Bite Me Bambi brings sounds reminiscent of British 2 Tone and 3rd wave ska into the 21st century. With energetic songs and masterful musicianship, BMB gets the crowd on their feet and dancing. Comprised of members from some of your favorite ska bands (My Superhero, Save Ferris, Starpool), this new group breathes fresh life to a genre that may have originated in Jamaica, and honed in Britain, but was perfected in the haze, blight, glamour, and beauty of Southern California.
About ‘Hot Lava’
Orange County, CA ska/pop/punk 7-piece Bite Me Bambi is the next band poised to help usher in a new wave of the beloved yet often maligned genre.
Fronted by talented singer and superstar-in-the-making, Tahlena Chikami (who also moonlights as an actor and has appeared on shows like Parks and Recreation, Gilmore Girls, etc.), Bite Me Bambi sports a killer OC ska/punk pedigree, with other members, have played in bands such as My Superhero, Save Ferris, and Starpool.
Through steady gigging and raucous shows supporting such legends as The Selecter, Fishbone, Reel Big Fish, Mad Caddies, The Toasters and more, Bite Me Bambi’s popularity continues to rise.
The clip was directed by Chris Graue of The Maxies, Suburban Legends, The 131ers and stars Megan Berndt and Vincent Del Rio.
LINKS:
https://instagram.com/bitemebambi
https://facebook.com/BMBSkaBand
https://youtube.com/channel/UCbqBe668vbrZKd65rfzK81A
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Mayflower Madame – Sacred Core
Mayflower Madame returns with a new video for their single titled ‘Sacred Core’. With a root in the gaze and a finger on the pulse of the alt, the Madame gives a dark and brooding opus with equal parts introspection and extroversion combining to make an almost holy sounding trinity of mind, motion, and music. The soul is sacred and the id is core from the hearts of Mayflower Madame. Inhale, ingest, intake, and introvert.
‘Prepared for a Nightmare’ was released on vinyl and CD on June 12. It is available through Bandcamp in all formats, as well as digitally via iTunes and Spotify.
Check out our other articles about Mayflower Madame HERE.
ABOUT MAYFLOWER MADAME & ‘SACRED CORE’
Norwegian psychedelic post-punk outfit Mayflower Madame presents the third single ‘Sacred Core’ off their new second album ‘Prepared for a Nightmare’, released via French label Only Lovers Records in collaboration with Portland’s Little Cloud Records and Parisian label Icy Cold Records,
“Sacred Core is a song about getting lost, drifting away and trying to find the way back to your safe haven – guided by swirling, hypnotic guitars and an insistent, heavy beat. Compared to the shoegazey post-punk of the album’s previous singles “Vultures” and “Swallow”, this track digs deeper into haunting, psychedelic territories, yet still maintaining our trademark dark and atmospheric sound,” says frontman Trond Fagernes.
The accompanying video was directed by Astrid Serck, who also created the videos for previous singles ‘Swallow’ and ‘Vultures’.
“To me, the song is like an open landscape – it’s grounded, but at the same time moving. I wanted to capture that feeling visually with footage from windmill fields and beaches, where there’s constant movement – like rhythm, as opposed to the solid ground. A contrast between motion and stillness. Something to hold on to as well as something loose and vibrating,” says Astrid Serck.“The core is what you hold on to. The motion is what you can let go. The sunbeams are blinding you, like a sacred light. The ceiling of a church is another symbol of sanctity. The moon is dancing, in disturbing ways, on the screen. In the video, there is also an abandoned house, left with the door open. It´s a metaphor for the feeling of something that is lost, you can go back there, but only the memories are left. In addition, there’s live footage of the band filmed from shows in Oslo and San Diego.”
‘Prepared For a Nightmare’ presents a dark and distinctive blend of post-punk, shoegaze and psychedelia. Here, the band delves deeper into their own distinctive blend of psych-noir and post-punk with elements of shoegaze and noise-rock.
Hailing from Oslo, Mayflower Madame is Trond Fagernes (vocals, guitars, bass), Håvard Haga (guitars) and Ola J. Kyrkjeeide (drums). Formed in 2011, they first rehearsed in a desolate industrial building, sharing space with a carwash company. Their hazy, smoke-laden sound was conceived naturally amidst these gritty surroundings. They soon recorded a four-track demo and became ‘Unsigned Band of the Week’ on a major Norway stations.
After a few years of touring, Mayflower Madame finally released their debut album ‘Observed in a Dream’ in 2016, followed by the ‘Premonition’ EP in 2018. Through eight tracks of theatrical psych-gaze exploration and dark romanticism, the album conveyed the wintry feeling of their home country – icy and gloomy, haunting, and majestic.
Mayflower Madame has shared the stage with bands like Killing Joke, Moon Duo, Night Beats, Psychic Ills, Froth, The Underground Youth, Crocodiles, Cosmonauts, and La Femme. They have also toured North America, the UK, and Europe.
LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/mayflowermadame
https://mayflowermadame.bandcamp.com
https://www.instagram.com/mayflowermadame
https://www.youtube.com/user/MayflowerMadame/videos -
Whispering Sons – Alone (Live)
In support of their debut album ‘Image’, Belgian post-punk outfit Whispering Sons present their new live video for ‘Alone’, filmed for Belgian national TV following a roundtable on post-punk past and present. Comprised of ten tracks, their album is out now via Cleopatra Records in North America and Smile Records in Europe. Ahead of this release, the band offered a preview of their tracks ‘Stalemate’, ‘Waste’ and the album version of ‘Alone’.
Whispering Sons are Sander Hermans (synth), Fenne Kuppens (vocals), Kobe Lijnen (guitar), Sander Pelsmaekers (drums) and Tuur Vandeborne (bass). The band just wrapped up a tour with The Soft Moon, followed by a series of shows with Gang of Four and headlining a series of European live dates in support of this album.
This is the first major release for this Brussels-based outfit since their ‘Endless Party’ EP in 2015. This new release represents what the band describes as a “giant leap forward”. Together with producer Micha Volders and engineer/co-producer Bert Vliegen, the band used their time in the studio as a means to broaden their sound, enriching it with acoustic drums and a whole range of synthesizers.
This album, recorded over a period of ten days at GAM Studios in Belgium, evokes an atmosphere that is ominous and urging, while capturing the and’s live intensity. Mixed by Bert Libeert (Goose, B, Raving George – Charlotte de Witte) at Jetson Studio and mastered by Frederik Dejongh (Hooverphonic) at Jerboa Mastering, this work is tinged with angst and isolation. Lyrically these songs stem from alienation, distance and inertia.
The songs on ‘Image’ were written after the band collectively moved to Brussels in 2016. Between intense touring, they channeled their new ideas into the music found on this album. Feeding on the dynamics of the city, the tracks unveil feelings of alienation and distance. ‘Image’ is a motionless state, in which observations overshadow actions. It reflects the artificiality of things, yet still desperately clings on to ideals and obsessions, something which is also strengthened by the cover artwork, created of Flor Maesen.
Whispering Sons won Belgium’s prestigious Rock Rally in 2016, the same national contest that launched the career of dEUS. Since then they released several 7 inches – ‘Performance/Strange Identities’ (2016) and ‘White Noise’ (2017), and the ‘Endless Party’ EP. Touring extensively in Europe, they’ve developed a reputation for their animated performances.
The ‘Image’ LP is now available everywhere, and can be ordered via Cleopatra Records on CD and also digitally via Bandcamp.
LINKS:
http://www.whisperingsons.com
https://www.facebook.com/WhisperingSons
https://whisperingsons.bandcamp.com
https://twitter.com/WhisperingSons
https://www.instagram.com/whisperingsons
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7AFnJzNQsK_bRA5Dwi3z9w/videos
https://soundcloud.com/whisperingsons -
Methods – Fires
After the release of their debut single, Sanctuary, and a number of live shows throughout 2017, Methods return with their new single ‘Fires’.
Described by singer, Ash Bradley: “Fires is a song about the break up of a relationship. About two people who have been together for a long time, growing apart. Both using actions to show their feelings, instead of speaking to each other. Thoughts get locked away. The only way for them both to move forward is for it all to end.”
‘Fires’ is released worldwide via Hellhole Records on Friday 15th June. Methods first headline live show, presented by Baddies Boogie and taking place at The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham, on Saturday 12th May, will kick-start the ‘Fires’ tour and is set to be one of those ‘Where were you?” moments.
Methods are a Wolverhampton/Salford based, five-piece who create a sound that can only be described as dark electro indie. Influences are drawn from the likes of Joy Division, Depeche Mode, Primal Scream, Editors, Interpol and any other music that catches the creative ear of Methods.
Formed in 2015 after a mutual need to create something special and meaningful.
Ash Bradley – Vocals
Jon Nash – Synths
Ryan Deakin – Guitar
Adam Hall – Bass
Pete Bates – DrumsNot ones to follow the crowd Methods produce a mixture of dark, gritty rhythms with a good helping of uplifting synths and guitars, topped off with some of the best lyrics around. 2017 saw the band solidify their sound playing a number of gigs testing it out and unleashing Methods to the world, the response has been good and momentum is gaining.
The band released their first single ‘Sanctuary’ in August 2017, recorded with the legendary producer Gavin Monaghan at Magic Garden Studios.
During December they supported The Twang on their 10th Anniversary Love It When I Feel Like This Tour.
Most recently their music has been used by Wolverhampton Wanders FC on the goal of the month and heard by thousands of people.
2018 is set for much bigger and better things. The band are constantly writing and recording new material and are currently working towards their next single release.
Methods are the hardest working band around and 2018 is their year.
“Fires is a song about the break up of a relationship. About two people who have been together for a long time, growing apart. One side is a dominant person and controlling. The other side wants to be loved. Both using actions to show their feelings, instead of speaking to each other. Thoughts get locked away. The only way for them both to move forward is for it all to end.”
Ash (singer)LINKS:
http://methodsmusic.co.uk
https://twitter.com/methodsmusik
https://facebook.com/methods2
https://instagram.com/methodsofficial