Oregon-based AM Clouds craft adventurous rootsy indie rock that traverses both the internal and external landscapes of human experience. Their hometown of Bend offers extreme climate changes and expansive beauty, prompting them to coin the term ‘high desert rock.’ Even their name, AM Clouds, was derived from a phrase that was constantly broadcast across the Oregon weather forecast.
Meshing classic and alternative, the band connects the dots between several eras of rock music, from angular indie to psychedelic noise jams, equal parts Neil Young and Meat Puppets, Tom Petty and Uncle Tupelo. Their debut EP, War of Love, was released in 2017 and was welcomed with open arms by the local press, picking up heavy rotation on KPOV and KRFM. “We’re located in a rugged, remote place, where culture has a tendency to be overshadowed by nature,” Moon relates. “I think people really connect to hearing their majestic surroundings captured musically with a bit of cinematic flair.”
Made up of Bruce Troy Moon (lead vocals, lead guitar), Graham Boostrom (rhythm guitar, vocals), Pete Ficht (bass, keys, vocals), and Dan Paggi (drums, vocals), the band is both immediate and relatable, comprised of musicians committed to their individual tone but more invested in serving the overall sound. Since their inception, they’ve played across Central Oregon, sharing the stage with veteran roots rockers the Mother Hips and Portland’s psych-rock pioneers King Black Acid.
Their album, Rainmaker, was tracked at the Firing Room in Bend, Oregon with engineer Dayne Wood and mixed by Portland producer Jeff Stuart Saltzman (The Black Keys, Death Cab for Cutie).
Featured image by Amanda Marquez.
LINKS:
http://www.am-clouds.com
https://www.facebook.com/amclouds
https://twitter.com/amcloudsband
https://amclouds.bandcamp.com
https://www.instagram.com/am.clouds
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Hostile Array – Herd Instinct
Maryland metalcore quintet Hostile Array, formerly known as My Ransomed Soul, have premiered their new music video for their second single “Herd Instinct”. Outspoken and message-driven about the major conflicts in the world, the new single, deals with the idea of blind patriotism and the growth of radical nationalism in the United States.
“If we lose our principles, our nation has no value,” explains vocalist Brendan Frey. “We have lost our sense of what it means to have true freedom. If you protest the system or the powers that be, people often claim that you’re ‘anti-American’. In my opinion, dissent is one of the highest forms of patriotism.”
“Herd Instinct” comes from the band’s upcoming record, set to release in 2018.
Politics and art have a long history together. Music, in particular, has been used to protest, educate, and even to propagandize. It is undeniable that its influence has helped shape society as we know it. Hailing from Frederick, Maryland, Hostile Array aims to bring their own unapologetic perspective to an increasingly divisive culture.
The group made up of Brendan Frey, Garrison Frey, Hector Fernandez, Fredy Menjivar, and Andrew Markle, released their first single, “Devoid”, in July of 2017 which focused on the tragedy of civilian casualties in the Middle East and US intervention policies. The band aims to continue the political and social dialogue with each new release. Pulling from a variety of influences such as Underoath, Norma Jean, Silent Planet, and Architects, the band delivers a diverse and unique blend of sounds, while maintaining a message that questions the status quo.
LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/HostileArray
https://twitter.com/HostileArray
https://www.instagram.com/HostileArray -
Cabinet of Millionaires – Theresa
British electronic act Cabinet of Millionaires has announced their new single ‘Theresa’. Featuring resplendent punchy beats, sci-fi loony tune hooks, dub basslines and gospel-tinged soul-rock vocals from Pat Fulgoni, this five-song release includes four versions of the title track plus b-side ‘Serve Me’.
Some would label this agit-house, some electro-rock, others social disco. Whatever you’d like to call it, Cabinet Of Millionaires is an uncompromising project with a ballsy soulful political message and infectious grooves. Part band, part blog, according to Eddie Gordon (BBC Essential Mix), this is “the kind of dance music that DJ’s like Andy Weatherall would turn people onto or the Talking Heads would delight the New York uber-cool clubs with”.
This is CoM’s fourth single, following up previous singles ‘Satan’s Horses’, ‘Serve Me’ and ‘Cabinet Of Millionaires’, which have received adio support from the likes of Eddy Temple Morris and Nemone (BBC Radio 6), as well as various American college radio stations.
Steve Whitfield (The Cure, The Mission, Terrorvision, Klammer) mixed this release at Mead Studios in Leeds. He also contributes guitar on the original version of ‘Theresa’ and delivers a lush Donna Summer-meets-Underworld dance remix.
All the way from Huddersfield, Cabinet of Millionaires bring a scathing attack on the austerity policies of the UK’s Conservative Party government, referencing the Windrush scandal, the Grenfell Tower tragedy, and failure to take in enough refugees (whilst selling arms), not to mention the dismantling of the country’s National Health Service.
The accompanying video pushes the message further, following a homeless busker around Manchester as he desperately tries to earn a bit of money with a useless Theresa May puppet before throwing it in the bin.
“This government is not listening. As the last CoM single ranted, “You’re here to Serve Me!” and not the other way around! It is time for a general election. 8 years of Tory rule have brought misery,” says CoM’s Dave C.
Vocalist Pat Fulgoni sings across a wide range of genres, Most recently he has been flexing his vocal muscle with massive Drum & Bass artists including Camo & Krooked, London Elektricity, Dexcell, Technimatic, Logistics, 1991 and The Vanguard Project, and for labels including Hospital, Ram, Shogun Audio, Spearhead, MTA, and Medschool. He’s toured the planet with various acts from the USA to China and throughout Europe. His activism dates back to the 1990s, when he organized the No Compromize CD against the introduction of tuition fees and collaborated with Tony Benn MP.
Live dates have included shows for Love Music Hate Racism and the Peoples Assembly Against Austerity, even being incorporated into a play (theatre) down the road from Conservative Party Conference and live appearances on official demonstration stages in Manchester and Downing St, London.
As of January 25,2019, ‘Theresa’ will be available for digital download across online stores and streaming platforms. It can be downloaded on a or pay what you want basis via Bandcamp.
“Farcical, impassioned and addictive to listen to, hopefully, this will become a much-played earworm that will wiggle its way into the minds of many, moving them onto the streets”
– Examiner Live“The kind of dance music that DJ’s like Andy Weatherall would turn people onto or the Talking Heads would delight the New York uber-cool clubs with”
– Eddie Gordon (BBC Essential Mix)“Theresa’ by Cabinet Of Millionaires could not be more timely, right now. Haunting beats. This would sound brilliant on the radio”
– The Zine UK“Cabinet of Millionaires finds a grounded sound in disco/dance territory with listeners only too happy to follow them there. Beats, drive, a deep soulful voice, and genuine vocal delivery with an important message echoing the sentiment of millions… The cool, rhythmic grooves and slickly fast pace make the pointed lyrics go down smoothly, while the expressively exclaimed lyrics get the message across loud and clear”
– Big Takeover Magazine“Theresa is certainly no love song to the prime minister – but undoubtedly a formidable piece of protest dance-rock… With a passionate vocal performance, rich fuzzy synths and pounding drums, Cabinet of Millionaires have produced a banging protest song that’s sure to get everyone moshing at their next gig”
– Tom Robinson, BBC / Fresh on the NetLINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/CabinetOfMillionaires
https://cabinetofmillionaires.bandcamp.com
https://www.instagram.com/cabinetofmillionaires
https://www.youtube.com/cabinetofmillionaires
https://twitter.com/cabinetmillion -
Where We Sleep – The Desert
London-based dark and dynamic pop project Where We Sleep has announced their debut EP ‘Experiments In The Dark’. Ahead of that, they present the lead single ‘The Desert’, a jaded and winding psych-infused track traversing similar addictive territory as PJ Harvey, Curve, and Garbage.
At Where We Sleep’s core is Beth Rettig, perhaps best known as the vocalist of alt-pop darlings Blindness. But this project also involves collaborations with various other artists. ‘The Desert’ sees Rettig collaborate with Axel Ray of United Ghosts (and also The Black Windmill and Cadet A) on lead guitar.
Dark and rough around the edges, this EP combines synth and live elements. This release also features contributions from Ben Pritchard, formerly of The Fall and currently in Manc Floyd, and former Blindness bandmate Debbie Smith of Curve, Echobelly and SPC ECO fame (and also Snowpony with My Bloody Valentine’s Debbie Googe and Moonshake’s Katharine Gifford).
‘Experiments In The Dark’ is a five-track offering, recorded in studios between London and Manchester. This follows up Where We Sleep’s single ‘The First One’, released in August 2018, preceded by Where We Sleep’s debut single ‘Veins’ in June 2018, also featuring Debbie Smith, and b-side ‘Crawl’, mixed in Addis Ababa by Guy Fixsen.
Raised in Africa (Nigeria, Botswana and South Africa) and saying goodbye to the days of her Johannesburg band High, Beth Rettig returned to the UK in 2000 and eventually hooked up with Debbie Smith to form Blindness. They had a good run until playing their final gig in 2016, followed by ‘The Monsoon EP’ in 2007, their final release.
“When Blindness ended – solely down to a change in my personal life – I didn’t know if I was going to write again. Where We Sleep is the result of discovering that you don’t know how not to make music,” says Beth Rettig.
Rettig’s music is rooted in an array of influences, including Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Curve, EMA, Nine Inch Nails, Jesus and Mary Chain, Garbage, Kate Bush, Massive Attack, Patti Smith, PJ Harvey, Pete International Airport, White Rose Movement and The Fall.
About ‘The Desert’ video, Rettig explains, “The road footage in The Desert video was taken when Axel and myself took a road trip to the Mojave Desert in California, with trips to Pioneertown and Joshua Tree National Park. It seemed a shame not to use those visuals, albeit affected, for the song. As the song came first, it was a cool realization that two people who did a song about driving through the desert together were taking a road trip through the desert together.”
‘Experiments In The Dark’ is slated for release on May 31 and will be available across digital stores and streaming platforms. It can also be pre-ordered via Where We Sleep’s own Bandcamp site.
LINKS:
http://www.wherewesleep.co.uk
https://www.facebook.com/wherewesleep
https://wherewesleep.bandcamp.com
https://twitter.com/wh3rewesleep
https://www.instagram.com/where.we.sleep
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCb68iXZZOJKK7qV3sMnQo7Q
https://soundcloud.com/wherewesleep
https://open.spotify.com/artist/3FFR8UDRIgrRmnZIH3AB2L