DATE ARCHIVES : July 2018

Odina – ‘I’ll Carry You’

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Originally beginning life as an intimate bedroom project following her move to London from her native Barcelona, Odina has evolved and grown into something far reaching.

Odina is an evocative songwriter with serious lyrical prowess, one of her greatest strengths, drawing on life experiences to produce music in the most honest and heartfelt way – something abundantly clear on new single ‘I’ll Carry You’, the latest lifted from her Nothing Makes Sense EP. ‘I’ll Carry You’ is elegant, heartfelt pop balladry with her haunting, spine-tingling and atmospheric vocals to the fore, amid a gentle strum, meandering layers of atmospheric sounds and vocoder effects, and topped off with a swell of a brass toward the end. Odina’s minimalist approach and stripped-back sound is deceptively simple, captivating and heartfelt.

Listen to ‘I’ll Carry You’ below – like that? Why not check out the EP over here.

Swine Tax – ‘Never Ending’

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Newcastle-upon-Tyne, DIY trio Swine Tax do a fine line in the way of classic indie/alternative inspired sounds.

While there’s no denying the trace some well worn ground, the execution is excellent; done with flair, style and much love. Their latest single ‘Never Ending’ is a case in point. Probably best summed up as a bit indie, a bit alternative rock and a bit rough around the edges – ‘Never Ending’ is a powerful rendition! Opening with some beautifully wistful posturings, lulling you in alongside an irresistible combination of catchy melodies, smart lyrics, crunchy guitar and bubbling bass, and played with energy, passion and treated with a mild but warm layer fuzz. Bubbling away in a land of sheer ’90s alt-rock/indie glory, ‘Never Ending’ is a rousing, boisterous and brilliant blast of fuzz-filled greatness.

Listen to ‘Never Ending’ below now:

Galants – ‘In Vein’

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Dublin shoegaze foursome, Galants marked their return with the release of new single ‘In Vain’, last month.

The track, out via Zen Ten Records, is the first to be taken from forthcoming EP ‘Follow’, set for release in the Autumn. Sonically speaking, it’s the distillation of parts The Jesus & Mary Chain, The Chameleons and Ride; a pretty tasty concoction if there ever was one. ‘In Vain’ whooshes by in a sea of hazy, mild distortion. Ethereal guitars soar, basslines snap and beats pulsate as lush melodies swell all around adding another layer of sweetness and warmth, accentuated by Kennedy‘s tender, reverb laden vocals. An elegant five-minute exploration of bright and shimmering worlds of ‘90s indie rock, shoegaze and dream pop filled with blissful sunshine, youthful yearning and glistening guitar lines.

Listen to ‘In Vein’ below:

Tender Glue – ‘Rudy’

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New York City-based folk singer-songwriter Tom Gluewicki, aka Tender Glue, is readying the release of his album Closet Leftovers for later this year.

Ahead of the forthcoming LP, Tender Glue is teasing its release with new single ‘Rudy’. A love song, penned around 6 years ago, inspired by a brief, non-intimate encounter, ‘Rudy’ is a gentle guitar-driven ballad of real beauty. A sweet blend of lo-fi dream-pop with chiming guitar swirls around with a mellow undulation and an ambient touch, it just strikes the right chord. While draped in a dreamy, mellow aesthetic, ‘Rudy’ is compelling, passionate and ever so touching.

Listen to Tender Glue‘s ‘Rudy’ below. You’re in for a treat!

Niki Moss – ‘Soylent Green’

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Hailing from Portugal, Niki Moss is the musical guise of Miguel Vilhena, a multi-instrumentalist, producer, lead vocalist for the psych-rock band Savana and founder for the record label Pontiaq.

‘Soylent Green’ is the first single to surface from what will be Niki Moss’ debut album, penned for release later in 2018. Playful, off-kilter and uber-catchy, ‘Soylent Green’ grabs you from the off and never lets go. Fluid, melodic guitar lines duet with airy vocals come together to make for the perfect, enticing introduction. Joined then by irresistibly infectious spurts of synth riffs and keys, it gets its hooks in and doesn’t relent. ‘Soylent Green’ is three minutes of flashy, neon bright synth-pop, buoyed by an electric energy and filled with an irresistible aesthetic.

‘Soylent Green’ is the first single to surface from what will be Niki Moss’ debut album, penned for release later in 2018.

Gruff Rhys – ‘No Profit In Pain’

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Hot on the heels of his wonderful new album Babelsberg, Gruff Rhys has shared a new song, ‘No Profit in Pain’.

The track was written for the National Theatre Wales’ NHS70 festival, which is celebrating the National Health Service’s 70th birthday, and all proceeds will go to NHS charities in Wales. It is an ode to the National Health Service on its 70th birthday, defiantly focused on the battle to keep the service in public ownership amid encroaching privatisation – a death knell for the NHS – as profiteers and privateers circle hoping for a vultures picnic. While lyrically defiant, musically is a beautiful, reflective, hazy and whimsical affair, brought to you through the psychedelic eyes of Cardiff’s most innovative musical sons. Bobbing along with soft drums, sparkling synths, rich production and his soothing vocals, it is a rather beautiful and heartfelt ode to the NHS and nod of respect to its staff, for what they do on a daily basis.

Check ‘No Profit in Pain’ below. Buy here: http://bit.ly/NoProfitInPain

Gruff will bring his tour to Ireland this December with the following shows:

Sat December 01 2018 – CORK St Lukes
Sun December 02 2018 – GALWAY Roisin Dubh
Mon December 03 2018 – DUBLIN Button Factory

KLANGPLANET – ‘Stars’

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For a while now, German producer KLANGPLANET – aka Frieder Mollat – has been a reliable source of nocturnal, brooding house-inspired wizardry.

However, with his latest gift, new single ‘Stars’, Mollat offers a slightly different flavour to his usual late-night electronic ambiance. Taking more of a casual, lyric-driven approach to lounging downtempo, ‘Stars’ drifts by with an ease and breeze as melancholic but hopeful vocals are set to a glistening backdrop. Lush strings mingle with drifting guitar, steady beat and a bubbling positivity. Indisputably glowing, ‘Stars’ is a wholly irresistible and elegant piece of laid-back electronica.

You can check out KLANGPLANET’s latest works below:

Lail Arad & JF Robitaille – ‘Photograph’

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British singer-songwriter Lail Arad and Canadian counterpart JF Robitaille have teamed up for a sweet duet perfect for lazy summer days.

After striking up a musical correspondence the pair went on a tour of Italy, which led to some co-writing, then some recording, a slew of live shows across the UK, Europe and India, followed by a return to the studio, which led to today’s curio and new single ‘Photograph’. It is an infectious sub-three-minutes of pure pop-perfection. A jovial jaunt through simple but contagious arrangements and fluid melody, but it is with the pair’s intertwining vocals coming to the fore that we are left, really and truly, powerless. ‘Photograph’ effortlessly bridges the gap between acoustic 1960s folk and pure, irresistible pop-craft.

If it were not for a chance musical correspondence this collaboration may not have ever taken place and on the evidence of ‘Photograph’ alone, we would have lost out big time.

‘The Photograph’ – which will feature on their forthcoming album – is available below for your aural pleasure.

Introducing: CHROMA

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CHROMA are a ferrous alt-rock trio – Katie Hall, Liam Bevan & Zac Mather – from Pontypridd in South Wales.

Welsh trio are a formidable force of nature and self-evidently brilliant guitar band, and led by the charismatic Katie Hall, they have a MASSIVE sound.

As far as an introduction to CHROMA, in a little over three-minutes, single ‘Vampires’ offers that in the best possible way. All scintillating riffs, high-energy, hammering percussion and bass line that pounds incessantly as Hall’s stunning vocals enter the fray, rendering everything else secondary. ‘Datod’ meanwhile, offers another side to CHROMA. Sung in Welsh, it opens quietly, introducing itself with gently a strummed guitar as Hall’s earth-shattering vocals front and centre. It slowly builds, shifting though the gears towards a muscular, cathartic climax that brings the house down around us. The juxtaposition between darkness and light, softness and harsh, is where ‘Datod’ power is sourced, that and the incredibly powerful, searing vocals – as per usual.

Two dizzying displays of what makes CHROMA a very, very exciting proposition indeed. Check ’em below.

 

CHROMA are also one of twelve acts selected from across Wales for Horizons 2018, so you will be hearing plenty more from them over the next 12 months.

Freedom Fry Release Long-awaited Debut Album; ‘Classic’

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For quite some time now, we’ve been bestowing much warranted praise upon Freedom Fry.

Over the past few years, the LA-based indie-pop duo (Marie Seyrat and Bruce Driscoll) have been a reliable source of charming, catchy, bright and lovable cuts of indie-pop. Beginning with ‘Summer In The City’ in 2012 through to likes of ’21’ and ‘Tropicana’ in 2015, the pair became something of ‘singles specialists’, and after a long but enjoyable journey, Freedom Fry released their debut album, Classic at the start of June.

For anyone who has been charmed by Freedom Fry before, the duo’s long-awaited debut will not disappoint. The 12-track album casts a recognisable spell, charming listeners with their cheery indie-folk sound, both the breezy and bright songs the duo is known for and a few slower, bittersweet selections.

Latest single, ‘Die Tryin’ is a folk-flavored ray of sunburst, bright indie-pop interspersed with breezy melodies and harmonies, as each delivers their own verse, before the pair combine in the chorus for a glorious finale. Album closer, and standout track, ‘Easy Street’ has much more of a slumbering, bittersweet vibe, aided and abetted by Driscoll’s vocals, cloaked in a light layer of fuzz. Meandering toward the midway point with a shimmering quality, it swells, tugging firmly at the heartstrings, bursting into full sunburst colour and a sense of resilience and hope. Two wonderful and utterly divine pieces of guitar-pop; a summery sheen, catchy hooks and gorgeous boy/girl vocal interplay make it impossible to resist.

Check them out below and if that is to your liking, their debut album is available here.