It is a rare occasion for sure but every now and again we get a scorching summer in England, so much so that by the time September comes, I’m in the mood for something a little cooler and downtempo. This is exactly how I was feeling when I first heard John Haesemeyer’s new album Three Mirrors. It was a Sunday afternoon with long shadows and the first hint of a winter chill in the air and I simply sat back, relaxed and enjoyed the moment. Don’t worry, I’m sure I’ll be back with something banging next week.
About
John Haesemeyer (pronounced HAZE-mire) is a San Francisco-based performing artist who fuses folk and pop genres, emphasizing intimate vocals, acoustic instruments, and the rhythm section of a rock band. If you like Ryan Adams, Neil Young, Mumford & Sons, Bruce Springsteen or Dan Wilson, the chances are you’ll enjoy John Haesemeyer. In 2013, Haesemeyer released his debut record Come Along Quickly through Hyde Street Studios and he releases his sophomore album Three Mirrors this week.
The Album
Three Mirrors is written by John Haesemeyer, produced by Nahuel Bronzini and once again recorded and mixed at Hyde Street Studios, Secret Studios and Studio Burgundio in San Francisco. The album features three collaborations with prominent Bay Area musicians including Levi Seacer Jr. (former guitarist for Prince) who arranged the gospel choir section on "Think I’m Going Down"; a duo with Leah Tysse on “Vancouver’s Shore” and Argentinian writer and arranger Nahuel Bronzini who wrote orchestration for “Three Mirrors”.
Stand out tracks include the first single “Two of Me” and the blues anthem “Think I’m Going Down” which you can listen to and download using the Soundcloud widget below.
Listen
Watch
The new video for “Two Of Me” off the new album will be released later this month. In the meantime you can watch the video for “Love, Why So Far Away" featuring rapper Jendor on vocals from John's 2012 album Come Along Quickly. Look out for some fantastic dancing from B-Boys Profo Won, Marty MacFleezy and Dopey Fresh.
Buy
Buy Three Mirrors at Bandcamp (name your price) | iTunes
I’ve come to a startling realisation. I think I love bands with crazy ensemble names. I was obsessed with James Arlowe & The Ruffian Circus, mad about Walter Sickert & the Army of Broken Toys and who could forget Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds?
Well, you’ll be eternally thrilled, I’m sure, to know that I’ve discovered another one and they are bloody brilliant. Not only that, they’re giving away a free track.
About
“Eli August & The Abandoned Buildings are a Baltimore, MD and NYC based Chamber Folk ensemble that plays dark and melodic heartfelt tunes”.
Well, that’s what we are told but ‘ensemble’ doesn’t quite cover it and I far prefer the Green Light Go description which likens the band to an ‘arsenal of artists’. Together with Eli August hey are Robare Pruyn (Clarinet, Alto Sax, Accordion, Electric Guitar & Vocals), Matt DeBlass (Mandolin & Vocals), Molly Hebert-Wilson (Vocals), Noam Berg (Mandolin & Vocals), Alex Bell (Drums & Washboard), Melissa Perry (Vocals), Rebekah Greene (Double Bass), Tom Sowinski (Tuba & Vocals), Doug Bischoff (Trombone & Vocals), Terry Greene (Trombone), and Brennan Kuhns (Electric Guitar).
Believe it or not – they actually fit on a stage together!
Eli August & the Abandoned Buildings craft a stunning melody of Dark Americana, Chamber Rock and Gothic Folk. Eli August is certainly prolific and released several albums and EPs before releasing To The Weak and The Weary with the Abandoned Buildings in early 2013.
The EP
A Heartache Suite EP will be released on 2 September 2014. True to its name, this five track EP is dedicated to heartache and it is dark. In fact, it is only when you really listen to the lyrics that you realise just how dark it is.
The EP begins with the instrumental “Overture” featuring a refrain that will be reprised in the closing track “Wrought”. “Although You’re Gone” takes us off to a foot-stomping, angry start which is followed by the deceptively upbeat tracks “Holy Ghost” and “Slow Start”. I’d say August has captured that faux-cheery sarcasm of post-relationship hell pretty well.
As brilliant as the EP is, I was quite grateful for its short length once I reached the end of the devastating and breathtaking finale “Wrought”. I’m not quite sure my emotions could have withstood a further onslaught and if ever I am unlucky enough to suffer another broken heart, this is going to be my theme tune. (Note to universe: if it’s okay, I’ll just listen to the track over and over again without the need for a messy divorce, okay?)
Listen
Watch
There aren't any videos yet from the new album, but this is "Where No One Knows" from their previous album To The Weak And The Weary.
Buy
The album will be available to purchase on iTunes from 2 September 2014. I would absolutely recommend buying the EP if for “Wrought” alone.
Artist: The Faint Album: Danse Macabre [Deluxe Edition] Label: Saddle Creek Release date: 30 October 2012 Genre: Dance-punk Rating: 5/5 stars
It was a sad time back at the end of 2010 when Omaha band The Faint seemed to disband. Following the 2008 release of Fasciinatiion, the band adopted a brutal schedule that saw them touring non-stop for over two years. In October 2010, bassist Joel Petersen left to focus on his band Broken Spindles and guitarist Dapose released his Positive Feedback LP. Still, it is not unusual for band members to explore other projects but when there was a quiet announcement in December 2010 that Clark Baechle, Todd Fink and Jacob Thiele had formed a new band called Depressed Buttons, I thought that was the last we’d hear of The Faint.
Sure enough, there was no news at all for over a year, except for a couple of videos and nostalgic mentions of past concerts. Then suddenly, on 16 April, a post appeared on The Faint’s Facebook page with the simple caption, “First practice in too long!!!”.
Was it too soon to hope that The Faint were finally returning?
Well, on 30 October, Saddle Creek will reissue The Faint’s 2001 album Danse Macabre in a Deluxe Edition. The album has been remastered and features six bonus tracks and an extensive booklet. It will be issued in a double CD and DVD package as well as a double vinyl with CD and DVD package. Both packages are limited edition with only 5,000 copies of the CD/DVD package being released and 3,000 of the vinyl package.
The band have also announced that they will be touring extensively in November and December and that they will be performing Danse Macabre in its entirety for the first time ever in a live show. The band is sporting a slightly reduced line up with Todd Fink on vocals, Jacob Thiele on keyboards, Dapose on guitars and Clark Baechle on drums.
There is no denying that Danse Macabre is one of the pivotal albums in dance-punk genre and certainly one of the most influential. What The Faint started with this album paved the way for bands like Klaxons and Does It Offend You, Yeah? to burst onto the scene years later.
After listening to the remastered Danse Macabre [Deluxe Edition], I would say that this is one reissue that is worth buying. The sound is incredible, so much so that it sent me running back to my original CD to compare the difference. The enhancements are significant and as can be expected from a remaster, the sound is definitely louder.
While some might argue that this is not necessarily a good thing, one has only to listen to the manic climax of opening track “Agenda Suicide” to appreciate the greater quality of this reissue. The sound is richer, deeper and sounds almost three-dimensional. It felt like I was in the studio with them or at a live concert.
Highlights on CD 1 include the robotic carnival sounds of “Total Job”, the anthemic “Your Retro Career Melted” and the cautionary cyber fairy tale “Posed to Death”. This is a five star album with no weak tracks and the enhancements are really well done.
The second CD includes the tracks “Take Me to the Hospital” (which first appeared on the Saddle Creek 50 compilation in 2003) and their cover of the Bright Eyes track “Falling Out Of Love At This Volume” which appeared on the Agenda Suicide single. There are two Danse Macabre remixes namely the brilliant “The Conductor (Thin White Duke Remix)” from their Danse Macabre Remixes album and “Glass Danse (Out Hud Remix)”. The highlight of the second CD was the inclusion of the tracks “Dust” and “Mote” which had previously only been released on vinyl on the 2001 Mote/Dust EP.
I’d certainly recommend the Danse Macabre [Deluxe Edition]and would also recommend that you try catch one of The Faint’s explosive live shows. One can only hope that they’ll consider visiting London again some time in the future. In addition to the tracks from Danse Macabre, the band will also be performing tracks from their entire discography as well as some brand new material. Perhaps a new album is in the pipeline after all.
bassDrumsnareDrum is a writer and producer from London, England. Working from a tiny studio in Soho, he is no stranger to the music scene, and has remixed Christina Aguilera and produced tracks for DJ Hero.
In the wettest July on record, bassDrumsnareDrum recently went onto Twitter and invited Londoners to ignore the rain and pretend it’s summer with his debut release, the Pause Rewind EP. He has teamed up with Betty Steeles, blending his 4am beats with Betty’s sensual, crystal clear vocals.
The Pause Rewind EP is a four-track offering which starts off with the driving, uplifting beats of “Honey” before settling down into the more introspective and brooding “Human” and “I Can’t Keep Falling”. At times devastating yet euphoric, the EP ends with the fantastic “Pause Rewind”, the first single from the album.
The Pause Rewind EP featuring Betty Steeles is due out on 6 August 2012. To mark the release, bassDrumsnareDrum is offering a free download of the bonus track “All We Need”. You can listen to and download the track on Soundcloud or you can sign up for the newsletter and receive the single via email at the bassDrumsnareDrum website.
In addition to the EP, bassDrumsnareDrum is releasing the Pause Rewind Remixes, also due out on 6 August 2012. Featuring mixes from Toby ioi (Tricky, Whiley, Tipper Irie, Zarif), Master Sifu, and a new mix by bassDrumsnareDrum, the four track remix album is available to stream at Soundcloud.
You can also catch up with bassDrumsnareDrum on Twitter or Facebook.
There is no doubt that my heart broke just a little bit when Does It Offend You, Yeah? announced that they were going on hiatus in April this year. Considering the band spent the better part of five years touring and promoting their two albums, it is hardly surprising that they are taking a break to work on other projects.
The good news is that drummer and producer Bobby Bloomfield is definitely still on the scene and in addition to several DJ gigs, he has now entered into artist management. The first artist on Bobby’s roster is the indie-pop quartet from Swansea, The Adelines.
Named after their next door neighbour’s cat, The Adelines are Jennie Morris on vocals and guitar, Anton Dodwell on guitar, Eddie Russell on bass and Ray Thomas on drums. After humble beginnings playing local house parties in Swansea, The Adelines played support for Fjords recently and are sharing a bill at The Garage Music Venue in Swansea this Sunday.
The Adelines have released their first single “Little Games” and are offering a free download of the single at their website. “Little Games” is lush and guitar driven, perfectly complemented by Jennie’s disaffected vocals. There is something about early indie pop here, and “Little Games” has echoes of Cerys Matthews and Elastica. Ultimately, comparisons like this are unfair and with such a solid first single, I expect big things from The Adelines.
While I liked “Little Games”, I loved the Bobby Bloomfield - Does It Offend You, Yeah? Remix, the second track on the single which is also available for free download. The remix takes the vocal angst and adds a little of the mayhem that DIOYY made famous.
The Adelines are a band to watch and you can follow them on Twitter, Facebook and Soundcloud or visit The Adelines website for news, concert dates and future music downloads.
When I first encountered The Phenomenal Handclap Band, I wasn’t too sure what to expect but I was certainly intrigued by their name. Described as a psych-soul band and a “tight-knit aggregation of musicians and artists from Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn”, I was immediately put in mind of the 1960s experimental band The United States of America.
Their eponymous debut album was a collection of funky, psychedelic tracks with pop anthem “15 to 20” earning them the most success. I had always held a fascination for the music and culture of the 1960s and I appreciated that The Phenomenal Handclap Band could pay tribute to that sound while remaining fresh and current.
It was the powerful old school soul track “Baby” featuring Tommy Brenneck and Rodrigo Ursaia that caught my attention on the album The Phenomenal Hand Clap Band. This is a beautiful, uplifting track that was followed up with a really good video, featuring stunning retro styling and excellent cinematography.
The Phenomenal Handclap Band was started by New York City underground club DJs Daniel Collás, the Witch Doctor, and Sean Marquand, the Medicine Man. Tired of playing other people’s music, Collás and Marquand had a vision of a supergroup comprised of the best artists from the indie rock and soul underground in Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn. They have previously worked with Aurelio Valle (Callas), Jaleel Bunton (TV on the Radio), Jon Spencer (Jon Spencer Blues Explosion) and Lady Tigra (L'Trimm).
The band are renowned for their intoxicating live performances and tore up the UK festival scene in 2010 with performances at Glastonbury, Wireless and Latitude. They have most recently supported Bryan Ferry on his North American tour.
Naturally, I was eager when I heard that the band were returning with sophomore album Form & Control in early 2012 and that they had dropped the first single. I listened to “Following” and it would be an understatement to say that I was surprised. I don’t think it would be possible for any track to represent a further departure from the sounds of the debut album than “Following” does.
Whereas the debut was a perfect example of funk and soul, “Following” is a progressive, indie electronic track that would make Ladytron proud. And I love it. I cannot stop listening to it and since first downloading it earlier tonight, I’ve listened to it 16 times and counting.
It makes perfect sense to me now why new wave master Bryan Ferry chose the band to support him in his US tour in September and October, given their updated, electronic sound. I wouldn’t have expected to, but I really like this departure in style and I am eagerly awaiting the full album.
You can keep up to date with The Phenomenal Handclap Band on Facebook or Twitter.
With a name like The Suicide of Western Culture, it is difficult not to sit up and pay attention to a band, especially when you are told that they are proficient in “the noble art of butchering carefully immortal keyboards, guitar pedals and lofi drum machines”. I have to be honest, I’m not entirely sure what that means or how one becomes a master in such an art, but after listening to the new album Remixes, I kind of get it.
Spanish duo The Suicide of Western Culture occupy that glorious space between electronic and indie music and have played alongside artists such as Animal Collective, Cut Copy, Orbital and Darkstar. After tearing up the festival scene in Spain and the rest of Europe this summer, they have their sights set on a US tour.
They have a truly dark sound, as you’d expect from their name and it reminds me of 6am on a massive night out when you begin to savour the epic proportions of the evening while cultivating the fantasy that it can last forever.
Their eponymous debut album The Suicide of Western Culture attracted the attention of some of the biggest artists in the band’s native Spain, as Guillamino, Lasers, Rusty Warriors, Brunetto and others lined up to produce their Remixes album.
I’d really recommend that you give their debut album a listen too, especially original version of the track “The End of Luxury”. You can catch up with The Suicide of Western Culture on Facebook.
The music video for Lawrence and Leigh’s track “Glow” has to be seen to be believed. This incredible stop-motion video was made from 2,300 photographs and was filmed in Petaluma, California and on location in Black Rock Desert, Nevada. The ‘star' of the video is a puppet and much of the video takes place around structures of the “Metropolis Reaching For Balance” installation by Daniel James Lynch. This is more than just a music video, this is a short film worthy of awards, surely?
“Glow” takes you on a vocal journey through times gone by with its blend of jazz piano, brush drums and vocal harmonies. It is a catchy and infectious tune and is taken from the album Odyssey Vol. III: Hills and Masts.
Lawrence and Leigh are Andrew Lawrence Kalleen and Kristin Leigh Stokes and they hail from Bay Area, California. Now based in Brooklyn, their aim is to mix nostalgia with modern sounds and they craft intimate, yet haunting and melancholy songs.
The duo are certainly not short on ambition and their first major recording project is a set of three EPs making up the Odyssey trilogy. Each individual record will have its own distinct sound and feel and will comprise of six songs. All three releases will eventually be combined on one single eighteen track album. Odyssey Vol. III: Hills and Masts is in fact the final chapter in the trilogy but is the first to be released.
Lawrence and Leigh are giving away “Glow” as a free download to mark the release of Odyssey Vol. III: Hills and Masts:
You can listen to the full album at the band’s Bandcamp page and can purchase it too on a ‘name your price’ basis. I’d definitely recommend listening to “Heeled Shoes” and “Chelsea Nights”. You can also catch up with Lawrence and Leigh on Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and at their website.
Garden State rockers Stuyvesant have a distinctively SoCal sound and, indeed, the name of their latest album, Fret Sounds, is a play on the title of the seminal Beach Boys album, Pet Sounds. Stuyvesant’s music is made to be played loud, and is perfect for beach parties and barbeques on long, hot summer nights.
As easy as it is to draw comparisons with Green Day or My Chemical Romance, Stuyvesant are keen to stress that they are not your average college rock band. This is understandable when the band features some of the biggest names from the Hoboken scene of the early 90s: Sean Adams (Friends, Romans, Countrymen) and Ralph Malanga (Footstone) on vocals and guitar, Pete Martinez (The Coffin Daggers) on drums and Brian Musikoff (Friends, Romans, Countrymen) on bass.
Fret Sounds (release June 14th on Dromedary Records) is a collection of ten energetic and catchy songs. Sean and Ralph play tag through many of the tracks, playing their guitars at lightning-fast speeds, and this is framed with Brian’s funky, upbeat bass lines and Pete’s manic drums. It is pretty hard to listen to Stuyvesant and not find your head bouncing and feet tapping after a while.
“Duly Noted” is the first video from Fret Sounds. Bassist Brian Musikoff (a talented cartoonist) directed the video and provided the funny faces. The video also features cartoon amps by Pat Moriarty, animation by John Kuramoto, and editing and compositing by Beel Hamilton. It is great to see a band putting such humour and creativity into a music video for a change!
To promote the release of Fret Sounds, Stuyvesant are offered a free download of "Duly Noted”:
* This is a legal download provided by the artist to post and share. If there is any question of an infringement of copyright, please contact me at TheMediaAddict at gmail dot com and I will remove links immediately.
It would be impossible to describe the voice of Nigerian songstress Asa but I’ll certainly give it a try. Her voice sounds like an angel trying to describe everything that is beautiful and soulful about Nigeria and the African continent. The first time I heard Asa sing, it felt as if the world stood still for just a moment, such is the power of her timeless, flawless vocals.
Asa (pronounced Asha) was born in Paris but moved with her family to their home in Lagos, Nigeria at the age of two. Asa’s father owned an extensive record collection of soul classics and traditional Nigerian music, and her earliest memories were filled with the sounds of Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson, Bob Marley, King Sunny Adé, Fela Kuti, and Ebenezer Obey.
From the age of 4, Asa dreamt of musical stardom, dreams that began to take form when she signed up for music school at the age of 18. There she learned to play guitar and began to shape her hallmark sound, an eclectic combination of world music, soul, funk, pop and reggae. Singing in both English and Yoruba, Asa’s rich, soulful voice and upbeat melodies put her firmly in the same class as contemporaries Erika Badu and Angelique Kidjo.
Asa was discovered in Paris, France while performing in an ensemble and she released her eponymous debut album in 2007. Asa was a collection of ten powerful tracks that tackled some pretty serious socio-political issues. It earned Asa worldwide recognition and opened up opportunities to collaborate with musical greats Lenny Kravitz, Katie Melua and Angelique Kidjo.
As Asa returns with her sophomore offering Beautiful Imperfection, it is clear that her sound has evolved and that she has expanded on her stylistic and emotional range. Asa explains, "The first album reflected my state of mind then. I had a lot to talk about — social and political issues. Beautiful Imperfection is different, it has more brightness. This time, I wanted to create something that would make people feel uplifted".
Beautiful Imperfection certainly achieves that. It is an enchanting, uplifting album that will make the listener fall in love with Asa’s voice and her outlook on life. It is an album that captured my emotions and left me shaking my head and wondering why I hadn’t discovered Asa sooner. I see nothing imperfect about this album but rather feel that Asa has redefined perfection. On the name of the album, Asa says, “The world has many imperfections, but in many ways, that’s what makes it beautiful. And I think that as long as we accept that it is imperfect, it will make us strive to try and make it a better place.”
You can listen to Beautiful Imperfection using the widget below. To mark the US release of the album on September 6th, Asa is offering the first track, “Why Can’t We Be” for download:
* This is a legal download provided by the artist to post and share. If there is any question of an infringement of copyright, please contact me at TheMediaAddict at gmail dot com and I will remove links immediately.
Stuart Newman is a musician on a mission to explore his musical talents and expand his horizons. Hailing from Brighton, England, this unsigned artist has already released his debut album Single But Defective which he wrote, produced and recorded in his own home-based studio. Single But Defective is a collection of thirteen tracks ranging in style from acoustic, Jack Johnson-like sounds to the sinister chords in the instrumental track “Atmosphere”. Single But Defective is available to download free from StuartNewmanMusic.com.
Recently, Stuart has released a series of demos that are also available to download free from his website. The difference in style and production between Single But Defective and the later demos is remarkable and I asked Stuart about his journey and what might have contributed to that change.
Stuart agreed that the change was significant as he had recorded the new material in a proper studio. He explains that working in a studio is a different kind of fun to recording at home, but that he was seeking a bigger and fuller sound. “I went into the studio to move my creative ambitions forward, and it did,” he says of his recording experience. “I wanted a sound that matched my progression as a songwriter and captured my progresses and hinted at things to come. I certainly got that in my opinion.”
This is significant in more ways than one and hints at what artists can achieve if they have access to the right resources. Artists often need to work within the boundaries of financial and practical restrictions, but it takes a stronger breed of recording artist to push through those boundaries and adopt a ‘needs must’ attitude. Stuart refers to the famous Pablo Picasso quote which goes like this: “If they took away my paints I’d use pastels. If they took away my pastels I’d use crayons. If they took away my crayons I’d use pencils. If they stripped me naked and threw me in prison I’d spit on my finger and paint on the walls.” Stuart explains that he is doing his utmost to reach the ‘paints’ level and that has underscored his development from songwriter and artist to becoming a producer.
Naturally, resources come easier once an artist is signed but it is often at the cost of their artistic freedom and integrity. It is a narrow line that an artist needs to walk in deciding whether to sign or not. “As an unsigned artist all you’re doing, it seems to me, is getting into a position where having access to ‘reasonable resource’ isn’t a reason that is holding you back. By resource I mean, financial, access to the right environment, access to work with people at the right standard and so on and so forth,” explains Stuart. “I want to get into a position where I succeed or fail on my talent and artistic ability, not because I couldn’t afford an extra day in the studio”.
Stuart Newman is certainly not lacking in talent and artistic ability. In the studio, he sings and plays guitar, assisted by the engineers on drums and effects. It is his lyrics that are Stuart’s strongest point though. With so many artists openly admitting to little or no meaning behind their lyrics, it is refreshing to see Stuart weave a story in his songs.
I’m too self-conscious and I’m conscious of the fact,
I’m facing my fears, by showing them my back,
And the emperor’s getting cold – “Feel the Temperature Rising”
Of the lyrics, Stuart says, “I’m a massive fan of lyrics in music, and it’s lyrics in music that tend to make me adore a song. I love writing lyrics too, it’s one of the true ways to express your identity and prove your originality.” It is through his lyrics that Stuart’s influences come through the strongest and I see hints of The Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel and Radiohead. The lyrics for both Single But Defective and the demos are available on Stuart’s website under Stuff/Lyrics.
“Feel the Temperature Rising” is the first of the new demos that Stuart has recorded and Stuart is offering it as a free download. With its slow, searching introduction and build up to a moody and ominous climax, it immediately reminded me of Radiohead.
Never mind the temperature, Stuart’s star is rising and I look forward to seeing new recordings in the future. As he continues to push the boundaries and expand his horizons, it is surely only a matter of time before a label signs him up.
* This is a legal download provided by the artist to post and share. If there is any question of an infringement of copyright, please contact me at TheMediaAddict at gmail dot com and I will remove links immediately.
With a laid-back sound as slick and polished as it is bold, Australia’s Strange Talk have been compared to Friendly Fires, Phoenix and Passion Pit. They are the new arrivals on the electropop scene and their styling, layered anthems are taking the scene by storm.
The two song writers in the band, Stephen Docker and Gerard Sidhu, come from completely different musical backgrounds. Vocalist Stephen Docker is classically trained and has played violin for the Australian Youth Orchestra while the talent of bassist Gerard Sidhu (a regular on the Melbourne DJ circuit) lies in the synthesisers and drum machines of electro house music. The friends decided that they should make music together and that their different backgrounds could produce an accomplished and original sound.
After two months of intense songwriting, the band emerged with the Strange Talk EP which was then mixed and produced by Eliot James (Futureheads, Bloc Party). The EP consists of four stylish and lush tracks that should tear up dance floors and air waves alike. There are no weak tracks on the EP and this surely sets the expectation of great achievements from Strange Talk in the future.
To mark the release of the Strange Talk EP, Strange Talk are giving away a free download of the track “Climbing Walls”, the lush and textured track that featured on Triple J Unearthed in 2010.
* This is a legal download provided by the PR company for us to post and share. If there is any question of an infringement of copyright, please contact me at TheMediaAddict at gmail dot com and I will remove links immediately. Affiliate links are used in this post.
Armand Margjeka was born in the town of Tropoja, Albania. He describes his town as “one of the most isolated villages in an isolated country” and makes reference to the oppression and separation that encountered under the Communist regime. Somehow Armand got his hands on a mix tape of American rock ‘n’ roll and this sent him on a voyage of musical discovery that culminated with him moving to the United States as an exchange student at the age of 17.
Once he finished his education, Armand moved to Long Island where he worked at a ranch and he began to put all of his time and money into writing and recording his songs. His recordings were noticed and Armand was initially signed on to an indie music label but the deal was incredibly one-sided and did not favour Armand at all. He needed to make a move and change direction and landed up in Birmingham, Alabama in 2008. “I thought I’d stay for a week or two,” explains Armand, “but I got a job, fell in love and started writing and recording new music.”
Through the open mic scene in Birmingham, Armand joined the alt country outfit Buffalo Black and recorded two digital EPs and an eponymous album with them. Although the music was mostly his own, the band was concentrating on American roots rock and Armand wanted to expand beyond the confines of the Americana sound.
Having spent the past couple of months recording his album, Armand is ready to step out with Margo Margo, his debut album of ten original tracks due for release on August 9, 2011.
To mark the completion of his album and just in time for Mother’s Day, Armand is giving away a track from his upcoming album. “Momma” is a bittersweet ballad that explores Armand’s separation from his own mother for the past ten years. It is a conversation between a mother and son, with the son explaining that “I got this thing I got to do / but I swear I’ll make it up to you / for now just look at the moon”.
* This is a legal download provided by the PR company for us to post and share. If there is any question of an infringement of copyright, please contact me at TheMediaAddict at gmail dot com and I will remove links immediately. Affiliate links are used in this post.
Every now and then, I come across a band and find it impossible to pigeon-hole them into any one genre. Detroit-based trio Almost Free is such a band. As an unsigned band, they self-produced their 2009 release Modern Mistakes, a collection of edgy tracks that could have quite easily hit the New Wave charts in the early 80s. They return in 2011 with the In/Out EP, a set of four catchy and infectious indie pop songs featuring lyrics that focus on topics such as “apathy, nostalgia, neuroticism, anti-religious sentiment, sex, death, ignorance, and (albeit infrequently) love.”
Almost Free are Andy Bird on vocals and guitars; Bob Impemba on bass, synth and noise; and Garren Stevens on drums. They have a disaffected take on modern life and an interesting philosophy to go along with it. Explaining the name of their band, Andy Bird asks “How can we be free if we are always chasing an intangible and subjective state of mind?”. It is a decidedly existentialist idea that we exert our freedom and act insofar as the restrictions of society allow while at the same time understanding that we are responsible for our own actions.
Almost Free comment on the boredom, malaise, monotony and conformity of modern, suburban life and the In/Out EP will appeal to fans of The Smiths, Bloc Party and Veil Veil Vanish. The EP is a snapshot into their sound and I would hope that it is followed up soon with a full length release. You can catch Almost Free performing on April 23 at the Pike Room, in Pontiac, MI.
To promote the release of the In/Out EP on June 7, 2011, Almost Free are giving away a free download of the first track on the EP:
If you can’t wait until June for the release of the EP, you can download their album Modern Mistakes from Amazon.co.uk¦ Amazon.com
* This is a legal download provided by the PR company for us to post and share. If there is any question of an infringement of copyright, please contact me at TheMediaAddict at gmail dot com and I will remove links immediately. Affiliate links are used in this post.
They are the most popular unsigned band on Last.fm, with more than 100,000 listeners and almost one million plays. Hailing from Hamburg, Germany, Museum have recorded and released two EPs and have completed their debut album Traces Of, but they have yet to find a label to release their album.
Museum are Tobias Hermes on vocals and guitar; Söhnke Grothusen on guitar; Hagen Hamm on bass; and Florian Bolzau on drums. Tobias and Söhnke founded Museum back in 2004 after attending school together. They had written a couple of songs between them and figured it would be fun to play them live and record them. They taught their good friend Hagen to play bass guitar and, after losing two drummers, they recruited another friend, Florian, on drums.
Between 2004 and 2006, Museum released two EPs which they recorded and produced in Tobias’s apartment. The Old Firehand EP and Exit Wounds EP and are available to download for free on their Last.fm page. Yet despite a gruelling touring schedule, Museum still struggled to find a label to finance and release their upcoming album. Left with no choice, they began to record and produce the album in their own studio. Tobias explains that insane perfectionism, university, graduation, jobs, personal matters, and a lack of time and money meant that the album took an incredible three years to record but now it is finished.
Listening to Traces Of, it is astounding to think that no one has signed this band yet. It is even more incredible to think that Museum have written, recorded and produced this album on their own because it sounds every bit like a professional production. Tobias Hermes could be the lovechild of Matt Bellamy and Brett Anderson and Museum are clearly influenced by bands such as Muse, Suede and The Smiths.
Tracks such as “For The Very First Time”, “Eden” and “Calm” are complex, energetic tracks that are worthy of stadium-sized crowds while “With Love” is an epic song with a heart-stopping beat and stunning lyrics. My favourite song on the album is “Uncorrupted” and it was this track that caught my attention and made me notice Museum. Traces Of has a great tracklist and the songs flow really well into each other. It is a good album to listen to in its entirety but once I reach “Uncorrupted”, the last track, I can’t move on as I have to put this track on repeat. Intensely penetrating and moving, “Uncorrupted” first appeared on the Exit Wounds EP and is available to download from Last.fm.
To promote their album Traces Of, Museum are offering two singles for download at their website BinaryMuseum.net. “The Law” and “Midwinter” are both available as high quality, 320kbs downloads. So download the tracks, share the video and for the love of good music, could somebody please sign this band?
Fresh from performing at SXSW this year, Baby Teardrops are gearing up for the release of their debut album X Is For Love on April 7. Hailing from Brooklyn, New York, Baby Teardrops are unsigned and are self-releasing their first album. It is a daunting task indeed but should be no problem for these rising stars.
Baby Teardrops are Matthew Dunehoo on vocals and guitar; Megan Thomas on bass, backing vocals and piano; and Gerry White on drums. Their style has been described as neo-grunge but I would place it before that and compare them to the likes of The Jesus and Mary Chain, Pixies or Violent Femmes. Musically, Baby Teardrops have a great multi-layered sound with reverberating guitars and hypnotic basslines that blend perfectly with Dunehoo’s distinctive vocals.
As Dunehoo explains, “my songs are opportunities for one idea to exist in the air with sound surrounded by a bed of, if not fancy, then functional flowers.” It is indeed a rich and complex sound and the tracks on debut album X Is For Love are certainly catchy; I predict big things for Baby Teardrops in the near future.
Keeping with their indie theme of releasing their own album, Baby Teardrops hired independent New York filmmaker Serg Soza to direct the video for their track “Smooth Sailing Ahead”. The video was shot earlier this year on a particularly icy evening in New York’s Lower East Side. The bar in the video is The Local 269 on the Lower East Side where Gerry White still works.
To mark the release of their debut album X Is For Love on April 7, Baby Teardrops are offering their track “Banged in the Heart” for free download:
* This is a legal download provided by the PR company for us to post and share. If there is any question of an infringement of copyright, please contact me at TheMediaAddict at gmail dot com and I will remove links immediately. Affiliate links are used in this post.
Sweeping soundscapes, reverb-laden guitars, searing hooks and vocals that pull at the heart strings. This is the sound of Penguins Kill Polar Bears, a post-rock four-piece band hailing from Linlithgow in Scotland. Featuring Ben Proudlock on guitars and vocals; Fraser Sanaghan on guitars; Gavin Cormack on bass; and Kieran McGuickan on drums, Penguins Kill Polar Bears have been together since 2008 and are renowned for their explosive and unmissable live performances. Their experimental sound puts them right up there amongst post-rock masters such as Mogwai and Sigur Rós but leader singer Ben’s distinctive vocals set them apart. Well, apart from having the best band name I have ever heard.
Penguins Kill Polar Bears’ first EP Dawn was released in June 2010 to critical acclaim and the follow up release Vessels and Veins was released on March 22nd, 2011. This is powerful, emotional and dramatic music and is the type of EP that makes you want to play it over and over again until the band release a full-length album. Luckily, the band are planning a full album release later in the year but in the meantime, you can listen to or buy the EP:
The Bloody Beetroots have been tearing up the dance music circuit since 2007 but it was only when they remixed one of my favourite tracks that I finally paid them some attention. Hailing from Vicenza, Italy, The Bloody Beetroots are indie music producer Sir Bob Cornelius Rifo and DJ Tommy Tea. Known for their raucous live gigs and distinctive Venom masks, The Bloody Beetroots have remixed the likes of Robyn, MSTRKRFT, Tiga, Groove Armada and Shitdisco. They like to push the boundaries of dance music and remix across a variety of genres including Big Beat, New Rave, Dance Punk and Electropop.
For the first time, 18 of these remixes (plus another five digital-only tracks) are available on one album as The Bloody Beetroots release Best Of… Remixes on Dim Mak Records. To mark the release of this massive collection, The Bloody Beetroots are offering two of their remixes for download:
The Whip’s “Muzzle #1” is one of my favourite tracks of all time and it was this remix that finally alerted me to the brilliance that is The Bloody Beetroots.
When they are not remixing other artists and touring, The Bloody Beetroots record their own music which is really quite good. Tracks to look out for are “Butter” and “Domino”.
Buy The Bloody Beetroots Domino (Spares Of Romborama Pt.2) at Amazon.com
* This is a legal download provided by the PR company for us to post and share. If there is any question of an infringement of copyright, please contact me at TheMediaAddict at gmail dot com and I will remove links immediately. Affiliate links are used in this post.
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