Monday, 17 March 2025

Chad Price Peace Coalition - Oslo Twins - Lunar Vacation

Photo - Lindsey Lu McGuire
Chad Price Peace Coalition - "A.M."

Chad Price Peace Coalition shares their new video for "A.M." from the forthcoming debut, A Perfect Pearl, due out on Double Helix and SofaBurn Records. An artist entering his staggering fourth decade writing and performing music that weaves in and out of seminal pop-punk, alt-country, metal, and a fascinating indie folk-prog hybrid, Chad Price has made the most of his time.

All those miles and artistic transformations have now led to the welcome arrival of a new project: Chad Price Peace Coalition and the album A Perfect Pearl. Price unpacks the group’s origin story: “A year or so ago I did a show singing with an ALL cover band. I really liked the guys and we bonded over our love of prog-rock. The idea of expanding the sound started influencing my writing.” Cory West (drums, lead guitar, and keys) and Anthony Medici (bass, lead guitar, and vocals) were the perfect partners in fleshing out Price’s latest ten songs. While A Perfect Pearl certainly delivers Price’s signature rough-hewn vulnerability, the limber trio format kicks up some sublime musical moments that feel distinctly inspired by prog giants like Jethro Tull and Yes.

Deep on side two, “A.M.” nudges up the tempo a bit, but instead of retreating into basic rock and roll, it coils into a menacing circular repeating pattern, threes over fours–or maybe vice versa.

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Photo - Freya Davies
Oslo Twins - Tresor (E.P).

Bristol-formed, London-based outfit Oslo Twins just released their new EP 'Tresor' via Half-Normal Records. Produced by band members Eric C. Davies and Claudia Vulliamy in their east London studio, new EP 'Tresor' follows keen airplay from BBC 6 Music (Nick Grimshaw) and glowing press support from tastemakers including NME Magazine, The Line of Best Fit, DIY Magazine, Far Out Magazine, 1883 Magazine, Under The Radar Magazine and more.

The new EP highlights a rejuvenated sonic depth for Oslo Twins - drawing influence from Nation Of Language, Angel Olsen, This Mortal Coil, Everything But The Girl, Lamb, Chromatics, Grace Ives and Ladytron. Exploring new territories both in their recorded sound and live performances, new EP 'Tresor' introduces electronic drums and clean synths to the forefront, venturing into more expansive territory.

From the thudding and transportive 'I Wake Up Slowly', to the chilling synth-pop of 'Sally' and the towering electronics of 'I See Mountains', singer Claudia expands on the EP's lyrical themes: "I think there’s a running theme of subconscious places in this EP. I was inspired by things seen and felt in dreams and daydreams, images that come to mind for a moment and are just out of reach".

The previously unheard 'Be Free' is another song inspired by Claudia's literal dreams. "There's also inspiration drawn from a strangely romantic fantasy of having to drive off somewhere after committing a crime, leaving everything behind. To get a sense of this narrative I wanted a quiet sense of drama in the sound, with a slightly funereal tone that I think we managed to get with the timpani and synths."

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Photo - Brandon McClain
Lunar Vacation - Lights Off.

Atlanta indie-rock powerhouse Lunar Vacation release a new single today "Lights Off."

The self-produced track follows their sophomore album Everything Matters, Everything's Fire, released in September, which was produced by Drew Vandenberg (Faye Webster, Toro Y Moi) and introduced by a music video directed by Finn Wolfhard (of Stranger Things).

Singer/guitarist Gep Repasky says, “This song feels like an open letter. Naturally, I have my own meaning tied into it but whether or not it's a letter of adoration or the final farewell, it's not for me to say. Whether it's about something physical or intangible, it's also not for me to say. It could be about both or neither. It is up to the listener to create their own meaning, take what resonates with them, and use it to be the kindling wood in the growing fire of feeling, creativity, thinking and understanding."


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Saturday, 15 March 2025

Will Morton - Ruth Lyon - Penny & The Pits - Caravan Palace

Photo - Justin Hammond
Will Morton - Good Ol' Boys Don't Cry.

Rising country artist Will Morton has released the official music video for his latest single, “Good Ol’ Boys Don’t Cry.” Directed and filmed by Justin Hammond, the visually striking video was shot in a Nashville hotel room at night, capturing the song’s emotional weight through its introspective aesthetic.

Morton explained the meaning behind the music video, saying “We shot inside a hotel room in front of the big picture glass overlooking Nashville because I am often gone for work and miss my family. This song is so true and close to me, being about growing up tough, being raised by a single mother, trying to always be strong for her, and knowing how it feels to keep all of that inside. With the birth of my son and raising him, seeing how much love and kindness is in his heart, I just want him to know it’s okay to have and share emotions.”

Set against the glowing city lights of Nashville, the music video features Morton in moments of quiet reflection, looking out over the city, walking along Broadway, and writing lyrics on a notepad. The raw authenticity of the video further amplifies the track’s powerful message, making for a visual experience that resonates deeply with audiences.

Produced by Mark McKee and written by McKee, Morton, and Chris Ayer, “Good Ol’ Boys Don’t Cry” serves as the lead single from Morton’s forthcoming full-length album The Long Way, set for release later this year.


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Photo - Sel Maclean
Ruth Lyon - Books.

Newcastle indie-folk singer-songwriter Ruth Lyon has just announced her debut album 'Poems & Non-Fiction', out 13th June on Pink Lane Records. Out now is new single 'Books', the second taste of the album following the previously released single 'Wickerman'.

Weaving deeply evocative narratives and potent meditations, with an artistry that balances delicacy and strength, 'Poems & Non-Fiction' is a major waymark for Ruth Lyon. Forged by her experiences as a disabled woman and a life-long sense of otherness, she explores the beautiful mess of existence, challenges social norms and ignites a journey towards self-acceptance, empowerment and perhaps most importantly, hope. “I have surprised myself with the raw honesty in these songs and I hope these stories inspire healing and growth,” Ruth says.

Working with acclaimed producer John Parish (PJ Harvey, Aldous Harding) and influenced by artists like Adrienne Lenker, Fiona Apple and Moondog, the songs are rich with poetic nuance and the unconventional insight of a young life lived to capacity—a mesmerising blend of analogue and angular indie-folk that gives as much attention to silence as sound, with understated yet muscular grooves. Shimmering between the abstract, the archetypal and the naked truth, meaning lingers just beneath the surface, daring listeners to both reach out and dig deep; to give emotion a solid, tangible shape.

New single 'Books' is released today alongside a video directed by Sel Maclean. Stop-start strings, plucked and bowed make holes in the texture like a typewriter on paper, weaving in and out of driving piano, bedded by lazy rhythm falling away and returning, all glued together with vocal calls to the echo of a page. Lyon turns a cosmic reckoning on herself “Weigh me today and weigh me in again tomorrow / rocks in my socks, balloons tied round my elbows” that perhaps can be heard as a plea to the fates, wedded with Lyon’s typical Dali-esque imagery.


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Photo - Nicole Cecile Holland
Penny & The Pits - Montenegro On Ice.

You might be familiar with Penelope Stevens from her role as bass and keys shredder and sometime vocalist in Canadian avant-rock trio Motherhood (whose 5th LP Thunder Perfect Mind just came out recently and was described as "wildly entertaining" on Bandcamp Daily and "a welcome, alien presence in today’s musical landscape" on Post-Trash). Here, she is sharing a new single as Penny & The Pits, with Motherhood forming the backing band: "Montenegro On Ice"

Quote from Penelope Stevens: Montenegro on Ice explores memory and the ways in which the past can seep out of its box and drown your present and future. I was feeling the temptation to stew in past pain, choosing to really live in it, y’know? It’s so easy to stick your fingers in your own wounds. So I wanted to make a song that had a jaunty little limp, an endearing disfigurement, that could illustrate the way I was feeling at the time - wounded, absolutely, but sort of enjoying the ride.

The song is part of a larger mythology I’m working out in my songwriting - the allegory of the Liquid Compactor. Water has been an important force in my life, as an emotional cleanser and physical rehab. I’ve been imagining a sentient underwater machine to which I can feed my rage, my ethical malaise, my skewed memories, and allow it to compress these unsavoury bits into little building blocks.

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Photo - Nicolas Patault
Caravan Palace - City Cook.

Before heading out on their North American tour, Caravan Palace (a 6-piece live band and a trio in the studio) are giving the standout track “City Cook” a fresh moment in the spotlight with a brand-new single release. Originally part of Gangbusters Melody Club (Le Plan Recordings), the song now comes in a tighter, punchier edit, perfect for those who like their tunes with a bit more bite. To top it off, the band has teamed up once again with directing duo Double Ninja - who previously brought “Lone Digger”, “Miracle”, “Moonshine” and “Wonderland” to life—for a music video that’s as delightfully offbeat as you’d expect.

About the “City Cook” music video, the band adds: “Once every seven days, a ritual takes place—a ceremony as old as the civilization itself, whether it be ancient or alien. They are bound to a single sense: sight. Their deity, by contrast, perceives all. And so, in fear of what they cannot match, they seal its eyes, stripping it of the only power they themselves possess. From the bowels of the earth, they extract their offering—flesh of beast, flesh of root—feeding a cycle neither questioned nor broken. And with each offering comes a spectacle to behold, a feast for sight alone—pleasure twisted into ritual, excess into sustenance.

What is this but the order of men, subjugating the feminine, binding its body to hunger, to control, to torment without end? Or is it humankind itself, ransacking the world for instant reward, for pleasure stripped of meaning, for wealth that devours all? The deity endures, plundered yet inexhaustible. The cycle turns once more. Meaning shifts in the eye of the beholder. The question remains.”

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Friday, 14 March 2025

Lisa Crawley - Fake Dad - April March - Domi Hawken

Photo - Will Cook
Lisa Crawley - What You Can Do.

New Zealand-born, Los Angeles-based indie-pop chanteuse Lisa Crawley has an empowering indie/pop single, “What You Can Do,” released today March 14, 2025. It is the first single from her forthcoming EP New Girl Syndrome available in April 2025.

For the single, Lisa worked with John Spiker to merge the retro and modern adding layers to the piano focused track. The song is about the constant questioning of identity outside of your career. As a musician, it can be a struggle to say ‘no’ to work or people that don’t serve you: “You can only do so much baby / You’ve got your work cut out for you / Take a breath, in fact go and take two / You are more than what you can do”

“I’ve been labeled a ‘workaholic,’ but saying no can be scary,” explains Lisa. “Creating space to explore other parts of myself is confronting but important.”

A New Zealand-native, Lisa Crawley has live/performed in her home country (lead of ‘Girl’ in the Tony Award Winning musical “Once” in Auckland), Melbourne (receiving acclaim for the EP Up In The Air) as well as London, Canada (Banff Centre songwriter residency) and landed in the U.S. in 2020 just in time for quarantine! Through numerous albums, EPs and singles, her refreshingly honest onstage presence and emotionally authentic pop songs enchant the hearts and minds of an ever-growing global audience.

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Fake Dad - Odyssey 2 Venice / Little Fake (featuring Alice Ivy).

Andrea de Varona (she/her) and Josh Ford (he/him) aka Fake Dad are a Los Angeles based, NYC bred indie rock meets dream pop duo. Formed in 2020, the two met at a college party in the East Village and have been inseparable ever since. Melting their own unique artistic visions to build a shared sonic shorthand, Fake Dad create an intoxicating and colorful musical fusion complete with catchy pop-laden hooks, crunchy, 90s inspired guitars, grooving bass lines, and buoyant synths. With a distinctive production sound and a signature vocal delivery, the two write and record expansive musical moments from their apartment. Although Andrea and Josh come from different musical backgrounds, they share a common goal: to create music that understands you.

In the past year, Fake Dad have been fixated on posers. Specifically, rock music posers—there’s just something fascinating about music made by an artist who’s pretending to be someone they’re not. In the different subgenres of rock especially, “fake” can be a dirty word. But as Andrea and Josh dug into some of their favorite artists from before their time, it became clear that playing a character is pretty deeply entwined with the legacy of rock music.

In their superb new EP released today, Holly Wholesome and the Slut Machine, Fake Dad have created characters that live in their made up world of angry, burger-flipping clowns, star-crossed knights, and masked sleep paralysis demons. Throughout the process, Andrea and Josh realized that they were using the fiction to unpack very real aspects of their lived experiences—including their identities and sexualities as romantic partners in a straight-passing relationship.


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April March - Surfing Castafiore.

American indie pop songstress April March, who earned fame with her take on French pop, drops a new surf rock single from her forthcoming full length, ‘Villerville’, produced by Norman Langolff and due this summer. As a student, April March first attended Parsons School of Design and then California Institute of the Arts. It was at CalArts where she met director and musician Steve Hanft. Hanft, known for having directed the original Bong Load video for Beck's multi-platinum hit “Loser”, is currently directing new Bong Load videos for March.

As an animator, March began her career as a Disney trained animator first hired by Paul Reubens for Pee-wee’s Playhouse. She then went on to animate everything from Ren & Stimpy, to Bugs Bunny, not to mention Frank Zappa and Madonna. As an illustrator March collaborated with Jack White for “We’re Going to be Friends”, his children’s book based on one of The White Stripes most enduring and loved songs.

As a musician, March has collaborated with artists including Brian Wilson, Yo La Tengo, Jack White, LL Cool J, Ronnie Spector, Jonathan Richman, Andy Paley, Tony Allen, Plastilina Mosh, Steve Hanft, Bertrand Burgalat, French duo Staplin, Aquaserge, and more.

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Domi Hawken - The Moment I Need You The Most.

Fresh from the success of her debut EP Sociable Pariah, London's dark rock poet Domi Hawken returns with a haunting exploration of obsession in 'The Moment I Need You Most' the first insight into her sophomore EP Water and The Wine.

Unravelling like a psychological thriller, the track weaves between moments of desperate longing and frenzied obsession, all while showcasing her signature blend of punk swagger and folk storytelling. Drawing from a rich tapestry of influences ranging from from Leonard Cohen's poetic introspection to Led Zeppelin's raw energy, her latest offering showcases her ability to craft narratives that transcend simple heartbreak, instead exploring the darker corners of human psychology. "To me, the song is unhinged," Hawken reveals with characteristic frankness. "It isn't about pining over someone you're in a relationship with - the protagonist is desperate, maybe the person she's singing about barely knows her, their relationship being completely overblown in her mind."

The production mirrors this descent into fixation, building from deceptively calm verses to frantic crescendos, punctuated by moments of stark silence that feel like gasps for air. Accompanied by a self-directed music video shot on VHS, Hawken creates a deliberately jarring visual experience that amplifies the track's unsettling narrative. "I wanted the music and the video to reflect this: the idea of being unstable, dramatic, almost going crazy with this scenario she's created purely in her imagination," she explains.

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Wednesday, 12 March 2025

Course - Amanda Ekery - Janita - Close to Monday - Junior Scaife

Course - Hue Mirror.

Chicago-based synth/pop group Course has announced their new album Hue Mirror will release on April 25th. Their third full-length offering, Hue Mirror marks their most raw, vulnerable, and poignant collection of songs to date, written by singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Jessica Robbins in the wake of a traumatic, life-altering diagnosis. Today they shared the lead single and title track “Hue Mirror,” a song that captures a moment of whirlwind confusion, fear, and shock.

Since their debut, Course has established themselves with a sound that mixes lushly layered melodies and electronic instrumentation into dreamy, atmospheric soundscapes across two acclaimed albums: 2021’s A Late Hour and 2023’s Tight Feathers. They earned praise from the likes of Consequence of Sound, Chicago Tribune, American Songwriter, Under The Radar, and Atwood Magazine who raved “Course has quickly established itself as a reliable source of exhilarating, radiant, and shimmering indie pop.” In recent years, however, Robbins found it increasingly difficult to ignore the pain that had been creeping up her spine ever since college, turning her everyday activities - walking, sleeping, holding her guitar, even breathing - into a struggle.

Hue Mirror began taking shape last year during several months of intense uncertainty, before Robbins received the medical news that would change her life forever: a diagnosis for an aggressive autoimmune disorder called Ankylosing Spondylitis. An incurable disease that targets the spine and joints causing long term damage, severe chronic pain and discomfort, the news left Robbins in shock as she began coming to terms with a future that is now shrouded in ambiguity. Dreaming of a life that didn't involve so much discomfort, she continued writing songs with renewed conviction and resilience, confronting her illness with bold, beautiful music that pulled no punches. As the inflammation in her body intensified, so did her decision to create the best album of her life, one that would turn the uncertainties of her future into something raw, real, and undeniably present.

“‘Hue Mirror’ is the first song I wrote after my AS diagnosis on April 11, 2024,” stated Robbins. “My head was spinning. I was in a haze when I wrote this. I wasn’t given much explanation about the disease, just that they were ordering a strong drug to suppress my immune system and lower the inflammation. I felt confused and scared, not understanding what was happening. I wrote this song during that time of uncertainty about my future. The song touches on the idea of how medicine for this disease comes at a cost, the pain I had been enduring for so long, and the unpredictability of not knowing when the next flare will hit. No matter how much you work out, take medicine, or eat healthy, this disease is here forever. It will never go away. I want to raise awareness for this disease, which affects so many but remains relatively unknown to the general population. It took me a decade to get a diagnosis, and nobody should have to go through that.”


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Photo - Ross Wightman

Amanda Ekery - Stitching.

Amanda Ekery's forthcoming album Árabe is due in May and explores Syrian and Mexican shared history on the El Paso border through enchanting vocal jazz / pop and remarkable, personal essays, her first single, "Stitching" is something quite special and is released today.

The fourth full-length release by vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and composer Amanda Ekery,  Árabe invites audiences to explore Syrian and Mexican shared history and culture on the El Paso border - the story of Ekery’s life, lineage and identity. It features twelve original songs and accompanying essays with the stories and history behind each track covering everything from food, gambling, and evil eyes, to immigration law, biracial identity, and the fraught relationship between immigrant entrepreneurship and workers’ rights.

Each track conjures a rich creative world informed by research and Ekery’s distinct personal style. Ekery spent over 5 years developing Árabe, conducting interviews with her family and the Syrian Ladies Club of El Paso, working with Yale SWANA scholar Dr. Mark Eggerman, researching Syrian and Mexican immigration and migration, and completing an artist residency at the Arab American National Museum located in Dearborn, MI which is home to the largest population of Arabs outside of the Arab world.


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Janita - I Want You I Warn You.

"Being in lust or in love can be such a deliciously un-peaceful and volatile feeling. Inside you’re going absolutely batty, but outside you’re trying to keep it cool as a cucumber. The director of this video, Alice Teeple, is a dear friend of mine and also a free spirit––fearless with her artistry. 

Her mere presence egged me on to let loose and express the mania and mayhem that goes on in the mind. Truth be told, it’s not just love or lust that drives me bonkers these days. I think that this video works on a number of different levels, not the least of which is this: I’m a woman—passionate, opinionated, rebellious, in a world that would prefer me to be humble and docile. The video shows that this woman is not about to be held down by anything." —Janita

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Close to Monday - Turtles.

Close to Monday, synth-pop’s next wave of innovators Ann and Alexander, release their highly anticipated "World Turtles" EP.  Anchored by the spellbinding lead single Turtles, the project weaves evocative narratives with intricate, driving production along with an urgent message about ocean conservation.  The  EP also features four of their most pivotal titles from their 2024 monthly single series. Altogether,  this five-track collection solidifies the duo’s reputation for blending emotional depth with transportive soundscapes.

Accompanying the release, the band unveil the visually arresting music video featuring captivating projections of vast oceans and giant sea turtles, complemented by an enchanting light show. The visuals are designed to mesmerize and raise awareness about the beauty and fragility of marine life, further amplifying the duo’s message of awe-inspiring wonder beneath the waves.

Timed perfectly to coincide with Earth Hour (March 22) and World Water Day, "World Turtles" is not only an artistic statement but also a powerful call for environmental action for ocean conservation.  To amplify the message, Close to Monday are collaborating with iSea, asking their fans to donate in supporting vital efforts to protect the world’s oceans. "Now more than ever, it is crucial for artists to seize the opportunity to promote environmental protection and inspire their audience to take action. After all, nature has always been a source of inspiration for art," Anastasia Charitou, Communication Officer, iSea.

At the heart of the EP, Turtles pulses with the kinetic energy of late-’70s Berlin discotheques, colliding with the sharp edge of ’80s synth nights and the vibrant spirit of ’90s club culture. The track's driving rhythms and cascading textures create an urgent yet hypnotic state. It’s the soundtrack to a late-night odyssey, where the adrenaline of the dance floor dissolves into the surreal calm of the ocean, inviting listeners to lose themselves in its restless currents.

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Junior Scaife - Nobody Gets My Love.

Junior Scaife returns with two strikingly soulful sides produced and co-written by Penrose staunchman, Anthony Masino. As one of the most gifted vocalists on today's soul scene, Junior Scaife injects profound soulfulness into every syllable.

With its vibey groove and infectious background melody "Nobody Gets My Love" marries the visceral rawness of late sixties Detroit sides ala Hestor and Wylie with a relaxed West Coast je ne sais quoi.

On the flip is "Too Much Too Soon", a rugged ballad dripping with wah wah and class, sure to turn heads on the low-rider scene.


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Catherine Campbell - Phonseca - easyclear - Hook - The Curse of K.K. Hammond

Catherine Campbell - Outline (EP). Catherine Campbell is an indie/folk singer-songwriter who was raised in Lexington, KY and is now based i...