“Woozily narcotic of tempo and bathed in reverb, minor chord-heavy songs…glide by in a melancholy swoon....there's a bewitching aura of moonlight dappled languor.” Mojo (****)
“Packed with atmospheric, gentle psychedelic folk…this is a delicate and sublime mix of swooning melodies and haunting, intelligent arrangements.” Shindig! (****)
“It’s dark yet playful; 'quintessentially English' yet worldly and well- travelled as if part acid folk with hints of portentous balladry and filmic imagery as viewed through a gypsy campfire and all thoroughly delightful.” Terrascope (album of the month)
“Numbers are Futile have clearly achieved that rare mind-altering power that we often dub ‘psychedelic’, without banking on handy signposts like wah pedals or drug references.” – Drowned in Sound 8/10
“Spacey, fuzzy electronica, full of cascading synths, juddering, tribal drums and faraway vocals singing of fire and oblivion.” – The List ☆☆☆☆
“Errors, Steve Reich, Tangerine Dream and Vangelis flash past the windscreen as adrenaline injections pummel the heart over and over again.” – Sunday Herald
“Unusual and very interesting” – Vic Galloway, BBC Radio Scotland
“A true kaleidoscope of sound” – Glasgow Podcart
“I was blown away. I found them utterly arresting” – Through the Wire
“Synths squelch from the large control desk, while drums thunder away as if someone is about to sacrifce a lamb.” – WOW 24/7
Following “The Romance in Disappearing“–the lead single from their forthcoming EP, Young Professional.
“Legs For Days” is a beautiful folk-rock cut that builds in multiple parts over the course of four and a half minutes–each a fuller, more engrossing arrangement of textures and instrumentation than the last.
In regards to the impetus for the song’s creation, frontman Ian McGuinness tells us, “‘Legs for Days’ was a way for me to cope through a hard break-up. Lyrically, it takes you through the painful, hazy steps of separation and ends with a moment of clarity and a glimpse of hope. Sonically, the song was our first foray into a larger wall of sound, incorporating a string quartet, multiple trumpets and two drummers.” UTG
For the past 5 years, we've had the opportunity to record and release some really special records and now we want to take some time to celebrate and dream about whats next.
THE SONGS ARE ALL WE HAVE is a 20-song compilation of demos, live recordings, remixes, and b-sides. In addition to the digital album, we've also made stickers, buttons, a limited edition poster, and slipmats! The funds raised through these various packages will help us do more. More records, more shows, more songs.
Our fans, friends, and family have been the reason we've been able to do what we do.
We're going to keep going, keep recording great songs, and keep releasing great records. Please consider supporting us.
The Heavy Minds, based in Upper Austria, are a Psychedelic-70's-Blues-Trio playing a mixture of heavy, fuzzy riffs, dreamy melodies and spacey solos, which is heavily influenced by bands of the late 60's, early 70's.
Grégoire Guery Holy crap! This album is just so damn good from the very first note to the very last. Trippy blues sung and played with the right amount of soul, grit and talent. Awesome!
Gezzer Do you remember when you had to pay attention to music? I mean really pay attention? Listen with not only your ears, but your heart and your soul? When a song could pull you in and spit you out a quivering shivering puddle on the floor (with or without smokables)?
Well I remember, and I think The Heavy Minds remember too. If you're looking for background music to fill the soundtrack to your life, move on. If you yearn for music that takes you on a trip, sit and listen awhile. Favorite track: Seven remains.
Recorded through the winter and spring of 2015 in my dorm room, at my parents' house in Jersey City, and at the Guitar Bar in Hoboken. This is a collection of songs I wrote during and about four years of college and three years of coming to terms with an abundance of things and figuring myself out.
The trio signed with SQE Music in 2014, where they will retain the DIY aesthetic as much as possible. “They didn’t want to change our process,” Trevor notes. “They wanted to give us the tools to keep doing exactly what we’re doing but just shine more light on it.” The band’s first release on the label is a four-song EP called Hiding. The gauzy, surging, shoegazy indie rock songs were written and recorded in the musicians’ homes in Toronto. Much of the music was recorded separately, in solitary circumstances, and then brought together to create the sprawling, layered melodies.
Early Ghost announce details of their new single “Now I Always Wonder if I Like it Here,” which is released 13th July 2015 via digital download and cassette. The single follows last year’s “Everything Goes With It,” which saw support from Clash, The Line of Best Fit and NME amongst others.
We first discovered the band after Richard hosted them whilst working his real life job late last year, thinking they were insane levels of superb. Turns out they’d played shows with Beirut, Neutral Milk Hotel and Quilt - all of whom are v close to our hearts. Not necessarily the sound you’d expect to filter through AIH but we're very excited to be a part of this release ..!
Three songs performed by David Simard & Théo Lawrence. Two originals and one traditional to be released digitally, and also physically on individual harmonicas in the key of C.
BJ [Burton] contacted us a few years ago and invited us out to the studio where he works with Justin [Vernon], Lizzo, and other artists. The studio is close to our home in Duluth, so it seemed tempting. Months later, I worked with BJ, producing the recent record by Trampled by Turtles. We got along and seemed to have similar curiosity about the possibilities for Low, so time was booked and songs finished. We tracked under the soft glow of laser discs playing lost classics like Point Break and Speed. Glenn Kotche from Wilco was there one day working on another record, so we had him in to play hand-percussion on a couple songs. Working 2 or 3 days at a time, leaving it with BJ, then back again for more, we don't have the time or money to second-guess or pick from a pool of possibilities. This is the whole thought—the untamed truth. This is now. This is everything. A. Sparhawk
No Vacation is a San Francisco based indie pop group. With a dynamic live set and melodic instrumentals, the band has received comparisons to many seminal indie bands while simultaneously carving out a unique sound for themselves.
Um ano após lançar EXPerimental Gospel Sessions, disco de estreia em que Felipe Oliveira gravou quase tudo sozinho em casa, o Gaax retorna como power trio, contando com João Casaes no baixo e Lê Almeida na bateria. Segundo álbum da banda, Campo dos Sonhos esbanja delicadeza e vitalidade em canções sentimentais que versam sobre desilusões com o mundo e desventuras amorosas, seja narrando cenas cotidianas ou se perdendo em paisagens metafóricas.
Felipe externa suas angústias em 14 faixas que beiram os dois minutos e alternam entre vibes que vão de serenidade turbulenta (Frio) a lamentos viscerais (Convite). Condensando melancolia e explosão de vigor, a candidata a hit Mega Boy materializa um sentimento de solidão dominical recorrente nas criaturas mais jovens da espécie humana. Seu refrão de guitarras distorcidas é tão melódico quanto sincero: “se confiar em mim, prometo não desapontar / não sou um amigo trivial / eu sonho em ser feliz em pesadelos diários / você acha que eu vou me dar mal”. Não confie em alguém que não se identificar com os versos desse pulsante Campo dos Sonhos.
O disco foi totalmente gravado no Escritório, o quartel general da Transfusão Noise Records, localizado no centro do Rio. A produção ficou por conta de Lê Almeida e João Casaes, que também cuidou da masterização. A capa é assinada por Jorge Polo. Lançado pelos selos Transfusão Noise Records e Pug Records, Campo dos Sonhos está disponível nos formatos CD e K7, podendo também ser baixado gratuitamente em gaax.bandcamp.com.
Have Gun, Will Travel's highly anticipated, fifth album Science from an Easy Chair is being released this summer on This Is American Music. This full-length concept album is based entirely on British explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton and his 1914-16 Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition. Named after a book by Ray Lankester on popular science from which the crew would read aloud, the album delivers its own interpretation of this amazing story of survival and endurance. Science... was produced by Shawn Kyle and recorded in Tampa, Florida. Along with HGWT's own distinctive instrumentation, the musical framework of the album is rife with luscious string arrangements, crooning horn sections and rich percussion. The release commemorates the 100th anniversary of the epic journey.
The Florida-based roots quartet have a natural instinct for combining folk, pop, punk, rock and classic country influences to create a sound all their own. “Their music has a great energy to it with infectious, sing-along choruses and refrains” remarked NPR’s Robin Hilton. American Songwriter called HGWT’s music “organic, infectious Americana Pop. Their music has a refreshing immediacy to it.”
Over the course of four acclaimed albums, hundreds of shows and copious populist-radio airplay, they’ve nurtured a tradition of inviting all manner of gifted musicians to join the fray. The group’s inclusive nature allows it to flesh out tunes that run the gamut from foot-stomping front-porch spirituals and evocative Texas swing to strum-punk rave-ups, hill-country historicals and more.
HGWT’s music has been featured in a national Chevy TV commercial; multiple episodes of the PBS series Roadtrip Nation; and an episode of CBS’s The Good Wife. Their albums have spent months on the CMJ Radio Top 200 chart. And their live performances have been described as rousing, rollicking, energetic and dynamic.
HAVE GUN, WILL TRAVEL 2015 SUMMER TOUR DATES:
* support: Garrett Klahn (fmr Texas Is The Reason)
7/24/2015 - Tampa, FL - Crowbar *
7/25/2015 - DeLand, FL - Cafe DaVinci *
7/27/2015 - New Orleans, LA - Siberia *
7/29/2015 - San Antonio, TX - 502 Bar *
7/30/2015 - Austin, TX - Scoot Inn *
7/31/2015 - Ft. Worth, TX - Lola's Saloon *
8/6/2015 - Buelton, CA - Standing Sun Winery *
8/8/2015 - Los Angeles, CA - Hotel Cafe *
8/9/2015 - San Diego, CA - Seven Grand Whiskey Bar *
8/11/2015 - Long Beach, CA - The Federal Bar *
8/13/2015 - San Francisco, CA - Neck Of The Woods *
8/14/2015 - Ashland, OR - Brickroom *
8/16/2015 - Seattle, WA - Sunset Tavern*
8/17/2015 - Portland, OR - Mississippi Studios *
8/18/2015 - Boise, ID - Neurolux *
8/20/2015 - Denver, CO - Larimer Lounge *
8/21/2015 - Fort Collins, CO - The Downtown Artery *
8/22/2015 - Wichita, KS - BarleyCorns *
8/23/2015 - Kansas City, MO - The Riot Room *
8/24/2015 - Springfield, MO - Outland Ballroom *
8/25/2015 - St. Louis , MO - The Demo *
8/27/2015 - Milwaukee, WI - Shank Hall *
8/28/2015 - Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle *
8/29/2015 - Flint, MI - Soggy Bottom Bar *
8/30/2015 - Lansing, MI - Mac's Bar *
9/1/2015 - Philadelphia, PA - Ortlieb's *
9/2/2015 - New York, NY - Bowery Electric *
9/3/2015 - Brooklyn , NY - Cameo Gallery *
9/4/2015 - Washington DC - Hill Country Barbecue Market *
9/5/2015 - Raleigh, NC - Kings Barcade
9/10/2015 - Athens, GA - Georgia Theatre Rooftop
9/12/2015 - Savannah, GA - The Roundhouse Railroad Museum
9/19/2015 - Winter Haven, FL - Central Park Downtown Winter Haven
We’re excited to premiere Somehow, the debut album from singer-songwriter and American Songwriter‘s 2013 Lyric Contest Grand Prize Winner Caroline Spence. Catchy and genuine, the thirteen-song collection features all original material, including poignant first single “Trains Cry.” The crowd-funded album was produced by Michael Rinne (who has played with Rodney Crowell, Andrew Combs) and features a number of Spence’s friends, Combs included, on backing instruments. ASW
Robin is a Bristol-based singer/songwriter & poet, with a love for genre-blending, borrowing and stealing.
"Calm, honest vocals over plucked banjo and popping electronic percussion... timeless songwriting." (Bristol Live Magazine)
"Robin’s a natural and I imagine he has a very full songbook to get through yet! ...Poetic and inspirational." (Folk Radio UK)
songs written in France in the summer of 2014 (mostly), then recorded onto a dusty 4-track tape recorder in a basement in Bristol
In Postcards from France, Robin fantastically reimagines his holiday adventures in various French towns, channelling the warm musicality of Calexico and Naïm Amor and the rich lyrical playfulness of Dylan.
Nearly every month a new comer pops up on to the scene and with the type of music that easily becomes like a pattern, it is back braking to stand out from the crowd. Where it’s difficult to give reviews stronger than a “like”, this Montreal born, one man unit by Danny called Under Electric Light has a different flavor that brings joy.
I’ve always been impressed with Thad Kopec’s musicality. The layers and atmospheres are consistently lush, woven and blended to create a delicate experience. The instrumentation is even richer and more cinematic here, with sweeping orchestral arrangements and tender acoustic moments. Influences are drawn from modern and past singer-songwriters, but Thad has carved out his own niche. No one will accuse him of sounding too much like the others in this subgenre.
Thad’s vocals have improved since his debut Heart of Man, but his lyrics have become more hard-to-follow in this process. While his first two releases were fairly straight-forward in their ideas, The Ridge and preceding single “You Will Know Who I Am” have been more obscure. This will be a turn-off for some, but there is still depth to the imagery used in the songs. Thad’s previous work leads me to believe that the lyrics are very intentional, so I am willing to take the time to explore these lyrics; and, personally, this additional effort makes the thematic discoveries much more satisfying. wearemirrors
Back in 2012 we released a four way split featuring Joanna Gruesome, Playlounge, Keel Her and Gum .. we christened it Family Portrait with the idea of gathering together four bands that shared a similar ethic for a debut vinyl release. Three years on and the rest, as they say, was hiss'ory.
We're now ready to announce pt. II and have carefully chosen another four great bands, put them on vinyl for the first time and are very excited to see where they might go from here. Our new friends and family members are Bruising, Fruit Bomb, Living Hour and Abattoir Blues.
Although it seems lazy to draw comparisions to other bedroom pop heroes (Alex G, R.L. Kelly, Gorgeous Bully) the elements that made all of the aforementioned so endearing and excellent are present here. The sound of someone finding their feet whilst making understated pop songs complete with all the perfect imperfections that come with recording at home. As John says himself “I wouldn’t change a thing about it. The constant clearing of my throat, my cat meowing after track 1, the footsteps of my roommates on the hardwood floors present on many tracks, the shouts of seamen on the titanic attempting to avoid an iceberg at the end of track 7, and all of those other “blemishes” encapsulate the cathartic days and nights recording this fledgling body of work.”
Brian Franklin Beautifully dark and moody. A piece of captured art like the paintings in the album's cover.
Loic Glavany Pour l'instant captive par l'athomsphere de ce petit coffre de pepites, je reserve un commentaire plus precis lorsque j'aurais procede a plusieurs ecoutes.
Pascale St-Onge Sincèrement, une artiste à suivre pour sa sensibilité et ses ambiances sonores hypnotiques. Un coup de coeur.
There’s always been something pure and innocent in the music of Jimmy Hewitt. When he was living in Allston and creating minimal guitar-pop as Orca Orca, the songs bounced back and forth as his lyrics and chords traded off each other, the words providing intimate, diary-esque looks at the strange life around him and the guitarwork providing the comfort zone that ensured everything was going to be ok.
Now Hewitt is out west in Northampton making music as Lost Film, and this week announced his debut LP, Imago, will be released August 18 via The Native Sound, the same New York indie label that’s issuing the Funeral Advantage record we praised just last week.
Imago features 10 new songs recorded over a single weekend here in Boston, and unlike Hewitt’s past efforts as a solo artist, the record was crafted with the help of a live backing band.
The Autumn Stones is a dream-folk/alt-pop band from Toronto with an unassuming presence and formidable skillset that appears to be hitting all the right notes as of late, especially with the recent release of their much lauded single “End Of Faith”, bolstering a relatively brief career trajectory and nudging them ever closer towards a much bigger spotlight. And deservedly so by all accounts. Since forming in 2010, this inspired quartet doesn’t seem to compromise when delving into their creative consciousness, a musical alchemy that nurtures and explores the essence of the songs, capturing each as an organically driven, thought provoking journey. There are no ditties or throwaways for effect. These are artists who take an earnest and methodical approach to their craft, who will bide their time and wait for the music to resonate with an audience, because that’s when you have something special that stands the test of time. The lyrics are passages to an engaging narrative, with instrumentation that’s carefully assembled to create a beautifully stark and eccentric sonic environment. Their sound can be compared to seminal 80s groups like Echo & The Bunnymen and The Smiths, although somewhat more refined and cerebral as opposed to unbridled and trailblazing. They’re not attempting to break new ground as much as they are enriching the soil, and the results are a heightened listening experience that soon turns to heightened anticipation for the release of their forthcoming LP Escapists. Rokline
Fraser A. Gorman’s song-writing builds around his wry charm and offbeat storytelling. In recent years, Gorman has taken a sly sidestep away from the country-folk of his early releases; his sound is still steeped in Americana, but this time it’s somewhere between Transformer-era Lou and the joyous romp of early Big Star.
St. John’s, Newfoundland is the easternmost part of the North American continent. It is one of the rainiest cities in Canada, and the home of Aaron Powell, a.k.a. Fog Lake, whose most recent record moves like raindrops slipping down a windowpane. I’ve been listening to the record on surprisingly gray mornings in Los Angeles, where the rain refuses to come, thinking of the days in high school when the drainage system was so bad we had days off for heavy rainfall. portals
Langhorne Slim & The Law’s new album The Spirit Moves is out August 7th. While you wait, check out The Way The Spirit Moves featuring 3 new songs from the upcoming album, plus 3 standout tracks from 2012’s Ramseur Records release The Way We Move. Having shared the stage with the likes of The Lumineers, The Avett Brothers, Dawes and many more, the new album is an effervescent collection of Langhorne's now-signature, cinematic, joyful noise, rooted in folk, soul, and blues.
"Revolution - The Shoegaze Revival" is an epic, truly international 30-track compilation comprised of outstanding original material. Such bands have set the stage for shoegaze pioneers’ return to today’s scene by upholding their wall of sound and painting it with breathtaking colour. Some of these bands are also ‘first wave’ but have remained underground, while some are newbies – the ‘second wave’ of shoegaze.
Curated by UK label Ear to Ear Records and Indonesian label Gerpfast Kolektif, this compilation features 30 bands from 16 countries, covering 5 of the 6 inhabited continents. Each was selected purely on the basis of their dynamic sound, without any consideration of geographic preference, label affiliation, popularity ranking or hype. Without even one throwaway or filler track, these are all 'keepers'.
Not too long ago, my basement bedroom flooded as a result of heavy rainfall and snowmelt. This happened twice during the transitional turmoil between Ontario's sombre winter and damp spring. It had a much more tragic and lasting effect than I anticipated, since many sentimental items were slowly destroyed by mould. We wrote these songs about it.
As Girlpool, Harmony Trividad and Cleo Tucker have distilled the equipment necessary for a direct link between ear canal and heartstrings down to two members, two instruments, one cassette, one EP and one full-length album. That album, Before The World Was Big, is a lo-fi collection of punk songs that have a playful spirit but aren't playing around. Trividad and Tucker specialize in no-frills singing and simple instrumentation that cut through bone and aim for marrow. The title track, in particular, features vocal harmonies that are almost startling in their poignancy and impact, bringing life to lyrics about memory and the loss of things remembered. Girlpool's lack of polish does nothing to diminish its shine, and its free-spirited approach to punk only adds to the power behind their punch. —Katie Presley
Tour Dates:
06/01 Los Angeles, CA @ Eagle Rock Center For The Arts
06/07 London, UK @ Dalston Roof Park
06/09 London, UK @ Rough Trade East
06/10 London, UK @ Electric Ballroom
07/07 Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall Of Williamsburg
08/08-09 Atlanta, GA @ Wrecking Ball Festival
08/22-23 Los Angeles, CA @ FYF Festival
09/04 Bristol, UK @ Exchange
09/06 Salisbury, UK @ End Of The Road Festival
09/08 Manchester, UK @ The Deaf Institute
09/09 Glasgow, UK @ Broadcast
09/10 Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club
09/11 Birmingham, UK @ Hare & Hounds
09/12 Isle Of Wight, UK @ Bestival
09/14 Brighton, UK @ The Hope & Ruin
09/15 London, UK @ Scala
09/16 Paris, France @ Point Ephemere
09/18 Cologne, Germany @ King Georg
09/20 Tilburg, Netherlands @ Incubate Festival
09/21 Berlin, Germany @ Monarch
09/25 Hamburg, Germany @ Reeperbahn Festival
It’s been three years since Advance Base’s debut album, A Shut-In’s Prayer, made #19 on MOJO Magazine's Best Albums of 2012 list. Since then, singer, songwriter & multi-instrumentalist Owen Ashworth has published a book of drawings, made beats for Chicago rapper Serengeti, recorded the debut single by psych-folk troubadour Julie Byrne, paid tribute to gospel & outsider music legend Washington Phillips (see 2013’s The World Is In A Bad Fix Everywhere EP), contributed electric piano & co-writing credits to Sun Kil Moon’s critically acclaimed 2014 album, Benji, & produced more than a dozen other releases for his own label, Orindal Records. Ashworth has finally turned his focus back on his own music & given us Nephew in the Wild, the second official album by Advance Base.
Nephew in the Wild is a nostalgic, melancholic & occasionally harrowing collection of lo-fi indie rock & electronic pop. Electric pianos, drum kits, drum machines, autoharps, Omnichords, Optigans, Mellotrons & the occasional guitar lay the foundation for sweetly sad stories about lonely Midwesterners trying to make sense of their troubled pasts. In the world of Nephew in the Wild, the internet hasn’t been invented yet, & a change of address is the only thing a person needs to exit their old life completely. Disappearance, displacement, hell-raising, child-raising, Christmas, Michigan, arson, aging & animals are recurring themes throughout the album. Nephew in the Wild was recorded by Ashworth in his basement in Oak Park, IL
He just released his debut EP 'nothing buttrock' which incorporates a splendid mix of fuzzy guitars, odd vocals & psychedelic charm. Being heavily influenced by The Pixies, Krill & Built To Spill. We believe it is a impressing debut for a very promising artist. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!