Ben Walsh is a rare kind of musician these days. Born and raised in the Australian beach-town-slash-hippie-enclave of Byron Bay, his long blond hair and flat-brimmed hat make him easy to identify as a music-maker. But perhaps nothing tells you as much about Walsh as his smile: a big, broad, toothy grin that seems to make his whole face open up. He smiles often and he smiles easy and talking to him, you get the sense that his facial muscles may actually be more comfortable smiling than they are at rest. He’s the kind of person where you feel like he could connect with anyone and form a true friendship within the first 5 minutes of talking to them – and as life so often imitates art, that’s exactly what he seeks to do with his music.
SOURCE: Official Bio
Photo by C.D. Hale.
LINKS:
http://benwalshofficial.com
https://www.instagram.com/benwalshmusic
https://twitter.com/benwalshmusic
https://facebook.com/iambenwalsh
https://youtube.com/benwalshmusic
https://music.apple.com/au/album/she-gives-me-love-single/1490064441
https://play.google.com/store/music/album/Ben_Walsh_She_Gives_Me_Love?id=Bdhad4rprh5uwdrn562gsumujue
-
KnightressM1 – Lock and Key
KnightressM1 has just released her new video for the track titled ‘Lock and Key’. the addition as a violin as a frontal instrument is captivating enough. If gives the song a whole new set of tonality and range that would not be there if a guitar or keyboard handled those melodic duties. however, that adds much flavor to an already flavorful track that the video really does a symphonic justice to.
But what KnightressM1 delivers is a complete and full track with a visual aid that adds a new and original cinematic flare that otherwise would not be there had this been another artist.
As of August 17, ‘Lock & Key’ will be available across digital outlets such as Apple Music and streaming platforms such as Spotify. The full ‘Dreams and Devastation’ LP is slated for release on September 25.
ABOUT KNIGHTRESSM1
KnightressM1 is a rock / metal power trio based in Oakland and the brainchild of violinist, vocalist, pianist and composer Emily Palen. Formed in 2011 with support from drummer Rob Ahlers (50FOOTWAVE, KrIstin Hersh), KnightressM1 was joined by bassist Uriah Duffy (Whitesnake) for the studio album.
Recorded at Foo Fighters’ acclaimed Studio 606 near L.A., this album was co-produced by Palen and esteemed producer John “Lou” Lousteau (Foo Fighters, Iggy Pop, Joan Jett). This 12-song collection is an ambitious concept album that explores both the emotional depths of personal transformation and the journey of cosmic awakening.
‘Lock & Key’ is inspired by the current planetary battle for human souls to break free from oppression waged down upon us by the hidden power structures. Ironically, this song became a personal anthem as Palen struggled to break free from domestic violence during the time of the album’s recording, ultimately illuminating that art/music is an unbreakable exit plan from the lethality of relational abuse.
“Recording gave me the courage to end a toxic relationship. It was like living in the sun, then going into the pits of hell. I trusted myself that I would get out of it, I just had to gather my resolve and courage. I always saw the truth of the situation but it was the being fully immersed with the recording of this album at 606 that helped me experience who I was, rather than how brutalized I felt in the relationship. I stepped towards the truth ultimately and broke out of that situation.
Music, art, expression, living in the depth of purpose, is a way to connect with the most powerful part of you. You will bring forth aspects of yourself that are strong enough to deal with one of the most difficult situations one can go through,” says Emily Palen.
KnightressM1’s sound is the sonic manifestation of Palen’s heart – relentless, always reaching for beauty and absolutely driven by intensity. Their music is fascinating in the integration of specific musical frequencies into her compositions. The further her journey with this band, the heavier and heavier the sound gets. The crushing intricate rhythm section blends harmoniously with her driving, searing electricified violin tone as the lead.
Fueled by a deep-seated necessity to defy limitation, they harness an intense internal life to fuel the trajectory of the band over the edge of the impossible. Their heavy driving bass and rhythm are rounded out with lots of harmonic layering and beauty.
KnightressM1 is the embodiment of musical manifestations, based on the thematic concept of a female galactic warrior, who comes to Earth to bring justice, hunt corruption and restore truth. Within universal language, M1 is code for unity. This is her identifier. Her frequency. KnightressM1 (KM1) is the vessel through which Palen creates and shares her unique contributions to what is more commonly known here on earth as the music industry.
“KM1 is me imagining my whole consciousness in a superhero avatar, a limitless being. A universal example of who we can all be, The power of harmony can break your heart wide open while the powerful rhythm and bass give you the strength to move through that opening. It’s heavily grounded while reaching very high. As with love and life, you must embrace all aspects of the spectrum to fully embody it,” explains Palen.
“You can’t change anything until you tell the truth about it. Once you expose the pain, the lies and the liar, then you have power. You can become free. You must first have the courage to face it.”
A violinist from the age of four (her mother was a professional cellist and violin/cello teacher), the classically-trained virtuoso has spent her life mastering violin, piano, singing and composition via rigorous training and practice. As a young adult, she began exploring the concept of transmitting consciousness through improvisation. Emily explored this power through sacred solfeggio in the steadfast belief that these specific audio tones have transformative power.
Since releasing her first solo violin improv album ‘Glass ~ Live at Grace Cathedral’ in 2012 and ‘Creation’ a year later, she’s become a sponsored artist with Engl Amps, a crucial part of KM1’s tone, and has played or recorded with Foo Fighters, Eric McFadden and Gretchen Menn, among others, both as a live performer and a compositional recording artist, Earlier, she became a finalist in the ‘My Grammy Moment’ competition and played live with orchestra at the Grammys, conducted by John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin).
“This album has saved my life in many ways. Everything that I have ever been through, every love gained and lost, every heartbreak that slipped away without justice now makes sense in the context of this album. It was all so I could write these songs and experience their alchemizing power. Music has always lifted me into an untouchable space, even when everything around me is breaking, even when I am breaking beyond what I can bear, beyond what I myself can repair, the music heals it.
When I’m completely honest with the music, it alchemizes the deepest pain and unforgivable betrayal into an unbreakable strength and love. We become greater because of the life we have lived, not in spite of it,” says Emily Palen.
LINKS:
https://www.knightressm1.com
https://www.facebook.com/knightressm1
https://www.instagram.com/knightressm1_band
https://youtube.com/emilypalen
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1rTKwDlXBNJnuOvmUhEQVy
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/knightressm1/id941125533 -
Fire Fight – The Ghost Inside
Minneapolis, MN hard rock band Fire Fight has released the official music video for their single, “The Ghost Inside.” “The Ghost Inside” is off of their 2017 released EP Transitions.
“’The Ghost Inside’ is our favorite song to play live. It’s got it all, and in a very short amount of time, from heavy riffage down to soft vocals building into an epic chorus and back to the heavy riffing, and that reflects the story behind it: light vs. darkness, good vs evil, and the continuing battle between. For the video, we went for simplicity; there’s a ghost inside all of us. As people we can go through different stages of emotions and sometimes those emotions make us see in black and white, and while the song may be complicated, we wanted to accent that simplicity throughout in the imagery as well.”
Remember when music made you feel things you’d never felt before? When it seemed like every time you turned on the radio, you discovered a whole new world? What happened to that sense of wonder and refreshment?
Minneapolis, Minnesota’s Fire Fight seeks to breathe new life into a world muddied by generalities and jaded artistry.
Our goal is to spark that same sense of wonder and inspiration that was once the norm. Music isn’t what we do for a living, it’s what we do to live and we want to share that with every audience we encounter. Every show belongs to you just as much as it does to us, and we want to change the way you hear rock music and the way you experience it.
With driving percussion, intricate riffs, infectious hooks, and mesmerizing melodies, each song tells a story: our story, our journey. Egos and politics have their place, but everyone needs something that speaks to their heart and soul. Without heart, all art is fruitless. So bang your heads, throw up the horns, jump, dance, sing and be present. The music industry and bureaucracy have taken so much from music and from you, the fans. We’re here to give it back.
We are FIRE FIGHT!
LINKS:
https://firefight.online
https://www.facebook.com/FireFightOnline
https://twitter.com/Fire_Fight_
https://soundcloud.com/FireFightOnline -
Late Night Fights – Prison
Minneapolis, MN-based rock band Late Night Fights has released the Official Music Video for their single, “Prison,” off their sophomore release, Renal 911. Prison” was directed by Colton Otte of Blue G Productions.
“This video is dedicated to those who feel trapped, lost or like there’s nothing you can do to make things right. Hold close in your hearts all of the talented, spirited, and influential beings that fought the vice grips of depression, addiction, and suicide. We miss you dearly.”
– LATE NIGHT FIGHTSIf you are in crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741.
LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/latenightfightsmusic
http://www.twitter.com/latenitefights
http://www.instagram.com/latenightfights