Month: December 2017

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New Music News

Reigning Days release new single ‘Gravity’

Following the release of their acclaimed debut EP last year, ‘Gravity’ sees Reigning Days launch into the next chapter of their career. The first track to be taken from their forthcoming album Eclipse, which was recorded at Abbey Road Studios, it’s a tantalizing taste of what’s to come.
Channeling anthemic rock sounds reminiscent of Biffy Clyro and Royal Blood, the track features indie-inspired riffs with punchy, gritty basslines and enthralling vocals, which combine into an absolutely colossal climax.
The Devonshire three-piece, comprised of Dan Steer, Jonny Finnis and Joe Sansome, were one of the highlights at 2016’s The Great Escape festival and have played support slots for the likes of Lower Than Atlantis, Enter Shikari and Feeder as well as headlining their own shows across the country.
Their previous releases have earned them radio support from the likes of Radio 1, Kerrang! Radio, Planet Rock and more, and they are now set to take their gargantuan sound to the next level in the New Year.
Listen to the lyric video for ‘Gravity’ below.

Categories
New Music News

Staircase Spirits share third EP of 2017, ‘Love Stories’

Since releasing second single from the final EP of 2017 and a Christmas cover, Staircase Spirits, fearlessly led by Anna Acosta (vocals, acoustic guitar) and Eva Friedman (drums), finally present Love Stories EP. As the third EP in their 2017 Stories collection, this pop/rock duo have shattered constraints of the genre and created a beautiful niche of their own. They will be performing in Flagstaff, Arizona at The Hive tonight to ring in the EP, along with locals Wade Adkai and Turtleneck Tuesday.
Today, Love Stories evokes a wide range of deep emotions and continues their autobiographical narrative that Acosta and Friedman pride themselves on. After releasing the EP’s second single “California Winter” via Substream Magazine, Love Stories is available on Bandcamp and iTunes, and “California Winter” is available for streaming on Spotify, Bandcamp and Soundcloud.

The female duo, recorded with Jonas Vece of band Safely, Staircase Spirits members Acosta and Friedman are actively involved in the empathetic movement the pop-rock and pop-punk music scene has recently encompassed. As both queer and female musicians, these two talents aim (and succeed) for their music to lead in inspiration.

Vocalist Anna Acosta on the band’s lyrics:
“Our hope as a band is that we can continue to grow and to challenge ourselves and each other to be better than we were when we met – and to reach people beyond ourselves at the same time. Once we put the songs out there, they stop belonging to us. Our hope is that people can get whatever it is they need from each song when they listen to it – whatever that might be. If you can make a difference for even one person, then all the struggles were worth it.” 
Lighting a flame to the remnants of Acosta’s previous abusive relationship, the brand new single “California Winter” features thick guitar and strong vocals that come beautifully unhinged as the song goes on. The single comes as their most recent success, following their contribution to the Defend Planned Parenthood compilation. While the moving lyrics behind each tune cranked out, even the story behind the band nam proves beyond worthy of any listener. “Staircase Spirits” is roughly derived from the french term “L’esprit de l’escalier”. The original term literally translates to the spirit of the staircase, or staircase wit, and refers to that predicament when a person thinks of the perfect thing to say when it’s too late to say it – which is the short version of the story behind every song I’ve ever written”, says Acosta.

Listen to Love Stories below.

Love Stories by Staircase Spirits

Categories
New Music News

Listen to Villa Rivercat’s new LP ‘Days and Weeks and Hours’

After the release of their single ‘More,’ five-piece indie-folk collective Villa Rivercat released a stirring new LP Days and Weeks and Hours earlier this month via  NIWI Records (Dream Lake).
Citing influences such The Band and Joni Mitchell,  Hanna Fideli Fritzell (lead vocals, guitar), William Lindberg (bass guitar, vocals), Ida Säfström (vocals, violin, harmonica), Jonathan Vester (lead guitar) & Karl Geisler (drums, percussion) formed Villa Rivercat in Dalarna, Sweden at the beginning of 2015. Their psychedelic textured sound has seen the stages of charming intimate venues such as Cantina Real, and Teater Pero (a performing arts theatre based in Stockholm) and they have played festivals such as Tantoklafset  in Stockholm,  Peace and Love Festival in their hometown of Borlänge, and will be on show at  Pferdefest (Germany) in 2018.
On Days and Weeks and Hours, Villa Rivercat take us back to another time while keeping us wholly in the present, and the familiarity of the sound is offset by the uniqueness of the approach. Offering a richer, more atmospheric take on the indie-folk we’ve come to know, Days and Weeks and Hours allows you to lose yourself in its stories.
“We recorded most of our stuff in a house back in Dalarna. The recording process was very thorough thanks to our producer. For example, we could spend almost three hours just to get the hand claps sound right. However, the result turned out to be better than we could have ever imagined.” says Villa Rivercat on the new album.

‘Days and Weeks and Hours’ Tracklist:
1. Sunshine
2. Morning Comes
3. Baby Low
4. Song for F
5. More
6. Seagull Stars
7. To see and to Discover

Spotify – iTunes
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Categories
New Music News

Just out! Watch New Portals video for SObER (Acoustic)

New Portals have today released the video for their new song ‘Sober’, taken from their highly acclaimed new EP, Golden Hour.

The video features New Portals’ Ruth Aicken dancing among a kaleidoscopic wave of visuals. The song celebrates the very real option of enjoying sobriety, which finds Ruth singing, “I like to party when we’re sober” in her hypnotic hushed coo. The song is awash with beautiful acoustic guitar intertwined with slow-jam electronics.

Regarding the new single New Portals say, “‘Sober’ is about your ‘desert island friend’, the friend where you would be perfectly entertained if you were stuck on a desert island with them. No need for external help to have fun, ‘Sober’ is a celebration of this type of bond that we all need.”

‘Sober’ is taken from the recently released Golden Hour EP, which received great support from the likes of Vogue, Clash, Line Of Best Fit and many more. The EP also features the moving ballad ‘Chasing Shade’, the lush lounging indie of ‘Do It Right’ and the mellow R&B tinged ‘Locked Down’.

The Golden Hour EP follows the band’s debut EP Stereo released earlier this year to more great praise from the likes of the Metro, The Guardian, Dork Magazine, Missguided, Pretty 52, 1883, Galore, Pop Dust and many more.

New Portals have also received strong support from BBC Radio 1, with Phil Taggart and Huw Stephens particularly big champions of the band at the station. They’ve been featured in a host of high profile Spotify playlists and receive regular in-store rotation at a number of leading UK high street brands too. The band have also been developing increasing transatlantic appeal, having completed their first US tour last year and playing a number of shows at SXSW 2017.

As 2018 fast approaches, New Portals are continuing to prove they are formidable new force on the electronic indie pop landscape.

Categories
New Music News

Hunger keep fans ‘Amused’ with new album

Brought to you from idyllic Vienna, Hunger are an electronic pop/rock band with a moody but melodic blend of alt-rock and synth-pop. They released their new EP Amused in early December and have delighted critics and fans alike with what has been described by Red Bull Music as  “dark electronic pop/rock at its finest.”

Hunger have shared stages with some big names – Alt-J, Phoenix, Feist, Sohn, Milky Chance, and The Strumbellas, and they have piqued the interest of of a string of tastemaker publications. Their Youtube videos have racked up over five hundred thousand views and they also featured as the soundtrack to Netflix’s ’13 Reasons Why.’

Daniel Rumpel and Johannes Herbst and Lucas Fendrich are the men behind the music, and alongside producer Dan Weller, they worked on bringing a vast cinematic sound to Amused. The album digs deep into the undercurrents of alt-rock and synth-pop, and is a pleasantly accessible offering. Right from the start with title track and opener ‘Amused,’  Hunger bring you in and captivate you for the entirety of Amused EP.

Spotify – iTunes

Website: www.hungerband.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/hungertheband
Twitter: www.twitter.com/hungertheband
Soundcloud: www.soundcloud.com/hungermusic
Youtube: www.youtube.com/hungertheband
Instagram: www.instagram.com/hungertheband

Categories
New Music News

The Nectars release debut single ‘Heaven’

New York’s newest alt-rock outfit The Nectars have released their debut single ‘Heaven’, a gritty, punk-inspired belter coated with rock ‘n’ roll sass.

Breaking out of the suburbs of New Jersey, the four-piece consisting of members Jon Paul (bass / vocals), Mike Montalbano (drums / vocals), Michael Baron (guitar / vocals) and lead vocalist Jessica Kenny, have created a style that’s edgy, energetic and full of attitude.

Their punk-inflamed guitars, inventive harmonic motion, trashy beats and raw vocals lay a foundation that’s as influenced by EDM and funk as it is by their scorching live performance. Their approach harks back to the New York punk / pop scene of the late 70’s, but brings a modernity of sound that these new millennial tech-savvy creatives can lay claim to.

Despite rising label interest the band, who formed in late 2016, like to do things their own way and after scouting studios for free recording time and self-creating videos, these cult fashionistas are forging a free spirited DIY approach to their first releases.

Live, the band excite fans with turbulent and electrifying performances and with lots of new music, visuals and shows in the pipeline, The Nectars are one band not to be missed for 2018!

Listen to ‘Heaven’ below.

Categories
New Music News

Introducing Mintfield – watch ‘Ojos En El Carro’

Based in Tijuana, 21-year-olds Estrella Sanchez (vocals & guitar) and Amor Amezcua (drums & synths) are the creative forces behind Mint Field.

Since recording an initial EP, Primeras Salidas, in 2015, Mint Field have played well known festivals such as Coachella, SXSW and have broadly toured the US as well as Mexico.

Soothing lyrics coupled an  organic, spacious sound,  Mint Field evoke a supernatural world of beauty and melancholy. In the summer of 2017 the band traveled to Detroit to record with producer Christopher Koltay.
“We had a much clearer idea of what we wanted and we had the tools to make it.”

‘Pasar De Las Luces’ shows a band pledging to channel their creativity and influences to transmit feelings of profound sorrow, nostalgia and beauty, revisiting sounds from the past to make them synchronic. The LP has 13 impeccable tracks that vary from dream pop to krautrock to heavy stoner jams.

“Pasar De Las Luces” track list:
1. El Parque Parecía No Tener Fin
2. Ojos En El Carro (video)
3. Ciudad Satélite
4. Temporada de Jacarandas
5. Quiero Otoño de Nuevo
6. Cambinos Del Pasar
7. Viceversa
8. Nostalgia
9. Boötes Void
10. Nada Es Estático Y Evoluciona
11. Club De Chicas
12. Para Gali
13. Párpados Morados

Watch ‘Ojas En El Carro’ here:

Categories
New Music News

Canshaker Pi Shares New Video For ‘Pressure From Above’

On releasing their new single, ‘Pressure From Above’, Amsterdam quartet Canshaker Pi propel themselves into the sounds of legends before them. Along with the release of the new single on November 3rd via RIP Records, they are set to begin a UK tour, including dates supporting The Cribs in London, Manchester, Glasgow, and Leeds.
Canshaker Pi quickly became Holland’s buzziest band after releasing their self titled debut-album last.  The record, produced by Pavement’s Stephen Malkmus, led them to play every major festival in The Netherlands and led to their first European tour. Alongside Pavement’s Scott Kannberg (Spiral Stairs) the band toured 15 countries and played 27 shows this fall.
The single is part of the ‘RIP Introduces’ Series and will be released on 12″ in December. The series started in January and has already
Dutch four­piece Canshaker Pi have premiered their new video for Pressure From Above’ at CLASH where it was described as ‘an off piste celebration of slacker thrills with a wry line in self­deprecation’. The single premiered previously at DIY where the band was described as ‘an off kilter delight’. Canshaker Pi begin their UK live dates this week including four shows in support of The Cribs across the UK.
“We made this video with our dear friend Hache on a rainy Saturday night in Amsterdam. The green screen gives the video a surreal element ­ that fits the song perfectly.” ­ says Willem Smit, singer and guitarist in Canshaker Pi, on the new video.

December tour dates:

08/12 – Gorilla, Manchester (w/ The Cribs)
10/12 – Little Buildings, Newcastle (w/ Swine Tax + Mouses)
11/12 – South Bank Social Club, York
12/12 – The Lock Tavern, London
16/12 – ULU, London (w/ The Cribs)
17/12 – The Shacklewell Arms, London
18/12 – Brudenell Social Club, Leeds (w/ The Cribs)

Categories
New Music News

Robert Earl Thomas shares ‘Another Age’

There are a million songs dressed in white t-shirts and American denim, songs that drift through open spaces in some busted sedan, over lost highways that become tributaries to eventual static, crawling traffic and stifling density. There are a million more songs about being wild and green in the cities and outside them: a song about love for every person on this earth. Another Age, the debut album from Robert Earl Thomas, avoids inhabiting these clichés even as it embraces their personal influence, distilling plucky observations and reveries into something both universal and specific. This is an album about small moments with big emotional footprints, told humbly and honestly.
Today Thomas debuts the album’s title track which he notes was written “after an eye- opening visit back to New York City that felt like a chance encounter with an ex. It was kinda like a dream, exciting but uncomfortable. I guess that’s what the whole record is about: looking backward and forward at the same time.”
It’s a debut that plays the part without succumbing to it, more pastel romantic comedy than
sepia historic drama. Thomas addresses with uncommon gentleness his own pet preoccupations with iconic imagery and tones: there are stylistic nods to Springsteen and Dire Straits, Arthur Russell’s more folk-leaning output, the various collaborations of Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne.

Thomas is not new to making records, and Another Age is actually years in the works. A founding member of Brooklyn-based indie outfit Widowspeak, he’s previously lent his talents as a lead guitarist to that band as well as the experimental pop group Vensaire. He began writing and home-recording songs two years ago, gradually and purposefully in moments of solitude between tours, between stints working in a Seattle woodshop and at a hotel in the Catskills, and during weeks couch-surfing back and forth across Brooklyn. For Another Age, Thomas combined these intricately layered demos with tracks from a two-week studio session in the winter of 2016 at Marcata Recording in New Paltz, NY with producer Kevin McMahon (Swans, Real Estate, Widowspeak).

Thomas excels in the sort of wandering, hypnotic codas that instantly recall a feeling of aloneness, a feeling of sequestering oneself to a closet-sized bedroom even as the city keeps moving around you. The stories he tells are full of intimate moments and observations: a walk home from a lover’s apartment, a long night drive back upstate, a quiet Wednesday morning existential crisis. The sense of discovery that comes with being young in a city with a new person, and the sense of loss when that novelty is gone. Another Age is indoor music at its most expansive, rock and roll held at arm’s

length.

Categories
New Music News

Listen to IDLES latest track ‘Mother’

The momentum continues for Bristol’s IDLES, who follow raucous shows at Reading & Leeds, selling out Village Underground ­ taking place this Thursday night ­ in only a few hours and supporting Foo Fighters at The O2 with the further news that next year’s headline shows at London’s Heaven on April 19th and Manchester’s Gorilla on April 18th have both sold out way in advance too. 
The band will also be playing the launch of the new Rough Trade Bristol with a show and signing on Saturday, 16th December.
This year’s “Brutalism” LP received considerable attention on its release and this alongside their incendiary live shows have garnered them a growing fan base ever since. Jeremy Vine is among their admirers, they’re in Radio 6’s albums of the year, they were 33­1 for the Mercury Prize at Ladbrokes ahead of announcement and they had the biggest crowd of the whole weekend on The Lake Stage at Latitude where they also performed a secret set for the BBC, also rammed, directly after at the Introducing stage.
As well as their own headlining tour, the band have performed dates with Dead Kennedy’s, DIIV and were The Maccabees special guests at all three of their final shows at Alexandra Palace.
They’ve not been hurt by a succession of brilliant music videos either. Take a watch of their recent video for “Mother”, where front man Joe Talbot proceeds to destroy a table full of china, piece by piece: