DATE ARCHIVES : February 2018

Charlotte & Magon – ‘I Don’t Wanna Go’

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‘I Don’t Wanna Go’ is the latest taster from Lyrical Miracle, the forthcoming album from Charlotte & Magon.

The Paris-based duo offer a fine in cosmic alt-pop, as evidenced by latest single ‘I Don’t Wanna Go’; slick, suave and super catchy indie pop song with a mischievous twinkle. Eerie content of the music is juxtaposed by dreamy instrumentation, upbeat rhythms and contrasting colourful sounds throughout – for beneath the catchy indie-pop environs this is an anti-war song, depicting the effects of Magon’s forced service. In short, it is a catchy and infectious tune that is approaching something akin to Kate Bush meets early Arcade Fire.

Listen to ‘I Don’t Wanna Go’ below and it precedes Lyrical Miracle, which is due for release on the 16th of March 2018.

Toledo – ‘Crane Song’

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Boston-based Indie-folk foursome, Toledo are preparing to release a new album this year, ahead of which they have kindly afforded us a glimpse of what we may expect in the shape of lead single ‘Crane Song’.

Deeply melodic folk vocals are supplemented by a gently picked guitar, brush cymbals and dark choral harmonies but ‘Crane Song’ is anything but a conventional indie-folk tune. At the halfway mark the acoustic atmospheric-folk gives way to a more sunny and spritely disposition, filling the spaces with luscious, dreamy slackerish psych-pop. An absolute delight and full of surprises this one. Enjoy!

You can listen to ‘Crane Song’ and we’ll be keep our eyes peeled for news of the aforementioned new LP.

Victims of the New Math – ‘New Victorians’

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Victims of the New Math are Phoenix duo – consisting of brothers Joe and Thomas Young – raised on a steady diet of late ’60s and early ’70s rock and pop.

Together, the sibling pairing deliver scrappy, rough-and-ready riff driven melodic rock with a raw edge, as they share stories of loss, loss of innocence, loss of love, loss of self and yet beneath it all, lies glimmers of hope. ‘New Victorians’ is the title track from their debut album and it nails it as an introduction to their scrappy, rough-around-the-edges sensibility. It is a warm, punchy and melodic jangle of off-kilter, psych that mixes it between sounds synonymous with early ’70s rock and ’90s garage-rock, full of raw energy and flat-slapping percussion. It’s an absolutely infectious treat and it should have you reaching straight for the play button again and again – a great name for a band too!

Listen to lead track ‘New Victorians’ below & if that is to your liking, check out their new LP, The New Victorians here.

Mr Gabriel – ‘Millennial Falcon’

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‘Millennial Falcon’ is the eloquently titled new single from Mr. Gabriel, and based on this evidence, he’s quite a knack for crafting ear-worming cuts of indie-pop.

Nashville-based Mr Gabriel – aka Gabe Simon – with Mark Pontius from Foster the People providing the percussives, deliver a simmering sonic stew of super catchy indie-synth-pop with psych flavours. The scuzzy guitar and rumbling bass riffs that make up the meat of the track, bring an unwavering energy while Simon’s distorted vocals add another level of vitality as he takes a not-so-subtle dig at the voyeuristic obsession with social media and glamour. A catchy confection of energetic and pumped up alt-pop, means as much business as it is hard to resist.

You can check out ‘Millennial Falcon’ below:

Gwenno Announces New Album; Shares New Single ‘Tir Ha Mor’

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Welsh artist Gwenno – former Pipettes front-woman, Gwenno Saunders – is releasing her second album, Le Kov, on March 3 via Heavenly Recordings.

Le Kov is the follow-up to Y Dydd Olaf, Gwenno’s spellbinding debut solo album, which intricately weaved mixture of moods and textures, soft-edged synths, blissed out Krautrock and Motorik rhythms. Ahead of the hotly anticipated record, shared a video for its first single, ‘Tir Ha Mor’. The first single follows a similarly sublime formula, sung in Cornish, it is lush, sweeping, sparkling and brilliant. The video features Gwenno singing and dancing, and reflects ‘Tir Ha Mor’ colourful psychedelic leanings.

The album, Le Kov is sung entirely in Cornish and translates to “land and sea”, and while it has an awful lot to live up to if it’s reach the heady heights of Y Dydd Olaf but judging by ‘Tir Ha Mor’ at least, Gwenno is on the right track.

Sit back and enjoy ‘Tir Ha Mor’ below:

Introducing: Likvid

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Likvid is Slovakian born, London-based musician and producer Allan Vilhan, who’s music is a blend of ambient and beat-driven tunes, with subtly and a deft touch, it is a wonderful hinterland somewhere between trip-hop, d’n’b and electronica; where both industrial and ethereal moments can coexist and thrive.

Themes are loaded with spirituality, illuminated by deep and dark lyrics, and primed to thrust you on a ethereal voyage of tranquil discovery. Recent single, ‘Unreal Lies’ is probably his most outstanding work to date. Working in collaboration with Swedish singer and musician Marta Karis, it is a subtle blend of heavenly atmospherics and sensual sounds, complimented perfectly by Karis’ bewitching vocals, which adds a veil of the mysteriousness to this reposing sojourn to a world of alluring escapism. While retaining the ambient atmospherics, ‘Can You Hear Me?’ has more of a subterranean vibe albeit interspersed with splashes of light. It is much more beat driven, propelled by heavier hitting beats, it is cloaked with a ghostly aura, due in no small part to the haunting vocals of Krisztian Karpati. These are hopefully just two of many delights to come from a potentially very fruitful merging of the industrial and ethereal.

Listen to ‘Unreal Lies’ & ‘Can You Hear Me?’ below – two quality introductions to Likvid.

https://soundcloud.com/likvid_project/can-you-hear-me

Jason Nolan – ‘Late Night City Hawks’

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Jason Nolan is a London born, bred and based young artist whose enigmatic musical style is nothing short of breathtaking.

Nolan’s latest release, ‘Late Night City Hawks’ is a prime example of the powers he possesses, and an apt point of introduction to this comforting, feelgood slice of indie-music-to-dance-to. ‘Late Night City Hawks’ is simultaneously chilled but a mover. Nolan’s soft, inviting, mellow vocals set the tone as twinkling synths, elegant strings and floating flutes coalesce, drawing you into a vast labyrinth of soothing, ear-pleasing and joy-filled jazzy sounds. Nolan transfixes with a sound that is both fresh and familiar; Mr. Scruff meets Hot Chip, with Nolan’s own twist crafting something altogether new.

You can listen to the sublime ‘Late Night City Hawks’ below – and if you like that, there’s plenty more where that came from, over here.

Grey Watson – ‘Radical Passenger’

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Grey Watson is a Seoul-based musician, originally from Birmingham Al, who among many things, has quite a way with gorgeous psych-tinged pop ballads.

Watson’s latest single, ‘Radical Passenger’ is a perfect example of this, and depicts the wonderful charm in which his music is oozing with. It is a charming delight dripping with melody and harmony, adorned with a swooning blend of truly beautiful textures and rich sounds, creating an atmosphere of beauty and tranquillity, yet one tinged with an overwhelming sense of melancholy. Expansive by its very make up, it swells, building to a crescendo in the latter third that climaxes with a scintillating, slow-mo guitar solo. In short; ‘Radical Passenger’ is gorgeous psych-pop perfection personified – and the video is pretty damn slick too.

Watson is currently putting the finishing touches to a new album, due at some stage in 2018 – a case of watch this space.

Check out ‘Radical Passenger’ & the video below now, it does not disappoint.

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Martha Ffion – ‘Take Your Name’

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Irish-born, Glasgow-based singer-songwriter, Martha Ffion has announced she will releasing her long-awaited debut LP Sunday Best on March 9, via excellent Welsh indie-label Turnstile Music.

Previewing the forthcoming record. Ffion released ‘We Make Do’ in December of last year and has followed it with the similarly wonderful ‘Take Your Name’. It is two-and-a-half minutes of gleaming guitar-pop that drifts between soft-centered balladry, lush instrumentation and something altogether more cutting and purposeful. As ever, Martha Ffion’s detailed lyrical vision to life flourishes with her beautiful honeyed vocals, hovering gently above and adding another layer of glowing allure. A beautifully crafted a wonderful and compelling indie-pop gem, ‘Take Your Name’ has a touch of Tennis-esque exquisiteness in the swooning sixties inspired indie-pop stakes – utterly infectious and utterly irresistible.

Watch the video for ‘Take Your Name’ below and keep your eyes peeled for Sunday Best, its out on March 9.

Gaz Coombes Announces New Album, Dublin Date & Shares ‘Deep Pockets’

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Former Supergrass head honcho Gaz Coombes will release his third solo album, World’s Strongest Man, on May 4 via Hot Fruit / Caroline International.

Produced by himself at his home studio in Oxford, the album is previewed by lead single ‘Deep Pockets’ – and it’s a peach! It propels itself on a rollicking, pulsating synth line and intense motorik rhythm intertwined with Coombes’ slightly fuzzed-out vocals and an injection of squalling, intense guitar riffs, and slick and infectious hook. ‘Deep Pockets’ provides a timely reminder, if one be needed, that Coombes has a rather special knack for crafting mischievously potent, catchy and hook driven guitar tunes.

The album itself is said to be inspired by Grayson Perry’s Descent of Man, Frank Ocean’s ‘Blonde’, Californian weed, British woodlands, unchecked masculinity, Neu! and hip hop (and a whole lot more besides). An interesting combination indeed and as such, it may prove to be Coombes’ most ambitious solo outing to date.

Speaking of dates…. Gaz Coombes has announced a show in The Academy, Dublin for Friday, May 25, along with a string of other tour dates, which you can check here.

Check out the video for ‘Deep Pockets’ below.