your comfort zone. The song is also an invitation to focus on the positive side of things in order to reach your full potential.
Eva & The Vagabond Tales, a folk ensemble based in Southern California and led by charismatic Russian-born Eva Mikhailovna, are set to release a new album, their second in May. Titled Uncharted Ocean, the album features ten original songs that combine western, old folk and ragtime traditions into a musical melting pot, creating a unique and alluring sound that transcends time and continents.
David Fleming of NPR describes their sound as having “the feel of old Europe.” Performing alongside Eva as The Vagabonds are Jake Pflum on percussion, Alan Arteaga on electric guitar, banjo and ukulele, Jasmine Capitulo on accordion and Benjamin Purper on bass. Produced by Charles Newman (The Magnetic Fields, The Bones of J.R. Jones), the album also includes Claudia Chopek (Father John Misty, Moby) on violin and viola, Christian Dupree (Jack Johnson) on cello, and Logan Coale (Natalie Merchant) on upright bass.
The song “Sea Will Return You” was released as a single digitally on May 10. Uncharted Ocean will be released digitally, on CD and on “Sea Green” vinyl on May 17. The band will play a special album release showcase at Hotel Café on May 15. The video was directed by Mikhailovna with the help of Pflum and aerial camera operator Miguel Galindo.
Says Mikhailovna: “This album combines songs from every season in my life. The songs were written over a period of ten years, and some of the instrument tracks we managed to salvage are so ancient that you can almost hear the hours trying to catch up with you as you listen to it. Layering the new crispy clear recordings on top of the older ones gave the album a lot of character.
A lot of these songs have a reoccurring theme of the ocean. There are songs about someone sailing away and never coming back, a mysterious lighthouse where you have to watch your every step, someone who would rather stay comfortable in shallow waters, and a song about memories sinking into the deepest parts of the ocean where nobody can find them. I liked the name “Uncharted Ocean” not only because of the ocean metaphors, but also because this album was like uncharted territory in my own life. This was my first time working with a producer, and my first time letting someone else enhance my songs, pushing them in directions I didn’t think they could go. “
Future Rootz is a collective of Chicago-based mixed media DJs who spin and remix global roots, tropical bass, world electronic and Latin house music. The collective produces events in Chicago highlighting local and international artists and DJs from all over the world. Future Rootz just released its first record as a label, What Goes Up (Remixed), on limited-edition vinyl.
What Goes Up (Remixed), which includes remixes by Maga Bo, Ron Trent, AfroQbano, Sound Culture, Sol Power Sound, Kevin Ford and Jose Marquez, is a companion piece to 2017’s What Goes Up.
True to its original intent as an evolving musical experiment, Chicago Afrobeat Project now angles its afrobeat roots sideways, pushing a vocal-heavy band that drips with slippery funk and rhythmic hiphop. After years working with Tony Allen, master drummer behind Fela Kuti and the creator of Afrobeat, the group’s grasp of the musical form is uncontested. It’s the deviation from tradition that continues to make the band’s sound contemporary and relevant.
With the addition of male emcee Legit and female vocalist Rhea the Second, tightly executed hip-hop verses scatter across the top of CAbP’s bubbling Afrobeat rhythms. Rhea’s soaring vocal melodies intersect with the full horn section, which at times will either punctuate to emphasize these vocals or intertwine with the vocal melody itself. The sound is rich, and there’s a lot to sink your teeth into whether you’re a fan of Fela or the burgeoning young Chicago hiphop scene.
The group began in 2002 as a collective of musicians sharing a common interest in West African rhythms. Quickly they realized that mixing Afrobeat with Chicago house, indie rock, hip-hop and jazz opened new avenues for experimentation.
Fast-forward hundreds of tour dates and five studio releases later, and the group has found ways of interpreting Afrobeat through American urban sounds. Through it all, CAbP has been at the center of the emergence of the North American Afrobeat scene. On its newest releases, What Goes Up Remixed (2019) and What Goes Up (2017), the band features special guest Tony Allen, as well as many Chicago vocalists and MCs.
Allen, once exclaimed by Brian Eno as “perhaps the greatest drummer who ever lived,” plays kit on all 10 tracks, recording his signature beats behind the band and vocalists. This collaboration makes Chicago Afrobeat Project the first American Afrobeat band to produce a full-length studio record with Tony Allen.
Taking the vocal helm on the album are Akenya (Noname, Chance the Rapper), JC Brooks, Kiara Lanier, Legit (Chance the Rapper), Ugochi, Oranmiyan and Rico Sisney/Maggie Vagle (Sidewalk Chalk). The band’s new vocal-laden approach makes the songs on What Goes Up concise and intentional, and markedly different from CAbP’s prior recordings.
A staple of the American live music scene for years, the band’s live show now combines its historically instrumental style with the new vocal approach. Crowds feed off the spontaneity of the soloists and enthusiasm of the band.
