DATE ARCHIVES : January 2019

Les Big Byrd – ‘A Little More Numb’ (Tapetown Session)

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Among other things, 2018 saw Scandinavian Psych/Spacerock outfit Les Big Byrd release their superbly named second album Iran Iraq IKEA – coincidentally it is one of the finest record titles of any year.

With their LP still fresh in the memory, the Swedish foursome have shared a brand new video of a vital session performance of album standout ‘A Little More Numb’. Recorded shortly before a Danish show, the band took time out to visit Aarhus based Tapetown Studio, and rattled through a furious live session. The outcome of which is a sweet and simply astounding blend of parts Kraut, Psych and Spacerock, with proto-punk, garage rock, and punctuated with moments of pure pop brilliance. It is like an unholy but beautiful coming together of Spiritualized meets Jonathan Richman; and that is mighty company to be in no matter who you are!

Listen to Les Big Byrd’s ‘A Little More Numb’ Tapetown Session below and you can check out the album Iran Iraq IKEA here.

Psychotropics – ‘Sunburn’

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Psychotropics is an alt-rock foursome – Daniela Defilippi, Joshua Brierley, Alexis Nuñez & Felipe “Pipeño” Vidal – from Santiago, Chile.

Psychotropics sound is born from a sulky rock darkness composed of parts psych, post-punk and alternative rock – and their latest single (a recently re-mastered take on a 2017 release) ‘Sunburn’ demonstrates in abundance. Opening in rather sombre and gloomy fashion, a twangy guitar and languid drums appear, glinting amid a hazy mist of atmospheric sounds. ‘Sunburn’ burns with smouldering emotion and wistful yearning and bursts into life with an explosion of crashing drums, guitars and soaring riffs gushing fuzz, grabbing your attention completely. This melee is tempered by the ethereal and yearning vocals of Daniela Defilippi before ‘Sunburn’ reseeds back to it origins of woozy guitars and undulating rhythms. Dreamy, melodic pop meshed with taut, aggressive rhythms; these two parts intertwine perfectly, shifting like sand beneath the tides of the sea. Powerful, beautiful and very special indeed as it draws you in under its intoxicating spell and envelopes your being.

Tune in below:

Phileas Fogg – ‘Will Never Be Played Again’

Phileas Fogg is the moniker of London-based artist Asi Binyamini, who like his namesake – the protagonist in Jules Verne’s Around the World in Eighty Days – Fogg spirits us away on an imaginative intrepid adventure.

Fogg introduced his decidedly catchy brand of reverb and fuzz-laden psych-rock with single ‘Ready or Not’ last year and he’s followed that with ‘Will Never Be Played Again’. It is an enthralling psych-rocker, tentatively building from a haunting and unsettling opening atmosphere it gradually grows in slowburning fashion, swelling as his vocals ascend rousingly above the dense competing layers of psych noise to add a topping of the anthemic. ‘Will Never Be Played Again’ serves as a timely reminder of Fogg’s knack for the hypnotic and captivating tunes – as evidenced by its predecessor ‘Ready or Not’.

Listen to ‘Will Never Be Played Again’ below now.

Beach For Tiger – ‘It’s Been So Long’

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Beach For Tiger are a London-based quintet with a penchant for dreamily psychedelic pop gems.

This aforementioned flair is patently obvious from their recently released second EP, with ‘It’s Been So Long’ serving as the opening song. It is an enchanting and whimsical illustration of laid-back vibes and irresistible pop-craft, like a perfect blend of Tame Impala with a touch of Honey Moon and Real Estate. It is a woozy, undulating and heartwarming brand of wistful psych-pop that drifts along dreamily, as sinuous melodies, lilting hooks and jangly guitars coalesce with misty vocals which lead us into a bewitching psychedelic trance. Amid the enchanting haze of woozy psychedelic there is an understated, ever-so-mild groove that hooks you in. Not only do ‘It’s Been So Long’ have a real flair for psych-pop gems, they’ve got a right knack for creating tunes the right side of familiar.

Listen to ‘It’s Been So Long’ below:

Simen Mitlid – ‘Saturdays’

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Simen Mitlid is a precociously talented singer-songwriter hailing from the woodlands of Os, Norway, crafting lush, Nordic indie-folk a la contemporaries like Sufjan Stevens, Broken Social Scene and Patrick Watson.

In 2017 Mitlid’s wonderful charming debut LP, Everything is the Same was one of the year’s finest and he is back with his first new material since. New single ‘Saturdays’ is the first taste of what Mitlid is cooking up for album number two, and the good news is his powers for fashioning beautifully charming and elegant indie-folk has not deserted him. Opening slowly with a delicate acoustic guitar and rich emotive vocal, ‘Saturdays’ is a tender ballad that feel both intimate and vast, set against a beautiful atmospheric soundscape. This is a beautiful folk song with an undercurrent of melancholy but marked by an optimism and warm inviting glow – ‘Saturdays’ is a delight.

Nothing concrete on the new album – title, release date etc. – but for now, sit tight and enjoy ‘Saturdays’.

Superheart – ‘Talk About It’

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Over the past 18 months or so, UK-based producer Luke Batt aka Superheart has proven a reliable source of comforting and dreamy, electronic synthpop jams with singles ‘Count On Me’, ‘After Midnight’ and ‘Satellite’.

Superheart is kicking off 2019 with an equally elegant, shiny, glittery new single ‘Talk About It’. Moving along a slumber pace, in a dreamlike state of awe ‘Talk About It’ combines gentle hushed guitar, a soothing layer of synths and a pillowy soft bassline with elegant, heavenly vocals and the outcome is just beautiful. All dreamy, blissful vibes and warm, gentle soundscapes, packed with emotion, divine layered vocals, and a beautifully, tranquil and soothing finish – ‘Talk About It’ is a small slice of heaven.

Superheart really is a gift that keeps on giving – listen to ‘Talk About It’ below:

TOLEDO – ‘Qué Pasa?’

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Revolving around the Brooklyn-based pairing of Dan Alvarez and Jordan Dunn, Toledo have have drip-feeding us charming delights from their forthcoming debut album over the past while, and bewitching us in the process.

The good news is Toledo will release their aforementioned debut, HotStuff in March and the latest single lifted from it, is without question the best yet. ‘Qué Pasa?’ is a heartfelt, lush and melodic slice of indie-folk delight. Dripping with melody as hushed, lilting vocals flow gently on by amid a sea of richness and warmth, flourishes of soft drums and state of tranquillity. ‘Qué Pasa?’ proves Toledo the masters of hook, harmony and heart. It is one of those songs, filled with such heartfelt beauty, glowing with warmth and marked by just the right amount of melancholy, that will leave you unable to resist its allure but all the better for it. An absolute joy!

Listen to ‘Qué Pasa?’ below and keep an eye out for the debut record come March.

Introducing: Los Blancos

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Los Blancos are slacker/garage-rock foursome from Carmarthenshire, South West Wales.

A band bonded in friendship, Gwyn, Dewi, Emyr and Osian have known each other since school days, there is a quiet, understated confidence underpinning Los Blancos’s ’90s inspired garage sound. Drawing inspiration from the slanted sounds of Pavement, Brian Jonestown Massacre and the playfulness of Mac Demarco their songs are simultaneously gloomy yet hopeful and sun-kissed.

Sung in their native Welsh, Los Blancos’ scuzzy, fuzz-filled sound mutates somewhat between each release. ‘Cadi‘ is a ragged hook-filled rattle revolving around frenetic riffing and insistent percussion that combine in a languid, very Velvet Underground kind of way. With ‘Chwarter I Dri’ the melodic meanderings and ramblings are punctuated by soaring riffs, melodies and towering vocals while ‘Cadw Fi Lan’ offers a hazy meander sojourn to warm and swooning sliding guitar-led alt-country meets lo-fi indie. Aside from their native tongue and dash of garage fuzz, the other constant is Gwyn Rosser’s voice, his drawl consistently delivering that added emotional punch with aplomb.

These are songs that cheerily worm their way into your heart through perfect songcraft and you can check out some choices cut below.

Beffect – ‘MKY’

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Beffect aka Enrico Bartoli is an Italian producer, DJ and bass guitarist from Modena, Italy.

Beffect’s sound is a stylish, seamless fusion of earthy organic sounds with analog synths creating beautiful modern downtempo music.

Since releasing his debut EP Consequences in 2016, the Italian producer has busied himself with live shows and a series of collaborative projects, but he has kicked off 2019 with a new EP Sounds Of Your Journey, and fronted by lead single ‘MKY’. With ‘MKY’, it is a track that draws its strength from creating an interesting contrast; the juxtaposition between the aggressive synths and airy warm astral qualities. Bouncing along with the pulsing energy of the synthline, it gradually evolves from the barest rhythmic sketch embellished with a few ambient sounds drifting into an swarm of elegant, warm and melodic affair – and one that becomes more compelling with repeated visits.

Listen to ‘MKY’ below now – and if that is to your liking, check out the new EP, Sounds Of Your Journey, here.

Weston Decker – ‘Black Smoke’

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An air of intrigue surrounds Weston Decker, a musician from Boulder, Colorado in the United States.

This interest is piqued by the backstory, in Decker’s own words, the project was “conceived in Terminal 2 of the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Weston Decker grew up surrounded by Gary, Indiana’s vibrant reggaeton scene of which both the Hyenas who raised him played a central role. He eventually settled in Transylvania where he found work as a barnacle scraper. After a segway crash nearly fucking killed him, he began crafting music to pass the time in the hospital usually while tripping Ambien”. The outcome of which can be seen/heard on 2017’s Fuck This Album, and 2018’s Fuck This Album Too.

The Weston Decker backstory is perfectly suited to the immersive music that accompanies it – and ‘Black Smoke’ is a case in point. A blend of unsettling, shadowy post-punk and bruised jazzy vibes, ‘Black Smoke’ explores an outpouring of varied emotions through the half-spoken-half-sang lyrics, creating a slumbering and otherworldly sound; somewhere in-between dreaming and reality. Different it definitely is and well worth some of your attention.

Check out ‘Black Smoke’ below: