Bentley Jones has just dropped his new video titled ‘I Could Be Your Girl’. Bentley is one of those artists that, when he releases something, I quietly think to myself ‘About time…’. I say this because he is a constantly and truly evolving artist. Each release is somewhat of a reinvention of both the artist and the music. This is just as true with ‘I Could Be Your Girl’.
The video is at times hypnotic and captivating yet gives that sense of solace and yearning. A dark longing for love and romantic closeness in a time of social distancing lending to that certain something we all feel at times, especially these times, in that we all need someone. I hear the words ‘Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder’ when I first watched this video and now those words have a meaning to me. This is a message to the world that beauty is more than sexual and sultry; it’s something we all have, and by knowing that you can get the deeper meaning of the music.
to me, Bentley is an artist who deserves everything he’s worked for and worked very hard for. Now entering his tenth year as an artist, he is just as fresh and new as ever and it shows.
Click HERE to watch Season 6 of Jammerzine’s ‘The Week in #Indie’.
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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’.
ABOUT BENTLEY JONES
Bentley is continuing his reign as an independent pop pioneer by wrapping up his 10th anniversary before launching a brand new 2020 album. He has single-handedly amassed over 40 million sales and gathered remix credits for the likes of Madonna, Britney Spears, Kygo & Whitney Houston, Demi Lovato, Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga (who also follows him on Twitter).
If that wasn’t enough, he’s contributed scores to some of the world’s best-known franchises like “The X-Files”, “Tekken”, “Sonic the Hedgehog”, “Gradius”, “Titan Wars” and “QQ Dance”. With a taste of international success as a producer Ben looked further afield to make his debut as a recording artist before planting his roots – unintentionally – as far away from home as possible.
After taking a risk signing the first-ever British artist to release a Japanese album on a major label, EMI-Universal tested audiences with the debut single “Sunaoninaretara FINAL NIGHT”. Without any promotion or radio play, Bentley sold over 30,000 copies placing the song in the top 5 of Japan’s International Chart and cemented his stature as an international breakthrough artist.
Bentley continued his success in Japan with various projects including the 2012 album “UPGRADE 1.0” which saw him collaborate and perform with native artists for the first time including May J. She was enamored by Ben’s sound and called on him to write and produce for her next album. Ben’s work also caught the attention of May J.’s record label AVEX who signed him to their management arm as he became the first-ever foreign writer and first-ever foreign producer to join Japan’s biggest music company. Ironic that it was also the same management label of Ayumi Hamasaki who offered her personal approval of Bentley’s debut at the start of his Japanese career.
His first independent English EP “So Much More…” including the title track which was featured in the number 1 selling video-game “SEGA All-stars Racing”. It also featured 1 of 3 songs that received a staggering 1.1million streams in just 5 days after a promotion with the US social network Gaia Online. The sequel album “TRANS//LATION 2” made Bentley the 19th most viewed musician on YouTube the week of its release and his adaptation of the theme from “Devil May Cry 4” has accumulated 1.7 million streams.
Realizing he could continue his success as a fully independent artist, Bentley unleashed 2015’s “The Rebellion” to critical acclaim; “Articulate, brilliant and haunting.” (BuzzJack) “The must-listen-to album of 2015.” (Muzikman) “Let this album be an inspiration to us all.” (J-Wave’s 25 Best Indie Albums of 2015). 2017’s “Unravelling” was also a smash with critics being described as “powerful and meaningful… Bentley has bounced back better than ever!” (Essentially Pop) and became his highest-earning independent album at the time with over 310,000 sales.
Bentley’s 10th anniversary has been the colossal celebration we’ve come to expect from such a reputable artist. Proceedings kicked off at the end of 2018 with a live performance on Japan’s prestigious music show “Nodojiman THE WORLD!” (12.1 million viewers) which coincided with the release of his Japanese single “Lay Down on My Heart”. The song was premiered in the UK by BBC Radio and was the first-ever J-pop song broadcast by BBC Introducing leading to Bentley being awarded the “Sound of 2019” (BBC).
His 10th-anniversary album “Translated” – a celebration of his Japan debut – gained 270,000 sales during its summer release resulting in his decision to reside in Japan where he headlined at the Tokyo Summer Bon Festival. He’s even found time to compose music for the upcoming “Titan Wars” video-game, the theme song for From Aqua Mineral Water commercial, the main theme of the AVEX Influencer Academy as well as continue working with Asian artists such as Carrie Lai and DJ KOO (TRF).
ABOUT ‘I COULD BE YOUR GIRL’
His bold new image – an enticing amalgamation of muscles, stilettos, lace, and skin that celebrates his fluidity, sexuality, and defiance – is a telling statement of the difficult journey he’s been on to get here. Following acclaim from Billboard Japan (“a must-listen-to artist”), BBC Radio (“incredible”, Sound of 2019) and Miami Beach Pride (“an LGBTQ+ icon”), independent pop juggernaut Bentley Jones is finally delighting fans with lead single “I Could Be Your Girl” (out now) – a delicious slice of sultry, sexy pop R&B that (according to Jones) “was composed almost entirely in a dream.”
Bentley has enjoyed a considerable amount of success in Japan, which is why last year he turned his entire life upside down and moved to Tokyo. At first, he flourished; performing on the prestigious TV show “Nodojiman THE WORLD!” to 12.1 million viewers and headlining the Tokyo Bon Summer Festival.
However, the company promising to sponsor his visa – as well as provide promotion and touring for a new album – suddenly about-turned and began pulling their support from a contract they had been negotiating for months. As Bentley explains in a video blog, the company said he was “too controversial” and became “worried about what people will think”.
Ben made the heart-breaking decision to walk away from the contract and return home to the UK.
“After working so hard and risking everything, it was soul-destroying,” Ben expresses. “But this album and these songs are fundamental to who I am and what I stand for. It feels amazing to finally start releasing them exactly the way I intended.”
Last month Ben helped raise over $14,000 for community aid performing at Pride Collective – a virtual festival formed by the several US Prides. Miami Beach Pride was so impressed they selected Bentley to represent them at Global Pride on June 27th where he will make the first-ever live performance of “Girl” alongside such legends as Adam Lambert, Kesha, Todrick Hall and more.
“I Could Be Your Girl” is out everywhere now, with the music video following on June 19th.
LINKS:
http://www.bentleyjones.com
http://www.facebook.com/BentleyJonesMusic
http://twitter.com/Bentley_Jones
http://www.youtube.com/BentleyJonesMusic
http://www.soundcloud.com/BentleyJones
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ReMission International Releases TOS2020 (Trentemøller Remix) (The Week in #Indie Segment)
ReMission International has just shed light on Trentemøller’s take on the multinational COVID-19 relief track titled ‘TOS2020’. Trentemøller gives an obvious departure from both the original track from The Mission as well as the first collaboration released last month. More subdued and introverted while containing the obvious Trentemøller style, this remix is an introversion-conversion meant for personal reflection and as a valve for the emotions in this isolation that we all face and desperately feel.
The ‘Tower of Strength’ begins with the power of music.
Check out our other features with TOS2020 HERE.
Check out our other features with Trentemøller HERE.
Check out our other features with Wayne Hussey HERE.
Click HERE to watch Season 6 of Jammerzine’s ‘The Week in #Indie’.
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’.ABOUT TOS2020 & TRENTEMØLLER REMIX
TOS2020 – the remake of The Mission’s anthemic hit ‘Tower Of Strength’ released to raise money for COVID-related charities worldwide – is out now, along with two new videos – for the Trentemøller remix and a new lyric video featuring many of the artists involved. All proceeds to charities personally chosen by each contributor.
From #TOS2020 creator Wayne Hussey: “This new video for the beautiful Trentemøller remix of ‘Tower Of Strength 2020’ was directed by James Sharples. The live footage is taken from a Mission video and shows us setting up before a gig, and it deliberately ends on a hopeful note to remind us that in the not too distant future we can all get together to make and enjoy loud music in a room again.”
“At the moment the money raised by TOS2020 is close to £100k, which is fantastic. It won’t stop once it’s out and will continue to raise money as long as orders are placed and streaming and publishing revenues come in. The funds will continue to accumulate, which is exactly what we wanted…. I want to keep thanking everyone for their support – it’s a hard time financially for people and there’s a long road ahead. The digital bundle contains 5 awesome tracks for just £2.99, it all helps those that need it most and the proceeds will be divided and distributed equally among all the beneficiaries. Thank you.”
The full version video, directed and edited by Savannah Perry, offers insight into the TOS2020 ‘Beholden To The Front-Line Workers Of The World mix’, revealing who sings which lines, who plays which guitar solo, drums, etc. throughout the song. Earlier, Vincente Cordero / Industrialism Films presented another video for the TOS2020 single.
Collaborators include: Andy Rourke, Billy Duffy, Budgie, Evi Vine, Gary Numan, James Alexander Graham, Jay Aston, Julianne Regan, Kevin Haskins, Kirk Brandon, Lol Tolhurst, Martin Gore, Michael Aston, Michael Ciravolo, Midge Ure, Miles Hunt, Rachel Goswell, Richard Fortus, Robin Finck, Steve Clarke, Tim Palmer, Trentemøller
BACKGROUND FROM WAYNE HUSSEY:
“When Covid-19 hit I started receiving messages asking ‘why don’t you re-issue Tower Of Strength for the front line workers?’ The song had apparently been adopted as an anthem by some NHS workers, and it got me thinking that I would like to contribute something to the greater cause at this unprecedented time and the only thing I could really contribute is music. So in conjunction with my good friend Michael Ciravolo, I came up with the idea of recording a new version of Tower Of Strength for charity by enlisting the help of musician friends and acquaintances.”
Produced by Wayne Hussey and co-produced and mixed by Tim Palmer. Except * remix by Trentemøller and ** remix by Albie Mischenzingerzen.COLLABORATORS INCLUDE:
Andy Rourke, Billy Duffy, Budgie, Evi Vine, Gary Numan, James Alexander Graham, Jay Aston, Julianne Regan, Kevin Haskins, Kirk Brandon, Lol Tolhurst, Martin Gore, Michael Aston, Michael Ciravolo, Midge Ure, Miles Hunt, Rachel Goswell, Richard Fortus, Robin Finck, Steve Clarke, Tim Palmer, Trentemøller.
From TOS2020 collaborators:
“Being given the chance to do some good to raise money for people and animals struggling in these frightening times by singing one of the best songs ever written was such an easy thing to say yes to. An absolute honour to be involved.”
– Gary Numan“Today as we face an unprecedented crisis with COVID 19, we have to be united in purpose to help humanity and especially the disenfranchised and impoverished among us, survive. Music can be a powerful way to join us all together and help those that need it most now.”
– Lol Tolhurst“I’ve seen and heard Tower of Strength played often and I’ve experienced its effect and the impact it has on others. It’s an anthemic song of hope, comfort and joy, with a message that now seems more relevant than ever. I hope this project, in which I am privileged to be involved, brings a little light into the shade and allows us all to, albeit momentarily, focus on an ‘afterwards’.”
– Julianne Regan“You get a message from Wayne Hussey asking if you can put a vocal (alongside a great list of singers, musicians and friends) on a reworking of a massive track in the repertoire of The Mission to aid COVID-19 charities around the globe – you say yes and get it done as well as you can.”
– Kirk Brandon“I did it coz Wayne asked me to and I love Wayne.”
– Billy Duffy“Being asked to contribute to making a piece of music isn’t overly taxing for a musician. I’m just pleased Wayne didn’t ask me to perform brain surgery or fly a jumbo jet, something which takes some form of skill.”
– Midge Ure“My positive of the pandemic has been connecting to kindred spirits. Honoured to lend a hand.”
– Budgie“I would like it known that, if asked, I would do absolutely anything for Wayne Hussey. Tower Of Strength is utter perfection: it is daring in its intent and supremely executed in both its original recording and every single time I have seen it performed live. To be asked to contribute to this new version was a very emotional experience for me. So many intense memories came flooding back as I sang, there were tears, I can assure you of that.”
– Miles Hunt“Direct Relief is an organisation that helps people in times of emergency like natural disasters or in times of poverty by getting medical equipment and supplies to where they are needed most. At the moment they are obviously heavily focused on Covid-19.”
– Martin Gore (on Direct Relief, his nominated charity)“Love and gratitude.”
– Robin Finck“I jumped at the opportunity to be a part of this project – I always loved this song and asked Wayne if I could take a crack at John Paul Jones’ string arrangement, which I have always admired. Hopefully, my take on it does it justice.”
– Richard Fortus“The power we have collectively is transformative … I love and admire Wayne and the band and the warmth and intention behind this release. I know the power of this song and I feel so honoured to have been invited to join so many celebrated artists, this is a beautiful star in the darkest of times and I know the difference it will make.”
– Evi Vine“To be amongst these amazing artists that I’m a huge fan of and have so much respect for is a true honour, especially for such an important cause. The sacrifice that all the amazing NHS staff and key workers have made is truly humbling and inspiring. To be part of an incredible group of people that want to give something back and show their gratitude is something I’m extremely proud of.”
– James Alexander Graham“When I was asked by Wayne to be part of this fantastic charity project, I immediately said yes! If I could contribute to supporting the hard work fighting COVID-19 by making a remix of Tower Of Strength, that was a way for me to make a small difference. I’m very honoured to be a part of this.”
– Trentemøller“I signed on for this project because I felt that it would be a great way to raise a lot of funds for those in need at this time. When I heard all the names of artists who were collaborating, I knew that it would turn out very special. I’m very grateful to be given the opportunity to contribute to this marvellous project.”
– Kevin Haskins“When Wayne emailed me with the idea of contributing vocals to this project I jumped at the chance. Tower of Strength is such an anthemic song it’s only fitting that this has been done to support the various charities. It’s an honour for me to be a small part of the process and what a stellar line up of people involved.”
– Rachel Goswell“Not every day do you get the chance to play on one of your favourite songs with some of your favourite artists, and to have it be for all the right reasons and for an amazing cause.”
– Michael Ciravolo“So honoured to be part of this wonderful project. It’s also interesting that three of the original performers on our – Gene Loves Jezebel – very first recording, ‘Shaving My Neck’ are reunited by chance some 37 years later: Julianne Regan, J.P, and myself. Hats off to Wayne and the Mission for giving this rendition for charity during this pandemic.”
– Michael Aston“Absolutely buzzed and honestly flattered to be asked to not only add my voice to this wonderful recording but also give something back to our much loved and beleaguered NHS. The perfect song for these difficult and challenging days.”
– Jay AstonTOS2020 nominated charities currently include:
NHS UK
St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, Memphis
Music Venue Trust UK
Covenant House, New Orleans
Disasters Emergency Committee
MusiCares
Plan International
Direct Relief
Alzheimer’s Scotland
Liberty Hill Foundation
The Shrewsbury Ark
Memorial Sloan Kettering Center, NYC
Prostate Cancer UK
The Teddy Bear Clinic
Red Rover
Help Musicians UK
Crew Nation
Venice Family Clinic
The Anthony Walker Foundation
Projeto Cáo Communitário
The City Of San Francisco Covid-19 FundLINKS:
http://www.themissionukband.com
https://www.facebook.com/themissionuk
https://twitter.com/the_mission_uk
https://www.instagram.com/p/CDjpRLuH8jv
https://www.beautyinchaosmusic.com/tos2020 -
Jammerzine’s The Week in #Indie for 7/5/2021
Exclusive interviews with Boy Breaking Glass and Chase Potter. Exclusive premieres and new music, videos, and albums from ROE, The Quilts, Ceiling Demons, Dolly Ave and Charlie Curtis-Beard, José Junior, Occurrence, Robert Taira Wilson, Amusement Parks on Fire, and Evidence.
About Boy Breaking Glass
Jammerzine has an exclusive interview with Boy Breaking Glass bassist Joe Mantell. Their new album, ‘Desolations’, premiered on Jammerzine on June 24th and was released on the 25th. The album is a darkly decadent set of songs that really capture the overall sound of Boy Breaking Glass will making a solid set of tracks that have that flow to it that lets you know this is an album that you can listen to all they way through. However, each song has its own unique personality.
High points are throughout with a lot going on in the background. Listen to the guitars, you will hear layers of sonic goodness flow throughout, with an almost goth level vocal set that gives ‘Desolations’ the bulk of its personality.
Check out our other features with Boy Breaking Glass HERE.
LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/boybreakingglass
https://www.instagram.com/boybreakingglass
https://www.boybreakingglass.com
https://soundcloud.com/boybreakingglass
https://open.spotify.com/artist/1G8WUXQWNCoPlQoQjVJy0z
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFCutOs2JSQq0BpanzR7atAAbout Chase Potter
Jammerzine has an exclusive interview with Brooklyn, NYC artist Chase Potter. Fresh from the release of his new album titled ‘Hitchhike To Oblivion’ (playlist & videos below), Chase is poised to promote his new album in a time where the clubs and venues are filling back up and people are shaking off that feeling of hibernation.
‘Hitchhike To Oblivion’ is an album with a unique signature sound. One the surface it reminds me of those golden days of AM radio circa 1977 with those golden pop hooks and intricate songwriting. Where Chase excels is taking that sound and making it his own in such a way that you know its him from that initial listen.
In this interview, we hear about the creation of the album and how he got that vintage sound from the comfort and isolation of his home. We also get a glimpse of what’s coming next for Chase in these waning days of the pandemic.
LINKS:
https://www.chasepottermusic.com
https://chasepotter.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/chasepottermusic
https://www.youtube.com/chasepottermusic
https://instagram.com/chase_potter_music
https://open.spotify.com/artist/6tU8jCJzWhhZEFJXdiFUNP?si=Xqxv7ToUSAaA9svwytl97wAbout ROE
ROE has premiered her new single titled ‘Cruel’. Delicately raucous from the start and a reinvention of the self into, what I think, is her true self.
Hitting close to the mark with content describing what we’ve all been through, ‘Cruel’ is a thank you for self-realization and a fuck you to that gaslighting narcissist we all know and are thinking about when we heard ‘Cruel’. And, if you haven’t gone through what I’m talking about, I’m sure you’ll agree it’s a really catchy fucking song.
LINKS:
https://roeofficial.com
https://www.facebook.com/RoeMusicOfficial
https://www.instagram.com/roemusic
https://twitter.com/Roe_musicAbout The Quilts
The Quilts has released their new single and video titled ‘Time’. It’s 8 AM as this goes live. Fourteen years ago the journey that became the song ‘Time’ began. The song shows the beautiful patina that nourished this track musically, lyrically, spiritually. And it shows. It shows in all of its pits, holes, and chips. Because that’s what makes us beautiful. That patina that inherently binds to us and shows our flaws and strengths.
Having to go through a similar issue with my father at the time of this writing as guitarist Steven Altonen did with his (in my case, Parkinson’s and Dementia), I feel a bond to this song that one gets when relating to a fellow musician and artist because those are the people who turn our pain and lives into expression for all. They interpret and share with art. As much as a canvas is for art, silence is for music. ‘Time’ fills the space with feeling and love.
LINKS:
https://thequiltsband.com
https://www.instagram.com/the_quilts
https://www.thequiltsmusic.bandcamp.com
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2C4-c9ntSTWJUWdXRa_LWA
https://open.spotify.com/album/4t9bXyLqGTxlNY0li7YtE9?highlight=spotify:track:1n6grPdUG8ecGFcJCCJUgzAbout Ceiling Demons
Ceiling Demons have released their new video for the track titled ‘From The Womb To The Grave’. Dark with a flare and urban with a dare, Ceiling Demons break the ceiling of the establishment and lash out at the mainstream with a rebellious anthem of unity against conformity and a realization of the self. Much needed.
LINKS:
https://linktr.ee/ceilingdemons
https://www.facebook.com/CeilingDemons
https://twitter.com/ceilingdemons
https://www.instagram.com/ceilingdemonsAbout Dolly Ave and Charlie Curtis-Beard
Dolly Ave has released her new video for the track titled ‘Play With It’ featuring Charlie Curtis-Beard. Suave to a fault and trendy to an advantage, ‘Play With It’. Dolly and Charlie have that special chemistry that will make you want to watch for that aspect alone, but the song itself also has that driving hook that gives a stellar soundtrack to the video. This is what happens when talented multimedia artists do a collab, and TikTok is quickly becoming the premiere gladiator school for creating unique and much needed talent. Dolly and Charlie are the first generation. And it shows. Brilliant.
LINKS:
https://www.dollyavemusic.com
https://open.spotify.com/artist/3CRylfSfibkfnjCMLhWmIk
https://instagram.com/dollyave
https://youtube.com/dollyave
https://facebook.com/dollyavemusic
https://twitter.com/dollyave
https://tiktok.com/@dollyaveAbout José Junior
José Junior has premiered his new video for the track titled ‘Forever’. Think R.E.M. with a fresh creative streak and you have a proper hint as to what José Junior is made of in this video and track. That 80’s music swing with chimey bell-toned guitars and vocals with a subtle angst. What you also have is just a damn good song with a classic MTV styled video to take us back while looking ahead. This is what music is supposed to be.
LINKS:
https://linktr.ee/josejuniormusic
https://www.facebook.com/josejuniormusic
https://josejunior.bandcamp.com
https://www.instagram.com/josejuniormusic
https://twitter.com/josejuniormusic
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChRpqJ02LH5nyht7KbjOd2Q
https://soundcloud.com/josejuniormusicAbout Occurrence
Occurrence has released their new video for the track titled ‘I Have So Much Love To Give’. An updated and twisted rendition of ‘Little Red Riding Hood’, the video gives an artistic and interpretive visual of the song while the song itself keeps the flow in check with a modern gritty electronic flow filtered throw retro organs and angelic head voice that fills the speaker in an unassuming yet commanding way.
LINKS:
https://www.occurrencemusic.com
https://www.instagram.com/occurrencemusic
https://twitter.com/occurrencemusic
https://www.facebook.com/occurrence
https://youtube.com/occurrencemusic
https://occurrence.bandcamp.comAbout Robert Taira Wilson
Robert Taira Wilson has officially premiered his new video for the track titled ‘Blackbird’ on Jammerzine. If you read our review of the original track from June, you will get a perspective of our take from the music. The video offers a visual construct of what we said. Introverted. Introspective. Reflective. All of that and more with brilliant sketch style animations with geometric shapes representing bondage and cages that fade through the looking glass showing a better world and an alternative that could be. This is magic.
Check out our other features with Robert Taira Wilson HERE.
LINKS:
https://www.roberttairawilson.co.uk
https://www.youtube.com/user/ROBERTTAIRAWILSON
https://www.instagram.com/roberttairawilson
https://www.facebook.com/roberttairawilson.music
https://www.twitch.com/roberttairawilsonAbout Amusement Parks on Fire
Amusement Parks on Fire have released their long awaited album titled ‘An Archaea’ on jammerzine.com. APOK is one of those bands that long ago found their sound, but now we have a more evolved APOK. A more experimental APOK. We get an album a long time in the making and, more importantly, we get an album from a band that knows what an album means. A set of songs meant to inspire and take you on a journey. Or with you on a journey. The hooks are unexpected and prominent. The guitars make you want to play guitar. The surreal, at times, and vivid at others, doesn’t detract the overall sound. It enhances it. This is a concept as much as it is an album. To listen to the album go to jammerzine.com and search Amusement Parks on Fire.
LINKS:
https://apof.co.uk
https://www.facebook.com/amusementparksonfire
https://twitter.com/APOFAbout Evidence
Evidence has released his new album ‘Unlearning Vol 1’ on jammerzine.com. I could say something easy like ‘this record is groundbreaking’, but, that would be a bit dismissive and cliché. I will say this, however; this record is ground-defining. Some genres are hard to sound fresh in. Personally, I find this the case with rock and hip hop. A lot of green pastures for ground these days. ‘Unlearning Vol 1’ is scorched earth with a lot of heart. That’s what I respect about Evidence. His music comes from the heart as well as the mind. The music is more than just a backdrop. Its an interaction with his lyrics. Bashing and cascading and intertwining with each word and beat with stellar syncopation. Each word is a voice. Each beat is an outlet. Unlearning is a book that no one needs to read but everyone will remember. To listen to the album go to jammerzine.com and search Evidence.
LINKS:
https://www.rhymesayers.com/evidence
https://www.facebook.com/misterevidence
https://twitter.com/evidence
https://instagram.com/evidence -
The Best #Indie of 2021
Jammerzine’s The Best #Indie of 2021 is a collection of music from independent artists around the world that were featured on Jammerzine in the year 2021.
The selection is based on traffic statistics and staff voting for the best and most diverse selection to represent the independent music scene based on the impression and influence Jammer Direct and Jammerzine have as a brand.
The order of the list in no way reflects any ranking whatsoever. Each artist was selected based on their impact, creativity, and originality in no particular order.
Best of 2021 Artist List
- Space Summit – Life This Way
- Kepa Lehtinen – Face Plant
- Murdocco – Rainy Day
- Maddox Jones – Somewhere There’s a Plan (Believe it)
- Human Drama – I’m Looking
- ToBy – Are We Ridin
- Sweet Imperfections – Gently Not Judgingly
- Yelpy – Heartbeats
- Royals – Gone
- Starrgazy – Flying
- Foxxglove – Bad Timing
- Joe Symes and the Loving Kind – Shine Tonight
- Reptaliens – I Feel Fine
- Solemn Brigham – Dirty Whip
- Beauty In Chaos – Orion
- The Darkness – It’s Love, Jim
- Robert Taira Wilson – Blackbird
- High Street – Bad Blood
- WYSE – Not That Sorry
- Chuck Wright’s Sheltering Sky – Army Of Me
About Space Summit
Space Summit is a collaboration between the ubiquitous Marty Willson-Piper (ex-the church) and Minneapolitan Jed Bonniwell. Writing the music together, Marty handles the luminescent electric guitars and the bass whilst Jed is in charge of lead vocal duties and lyrics. The album is produced by Marty and producer/engineer Dare Mason who also plays keyboards. Phoebe Tsen sings harmony vocals, Olivia Willson-Piper plays the strings and Eddie John the drums. All the usual suspects from recent Noctorum and MOAT projects make an appearance, with the exception of Phoebe who lives in Borneo, yes, really!
Space Summit’s music was conceived in cyberspace – and was recorded in America, Borneo, Sweden and the UK. The music created on Space Summit’s debut album by Jed and Marty is simultaneously modern and classic dreampop –the subtle shading of dark and light with layered, sonic textures on every track. This album is one of the fascinating results of Marty’s Sessioneer Series, where he works with discovered collaborators from around the globe on new musical ideas.
Space Summit started as discussions around music and guitar technique in 2013 and eventually flourished into songwriting and musical collaboration. Marty would provide some musical sketches, chords or riffs – Jed would then add lyrics and additional musical ideas, and each song would continue to evolve back and forth until a complete demo had been created – finally taking the songs into the studio to record them with other musicians. With touring coming to a halt in 2020, the lockdown provided the time needed to bring this album to completion.
LINKS:
https://spacesummitband.com
https://www.facebook.com/spacesummit
https://www.instagram.com/spacesummitbandAbout Kepa Lehtinen
A new musical excursion from Kepa Lehtinen …Face Plant is a six-track mini-album of original contemporary classical music written for piano, contrabass, and theremin. . The theremin is a century-old electronic instrument that’s played by hand gestures rather than direct contact.
Nobody uses theremin like I do. It is not a solo instrument anymore. Because theremin responds to even the slightest movement (even to the player’s breath) it has become the organic sonic cornerstone of my music. It is the element that makes the soundscape really come to life ”
Face Plant “I am 50 years old skateboarder. I have always loved the expression ”Face Plant” (an instance of falling face-first into or onto something.) If you skate on the limits of your skills you are going to fall at some point. It is going to hurt.”
Kontula Kontula (2018) is my most beloved composition. (740 000 streams on Spotify) ”Kontula ” is a new solo remake of the piano version of the theme.
LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/kepalehtinenartist
https://twitter.com/KepaLehtinenAbout Murdocco
Mariana Murdocco, who goes by her surname, ‘Murdocco’ is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to her style and musical output. With her velvety and sultry tones, Murdocco’s songs allude to personal experiences where she transmits deep emotions, immersing you into her world.
Using the piano and often heavy bass lines, she delivers a melodic, quirky and unique sound. Speaking of her upcoming release Murdocco says “I hope that my single ‘Rainy Day’ will inspire you to speak up and say all that you’ve been holding back, without fears or taboos. Let it out, you ought to say it!”.
Originally from Uruguay, Murdocco is a London-based singer-songwriter, her original productions are a fusion of live instruments and Electronica, citing Bjork and The Knife as influences.
Murdocco started in Barcelona with her ever-evolving band ( Jose Martinez on guitar), she released a number of EPs produced by David Okuniev, which was much more Rock orientated. This solo project has taken her down a different path where she finds herself being much more experimental and free to explore other genres. This is the first of a number of releases that will be coming out over the forthcoming months.
Welcome to Murdocco’s world.
LINKS:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/2G0cbBExtt6UIrbC1uqaLC?si=ZWdCeb5PQp2m_m2sWsahhg
https://music.apple.com/gb/artist/murdocco/1540358146
https://soundcloud.com/murdocco/rainy-day-1/s-RZ44Sjzz8yh
https://www.facebook.com/MurdoccoMusicAbout Maddox Jones
Northampton’s very own claim to fame, Maddox Jones returns with his new single ‘Somewhere There’s A Plan (Believe It)’. Jumping straight from his support slot with Thomas Headon at ReviveLive last week, Maddox Jones brings a level of reassurance to his listeners with this feel-good, future-retro pop song that will loom large inside those much-loved summertime playlists.
As former frontman of The Departure (Parlophone Records) and no stranger to touring with The Killers, Feeder and Placebo, the new pop direction that he now brings harbours a certain snappy groove that shows the versatility and joy he can bring to his music. It has really captured 70-style funk and the uplifting sounds of The Brothers Johnson, Daft Punk and Caribou.
“There’s some uncertainty with things opening up and whether the timing is right for that, maybe this song will bring comfort to someone who’s still waiting to re-engage with the world, that things might be hard right now but they will eventually be ok again. The song also has a playful side, reminding us to find joy in the small things: “Let this melody from my head take you somewhere else instead”.
Written and produced alongside David Crawford over the past year, ‘Somewhere There’s A Plan (Believe It)’ features good friends of Jones who brought a certain level of maturity to the track. Lewis Cardinal sits in on bass and guitar, whilst Christian Pinchbeck (Girlhood) is strapped on the saxophone to spark lift-off. In addition, Louis Souyave (who worked on Jones’ ‘Headspace’ EP) sprinkles his production magic over the tune, elevating it to perfection.
Maddox Jones made his solo debut in 2020 with the synth-heavy electronica of his ‘Headspace’ EP. Well-received as that EP was, Jones is never one to sit still creatively – and he proved the worth of his songwriting nous with 70,000+ Spotify plays of last single “Can’t Wait For The Summer”. With ‘Somewhere There’s A Plan (Believe It)’ ready to go, 2021 is shaping up to be just the tonic for the East Midlands singer-songwriter and his growing army of fans.
Maddox Jones will also be releasing a short-film animation to accompany the release directed by Alex Gwyn Davies.
“The video is about escaping the matrix of expectations that most of us seem to end up via school, family, media etc. The typical 9-5 doing something you don’t necessarily care about, living to blow off steam for a couple of days at the weekend and maybe on holiday. Then ultimately, finding a catalyst that can interrupt that and tasting freedom”
With a debut album imminent, his work has been praised far and wide by SPIN, American Songwriter, the BBC, and many more media outlets across the globe.
LINKS:
https://twitter.com/itsmaddoxjones
https://www.facebook.com/itsmaddoxjones
https://www.instagram.com/itsmaddoxjones/About Human Drama
Human Drama is a band that has endured and ultimately triumphed. Musical troubadours who have weathered countless storms, both personal and professional, while continuing to create their unique brand of music.
Their latest offering is Blurred Images, ten songs that were written and released as stand-alone singles, now gathered together into one collection by Los Angeles based Sunset Blvd. Records.
The album documents the latest musical offerings of singer/songwriter/guitarist Johnny Indovina, reflections of both his life and the world around him. It’s the latest of Human Drama’s concept albums (The World Inside, Songs of Betrayal, Broken Songs for Broken People) created by a band and a songwriter that prefer to work in this genre. Joining Indovina on Blurred Images are original band members Mark Balderas on keyboards and Steve Fuxan on bass guitar, along with guitarist Timothy Grove and drummer Greg Collister. Also appearing on the album is original Human Drama guitarist Michael Ciravolo, Pinky Turzo on backing vocals, Christie Guerrero on backing vocals and Gerardo Pozos on violin.
LINKS:
https://www.humandrama.net
https://humandrama.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/johnny.indovina.7
https://twitter.com/JohnnyIndovina
https://instagram.com/johnnyindovina
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZF4F-IRFJXU5GJeQDfr4cg/featured
http://sevendaysinmexico.com/About ToBy
ToBy has released “Are We Ridin,” his newest single and the first taste of his upcoming debut album L’Esprit, which will be released on October 15, 2021 via Magnetic Moon Records. Out now on all DSPs, the driving and energetic track features an industrial inspired beat that is matched nicely with ToBy’s brash flow and braggadocious lyrics, topped off with a chorus that will easily get stuck in one’s head. A new video for the track is also out today, which features ToBy in a custom motorcycle suit destroying columns of art, while also previewing a more melodic and somber cut from L’Esprit at the very end. The two songs in the video perfectly encapsulate the range of emotions and moods that L’Esprit and ToBy bring to the table.
Blending elements of modern rap music, introspective pop, and indie rock, L’Esprit follows a narrative and a character that is loosely based on ToBy himself and is his most personal work to date. It details specific instances in ToBy’s life involving depression, anxiety, grief, lost romance, and self doubt. The intent of writing about these experiences on L’Esprit is to connect with listeners who have similar stories to himself.
“I believe in unity through specificity; by sharing our unique nuanced specific experiences we stand to become much closer to one another because we are not as different as we want to believe,” says ToBy. “The more specific we can get with our lives and our stories, the more it will resonate with a community because all of our lives are pretty specific. I think by encapsulating my specific experience and journey as a person and an artist who thinks heavy shit, I can connect with someone who may need that and who might feel a little more alone because they are trapped in their head and believes no one else thinks like them.”
L’Esprit is also an ode to ToBy’s late grandma who passed away from cancer in 2020. ToBy was extremely close to his grandma, as she helped raise him and always supported his musical journey when others in ToBy’s life did not. “Making music growing up in Miami was not very easy. It was a very judgmental environment. It was my parents wanting the best for me, they were immigrants from Haiti and didn’t understand why anyone would want to be a rapper,” says ToBy. “They didn’t approve and I was combating a lot of criticism from them. My grandma however I felt she really knew me and understood where my head was at. She would often step up and defend me in those conversations and would tell my mom to let me do what I want to do. She never got a chance to hear the songs from this album, but she was always very proud of me.”
“L’Esprit is French for The Spirit. It’s supposed to have many meanings but The Spirit literally would mean the spirit of someone who has passed,” continues ToBy. “What was really hard about this album is that I named it before my Grandma passed away. A lot of it was coming together while my Grandma’s health declined from the cancer, so it was a way for me to anticipate the inevitable.”
“I recorded a conversation between my grandma and I and it was about six minutes. I took a look at the songs I did have done already and I sequenced them in an order to tell a story that loosely mirrored my own experience with relationships, anxiety, and depression; life shit that everyone goes through but my own lens,” he continues. “I used her recording to narrate that journey. There’s a narrative throughline through the record and she is the guide so to speak for the listener, kind of like how she was mine in real life.”
The 11-track album showcases ToBy’s versatility as an artist perfectly. On L’Esprit, ToBy bounces from different genre and mood effortlessly, while the record as a whole still remains a cohesive body of work. Standouts include the emotional, indie rock influenced ballad “Boyfriend,” (“’Boyfriend’ is one of the best songs I’ve ever made. We had the idea in the studio to make a really big rock opera section closer to when we had to turn the album in, and it turned out amazing and I’m in love with,” says ToBy).
There is also the late 2010’s Soundcloud rap inspired “2FUKKINCOCKY,” the most bombastic song on the record (“I have never rapped harder in my life and I am so proud of the rapping on that song,” adds ToBy), and the sparse and melodic “Ghost,” which details the pain and anxiety ToBy has felt as well as lost love in his life over and acoustic guitar and trap drums (“‘Ghost’ might be my favorite song on the album. When we got the master back, it didn’t sound like me and that’s what I look for whenever I pick and choose songs that I am really into that I made; I look for songs that don’t sound like me. It’s a testament to the work that my producers and engineers put into the record,” chimes in ToBy).
LINKS:
https://twitter.com/itstobyseason
https://www.facebook.com/ItsToBySeason
https://www.instagram.com/itstobyseason
https://www.tiktok.com/@itstobyseasonAbout Sweet Imperfections
Sweet Imperfections is led by singer songwriter Bri Schillings and a collective of Southern California’s most talented musicians and writers. From a child Bri was drawn to music early, feeling the connectivity and energy between nature and sound. Following this magnetic pull, she found herself picking out melodies she had heard on different instruments and remembers feeling that awe and magic, as if she had unlocked a secret door to a magical world where she felt safe, understood, beautiful, inspired, and where she learned what love was. Her relationship continued to bloom, she explored any instrument she could and found each instrument had its own voice and would write its own song. She loves sitting down with music and saying ”Let’s go on an adventure’ and let heart, hand and voice flow”.
She began with Violin but quickly moved to cello and its warm earthy tones. She attributes her ability to play by ear while playing a string instrument and she acquired an audio-graphic memory. With no real musical training besides Elementary and High school Music class, Bri continued to develop her instrumental voice, writing all original pieces without boundaries or limitations. Bri started journaling daily from the age of 11 and at 12 years old she began weaving her writings into her music. At the age of 15 she wrote her first complete song on the piano called, Waking Up. It is as if that 15 year old me was sending a message to my future self. “Music is my first language,” she says, “It connects us and conveys the feelings I cannot express through words alone. It has been my greatest form of communication”.
Bri is as fun as she is funky and as playful as she is deeply connected and spiritual. She feels that music has the power to heal through what she calls “soul vitamins”, Bri has a profoundly strong connection to music and feels, “The freedom I discovered when I began to sing and write original songs not only became an outlet for the most challenging times in my life, it was my best friend, when there was no one else to turn to, music held me, inspired me, healed me, music loved me and taught me how to love myself. I write, sing and play songs that are born from the heart. They are not just of me but through me and I want music to be the conduit of heart vibrations that heal myself and hopefully others”.
Bri’s seductive and powerful voice will hold you in a warm embrace and take you on a journey where the heart and the soul meet.
LINKS:
https://sweetimperfectionsmusic.com
https://www.facebook.com/Briahnnag
https://www.instagram.com/brischillings_musicAbout Yelpy
Born in Dublin, Ireland Yelpy remembers where it all began. On his 15th birthday he and his dad were in a music shop getting his sister a keyboard when his dad asked, completely out of the blue “how would you like a guitar for your birthday?”. Until that moment he had never given music much thought, but little did he know that music would become Yelpy’s one true passion.
He played that first guitar morning, noon and night and within a year was forming his first rock band “Awakened”. Awakened played quite a lot together all through Yelpy’s school years. In fact he says playing music was the only thing that kept him sane, as school was never really his strong suit.
After leaving school Yelpy started college, although it wasn’t just any old college, no instead he attended Europe’s famous Rock School in Ballyfermot, Dublin. There he met lots of like-minded people and formed his second band “Whover” (pronounced WHO-VER). Whover was a great experience for Yelpy. They toured all over Ireland and played on TV and radio. It gave Yelpy his first real taste of being a “rock star” and he loved it. While in Whover Yelpy worked with three of the most talented musicians he has ever know and they taught him a lot.
As Whover ran its course Yelpy began to play more and more with his two sisters Ruth and Niamh until they finally made it official and formed “Yellow Room”. As Yellow Room Yelpy and his sisters played all over Ireland and again on TV and radio. They got to play with some of Ireland’s greatest talent such as John Spillane, Brian Downey, Maria Doyle Kennedy, The Revs, Mickey Joe Heart, Liam O’Maonlai and many more. They also released two albums “Outside” and the self-titled “Yellow Room”. After the second album Yelpy decided it was time to peruse a solo career as a singer/songwriter and move to LA.
Currently Yelpy is preforming in LA in such venues as The Roxy, The Viper Room, The House Of Blues and The Rolling Stone whilst also managing to find the time to record his debut solo album. Being based in LA has also given him the opportunity to write and produce music for film and TV.
LINKS:
http://www.yelpy.net
https://www.facebook.com/YelpyPage
https://twitter.com/Yelpy
https://instagram.com/yelpyAbout Royals
Royals are a five piece pop punk based out of Southampton. Formed in 2019, the band got off to a quick start releasing several singles and music videos followed by their debut EP ‘Painted Gold’. The band headed into the studio in late 2019 with Neck Deep’s Seb Barlow to record a line of singles ready for release in 2020. The first of those singles was ‘Out Of Reach’ which was released to an amazing reception. The song was featured in Spotify’s ‘New Punk Tracks’ playlist and added to Idobi Radio’s rotation.
The band followed this up with ‘Fair-Weather Friend’ which was also featured on Spotify’s ‘New Punk Tracks’ playlist as well as ‘Pop Punk’s Not Dead’ and it also earned them a place on Alt Press’ ‘Top 10 Rising UK Pop Punk Bands’ list.
LINKS:
https://www.royalsofficialuk.com
https://www.facebook.com/RoyalsOfficialUK
https://www.twitter.com/royalsbanduk
https://www.instagram.com/royalsofficialuk
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdxK48ctaYPF-IPdGaKJNzgAbout Starrgazy
Starrgazy is the musical partnership of vocalist Lucie Hill and multi-instrumentalist Benjamin Wesley Morgan, based in Cornwall, UK.
Having briefly crossed musical paths in 2015, Lucie and Benjamin discovered a shared love for the ethereal sounds of dreampop and post-punk. However, their schedules conspired against them and the pair continued on their respective musical journeys for the next 5 years, both knowing that their paths would cross again at a more auspicious time.
Fast forward to 2020 and the duo reconnected during a period of lockdown. A tentative song idea, sent via email as an ice-breaker, snowballed into a prolific period of remote-writing, and Starrgazy was born.
Starrgazy have developed a distinctive sound, taking inspiration from a wide range of sources: the timeless dreampop of Mazzy Star and Cocteau Twins; Angelo Badalamenti’s Twin Peaks soundtrack; the brittle tonality of post-punk and new-wave; and the musical haze of shoegaze.
LINKS:
https://starrgazy.com
https://www.facebook.com/starrgazy
https://twitter.com/starrgazy
https://www.instagram.com/starrgazy
https://soundcloud.com/starrgazyAbout Foxxglove
Foxxglove is a dark and alternative pop artist from Wales, UK. She was chosen for the PRS Foundation backed artist development scheme: Forté Project in 2019, and in 2020 Foxxglove received support from the BBC’s launchpad scheme for artists. She has also performed at Swn Festival and supported the fast-rising UK rockers Holding Absence.
I would love to know your thoughts on the track. I think you’ll really enjoy it and would love you to consider it for a feature/review.
‘Bad Timing’ is a heart wrenching alt-pop ballad gives the listener a deeply personal insight into her life “This song is about a specific relationship, where the person broke my heart in an emotionally manipulative and frustrating manner. He fought for my attention at the start, led me on and ended up gaslighting me.” says Foxxglove.
LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/Foxxgloveuk
https://foxxgloveuk.bigcartel.com
https://twitter.com/foxxgloveuk
https://www.instagram.com/foxxgloveukAbout Joe Symes and the Loving Kind
Joe Symes and the Loving Kind are a three-piece rock band based in Liverpool, UK.
The band has not long finished a two-and-a-half-year tour, playing major venues across the UK and parts of Europe, supporting major acts such as The Christians, Dodgy, XTC, Republica, Bloc Party, Starsailor, and Steve Cradock (Ocean Colour Scene/Paul Weller), as well as headlining Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds After-show Party on the main stage of the Liverpool 02 Academy 1 twice; all in promotion of their critically acclaimed second album Phase II: an album that has gained airplay on radio stations all over the UK – primarily being a six week feature on BBC Introducing – and the rest of the world, as well as reviews, magazine interviews, and endorsements by celebrities from the world of show business such as Michael Keaton (Beetlejuice, Batman, Jackie Brown), Robin Weigert (Deadwood, Sons of Anarchy), Michael Shiflett (Lincoln, Killing Kennedy, Evan Almighty), Matthew Modine (Birdy, Full Metal Jacket, Pacific Heights), Andy Moore (Emmerdale), and John McArdle (Brookside, Emmerdale, And the Beat Goes On), to name a few.
LINKS:
https://joesymesandthelovingkind.co.uk
https://twitter.com/JoeSymesandTLK
https://www.facebook.com/Joe-Symes-and-the-Loving-Kind-206169176086266/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCza-xfDuCsWphAK782F4AiQ
https://www.instagram.com/joesymesandthelovingkind
https://www.reverbnation.com/1joesymes
https://soundcloud.com/joesymesandthelovingkindAbout Reptaliens
Oregon natives Bambi and Cole started Reptaliens in the mid-2010s as a multi-faceted vehicle for their most adventurous urges. Across their first two Captured Tracks albums —FM-2030 (2017) and VALIS (2019)—they established themselves as dedicated dreamers and deep thinkers, filling their wooly, homespun synth-pop with meditations on outré science fiction and philosophy. With some help from friends, they’ve been able to tackle big questions and explore vast sound worlds. Tapping Julian Kowalski (guitar), Bryson Hansen (synth), and Tyler Vergian (drums) for their previous albums and shows, Reptaliens have bewitched crowds during extended national tours with STRFKR, Turnover, and Turnstile.
By contrast, and somewhat by necessity, Multiverse brings those lyrical concerns closer to home. “I didn’t get lost in these worlds like I normally do writing lyrics,” says Bambi. “It was way more reflective of the world around me.” And so past source material like cults and Stockholm Syndrome gave way to more immediate muses—like the pair’s frequent recording companion, a Labrador/pit bull mix named Hambone. Meanwhile, the music grew in a fresh direction, a jangle-prone timeless form of subtly psychedelic guitar-pop, finding occasional dark cul-de-sacs but ultimately tending toward the light and breeze.
Recording at home on the sleepy west side of Portland, with deer and woodpeckers regularly popping into their tree-lined backyard, the duo played all of the instruments themselves this time. The result is a departure that in fact only emphasizes the band’s melodic gifts. While Bambi’s distinctive bass-playing is more direct and driving, her airy vocals preserve Reptaliens’ soft-focus otherworldliness. Even when she’s singing about something as relatable as losing touch with her mind and body during isolation on “I Feel Fine,” there’s still an uncanny edge to her delivery. And so lines about sniffing glue and melting into the couch become reality-bending evocations of normal lockdown anxieties.
With mixing duties divided between Mikaelin “Blue” Bluespruce (Solange, Blood Orange, Mariah Carey) and Ross Brown from Kansas City bands Shy Boys and Fullbloods, Multiverse is a crisp pop record packed with surprising flourishes, from the crunchy chorus of “I Can’t Hide” to the smoky, serpentine guitar solo on “Jump.” On the recording front, Bambi and Cole applied lessons learned from making their 2020 EP, Wrestling, a synth-steeped darkwave detour that was the duo’s introduction to working alone from start to finish.
Those releases represent just two of the creative planes nested comfortably within the wider Reptaliens sphere, a prismatic notion that inspired the album’s title. Striking out into refreshing new directions at every turn, like its creators, Multiverse indeed feels like a symbolic crossroads. And one that only yields more possibilities with each visit.
LINKS:
https://reptaliens.bandcamp.com
https://twitter.com/reptaliensband
https://www.instagram.com/reptaliens.rule.earthAbout Solemn Brigham
Solemn is uniquely equipped to animate each of these relics with the specificity they deserve. The rapper, whose work with his fellow North Carolinian, L’Orange, as the duo Marlowe has been critically acclaimed, is one of the most vocally acrobatic working today, able to contort himself into a dizzying array of different flows and inflections, accomplishing alone the sort of musical variety that sprawling collectives try and fail to achieve.
Across its 14 songs, South Sinner Street argues for Solemn Brigham as one of the most exciting artists in underground hip-hop, a technical virtuoso who also happens to be one of the genre’s most surprising, most deeply personal songwriters. The album evokes the feeling of climbing onto a house’s roof to survey the nearly-burning city around you, with all the peril that entails––but also all the possibility.
LINKS:
https://smarturl.it/SouthSinnerStreet
https://solemnbrigham.bandcamp.com/album/south-sinner-street
https://www.facebook.com/SolemnBrigham
https://www.instagram.com/solemnbrigham
https://twitter.com/SolemnBrighamAbout Beauty In Chaos
“Orion” is the new video/single from Beauty In Chaos. This track and its accompanying otherworldly video feature the captivating Whitney Tai. BIC’s curator Michael Ciravolo says “Musically, Orion continues on the path set by “Stranger”, the final track on ‘The Storm Before The Calm’. Whitney’s lyrics and soaring voice were a perfect match for this track and sets the tone beautifully for our next record!”
Tai adds “When Beauty In Chaos reached out to me with the opportunity to co-write on a song for their upcoming album, I was immediately hypnotized by the glacial, meandering and crystalline use of guitars against this haunting and dark verbed-out atmosphere. My mind went down the rabbit hole of the past two years that our globe has faced. “Orion” is the ego of destruction. It’s about breaking free from the manipulators mind and severing the ties of deception. A story of an a-type personality, “the hunter”, and how the roles narcissism and exploitation torment the fears and strengths of the human psyche”.
As for this new video, Ciravolo says “We try to make each of our videos different from the others, while being true to the singer and the lyrics. “Orion” is like nothing we have done before; it has a very cinematic ‘big-screen’ look to it… and was really a lot of fun to make!”
LINKS:
https://www.beautyinchaosmusic.com
https://www.facebook.com/beautyinchaosmusic
https://www.instagram.com/beauty.inchaos
https://twitter.com/_BeautyInChaos
https://www.beautyinchaosmusic.com/music-store
https://www.beautyinchaosmusic.com/bic-blog
https://soundcloud.com/33-3-music-collective
https://beautyinchaos.bandcamp.com
https://www.whitneytaimusic.com
https://www.facebook.com/WhitneyTaiMusic
https://twitter.com/Whitneytai
https://instagram.com/whitneytai
https://play.google.com/music/preview/A57is65aslv7gv4qdy74gwoeivq?u=0#
https://listen.tidal.com/artist/6337137
https://www.bandsintown.com/WhitneyTai
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCazKu-G82KhrvCpRiHDiCg
https://www.vevo.com/artist/whitney-tai
https://open.spotify.com/user/whitneytai
https://itun.es/us/D8HW6
https://soundcloud.com/whitney-taiAbout The Darkness
“It’s Love, Jim” is an all-out, high intensity, rock ‘n’ roll barrage. The video reflects the unimaginable effects of an intimate encounter of the alien kind. It captures archive footage of the band conducting a séance as a yearning otherworldly spirit unleashes its inescapable powers through Justin, Dan, Rufus and Frankie, as well as some unsuspecting cattle outside. Justin says, “This song (herein referred to as “she/her”) is all about an extra-terrestrial goddess of other worldly beauty. She’s fast, powerful, not of this earth. Her sensual symphony nestles in your ear and lays mind eggs that seep confidence liquid into your brains. You’ll feel invincible all day long, and everything will go right after you hear it. Yeah, so it’s really catchy and should be number 1 all around the world please.”
“It’s Love, Jim” is the latest single from The Darkness’ opus Motorheart. The track follows the release of “Jussy’s Girl” that oozes rock n’ roll extravagance, the high-octane riffola “Nobody Can See Me Cry” and the growling, pounding title track that pays homage to a devoted sex robot.
Billboard raves, Motorheart “is filled with what one would hope to find on a Darkness album: blazing guitar riffs, tongue-in-cheek lyrics and Hawkins’ signature soaring falsetto,” and declares that the “album helps solidify the band’s legacy as one of the United Kingdom’s preeminent rock acts of the past two decades,” while Alternative Press gushes, “On their seventh album, the four-piece are back at it, creating joyous, defiant rock that pummels and shakes.”
With a back catalogue overflowing with sonic gold and a live reputation that most bands can only dream of attaining, The Darkness will be showcasing the live potency of Motorheart on their extensive 22-date UK headline tour kicking off in November followed by a European run at the top of next year. A true spectacle to behold, fans will be treated to brand new songs from the album as well as hits from across their award-winning, platinum-selling back catalogue. Stay tuned for North American 2022 tour dates to be announced.
LINKS:
https://www.thedarknesslive.com
https://www.facebook.com/thedarknessofficial
https://twitter.com/thedarkness
https://www.instagram.com/theactualdarkness
https://www.youtube.com/user/TheActualDarknessAbout Robert Taira Wilson
Robert Taira Wilson is an English singer-songwriter whose music mixes folk with modern alternative songwriting. He is currently based in Tokyo and, in recent years, has released both solo and collaborative records.
‘Due to the pandemic, I’ve taken the time away from performing to write a body of new material. For every time you may have felt disowned or dislocated, removed or redundant. This song delves deep into that moment and cries out for escape and healing. A departure from my usual sound, the song features an arpeggiated electric guitar in place of the accustomed acoustic. Written and recorded entirely from my home studio “Blackbird” will be my first release since 2019’s ‘Shine Shine Child’ EP.’
LINKS:
https://www.roberttairawilson.co.uk
https://www.youtube.com/user/ROBERTTAIRAWILSON
https://www.instagram.com/roberttairawilson
https://www.facebook.com/roberttairawilson.music
https://www.twitch.com/roberttairawilsonAbout High Street
High Street is a hard rock, heavily blues-influenced group that originated in Chicago. Now based in Los Angeles, the band is igniting their generation to partake in the most authentic, stripped-down, and honest type of rock and roll there is. Led by lead guitarist and songwriter Erik Findling and lead vocalist Noxigen, the band is delivering a fresh spin on classic rock with modern day influences.
It all started back in the late 2000s in the attic of Erik Findling’s Chicago household. The young middle-schooler – who first picked up a guitar at the age of 4 – and his older brother, Kurt, on drums, assembled a group with some of their musically-inclined classmates. Their attic rehearsal space looked out onto the corner of High Street, inspiring the band’s name.
As young teens, they started out as a classic rock cover band with hopes of playing a few parties around the neighborhood – never imagining this would be the beginning of a long and exciting journey. At the age of 11 Erik started creating original music opening the door to many new opportunities. With Erik’s exceptional creativity, three EPs of original music were soon recorded by prominent producers in Chicago, such as Sean O’Keefe – known for his work with Fall Out Boy and Plain White T’s. The Chicago club circuit quickly took notice and booked them all around the city at venues such as the renowned Double Door, Subterranean, and Hard Rock Chicago. This was the beginning of a new chapter for the band that would take them to the next level.
Nevertheless, just as they were really gaining momentum, Erik – the youngest member of the group – watched the band dissolve as the other members went off to college. Alas, the band was no more. However, on his own, Erik went on a personal path to develop as an artist, exploring new genres of music such as jazz and classical. He’s performed at hotspots across L.A. and
Chicago, even performing at the GRAMMYs official after party in 2017. Shortly after moving out to Los Angeles, Erik found the inspiration to revive High Street permanently. This time, a fresh set of talent has been assembled to pick up right where they left off to continue the High Street legacy on a larger scale.
LINKS:
https://highstreetofficial.com
https://www.facebook.com/wearehighstreet
https://twitter.com/wearehighstreet
https://www.instagram.com/highstreetofficial
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFNScAQ1guueLH-ZpUeNp3A
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/high-street/132822397
https://open.spotify.com/artist/2OTfUunQxEgHg500ywjx9w?si=sJCX_949TfmG_-5zAD9oxg&dl_branch=1
https://soundcloud.com/highstreetofficialAbout WYSE
Harboring an emotional, and musical, intelligence that belies her young years, Portsmouth’s Wyse has succeeded in carving out a niche all of her own. As beautiful as it is cathartic, her music is impossible to pigeonhole, but then again why would you want to?
Anomalies is Wyse’s second EP, following 2018’s Switch of My Controller, and finds the Portsmouth-based songstress in a bolder, wiser and much more confident form than before. Five tracks of richly varied alt-rock, it’s Wyse making good on the promise of her earlier releases.
“Every song on this project has its own vibe, set of musical influences, and story” she explains “I wanted each song to reflect a different side of my creative personality, and achieving this whilst maintaining cohesion throughout was a brilliant challenge.”
And wherever, and whatever, that might be, you can guarantee that Wyse will approach it with the same sense of self-confidence and individuality she has Anomalies.
LINKS:
https://www.wyseupyourlife.com
https://www.facebook.com/wyseupyourlife
https://twitter.com/wyseupyourlife
https://www.instagram.com/wyseupyourlifeAbout Chuck Wright’s Sheltering Sky
Long-time bassist for multi-platinum rockers Quiet Riot, Chuck Wright, proudly presents the release of the first single from his new solo album. Wright has also worked alongside such rock music luminaries as Alice Cooper, Greg Allman, Ted Nugent, various members of Guns N’ Roses and Kiss to name a few, and now embarks on his first-ever solo excursion.
The first single is a hard-rocking, intense interpretation of Björk’s 1995 hit “Army of Me” and is accompanied by a video that represents Wright’s exploration into disorder and parallels with the recent chaotic state of world affairs. The visuals include a 3D animation of an “army” of Ruth Bader Ginsburgs, the late Supreme Court Justice, feminist icon, and steadfast advocate for women’s rights and gender equality. “I chose to recognize the late Justice Ginsburg in this video as she was such a formidable presence on and off the bench. She challenged the status quo knocking down legal obstacles to women’s equality and inspired an army of believers.”
The track “Army Of Me” features several of Wright’s musical peers including the late Pat Torpey (Mr. Big) on drums, guitarist Lanny Cordola (House of Lords), and Sven Martin (Jonathan Davis Band) on keyboards along with songstress Whitney Tai, the recent “Best Vocalist” winner at The Intercontinental Music Awards.
The full-length album from Chuck Wright’s Sheltering Sky, coming in 2022, features over 30 guest performers including members of Mr. Big, Skid Row, Tesla, Dream Theater, Great White, Asia, Jefferson Starship, acclaimed solo artists Allen Hinds, Toshi Yanagi, and many others. Wright is finally stepping out on his own with a wide range of genres, from Jazz Fusion, Prog, Funk to in-your-face Hard Rock, which was in itself one of the things that led him to want to forge his own way and create this unique collection of songs within his “Sheltering Sky” project.
LINKS:
https://facebook.com/ChuckWrightOfficial
https://instagram.com/chuckwrightbass
https://twitter.com/chuckwrightbass