Jammerzine has an exclusive interview with the musical masterminds behind the project known as x-blu. Fresh from the heels of their new single titled ‘Fear’ (review HERE), x-blu are having a stellar initial year of inception with a solid debut and a bright future.
In today’s interview, we talk with Gary Parker (guitar, key boards, vocals and production), Dani Tagen vocals, production, and creative director), and Sybil Mayard (vocals, keyboards, production and digital director) about the beginnings of the project, ‘Fear’, and what is coming in the near future for x-blu. Consider this the ‘I heard about them when….’ moment while you watch. Enjoy!
Check out our other features with x-blu HERE.
About x-blu
x-blu are an Avant-garde/Post Punk band who formed at the beginning of this year in Thamesmead, SE London and are influenced by The Velvet Underground, Joy Division and Doves.
In this short space of time, the band have already built a reputation for passionate live performances and the innovative use of digital media. They are a band from diverse backgrounds and equality and diversity are at the heart of their ethos. x-blu are Gary Parker (guitar, key boards, vocals and production) Dani Tagen vocals, production, and creative director) and Sybil Mayard (vocals, keyboards, production and digital director).
Whilst encapsulating Punk, Soul and Electronica they are a digital media band working in visual art, film, music, poetry, live performance and video. This is their debut single ‘Fear’.
LINKS:
https://www.instagram.com/xblu.music
https://www.facebook.com/xblu.music
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUADoM-aX56VME65giJIKSQ
https://www.x-blu.com
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Caesaria Premiere Wavin’ Goodbye
Caesaria draws its origins from the new English-rock wave. Armed with their punchy electro-pop music, the band had already raised interest in 2015 with its first EP Sparks of visions.
Caesaria’s music is a playground for dancing and dynamic experimentations, they mix the vocal harmonies of a devilishly efficient pop-music with more recent electronic sounds brilliantly.
Powerful guitar riffs add the cherry on top to this savant mixture: the crowd wants more.
Fiery and simply mind-blowing, the four French « kids », led by the label from Strasbourg Try & Dye Records, continue to play in festivals, for musical springboards and as prime parts, attracting after each gig new enthusiasts that are caught by an unstoppable need to dance their hips off.
Caesaria’s burning and contagious energy on stage is illustrated by their victories in many musical springboards (RTL2 in 2015, Music on Stage and Printemps des grandes écoles in 2016).
It has led the inexhaustible band to play on several big stages such as doing Naive New Beaters’ first part (La Laiterie – Strasbourg), Printemps de Bourges’s festival or les Eurockeennes de Belfort, pursuing the universal and timeless goal : to make bodies shake.
On Wavin’ Goodbye, the band said:
“This song is a story about a dying person who stands back on his life. He puts in perspective what he did, look at the others in the way they act and realize that they do not enjoy life as they should. It’s a pretty sad song but the message is to celebrate life as long as you can. The music video spreads this message by focusing on a transsexual. We wanted to give another perspective to this message and show that some people start a new life in their lifetime, such as transsexuals”.
LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/wearecaesaria
https://twitter.com/WEARECAESARIA
https://www.instagram.com/wearecaesaria
https://soundcloud.com/caesaria
http://www.tryanddyerecords.com/caesaria
http://www.caesaria.fr -
K Michelle DuBois Premieres ‘Waves Break’ on Jammerzine (The Week in #Indie Segment)
Starting with a sonic mixture reminiscent of both Duran Duran and vintage The Police with a blissfully decedent assault of guitars and bass, K Michelle DuBois delivers an energetic juggernaut in the form of her new single titled ‘Waves Break’. The hook sneaks in like an army invading an unsuspecting country and just never lets up after. This song is pure power in the form of a pop song filled with caffeine and spitting our fire throughout.
As of June 28, 2019, ‘Waves Break’ is available at online stores, such as iTunes, and streaming platforms such as Spotify. Her 2018 ‘Harness’ album can also be obtained directly from the artist via Bandcamp, and her ‘Untold’ collaboration can be found via Lights That Change’s Bandcamp.
About K Michelle DuBois & ‘Waves Break’
Atlanta-based indie pop artist K Michelle DuBois presents an upbeat and fun summer single ‘Waves Break’. This is the first taste of her forthcoming album, which will be released later this year.“We fully went for a surfy new-wave vibe with layers of percussion. Waves Break began with a fascination with fearlessness in people (especially females) who love surfing, skateboarding or any sport where they get beat up and dive right back in,” says K Michelle Dubois.
“The lyrics evolved to be metaphorical as well as staying on topic while blending in double-meaning wordplay – ‘I keep you close to my chest’ and ‘you know where the shark’s prey’. The instrumentation of Waves Break has an early Duran Duran, Bowie, Gang of Four vibes.”
This new single follows up her third solo release ‘Harness’, as well as the singles ‘Wild Weed’, ‘Orchid’ and ‘Love and Only Love’. DuBois also recently collaborated with Wales-based post-punk dreampop artist Lights That Change on the single ‘Untold’.
While most of DuBois’ solo output intertwines classic power-pop with 90s college rock, ‘Harness’ boasts a heftier sonic tone than her previous album ‘Astral Heart’ (2016) with its bouncy rhythms, jangly guitars and sing-song charm.
Based in Atlanta, GA, Dubois’ counts Blondie’s ‘Autoamerican’ and Divinyls among her influences, along with Stevie Nicks, Roxy Music, Flaming Lips, Grandaddy, and Fever Ray. DuBois’s live band includes Chandler Rentz (drums), Jim Prible (bass), André Griffin (keys) and Dan Dixon (guitar), who also recorded, produced and mastered this album at RCDC studio in Atlanta.
K Michelle DuBois got into music very young, building harmonies to pass the time during the family’s frequent road trips. DuBois began writing her own material as a teenager in Nashville after receiving a bass guitar for Christmas. She crafted her early songs on bass, a Yamaha synthesizer and a drum machine in her parents’ four-track studio, but a flood of creative possibilities came upon discovering open-tuning on acoustic guitar, thereafter solidifying her commitment to songwriting.
After forming her first band Ultrababyfat and releasing ‘Silver Tones Smile’ (1998), the group’s infectious pop-punk sound garnered national attention, leading to opening slots for numerous noteworthy acts Pavement and PJ Harvey, and a 2001 stint on The Warped Tour as one of the few female-led bands showcased in the festival’s lineup.
After the band disbanded in 2005, DuBois formed Luigi to explore her more progressive, art-rock leanings. After seven years together and ample critical acclaim, she re-emerged as a solo artist under the tempered guidance of producer Ben Price at Studilaroche, releasing her debut album ‘Lux Capone’ in 2012. DuBois also contributes vocals for Atlanta-based dream-gaze collective Parsons Rocket Project.
LINKS:
http://www.kmichelledubois.com
https://www.facebook.com/KMichelleDuBoisMusic
https://www.twitter.com/kmichelledubois
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoQgGNlVSlwQhtWDpAAu44w
https://www.instagram.com/kshelldubois
https://squareup.com/store/kmd-projects
https://open.spotify.com/artist/2M8M9NxuEmOAaqlbEHN5LW?si=T_ffSKKLTJugWZUaS4bMLA
https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/k-michelle-dubois/536605594 -
Jammerzine’s The Week in #Indie for 9/23/2019
Jammerzine’s The Week in #Indie for the week of September 23rd, 2019 includes exclusive interviews with Holy Wars frontwoman Kat Leon, 50FOOTWAVE and Kristin Hersh drummer Rob Ahlers, musician, Ragdoll guitarist, and YouTuber Leon Todd, Dalton Dexchain from Dalton Deschain & the Traveling Show, and Diamond Shake. Also are premieres from Cellista, Nigel Thomas, Tony Volker, and Sebastian Straw.
About Kat Leon
Holy Wars is a band that is as diverse as it is determined. That is ever more evident in this exclusive interview with Holy Wars’ frontwoman Kat Leon. Kat survives by thriving from her life and putting into her craft. That is a talent I wish everyone had. We would be in a much better world, I think.
And what we learn in this interview is how the music of Holy Wars, as well as Kat’s solo work, are part of an anthology of life. Some of it is dark, some of it light, but all of it real. And what we get in the end is a life in progress. We are all in our own personal holy war, whatever that may be, and what we get through Kat’s voice and the music of her and collaborator Nicolas Perez is a reflection of progression through originality and creativity. This is the very definition of what music is, or at least what it is at its best.
LINKS:
https://www.holywarsmusic.com
https://www.facebook.com/HolyWarsMusic
https://holywars.bigcartel.com
https://open.spotify.com/artist/2dTOWcCL0cYviin0Uz1lj4?si=g4oe1jMzQA67awHSFaBa6Q
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/holy-wars/987826411
https://instagram.com/holywarsmusic
https://twitter.com/holywarsmusic
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKpgMRG6ocgGYRS750lo0LA
https://www.iamkatleon.com
https://www.instagram.com/iamkatleon
https://www.facebook.com/iamkatleon
https://twitter.com/iamkatleon
https://soundcloud.com/iamkatleonAbout Rob Ahlers
Currently, on tour as part of Kristin Hersh’s Electric Trio, we got a rare glimpse of 50FOOTWAVE drummer Rob Ahlers, who actually talked with us from the road. In the middle of the current tour featuring himself, Kristin, and multi-instrumentalist Fred Abong, Rob was gracious enough to call us and give us the latest information on the current tour with Kristin, his beginnings in the music industry, and how he manages to juggle the life of a touring musician as well as husband and father. Consider this interview a life lesson and guide for all of you musicians out there thinking of making the transition into fulltime.
LINKS:
http://www.kristinhersh.com/
http://www.facebook.com/50footwave/
http://www.facebook.com/strangeangels
http://50footwave.cashmusic.org/
http://twitter.com/kristinhersh
http://www.youtube.com/user/throwingmusic/videosAbout Leon Todd
Leon Todd is more than a musician in my opinion. He’s a mentor, a tutor, a reviewer, and a magician of sorts. Also, he’s a Youtuber. And a pretty stellar one at that. He has taken his passion for music and found roughly 5,610,970 (as of 9/12/2019) views from people looking to better their guitar playing or looking for new gear to better their sound. And among those 5 million+ is me. He has introduced me to so many different types of gear and, not just that, ways to experiment with my tone and setup as to make me sound better. To me, this is the very essence of Youtube. To all of you who think it’s a website to find all the funny little things that cats do can go over to Instagram and see what everyone’s having for lunch.
Leon is a full time working musician with his band Ragdoll as well as a teacher of music who has literally taken the career he loves and has made a Youtube channel dedicated to helping those guitarists out there who wish to better their tone and playing. And he does this in such an entertaining way as to not only NOT make you feel stupid (believe me I have felt stupid enough in this life 😉 ) but in a way that makes it entertaining. All good teachers teach their students in a way that is best for them and that way usually is done with a combination of information, determination, and with interest and enthusiasm.
LINKS:
https://www.youtube.com/user/kingcrimsonscourt
https://www.facebook.com/Leontoddmusic
https://instagram.com/leon_ragdoll
https://www.facebook.com/ragdollrock
https://ragdollrock.bandcamp.comAbout Dalton Deschain
Dalton Deschain is someone who I hold in high regard when it comes to #indie music. And now, after discovering said music in 2015, I finally get to speak with him. He is a very unique multi-talent, to say the least. In addition to his band, Dalton Deschain & the Traveling Show, he also has a comic book series titled MONOCUL, which has a unique and dark blend of pulp stylings in Dalton’s now-signature appearance.
Dalton and his band also bring that blend and influence, which they describe as ‘pulp-punk’. That style is never more evident in their new single titled ‘Man/Thing’ above. In this interview, we talk about the new single as well as the upcoming album titled ‘Casey’ and the connection between their previous EPs, ‘Casey’, and their future album slated for release. With Dalton and the band, you get a continuation within the music, as you will learn in this interview, which can create a lasting relationship between band and fans.
LINKS:
http://www.daltondeschain.com
https://www.facebook.com/daltondeschainmusic
https://instagram.com/daltondeschain
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-collateral-vignettes-ep/id934670609
https://soundcloud.com/daltondeschain
https://patreon.com/monoculAbout Diamond Shake
In this Jammerzine Exclusive is about survival. Not only survival but coming out the other side a better person. That person is Diamond Shake, aka Matthew Hitchens. Matthew has that enviable ability to take the bad aspects of life and make them work for you. You will hear about that in this interview, and it is something you want to listen to because Matthew is sharing his life lesson. And the result is his project Diamond Shake.
His new album titled ‘From Method to Madness ‘ drops November 15 and his new single/video ‘Let it Die’ drops tomorrow. That being said, this is a perfect time to get to know the wizard behind the curtain and learn about him as a person as well as a musician. After that listen, you will be a new fan of both Diamond Shake and Matthew Hitchens.
LINKS:
http://www.diamondshake.com
https://www.instagram.com/thediamondshake
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUT0cqzCanrCsAlqgaZRqhQ
http://www.soundcloud.com/diamond-shakeAbout Cellista
Cellista brings the listener into her dark, almost cinematic musical universe with her new single titled ‘Confessions’. Starting almost like somewhat of a proclamation, Cellista brings forth her lyrically lucid, musically ethereal and haunting score with a poetically dissonant yet beautiful musical piece that says as much with the music as it does with the words. ‘Confessions’ may be indescribably dark, but the more you listen to it, you begin to see a faint light, and that light brings new meaning to the lyrics, which can be a revelation in the form of a confession.
The album, ‘Transfigurations’, is available now on limited edition CD and at shows and comes with a full-length book and download code. It can be found everywhere digitally, including Bandcamp, where the book is downloadable as a PDF for anyone purchasing the album there. The book is also being released separately via online retail sites like Amazon.
LINKS:
http://www.cellista.net
https://www.facebook.com/cellista.music
https://twitter.com/xcellistax
https://www.instagram.com/xcellistax
https://www.soundcloud.com/xcellistax
https://cellista.bandcamp.com
https://www.youtube.com/user/xcellistax/videos
https://open.spotify.com/artist/3sZ132TtThqqirlRB9BjFpAbout Nigel Thomas
Nigel Thomas is back and better than ever with his new album titled ‘Well Well’. Ever since our interview with him back in 2015 I’ve thought that Nigel is one of those rare talents that not only continuously grow musically, but is not afraid to grow. That is actually not all that common in the music industry. An artist might have some major success with a single or an album and finds it difficult to move forward stylistically because of fear of losing that audience. But Nigel embraces the change with 10 tracks of hook-filled original tracks that are as diverse within the album as the album is diverse within Nigel’s catalog.
One constant that I found in ‘Well Well’ is the ‘go left when I thought it would go right’ twists and turns musically that I found pleasantly unexpecting. Right down to the chord changes there are bits and pieces that I would have never expected but they are there and they fit perfectly. Not only outside of the box but, at times, all around it.
LINKS:
https://www.nigelsongs.com
https://www.facebook.com/nigelsongs
https://twitter.com/nigelsongs
https://play.spotify.com/album/1gsC7y3s98eAg4CKk0STFb
https://soundcloud.com/nigelthomas
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/travelling-man/id1078458895About Tony Volker
Tony Volker gives another stellar performance with his new album titled ‘Where The Light Gets In’. His stylings have always been a bit eclectic, which is something I love, but his pop and hook writing skills really shine on this latest outing. I compare him somewhat to Michael Penn because of that unique blend of endearing quirkiness, originality, and use of instruments from, not only different stylings but different cultures. And they blend so well.
‘Where The Light Gets In’ is out now on all digital platforms.
LINKS:
https://www.tonyvolker.co.uk
https://www.facebook.com/musictonyv
https://twitter.com/tony_volker
https://soundcloud.com/tonyvolkerAbout Sebastian Straw
Sebastian Straw proves that he is a consummate songwriter with his new video for the track titled ‘My Friend’. The song starts off with a brilliant hook that captivates with its beautiful acoustic guitar and vocal melody but then reality kicks in with an out-of-left-field chorus in the style of Radiohead that really takes the song to a different level than expected. Added brilliance with the cello accompaniment and the walking bassline that chugs along and keeps the song anchored.
The album ‘Welcome Yesterday’ will be released on October 18 and will be available across digital stores and streaming platforms.
LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/sebastianstrawofficial
https://soundcloud.com/sebastianstraw
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZgElWHFjCG9gCjXBCQcFbA
https://www.instagram.com/sebastianstrawofficial
https://twitter.com/SebastianStrawPoster photo by Heather Koepp Photography.
Click HERE to watch Season 5 of Jammerzine’s ‘The Week in #Indie’.
Click HERE to watch Season 4 of Jammerzine’s ‘The Week in #Indie’.
Click HERE to watch Season 3 of Jammerzine’s ‘The Week in #Indie’.
Click HERE to watch Season 2 of Jammerzine’s ‘The Week in #Indie’.
Click HERE to watch Season 1 of Jammerzine’s ‘The Week in #Indie’.LINK:
https://jammerzine.com