Two weeks in a row for the Don Giovanni label so one major shout out for those guys! This week is the track Crown Royal by Kissing Is A Crime. It starts off fairly steady/simple and when the guitar kicks in, it really pushes the track to another level. The lead vocals hit the sweet spot between a pronounced level without being abrasive and so quiet you cant hear what is being said, which generally sucks. I also wanted to majorly compliment the music video itself for one, for how well it works with the beat of the music, in terms of creativity as well as the timing of the track. You really don't need to have a massive production budget to produce the goods. Looking forward to more crackers from these guys. Enjoy!
New music for me but in reality coming up to two years old is this little wonder: Zero by New Zealand based Fazerdaze. From their 2014 self-titled EP which seems to have gone largely under-rated, Zero comes with a melodic garage tinged guitar line which is offset with the straight up angelic and subduedness of the lead vocals. It takes till the chorus for me to understand how well these two sounds work so well together and help craft a great track. Judging from the SoundCloud hits they are getting, their fan base is ever increasing alongside my excitement for the hopefully soon to be released LP. Enjoy!
A non video video of the week which is just a treat on the eyes this Tuesday. Behind Your Eyes by Big Eyes is off of the bands latest album which was released just this month called Stake My Claim. Lets hope the forthcoming video holds up to the same quality as this 'Official Audio'. The track has the great punk elements that I hear in several other Don Giovanni label-mates, all alongside the vocals which are distinctive and catchy enough to make Big Eyes stand out above the mediocre and humdrum pop-punk bands. Enjoy!
This week I have chose a slightly old track from Philly band Field Mouse. Following their latest LP release I decided to delve into their past catalogue slightly and the video for Tomorrow Is Yesterday was one of the many video gems that popped up. Two and a half minutes of lo-fi grungy goodness from this 5 piece and is a great marker tonally for the rest of the album it is featured on as well as their future release. Expect more great things from this band. Enjoy!
A song to take you right back to mid 00's this week. The classic California by Phantom Planet was such a hit from that time, I was surprised it left my memory even for a second. The band popped up on my recommendations page on AllMusic the other day so as soon as I delved in and started to listen to this song, about 5 seconds in, the memories of being a teenager came flooding back. Many a good time in front of the TV haha. I would beg anyone to listen to this and not be singing along by the end of it. Enjoy!
I've said it before and I'll say it again, my posts are better appreciated late than never. At least it is another reason that helps me go to sleep at night. So anyway yet another absolutely fabulous month of musaac from the likes of Johnny Foriegner, The Julie Ruin, Biffy Clyro and many more to all be checked out HERE. Without any further ado let's start the countdown.
First up at the number 3 position is the self titled Viola Beach album. These guys have produced 9 tracks of jangle-tastic indie rock delight which gives me hints of a more mainstream Peace, which ain't no bad thing. The LP as a whole seems to fly by with charm and sunshine and leaves me constantly in a good mood. Be sure to watch the video below, then go get the record!
In the second place is Blink-182s California. I knew I could count on these guys for another cracking album. Despite the recent line up changes the Blink boys have rarely/never left me disappointed when it comes to the music. Having been released early on in the month, I have listened to this album repeatedly some would say too much. But that should be taken as pure signs to how good the music is. Straight up power blasting out of the gate, you know you are listening to Blink-182 with their classic vocals and musical style that most 20-somethings have become accustomed to. The only rest-bites come from the midway mark Built This Pool and the final Brohemian Rhapsody. Check out the absolute banger Bored To Death below!
And at number Juan with a bullet is NEEDTOBREATHEs Hard Love. This LP easily was my top pick, mainly due to the song Great Night which is the video below. I have equally impressed and shocked myself with the amount I have listened to it over and over again. It must be some kind of magic witchcraft that NTB and Shovels & Rope combined produce that got me so hooked. The rest of the album isn't any slacker either. If Great Night is 12/10 the rest is a solid 10/10 for sure. Melodic and catchy most of the way through, balancing the line of ballady belters and heartfelt jams this is one well crafted album, check them out below!
NPR know what they are doing with this concert. Personally, they have a great eye for talent, and have proved it numerous times and this Lucy Dacus Tiny Desk is no exception. Again I was a newbie to hearing Lucy Dacus but from the first 30 seconds in I knew I was going to be a fan. She has quite a chilled out sound, which some could list under easy listening. For me, its her vocals that hit me the right way, poetry of the smoothest kind with a great musical balance. Now to delve into her LP. Enjoy!
As of a couple of days ago I had never heard of Jenn Champion, but after listening to one song from her new soon to be released EP posted online by Hardly Art Records (video at bottom) I have been on a slight binge. Under the stage name S, she has produced 4 LPs to date Sadstyle, Puking & Crying, I'm Not As Good At It As You and Cool Choices. And if that wasnt enough, before her solo work she also made another 3 albums under Carissa's Wierd which consisted of her and two guys who went on to form Band Of Horses. At time of writing, I haven't heard any of CW stuff yet but I am looking forward to when that time comes greatly.
As good a starting point as any, I urge you to listen to her first solo LP below (Sadstyle) It gives a initial feel of her sound which includes part indie, part pop, part singer/songwriter and part just straight up alternative goodness. My favourite release of hers so far has to be her third LP INAGAIAY. It is probably the lightest toned release to date and I really enjoy the wide range of instrumentation that is used throughout the LP. It shows off her talent and skill as a musician, song writer and all that other good stuff.
Be sure to keep up to date for her new EP coming out later on this year HERE.
A bit of a taster from their upcoming second album is the single Punks In A Disco Bar from my boys Beach Slang, (when I say my boys I mean I have never actually met or even talked to any member of the band, safe to say strangers at best). And this week isn't as much of a video as more of a still image but the music accompanying it is what counts. A brief 2:40 of a song that almost expectantly flies by with punkish charm, PIADB does a damn fine job with the instrumentation levels, not overly prioritising the vocals and truly showing off some sweet ass guitar licks and other great beats for me and you both to enjoy!.
This initially may seem like a grab bag of tracks and a bit of an easy way out instead of picking just one standout song, but after you listen to this months release of the Wichita Recordings Podcast you will hopefully realise it is so much more. They pack the best of the best tracks from their signed artists like the immense cover of The Night done by Frankie & The Heartstrings, Globelamp, Fidlar and many more plus a great little interview with the talented Meg Bairdwhich inspired me to hear more of her work (incredible). It was also really satisfying to hear a bit of Los Campesinos again before their imminent album release. So if you can spare an hour, give this a listen. Enjoy!
Recently pop punk seems to be coming back into my audio life, what with the massive Blink album and killer tracks like this one from Johnny Foreigner. Dual vocals that blend together beautifully with simple, strong guitars and drums to back them up. Bands like these guys do a great job keeping the classic punk rock vibes alive and accessible and that is no mean feat (not enough can be said about it in my book). JF have been with us for over a decade now, let's hope for another decade more. Enjoy!
June has been a long month, that is for sure. Tiring and at some points a drag but the music has been there time and again to re-energise me and keep me singing along. With great albums from Whitney, Womps, Weaves and many other artists beginning with W there are many reasons to keep smiling. You can check out my full month playlist HERE. Without any further ado here we go with my top 3 picks:
Decorations - Have Fun was my third favourite album of June and it came as a bit of a surprise for me. Having not heard of the band before this release I really had no clue what they were like or how much I was going to love this album. A little bit electro pop, a little bit of indie rock and just the right amount of grandeur for my ears, Have Fun definitely has more sides to it than an a4 sheet of paper and that is a compliment from the bottom of my heart. Enjoy one of the singles 'Promise' below.
Straight out of the gate with this album I knew I was on to a winner when I heard the guttural scream of "Are We Alive". That's right, it is the Augustines third release This Is Your Life. Unlike Decorations, I had known of and listened to a lot of Augustines before this release and it is pretty safe to say I was expecting fairly big things. Thankfully I was not let down in the slightest and they delivered on every aspect. The epic ballads, the more chilled numbers with hints of electronica and the same great vocals from Mr Billy McCarthy. Easily their best work to date but it is almost expected that musicians improve over time as does everybody. Enjoy!
Perhaps a slightly surprising number one pick, perhaps not. One thing is for sure, Frankie Ballards El Rio is a absolute banger. Released in the earlier end of June, ER is packed full of 'Country Foot Stompers' that kept me smiling ear to ear all month long. His personality has a charm that comes through in the music and lyrics that I feel if another artist were to sing the same songs, they would come across as cheesy and out dated. He definitely has all the songs about the usual tropes: cigarettes, alcohol and girls but he puts a personal spin on the standard that any regular old Joe could come up with and has made a truly fresh and brilliant album. Summer afternoons in the park I hear you calling. Enjoy!
I'm back! Yes I took a weeks gap between posts mainly due to being busy with work and partly due to the extremely nerdy fact of obsessively playing a new video game that I have been hooked on. Anyhoo back to normality, well as close as possible as we can all be. Its Tuesday officially for just under 4 hours now so I call that perfect time for my YouTube Video post.
As I am sure I have stated somewhere in a previous post, I am a big Hardly Art Records fan and their current roster of artists is full of heavy hitters, with one of the newer signed bands being IAN SWEET and I am loving this track from said band 'If You're Crying' off of their recently released self titled EP. Chill indie at a strong 12/10, these guys know how to craft a song. Mellow guitar lines and drum beats with vocals that soothingly touch your ears and the occasional peak dotted around for added excitement. The record seems to be dialled back just enough to keep the emotion of the lyrics and instrumentation without being in your face or screeching. Great track and am looking forward to September for the LP. Enjoy!
Following the relaunch of 1965 Records last year, they have quite the selection of talent on their roster, amongst others: Coves, Black Peaches and one Mr Wesley Fuller. His track Melvista may not be the newest of the new music (a few months old or something) but it is a damn fine song and that is why I have chosen to share it. Straight outta Melbourne, Wesley has made a crackin' pop rock single which I think shows signs of great quality music to come. Make sure to check his Soundcloud on the regular for updates. Enjoy!
With the recent release of Frankie Ballards third album El Rio, he has made the video below discussing the making of said record. What I found interesting about the story was why he chose to record in El Paso as opposed to the popular and some would say over-saturated Nashville. Taking a relaxed pace whilst recording records can 9 times out of 10 be a positive thing, it just helps refine and relieve pressure of strict deadlines and improves the quality of the record and gives it an overall chilled vibe. Frankie and the band also stopped off at some legendary studios enroute to bang out some tunes. Really interesting thing. Enjoy!
This months Artist Showcase is a bit of a throw back to the early 10's which (to my grand realisation when researching this piece) right now is well over half a decade ago, boy do I feel old, it truly seems like last week. So the band in question is General Fiasco, a Northern Irish four piece consisting of the brothers Owen and Enda Strathern, Stephen Leacock and Stuart Bell.
My first experience with them is when I was but a boy and I went to see One Night Only live at a small cramped little venue in Birmingham and who would have thought that ONOs supporting band would have been so good, some would even say they overshadowed the headliner but that's just crazy talk. They did a shortish set of the big tunes as you do and something special stuck with me and I couldn't get them out of my head. They are are still in there bouncing around to this day.
To date they have only released two albums and boy oh boy what albums they are. Buildings was their first release in 2010 and this was one of those LPs that seemingly never left my CD player. 10 songs of absolute joy and if you hunt around a bit on the internet there is a fantastic acoustic version of Sinking Ships out there.
Unfaithfully Yours was their second LP released in 2012 and I remember first going into it not knowing what to expect. I should not have been worried because the boys did not disappoint, more of the same quality rock songs with the added bonuses of the occasionally heavier tune. Check out The Age You Start Losing Friends video below. Happy days all round. Lets just hope they come back out of their hiatus soon.
You can stay up to date with the bands goings on HERE so far they seem to post a couple of times a year.
