DATE ARCHIVES : February 2021

Tertia – ‘Emily’

Tertia is a  London / Dublin based multi-instrumental artist, songwriter and producer with a flair for charming, synth-splashed indie-pop.

A classically trained musician, Tertia simultaneously incorporates this with lush synths, electronics, stylized production and meditative vocals to create an exciting lo-fi / indie-pop brew – exhibited beautifully on new single ‘Emily’. Lifted from Tertia’s recently released debut EP,  Tertia’s Mixtape, ‘Emily’ is a lush, melodic and dreamy escape. Electronics flutter and synths shimmer and fizz while soft beats patter at a pace below as Tertia’s smooth honeyed vocal tones reign supreme, flowing over us with an ease and breeze. ‘Emily’ is serene, addicting and utterly spectacular – a perfect intro to both Tertia and debut EP, Tertia’s Mixtape.

Listen to ‘Emily’ below – and the EP is available here

Carwyn Ellis & Rio 18 – ‘Lawr Yn Y Ddinas Fawr’

With so much of our lives put on hold as we navigate our way through the pandemic, it was with great joy we discovered that Carwyn Ellis & Rio 18 fast-tracked their second album ‘Mas’ for release in 2021 instead of 2022. 

‘Mas’ is the follow-up to 2019’s stunning debut ‘Joia!’ and is out today via Banana & Louie Records. As with its predecessor, it consists of songs in Welsh, backed with a distinct pop flavoured with music from across Latin America; a beautiful melting pot fabulously informed by tropicália and bossa nova, but with a psychedelic flavour. Accompanying the album’s release is ‘Lawr Yn Y Ddinas Fawr’; a suitably breezy breathe of fresh air underpinned by a soft patter of drums and gentle bassline bubble. It is sweet, charming and joy filled, as sweet vocals cruise gracefully above a lush strum, warm chimes  and array of sunny tones, beautiful breezy feelgood vibe. Carwyn Ellis & Rio 18 sounding wonderful once again; resplendent psych-pop perfection and perfect soundtrack to brighter times ahead. 

Listen to ‘Lawr Yn Y Ddinas Fawr’ below and the new album ‘Mas’ is out today – tune in here.

Fable – ‘Orbiting’

Brighton’s Fable (aka Holly Cosgrove) has a real flair for captivating, cinematic electronica; something that is patently clear from new single ‘Orbiting’.

With a debut album recorded and newly-signed to Naim Records, ‘Orbiting’ should be the first of many offerings from Fable throughout 2021 – and if they are anything like this, we are in for a treat. Hauntingly stark, yet hopeful, ‘Orbiting’ is an expansive yet cosy trip-hop-inspired sound as Fable’s stunning vocals glide across a super smooth, downtempo groove and serene bassline while the atmospheric surrounding smoulder with rich allure and moving emotion.  The deftness of touch here is breathtaking, it remains simultaneously blissfully dreamy and intimate and yet expansive and epic – no mean feat.

‘Orbiting’ is out now and it’s a truly stunning single, and perfect introduction to Fable. Tune in below.


Deyah – ‘Ultimate Dinner Party’

Fresh off the back of winning the Welsh Music Prize 2020 with excellent album Care City, Cardiff MC & producer Deyah, has returned with brand new single ‘Ultimate Dinner Party’.


The new single continues a trend established by the excellent self-produced and self-released Care City; real prowess for honest, personal and introspective tales backed by laid-back vibes and slick beats. A warm but wistful synth purrs amid a hazy nocturnal air, marked by an overwhelmingly laidback, chilled vibe while a slick, snappy and quite skittish beat ping pongs around the woozy atmosphere. As great as this is, everything is secondary to Deyah’s voice. A rich soulful voice delivering an honest, personal and powerful tale with a distinct and precise lyrical flow. Deyah is one of the most exciting and unique artists to cross my path in a while, no word of a lie, ‘Ultimate Dinner Party’ has been on repeat for the past two weeks. Simply superb.

Listen to  ‘Ultimate Dinner Party’ below now and while you’re at it, check out Care City as well.

San Salvo – ‘Khanta’

San Salvo are a neo soul / psych outfit from Brooklyn; a collaborative project of Jared Schapker (Grandpa Jack), Matt C. White and Sean Smith (Rubblebucket / Kaleta & Super Yamba Band).

Together the trio have carved out a rather special place on the musical landscape with timeless psych-infused soul and funk, anchored and propelled by an enviable love of groove. Their new EP ‘Rarities’ is a colourful and imaginative exploration in sound, with a focus on mood and groove, and single ‘Khanta’, provides a succinct distillation of their sonic adventures in four wonderful minutes. Composed of a grooving rhythm section, soaring hornlines, and fuzzed out guitar and psychedelic brush strokes ‘Khanta’, is a churning, winding groover bathed in a swirling haze of shimmering tones, psychedelic keys, and parps of rich brass. ‘Khanta’ is a thrilling and pulsating powerhouse of rhythmic fervour that is totally irresistible and will leave an indelible mark on your soul.

Listen to ‘Khanta’ below – and check out the EP ‘Rarities’ here too.

Moderate Rebels – ‘Perfect Grey Day’

Rotating around core members Kate Worthington (vocals), Susan Milanovich (drums), Emma Faulkner (vocals) and Morag Bruce (keys/synths), Moderate Rebels are anything but orthodox. 

The London based music collective will follow up their debut with not one but three albums this year on Moshi Moshi – the first of which is If You See Something That Doesn’t Look Right, coming on April 30.  

Ahead of the album’s release later in the year, Moderate Rebels have shared the wonderful lead single ‘Perfect Grey Day’. There are echoes of Phil Spector, Spiritualized, St Etienne, Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev, Super Furry Animals and Stereolab here, but stamped firmly with their own inimitable identity too. Fueled by driving rhythmic repetition, discordant guitar fuzz, jangle and twangs dance amid a swirl of hazy psychedelia and divine harmonies, as hushed dreamy vocals and lilting melodic hooks float above the bewitching waltzing groove. ‘Perfect Grey Day’ is dreamy and playful as it danders along with a lullaby-esque charm, delivering its hypnotic spell – utterly beautiful.

Listen to  ‘Perfect Grey Day’ below now – the album is out on April 30. 

Anorak Patch – ‘Irate’

Colchester-based foursome – Effie Lawrence, Eleanor Helliwell, Oscar Ryland & Luca Ryland – Anorak Patch, are a formidable proposition.

Formed among high school friends in late 2019, they quickly released the singles ‘Beans’ & ‘6 Week Party’ last year, and their raucous rock sound has left a mark. So much so, that their latest single ‘Irate’ is the latest to grace the Nice Swan Introduces… series; a monthly series started last year by Nice Swan Records to shine a light on exciting emerging talent incl. Sports Team, Pip Blom, Courting, Sprints, Hallan, among others).

So, back to the single. ‘Irate’ is a colossus. Pulverising drum beats combine with razor sharp riffs and meaty, crunching guitars, chugging bass to create a thunderous backdrop of seething, pent up rage and fury unleashed, while vocals soar high above. Barbed yet nonchalant, the vocals set the tone for what is a powerful, a fierce, uncompromising and compelling slice of searing grunge-filled indie-rock – but one that is incredibly catchy and tuneful too.

Listen to ‘Irate’ below now – batten down the hatches.

Ffredi Blino – ‘(Take Me Back to) Honolulu’

Ffredi Blino is an Aussie-born, Wales-based singer-songwriter with a penchant for bright, sunny and playful indie-pop; an indulgence born out with great gusto on recently released debut album, The Dishwasher Tapes.

Recorded at home in September and October 2020, the album is an escapist fantasy defined by limitation: a single mic, a creaking Windows Vista laptop and no bandmates. No genre is sacred, these are ten songs loosely bound together by the ever-present sound of the dishwasher, and the creative solutions to overcome the aforementioned limitations.

By way of an introduction, Blino has afforded us the album’s lead single is ‘(Take Me Back to) Honolulu’; a beautiful melting pot of fabulously formed infectious pop. Anchored by a bright guitar strum, this joyous bundle of sunshine tips along a bright strum, bubbling bass and seductive pattering groove while lush breezy vocals flow amid the sunny tones, feelgood vibes and pang for carefree times. It is charming, infectious and dripping with melody, and in all honesty, as perfectly formed a pop song as has ever been crafted.

It is sweet, charming, colourful and playful – an undeniable triumph – don’t just take my word for it, give ‘(Take Me Back to) Honolulu’ a spin below. The Dishwasher Tapes is here too.


Beige Banquet – ‘Cold Yoghurt’

Beige Banquet is the solo project of East London-based Tom Brierley who creates drum-machine-driven and self-produced outsider/weirdo/art punk.

Beginning life in early 2020, the project yielded a treasure trove of tracks written and produced in a dank East-London bedroom during the first part of last year in circumstances familiar to many musicians, Brierley switched focus from performing to recording, and the fruit from that labour is debut album BETA.

Brierley offered a taste of what to expect with ‘Wired/Weird’ in December and second single from the album, ‘Cold Yoghurt’ is similarly spikey, agitated and drum-machine-driven post-punk. It is a frenzied jam fueled by metronomic, capping electro beat the underpins the repetitive guitar lines, jerky riffs and sharp rhythm section. This somewhat frenzied sound is perfectly complemented by the stream-of-consciousness lyrics and manic delivery, that seems to have tunnel vision and mirroring the coalescing of the sharp, angular noise that comes together slowly, fusing into a formidable intoxicating jam.

Listen to ‘Cold Yoghurt’ below – and I implore you to check out the new album BETA, 32 minutes of brilliant drum-machine-driven, frenzied guitar wielding mayhem. Stream it here, and it is out now on Just Step Sideways Records

Amber Jay – ‘Stay The Same’

Amber Jay is a Liverpool-based artist and musician with a real flair in the way of captivating, synth-splashed, electronic alt-pop – and this flair is matched by an enviable embrace for experimentation and pushing the boundaries.

Jay introduced this penchant for futuristic synth-fueled alt-pop with ‘Pencilled Brims’ toward the backend of last year and has kicked off 2021 in similarly sublime fashion with ‘Stay The Same’. Opening patiently, ‘Stay The Same’ slowly introduces itself as Amber’s crisp vocals cruise above a woozy atmosphere and slo-mo groove before a hypnotic pulsing synth and snappy beat up the pace as we traverse an ever-evolving soundscape. It is hypnotic, immersive and futuristic, filled with luscious harmonies, hooks and seductive grooves; ‘Stay The Same’ feels, like its predecessor, vibrant and alive, and effortlessly transcending genres.

Amber Jay’s debut EP Never Too Far From A Dark Thought will be released on March 3, listen to ‘Stay The Same’ below: