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A Fine Pair: Garden City Movement - Alasdair Roberts

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Garden City Movement - She's So Untouchable. Background promo - Garden City Movement is a Tel Avivian-based electronic music project, their new single is "She's So Untouchable." Signed with BLDG5 records, Garden City Movement first made waves last fall with the release of their debut EP Entertainment, which garnered early press champions as numerous Hype Machine influential blogs, Pitchfork, Clash, The Fader, Stereogum and Fact which featured the band in a short documentary about "The rising stars of Tel Aviv." With videos reaching 1M hits and screenings at the LA film festival, GCM scored support slots for acts such as Alt-J, Cults, SOHN & Rufus and their debut appearance on Boiler Room. The trio intensively toured Europe and was on festival bills such as Primavera, Pukkelpop, Glastonbury & Fusion festival. Bengali Cinema, the second EP, continued Entertainment's media praise. They dominated Hype Machine's top 3 for three days straigh...

Friday Five: Wojtek the bear - Twin Graves - Tiergarten - Brooklyn Doran - Ranch Ghost

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Wojtek the bear - Dead from the waist up. Background promo - Glasgow four piece wojtek the bear release their debut single “dead from the waistup” on 17th June. Their debut offering marries quintessential indie pop songwriting with melodies and hooks as big as mountains. The single was recorded and produced by Chris McCrory of band catholic action and is accompanied by a video shot in the wilds of South Lanarkshire by Beth Chalmers whose recent clients include Low and Martha Ffion. The band will be playing a number of shows in the coming months to support the release including a launch gig on 16th June at Govanill Baths in Glasgow and 19th August at DF Concerts catapult showcase at the Record Factory in Glasgow. 'Dead from the waist up' is my introduction to Wojtek The Bear. It's a breezy indie pop song and for me it's just a delight. Catchy and with lyrics worth taking in, it's a fine way to get to know a bands music. ----------------------------------...

Quality Not Quantity: Em George - Brooklyn Michelle

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Em George - Blues Lady. Background bio - Em George is a singer-songwriter from Sydney. Em began to be interested in songwriting after discovering the sounds of Carole King, Lou Reed, The Beatles and Leonard Cohen. Teaching herself the guitar, Em began to play around with melodies and sounds, combining her love of poetry and writing with music. Writing about personal experience, or about the absurdities and observances of life, Em’s songs display an introspective quality that is unique to her as an artist. Drawing from influences of all genres of music, her melodies help to express the true meaning of the lyrics. Her first single Murderers On The Inside was released in 2013 and was played on FBi radio, Triple J Unearthed and Home Brew Radio. The single was featured on blogs such as Mad Mackerel and Made Static. In November 2013, Murderers On The Inside was optioned by HBO for use in film and television. This was followed by the track being remixed by L.A based producer Stephen Kozm...

Alternative Take: Hologram Teen - I Am Karate - WAZA - Kolidescopes

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Hologram Teen - Marsangst. Background promo - Hologram Teen is releasing a 2-track single on 7" vinyl via London's Happy Robots Records. This is the solo electronic motorik disco project of Morgane Lhote, former long-term keyboard player of Stereolab. Originally from Paris, Morgane moved to London when she was 20 and spent 12 years there. Then she moved to NYC and, nine years later, moved to Los Angeles. Her name is known to many for her work as keyboard player in the seminal indie kosmische act Stereolab, having recorded and performed with the band during their imperial phase between 1995 and 2001, when they released a series of career defining albums including ‘Emperor Tomato Ketchup’ and ‘Dots and Loops’. Fans of Common will also be able to find Morgane on the Sgt Pepper inspired sleeve for his Electric Circus album. She followed her time in Stereolab with a stint in The Projects and, from 2005, played in Garden with members of Simian Mobile Disco before starting the H...

A Couple Of Rockers: Gothic Tropic - Self Talk

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Gothic Tropic - Stronger. Background promo - Los Angeles' Gothic Tropic introduces a new brand of female fronted, guitar-driven indie rock. The band will be playing a single release show today May 30th in Los Angeles at Resident. The brainchild of Cecilia Della Peruti, Gothic Tropic keeps the vibe playful and punchy, bringing audiences into a new era of female rock nobility, nodding to stars like Debbie Harry, and Chrissie Hynde.  Delivering a blend of Richard Lloyd and Nile Rodgers on guitar, Gothic Tropic's Della Peruti has won sponsorships with Fender, and leading pedal manufacturers, and works professionally as a touring and session player for Charli XCX, BØRNS, and more. 'Stronger' has something of a classic indie rock meets power pop, feel to it. Punchy drums and bass lines drive the song forward with pace, and the vocals and guitars dance melodically above. Good song! -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------...

Grand Band Names: The Amazing - Iconique

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The Amazing - Ambulance. Background promo - Partisan Records is excited to announce the next album from The Amazing, Ambulance, coming out in the UK on August 5th. On Ambulance, the Swedish band composed of members of Dungen & led by Christoffer Gunrup, continues their journey to a place where music is free of restrictions, offering up another collection of densely concentrated melodies and fractured rhythms. Pitchfork summed their sound up well on their last record, saying "discussion of Picture You can only end up with slack-jawed remarks about how goddamn pretty it is." Gunrup, the band's lead singer, songwriter and one of three main guitarists, has been playing music all his life. He's a serious musician with a self-effacing demeanor who is known for his reluctance to talk about his process, preferring to let the music speak for itself. He refuses to take part in the promotion of the band, never reveals the lyrics, which are often an impenetrable jumble in...

Rock'n'Roll Saturday: VanDeRocker - Josh Rawiri - NARCS

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VanDeRocker - Fly. Background bio - VanDeRocker is a Los Angeles based indie-rock project led by lead singer and guitarist, Adrienne VanDeRocker. Raised in Austin, Texas by a family of classical musicians, Adrienne got her start in music playing piano. She was always more captivated by the music of Bowie, Prince and Kate Bush and quickly began writing her own songs on guitar. By the age of 12, she was sneaking in to local bars to perform with her older sister's band and had eventually decided to pursue a music career of her own. After exploring the performance scene in Seattle and New York City, Adrienne relocated to Los Angeles where she developed the five-piece alternative rock band, VanDeRocker. Recording with talents like Chris Chaney on bass (Jane’s Addiction, Alanis Morissette), Tim Pierce on guitar (Bon Jovi, Rick Springfield), and Jamie Muhoberac on keys (Backstreet Boys, The All-American Rejects, The Rolling Stones), VDR’s latest album, Jupiter's Kiss, has been well...

Quality Not Quantity: The Goldhearts - Me & Mark

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The Goldhearts - Rise And Fall. Background promo - If it not for Kenny Rogers advice to bass players to write and sing their own songs, this catchy album of grunge, hooks, harmonies, and twang may never have seen the light of day. With a batch of original songs in hand, Bass Player/Songwriter Margy Joughin (Dream Poppies) gambled on the wisdom of Kenny Rogers, sage to all bass players. Intending to record a few songs, producer Govinda Doyle (Big Jet Plane) gently coaxed Margy across the line from backing to lead vocalist to accidentally record an album. The Goldhearts came to life with with ex-Brisbane mates Tracey Kick, (Dream Poppies) Claire Harris (Razel, Dream Poppies, Godnose, The Shortfall) and Daren Williams (Haba Dudes, Secret Assasins). The Goldhearts’ debut album, “The Rise and Fall of the Goldhearts” draws inspiration from the female led indie bands of the 90’s, and the melodic traditions of Australian music. The album is tweaked with twang and leaves a tasty grunge han...

Thursday Two: The Iron Horses - Kwesi Foraes

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The Iron Horses - Any Other Way. Background promo - The Iron Horses formed in early 2015 after numerous late night boozy jamming sessions. With a great enthusiasm for cheap bourbon and nothing but time to kill on a Friday night, a group of songs began to emerge. Duncan (vox/rhythm guitar), Ciaran (lead guitar/vox), Raul (Bass) Pete (Drums). There was no shortage of ideas and the songs came through thick and fast. After months of gigging each and every one of Sydney’s bars, the boys had accumulated enough money to completely fund their debut EP. The energy that hits you is immediately captivating and none of this is by chance. With two albums of balls out Rock & Roll already written within a year, the hardest part was deciding which songs made the cut for the Stop To Start EP. Each song tells a story, every harmony and riff reverberates inside you. The energy that hits you is immediately captivating and none of this is by chance. With almost two albums worth of material already w...

Genre Mix: Josh Flagg - Wailing Loons

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Josh Flagg - The Floor It Shakes. Background bio - After two EP’s, 2011’s full-length Devastate Me and relentless touring, New York City’s own Josh Flagg releases Tracing Shapes on June 3, 2016. It’s a record focused on small moments with enormous consequences. Marriage, friends, birth, rebirth, alienation, intimacy, art, compulsion, loneliness and history are themes mined and explored throughout Tracing Shapes ten tracks and they take the listener on a ride not easily forgotten. Flagg focuses on the humanity of the characters and versions of himself in these songs. He’s looking for the right words, even when he knows they’ll hurt…especially when they hurt. It’s a darker, harder, more complex set of songs featuring a three pronged guitar attack, soaring vocals and asymmetrical songwriting. Produced by Kieran Kelly (Sufjan Stevens, Better Than Ezra), Tracing Shapes’ sound pulled together as Flagg added a third guitarist to his live show. The three driving guitar lines allowed him to...

Globetrotting: Elk & Mammoth - Silent Wave - Cairobi

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Elk & Mammoth - Shiver. Background promo - Four-piece indie rock outfit Elk + Mammoth are stoked to announce the release of their debut EP, Culprit, with the single “Shiver” (recorded and produced by James Clark) out now. Described as like a funky Lynchian dream, Culprit combines sinister staccato vocals and guitar riffs that could have been lifted straight out of the original Twin Peaks soundtrack. The result is both playful and unsettling, but be warned, the groove is infectious and side-effects may include drinking coffee black as midnight on a moonless night. Since forming in 2014, they have established a herd of followers, performing their signature blend of unpredictable humour, unusual subject matter, and mid-set-on-stage outfit changes at venues all over Melbourne. They have played with artists such as The Pierce Brothers, Slim Jefferies, and Pockets, and gained traction with the release of their single “Fabric”, in 2015.‘Culprit’ EP will be released 3rd of June 20...

Singers & Songs: Fleurie - Rachael Sage - Tom Misch

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Fleurie - Breathe. Background Bio - Nashville musician Fleurie has released her latest single, "Breathe," a surging track that builds from sparse piano and breathy vocals to pounding drums and crashing strings. In the past year, Fleurie has released four singles and her EP Arrows, which received widespread recognition. Growing up in Canton, MI, Lauren studied classical piano from an early age, and later developed her love of music while attending school in Australia. Once she moved to Nashville, her professional career as a songwriter began to take shape. With the help of producer Matt Stanfield, and the mixing work of Dave Schiffman (Haim, Charli XCX, Brandon Flowers), Fleurie's recent Arrows EP came to life. Most recently, Fleurie traveled to Stockholm, Sweden to perform at the Royal Swedish Opera with members of the Stockholm Symphony. The experience blended her classical background, with Fleurie's modern electronic/pop sound. We featured Fleurie last August, ...

Dreamy Sunday: Pale Dian - A.R.Kane - Puro Instinct

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Pale Dian - Evan Evan. Background promo - Formed in 2015, Austin-based dream pop trio Pale Dian ride the ashes of their previous project, Blackstone Rngrs, into smudgier, esoteric terrains. The debut LP Narrow Birth is set for a June 3rd release via Manifesto Records, the current home of Dead Kennedys, legendary psyche-pop band the Turtles, and modern signees Puro Instinct, Cellars, Band Aparte, and Drinking Flowers.  The record explores power and weakness, birth and decay, love and abandonment, beauty and abrasiveness. Narrow Birth refers to both the fragility of life and the complete and utter randomness that we, as humans, even exist on this planet in the first place. It exposes the naked realities confronting us all: "here is me, and there is you,  so now what? LP, CD, Digital, CS Release Date: June 3rd, 2016 06/03 - Austin, TX - Swan Dive *LP Release Party* 06/07 - Albuquerque, NM - The Bungalow (house show) 06/08 - El Paso, TX - Lowbrow Palace 06/09 - Tucson, AZ ...