London born, France resident singer Blakk Pearl released her debut single ‘Cowboy’ at the end of last year. Sleek and commodious and driven by a subtle backbeat and a warm marimba sound, the track perfectly showcases Blakk Pearl’s haunting, mellifluent tones floating atop a lush and otherworldly dreamscape.
Blakk Pearl has now shared a video for her debut single, a video she has put together herself: “I love 1930’s era cut-out animation, and when I came across this clip of this beautiful trio of fairies trying to help a soldier, who had lost his way in the woods, I knew it was the perfect video for ‘Cowboy.’ It tells the story of ‘Cowboy’ so beautifully and delicately, and in such a feminine way”.
Blakk Pearl grew up in North London and moved to Devon when she was a young teenager, where she would watch her, by now absent, father on US TV shows and hear of his activities in LA as a manager of NWA.
She now lives in a convent just outside Toulouse in France. Having rebuilt it from a ruin, it serves as her creative hub and sanctuary. Blakk Pearl divides her time between Toulouse, London and Paris.
Blakk Pearl’s first EP is set for release via Kobalt in early 2018.
LINKS:
http://blakkpearlmusic.com
https://instagram.com/blakkpearlmusic
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The Jasmine Minks – Step by Step
Scotland’s The Jasmine Minks have announced their new 7” single, to be released via A Turntable Friend Records, both digitally and on blue vinyl in a cardboard sleeve.
With almost the same line-up as on the very first recordings, Jim Shepherd, Martin Keena, Dave Musker, and Tom Reid recorded this new material together with producer legend Pat Collier at his Perry Vale Studios in London.
Presented as a double A-side 7“ single, ‘Step by Step’ and ‘Gravity’ shine as if the band had recorded it some 30 years ago. The first track is an upbeat and uptempo jingle-jangle harmony with a 60s chorus (written by Tom Reid) while ‘Gravity’ comes as a more fuzzy anthem reminiscent of ‘Cut Me Deep’. Here we see fantastic songwriting courtesy of Jim Shepherd.
The Jasmine Minks have been strongholds in the British music scene since 1983, originating from Aberdeen. In fact, they were the first band to be signed to Alan McGee’s fledgling Creation Records label back in 1984. Many classic songs, singles, and albums followed. ‘Think!’ or ‘Cold Heart’ are among the best songs released during Creation’s early phase.
“It was a moment of utter bliss when singer-guitarist Jim Shepherd confirmed that the single would be happening,” says Ulrich Hoffman, owner of A Turntable Friend Records.
As of March 22, this two-track single will be available everywhere digitally via A Turntable Friend Records with distribution worldwide by SRD (London, UK). The limited edition 7” can now be ordered on blue vinyl in a cardboard sleeve (with download code) via Bandcamp and Limited Run.
LINKS:
http://aturntablefriendrecords.limitedrun.com/products/635029-jasmine-minks-step-by-step-gravity-7-blue-vinyl
https://thejasmineminks.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/thejasmineminks
https://twitter.com/behappydadda
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-jasmine-minks-mn0000217301/biography
https://open.spotify.com/artist/79iNuVcranEFZo5z6yTdHc?si=CFYMorgUS8idzMue7y0yVg
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/artist/the-jasmine-minks/202220877 -
I Need A Plastic Face – Debris
I Need a Plastic Face is a band from Turin (Italy). By the end of 2017, they set up a basement studio and buy an electric organ – a Farfisa Matador – and start to write the songs that will make their debut album “Knicks Knacks”, which was recorded and mixed in 48 hours.
The main influence comes from The Velvet Underground in terms of coexistence between dissonance and pop harmonies; but it can indeed be found the relevance of electronic music, shoegaze and noise rock.
They are willing to express a precise identity, which is suggested by the space in which their first rehearsals take place, especially at night.
SOURCE: Official Bio
LINKS:
https://ineedaplasticface.bandcamp.com
https://soundcloud.com/i-need-a-plastic-face
https://www.facebook.com/ineedaplasticface
http://www.labarberiarecords.com
http://custommademusicva.com -
Lakes – Pine Barrens
What began as drummer Matt Shaw’s acoustic demos back in 2017 quickly developed into a six-piece band, bonding over a love of artists like American Football, Minus The Bear, and The Appleseed Cast. The group has taken influence from mid-western emo, math-rock, and alternative indie and combined those with Fleetwood Mac style dual-vocal pop melodies and twinkling glockenspiel to create their trademark “Glock-Rock” sound.
Earning their stripes in pubs and clubs of the Watford music scene, Lakes have been emboldened with a DIY attitude that was born from the frustration of life on the peripheries of a capital city. The group’s fiercely independent attitude has led them to record all their own music, produce their own music videos, and with families of their own – organize child-friendly matinee gigs in their hometown.
After self-releasing their first two EPs, Lakes joined The LP Cafe in the UK and Friend of Mine Records in Japan to release their debut full-length album in August 2019 entitled “The Constance LP”.
This led Washed Up Emo to label them “your new favorite band” and Punktastic to include them on their list of the most important bands of the next decade stating “it’s hard to look past their potential as future frontrunners of the UK emo scene.
With nods to midwestern emo giants in American Football and Braid, Lakes create a truly unique take on the genre interlacing shimmering glockenspiels, beautiful harmonies, and pop sensibilities in everything they do.”
The album was recorded entirely by drummer Matt Shaw in a spare room using a couple of mics and a PC over the space of a year. With no timing or financial restraints that would come from a proper studio, the band took their time crafting the songs and discovering their sound. This has resulted in a truly unique album, one that is completely holistic in its presentation with band members also taking control of photography, graphic design, web design and accompanying music videos.
Lakes’ ‘This World Of Ours, It Came Apart,’ was released in July 2020 via Know Hope Records in North America and The LP Cafe in the UK.
LINKS:
https://www.ourbandlakes.com
https://www.facebook.com/ourbandlakes
https://www.instagram.com/ourbandlakes
https://twitter.com/ourbandlakes