"'Lizard on the Red Brick Wall' doubles down on the sharp post-punk sounds of preceding pre-album cuts and adds elements of heavy-psych to the record’s already-unique flavors among the band’s incredibly dense catalog." - FLOOD Magazine
“‘Whales’ is the indie pop group’s most tender song to date, though it ends rather abruptly with their classic breakdown style. The melodic, steady bassline on ‘Whales,’ is contrasted with its achingly relatable lyrics about internal turmoil and feeling emotionally drained.” – V Magazine
" Votolato has an excellent voice and the vocal delivery that can make girls swoon and make guys purchase his music in order to make their girls swoon. His songwriting is strong enough to stand on its own, and that’s rare these days."- Pop Matters
"It might be easy to lump Rocky Votolato in with the downtrodden likes of Conor Oberst and Elliott Smith. But his songwriting is a bit more triumphant than theirs: Votolato would rather pull himself out of a gutter than wallow in it, focusing instead on the victory before the misery."- NPR
Up Is The Down Is The was started in 2015 by as a looping project inspired by Andrew Bird, Thom Yorke, Moses Sumney, and James Blake. After inviting more and more musicians to collaborate and expanding instrumentation, the project evolved into a 4 piece teetering on the edge between art rock, R&B, and electronic minimalism.
In 2020, the group started writing music as a way of processing the isolation from the covid pandemic, and they’ve created their most innovative driving sound yet. Their upcoming album Pulling The Wool will be released in August 2022. Up Is The Down Is The is made up of Andrew Martin, Zach Sherwood (western daughter), Cameron Brizzee (western daughter), and Casey Cathy (Transistor Send).
Quinn Christopherson is thrilled to announce he’ll be joining The Wild Hearts Tour kicking off next month, opening for Sharon Van Etten, Angel Olsen, and Julien Baker for the national run of shows. All dates are listed below including the previously announced dates with Courtney Barnett and Lucy Dacus as part of Barnett’s “Here And There” festival.
The news is perfectly timed with the announcement of his highly anticipated Bullion produced debut album, Write Your Name In Pink, to be released by Play It Again Sam Records / PIAS on September 16th. It’s a groundbreaking record and a masterclass in songwriting and storytelling alike.
In Quinn's words; “‘Write Your Name in Pink’ comes from reflection, sifting through experiences— good and bad. I have found empathy for myself and those in my life. This record is a celebration of youth, an exercise in forgiveness, and an expression of gratitude to have made it this far."
Earlier this month PACKS announced a new EP entitled WOAH, the follow up to their acclaimed debut LP Take The Cake which came out on Fire Talk Records and Royal Mountain Records in 2021. While the album was a collection of what The FADER described as "reluctantly anthemic slacker rock" that earned comparisons to Pavement and Speedy Ortiz, the new EP showcases a more stripped-down version of Madeline Link's project, a collection of songs written between tours in support of the band's last album.
"Take the Cake is the sound of classic indie rock, as delivered by a promising new voice."
Bandcamp
"Madeline Link sings with her jaw half-clenched half the time, as calculatedly laconic as Steven Malkmus...[but] it would be unfair to cast PACKS as simply throwbacks. Link is a witty and intriguing lyricist and Take The Cake has plenty of risky moments."
FADER
"A force to be reckoned with; PACKS are reinventing the slacker soundtrack."
These charity compilations would be absolutely nothing without the generosity from all the artists involved. Thank you to all who took part in the making of this release, for sharing a piece of your art for this project and for your continued support.
Denizen Records are excited to share the release of Drive Through Hazy’s second single ‘Critter’. The Norwich born duo have been creating electronic, trip-hop inspired music together now for a year. After making the move to Nottingham, it didn’t take them long to get noticed by BBC Introducing and key figures in the Nottingham music scene, earning them a reputation as one to watch.
‘Critter’ will take the listener on a dark and mysterious journey with its chilling narrative and haunting melodic lines. Bridget’s sultry voice and eerie lyrics combined with Joe's experimental electronic production is a promising concoction for great trip-hop.
Sidney Bird is a southwestern darling making a name for herself in New York City. Born and raised in Arizona, Bird holds her own in the western pop scene, alongside artists like Kacey Musgraves and Leon Bridges. A true crossover act, she feels a strong creative impulse when home in Arizona, writing all of her songs there before fleshing them out with producers in Brooklyn. “I grew up listening to Barenaked Ladies, Norah Jones, Joni Mitchell,” says Bird. “Then became obsessed with Katy Perry, Britney Spears––all the popstars.”
The hypnotic hybrid of Los Angeles-based alt-pop band Twin XL had its breakout in 2019 with the release of their critically acclaimed debut EP How To Talk To Strangers featuring the catchy hit single "Good," which peaked at #19 at alternative radio and spent 5 weeks on Billboard's Top Alternative Songs Chart peaking at #24. Described by NYLON as "very, very good," and by MTV News as "a Certified Bop™," the single peaked at #1 on Spotify's top alternative music playlist The New Alt and was featured on Out Now. Along the way, the band has toured alongside the likes of The Fitz and the Tantrums, lovelytheband, The Maine, The Mowgli's, Jukebox The Ghost, and IDon't Know How But They Found Me and scored high-profile syncs on FOX's The Resident, Hulu's Light As A Feather, and MTV's Ex On The Beach, to name a few.
On June 10th, 2022, The Walkmen are releasing a new deluxe edition of their career highlight You & Me. Originally released in 2008, this new Sun Studio Edition is fully remastered by Chris Colbert at National Freedom and features a fourth side of unreleased tracks from the era recorded at Memphis legendary Sun Studio for PBS that captures the band’s essential nature as 21st century artists deeply influenced by early rock and roll music.
When Nick Leng describes his music, he often refers to color. The indie artist’s gift is an abstract type of synesthesia: a kaleidoscope of emotions manifested into enthralling sounds. “I like dissonance, tension,” he says, “but also, joy and beauty are so important to me.” The most stunning songwriting is at once beguiling and relatable. And Leng’s second album Spirals (out July 22 via SOTA Records) is just that: the untethered sound of Nick Leng falling in love with music again.
"As the songwriting [on 'My Mind is a Mess in the Morning'] sees Leng unpack the pressure he puts on himself, the video is given an interpretative touch that allows people to relate their own lives to the visuals coming alive before them." - EARMILK
"After the potent swaggering grooves of his last two singles, Nick Leng has pivoted to new sounds and textures with his latest efforts. His new singles reflect an artist in flux, growing in exciting new directions." - Under the Radar
Hailing from Stockholm, Sweden, the four piece blends sweet melodies with fuzzed out guitars into colorful, energetic, and dynamic rock music. The first release from the group is the single ”Los Angeles”, which is out now on all streaming platforms together with a music video.
Today Ottawa-Hull-based indie-rock band Pony Girl announce their forthcoming LP, Enny One Wil Love You, due October 14 via Paper Bag Records. To kick off the release of their debut album with Paper Bag, they have shared the record's first single, "Age of Anxious." The track explores themes of isolation in the digital age through dark comic vignettes & absurdist situations. It’s a sitcom for rats with a side of existential dread.
Sometime around the last recession I decided to retire from music and concentrate on more financially sustaining pursuits. As with other such retirement declarations within a few years I was back at it doing what I do, writing songs and looking for folks to help me bring them to life. Unfortunately at that time the resources of time and money kept this music from being recorded and before long this oRSo period had passed and I was living in another State far from my collaborators.
