At the Party With My Brown Friends is a profound and understated forward step. The squalling guitar anthems that shaped its predecessor are replaced by delicate vocals and soft keys, sentiments spoken and unspoken, presenting something shadowy and unsettling; a stirring of the waters. The end result presents a captivating about-face that redefines KP’s beautifully singular artistic vision.
A few weeks ago we planned on seeing Purple Mountains together. Instead we spent the night listening to David’s records and talking about how much his music and art meant to us. He was an inspiration for decades. One we wouldn’t be here without. We’ve been playing covers of his music since 1994 when we first picked up guitars together, so it felt like one of the few things we could do to get through the sadness. The next day we worked on this cover of “Ballad of Reverend War Character”. Per the request from David’s family, all of the proceeds will be donated to MusiCares and Music Health Alliance, so pay as much as you want.
The End of America has been out on the road, swooning their listeners souls with heartfelt melodies and tight harmonies that have been compared to the young Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Most recently, the Americana/folk/rock trio made up of Trevor Leonard, Brendon Thomas and James Downes took part at their hometown’s Philly Folk Fest and WXPN’s 25th anniversary of Jeff Buckley’s Grace presented by The Key at World Cafe Live.
Norwegian 8-piece, Fieh return with their new track, ‘Samurai / When The Summer Is Through’, which is an ode inspired by Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill that doubles as that perfect accompaniment to the end of the warmer sun this year.
Schocken cites influence from the likes of Massive Attack, The Prodigy, The Chemical Brothers, DJ Shadow, Lorn, and Throwing Snow, while his own sound can be compared to the trip-hop beats of Portishead infused with the timeless pop distillations of Lana Del Rey.
"With a grande, neo-psychedelia take on Americana akin to The War on Drugs, the song sweeps along like an old drop-top on a highway." ~ Consequence of Sound
Ets Trio deliver folk-rock with worldly textures, bringing discipline, environments and a wealth of experience into a so; and accepting realm. Their single Lovers to Strangers a song of wisdom set to quell the an unsettling melancholy.
'No Stranger Thing' underlines how potent this new beginning actually is, a thirsty synth-pop banger replete with guest vocals from Lucy Mason. It's the perfect blend of digital pop and vocal ache, the melodic appeal offset by some club-centric production.” Clash Magazine
These are artists that seem to have nothing to do with each other and nothing to do with Berman, yet they’ve come out of the woodwork to pay tribute to the man. First Aid Kit’s contributions include a cover of American Water’s “Random Rules,” perhaps the best-loved Silver Jews song, as well as a new original song called “Strange Beauty” that the band wrote while processing Berman’s death. Stereogum
Champs are brothers Michael and David Champion, Formed in 2011 their debut album ‘Down Like Gold’ came with great critical acclaim, drawing praise from the likes of The Guardian, The Independent and Q Magazine. Evidently immune to second album syndrome, the pair endeavoured to achieve bigger heights with their follow up ‘VAMALA’, which came 366 days later. Hailed as a ‘Thing of beauty’ by The Sunday times and rated ⅘ by The Guardian more than delivered. Now, three years on, they are ready to impress again.
Speaking on the new album the band state:
"We've lived with this album (HARD INTERCHANGE) for a long time and we're really very excited to be able to set it free. We hope you enjoy listening to it as much we enjoyed making it.”
SHHE is the alter-ego of Scottish-Portuguese artist and producer SU Shaw. Shaw wraps carefully constructed electronic soundscapes around delicate yet self-assured vocals, and Saint Cyrus is the next piece of the puzzle introducing the world to the enigmatic SHHE.
The video for GLOWS ‘Afterthought’ is an articulation of the ideas and references that amalgamate in the upcoming EP JLHOOKERLOVEPLEASUREFOREVER; spanning folklore, ontology, overstimulation and psycho-geography. The act of travelling is key to Glows creative process and the video for ‘Afterthought’ documents several psycho-geographic walks undertook by Glows and creative partners as a method for inspiration. An interest in ontology and folklore tales is articulated through a narrative structure that skips across past, present and future encounters from the walks.
“Buoyed by pulsating rhythmic cadences and stirring arena-ready guitars, Bergman displays his deep vocals here that waver on the brink of vulnerability.” The 405
“Ro Bergman's musical path is a border crossing - subtle spun works combine lyrical depth with musical heights”.
Tonspion
“A caliber from this shot and grain has not existed in Austria for a long time.”
(VH-1, MTV)
“‘Clouds’ is an upbeat belter of a tune. A perfect atmospheric song to soundtrack summer nights.” XS Noize
Ro Bergman draws inspiration from a wide variety of artists including Beck, Bon Iver, Fink, The National and The Verve. These influences come together to paint a portrait of Ro Bergmans work, with the colours of the single shining through. As a result, he has managed to create a unique sound, comparable to Tame Impala, Foals, Local Natives and Chet Faker.
Surprise! We are still a label! Every now and again, we will be putting out some stuff (more on that in the future)! So please welcome Overo to the fold. You might recognize CYLS alums Lindsay and Mercy from Football, etc., and Brendan from Perfect Future. Welcome John too, he's new to our family.
Together, the four of them make Overo. If you can imagine a perfect blending of their past bands, you've pretty much got Overo Texas emo/post-hardcore at it's finest, blending melodic singing and throaty singing, all over a raging atmosphere of distortion.
THE BE POSITIVES is a northern conundrum. Consisting of Mike Seal (Guitar, Piano & Vocals), Rob Hatton (Bass & Vocals), Simon Mayne (Lead Guitar & Vocals) and Callum Darley (Drums & Vocals), they were splayed across Merseyside to Sheffield, all sharing an affinity for McCartney, Dylan, Kinks and Nick Lowe, and later, converging on Manchester, they hankered for gigging at grotty pubs across the city. Now united, the four-piece invoke mad-pop affirmation through berserk instrumentation laced with smart lyricism.
Having played in several bands and touring throughout the US since, skipping college in the process, Cincinnati-based artist Curt Kiser has been meticulously crafting his proper debut as a songwriter in step with his own personal development. Adopting the moniker Carriers back in 2014, Kiser has worked with a collective of friends, including Bryan Devendorf (The National) and John Curley (The Afghan Whigs), to bring his sweeping rock visions to life.
Carriers’ debut LP, Now Is The Time For Loving Me, Yourself & Everyone Else, is a testament to the power of self-reflection and is carefully layered, leaning on strong core songwriting, hypnotic synths and lush guitar tones from Kiser, mesmerizing percussion delivered by Devendorf, and nuanced, dynamic bass lines from Curley. The 9-track album evokes the same guitar-led grandeur of The War on Drugs as Kiser takes stock of life, death, relationships and gratitude for another day.
Hailing from Oslo, until relatively recently, Mia has hidden her music from most. She maintained her music should be for her, and her alone. She decided to lift the veil in 2018, revealing her debut single ‘Hurry’ via Diamond Club, and then ‘Grow’ – both showcasing an enchanting ‘guitar&B’/neo-soul amalgam.
As a loping bass groove erupts into wave of violin, shoe gaze-guitars, and dial-up-modems, Chaidez chants her cubist love story with prayer-like intimacy. KITTEN's palette of sounds and influences remains broad, but "Memphis" displays a newfound clarity in the band's production.
"What does this mean for this band moving forward...especially when you have songs this good."
-NPR
"A shockingly fun return-to-form collection of sad-sack storytelling."
-Rolling Stone
"The total effect of Thrashing Thru The Passion is that of The Hold Steady at their most casual and confident, tossing off these songs that would be tour de forces for anyone else as if they have a bushelful of them just hanging around the studio."
-American Songwriter
"A loose, welcome return."
-AV Club
"They've never been so streamlined and Craig Finn hasn't been so funny in years." -Philadelphia Inquirer
"It seems their new approach to band life is yielding some pretty great results...reminds you of the band's glory days...It's the shortest album they've ever written, and it zips by with no filler."
-Brooklyn Vegan
"You don't listen to Hold Steady albums, you live in them. On their seventh album they further cement their punk poet laureate credentials.
“Raucous, tongue-in-cheek… filled with grit” - The FADER
"buzzsaw blasts reminiscent of Elastica in their mid-90s heyday" - NME
“Courtney Barnett on a Kill Bill style vengeance mission” - DIY “Her playfully literate lyrical sensibility recalls Courtney Barnett, but with a slightly dreamier sound” - Clash
"Allum's got a bit of a Kurt Cobain/early PJ Harvey thing going on which we love" - The Independent
Ex-membre du groupe de hip hop - RnB “Ideal Black Girls”, la Guinéenne Natu Camara a surpris son public pour son tout premier album solo avec une fusion de soul, afrorock, folk et pop contenant des riches lyriques basé sur ses histoires vécues; utilisant son passé multiculturel et ses expériences de voyages internationaux suivies par une présence scénique puissante et unique accompagné d’une voix dynamique et envoûtante qui donne le frisson.
“I love punk rock bands like this. Bands that manage to do it right, providing just the right amount of passion and energy to their music to create a spectacle of raw, unbridled emotion. High octane in all the right places, while never unnecessarily overcomplicating proceedings. ”
SIDE A: 1. Easy Does It / Roughs for Lie Down In The Light 2. We All Us Three Will Ride / Final Mixes 2002 3. Costa Rica / Will & Matt Sweeney Recorded 10.6.07 by Don Fleming on the Lomax Nagra Upper Mountain Studio, New Jersey 4. Troublesome Houses / 3.5.2012 Sydney Opera House 5. John the Baptist / Bonny Tour 06 Roughs 6. World's Greatest > Rich Wife Full of Happiness / 6.23.2008 Lucerna Music Bar, Prague 7. Work Hard, Play Hard / All Mix Greatest Palace Music 8. Where Is The Puzzle? / Daytrotter 9. Black Ice Cream / LDIL Demos 10. Brokedown Palace / Pebbles & Ripples 2004 11. Signifying Wolf / Dawn's Tape
SIDE B: 1. My Only Friend /Stroke - Songs for Chris Knox 2009 2. Singer's Grave, A Sea of Sheep/Rec'd @The Beach House, Nashville/ Singer's Grave 3. I See A Darkness /12.13.01 "Totally Wired" 3PBS-FM Melbourne, Australia 4. Madeline Mary / 4.8.01 Club 2 Munich, Germany 5. Death to Everyone / 3.18.2007 Ellokal, Zurich, Switzerland 6. Stable Will / 9.8.94 Kaserne, Basel, Switzerland 7. Antagonism / Practice 2 8. Soul Rebel / Bonny Billy - "Live Raga" Ottobar, Baltimore, Maryland 2.1.01 9. The Way I Am / Ask Forgiveness
“Alaskan Tapes fuses ambient elements with gorgeous pieces of songwriting (..) Seemingly one of the final compositions completed for the record, Alaskan Tapes worked ceaselessly, building and shifting elements from different takes to create something startling.”
Clash Magazine
“‘The Times Are Tired’ shows the evocative vibes of electronic textures, with classical connections, minimal guitars line and delicate drums.”
Son Of Marketing
“You know there are going to be moments of arresting beauty and ethereal interludes, but there is a sense of isolation, preoccupation, and distraction present”
Stationary Travels
“Gorgeous, pining, occasionally harrowing and ultimately heart-melting ambient from Alaskan Tapes”
“...the duo has carved out a unique sonic landscape of melodically poignant alternative folk.” - M Magazine
"...truly sparkles with harmonies and warm melodies." - The National Student
Scottish duo Galileo’s Fan prepare to release their spellbinding new album, I Won’t Be Found, on 16th September 2019 via GF Records. Ahead of the release, the siblings have now shared their stunning new single Arranging Time, which is out now. Each track combines subtle electronics with poignant harmonies and twinkling melodies to create Galileo’s Fan's signature indie-pop sound. Nods to their traditional folk roots can be found throughout the album, cleverly mixed with modern, celestial soundscapes to make their unique sound truly majestic. Fans of the likes of The Frames and Of Monsters and Men will feel at home here.
Bright eyed, tousle-headed and with a look halfway between penitence and innocence, James Leesley (aka Studio Electrophonique) conjures a sound akin to the dream where Bill Ryder-Jones fronts The Velvet Underground with echoes of Cherry Ghost drifing in there for good measure. Cinematic, melodic, warm - efficient in arrangement yet intricate in detail.
All proceeds of digital sales of this album will be donated to abortion access organizations in states that recently passed laws attempting to outlaw or severely restrict abortion access. You can also purchase physical copies of the CD and other Joyner titles by visiting grapefruitrecordclub.com
"A stunning, avant-garde take on pop music from Lealani; 'Fantastic Planet' pairs minimal synth arrangements with haunting vocals for a riveting listen." -Bandcamp
Running from the Dark is an album compiled in honor of mental health awareness month. Each track was graciously donated by the artist and many include personal explorations of mental health.
All proceeds from this compilation will be donated to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. NAMI is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.
Please donate what you can and make sure and support each of the artists as well!
Long-running Athens quintet Je Suis France are excited to announce their seventh full-length album Back To The Basics Of Love, out November 8, 2019 via Ernest Jenning Record Co. The video for album's first single, "House Style," was premiered by Paste Magazine, who said "The track is led by scuzzy, melodic guitar lines and punctured by caustic percussion, making just enough room for vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Ryan Martin to cryptically and cynically conclude, 'There is never a good time / There is never a good time.'
