Burning House has released the next evolution in their revolution with a multi-layered and well-written track in the form of their new single titled ‘If You Won’t’. The song is one of those pieces of music that takes you along for the ride the writers have intended with a sweet combination of melodic drive and hooks within the chord progressions. With delectable dirt in the guitars and a steady rhythm within the melody, ‘If I don’t’ will make you listen and revel in the fact that the #indie scene is thriving.
About Burning House
Hailing from Southampton, Burning House formed in 2013 after many incarnations – today they are a trio comprised of frontman and guitarist Aaron Mills, drummer Dominic Taylor and bassist Patrick White. Mills, the band’s sole songwriter has refined the art of recording music over the past decade, in parallel with his technical skill as a guitar player. Their music rides the soft/loud dynamic well, producing music ranging from beautiful melancholy to loud feedback-driven post-rock.
Fusing elements of shoegaze and decade-spanning American Indie (Elliott Smith, Swans, Deerhunter, Teenage Fanclub, Slint, Pixies), Burning House’s sound is defined by multi-layered piercing guitar rhythms, sophisticated melodic arrangements, and tempos spanning introspective, stripped-down pieces through to distinctly upbeat, frenetic songs.
After gingerly approaching BBC 6 Music’s indie doyen Steve Lamacq with a 4-track demo while in Southampton, Lamacq was so enthralled that he chose Burning House to appear on 6 Music’s new band’s line-up.
Burning House has opened for the legendary Wire, after earning the appreciation of Colin Newman. The trio’s euphoric sound has also led to playing all over the south coast with the likes of Moon Duo, Shonen Knife, Is Bliss and Kagoule.
SOURCE: Official Bio
LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/BurningHouseMusic
https://burninghouse.bandcamp.com
https://soundcloud.com/burning-house
https://www.instagram.com/burninghousemusic
https://twitter.com/BurningHouse_
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxXmzTwF9tYz0lg9560Tiyg
https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/burning-house/1347291434
https://open.spotify.com/artist/6ayj4NnClqy7YWFGNN75gF
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An Interview with The Church
Jammerzine has an exclusive interview with The Church’s Steve Kilbey. With today being the release of the Church’s new concept ‘prog’ album titled ‘The Hypnogogue’, Steve gives up the ghosts and gives us a glimpse of the process that became ‘The Hypnogogue’ in this vivid and candid conversation.
‘The Hypnogogue’
For those of you that think you know The Church, think again. this is as much a continuation as it is a reimage. ‘The Hypnogogue’ is a loose concept. An album inside a story idea. Past that, it’s left to interpretation.
You cannot help but ask yourself if you are not hearing that transition within each song. The first thing I notice as I write this, having just come off the interview and talking about this being The Church’s 26th album is that The Church still manage to remain relevant with their 26th album. As someone who has been in music as long as I have, as well as being a writer, I can be the first to tell you about writer’s block.
Having said that; I can’t also help but notice those little signatures that tell you it’s The Church. But we also hear the new elements. Or is it a newfound inspiration. Or just the consistent love for music. And, while the experimentation element is there, it’s there sparingly. Not done for anything other than spreading the wings. Not doing it for the sake of saying it was done. And, while I can honestly say I have had a fondness for all of The Church’s albums, I can now count ‘The Hypnogogue’ among those albums.
About The Church & ‘The Hypnogogue’
“The Hypnogogue is the most prog rock thing we have ever done. ‘We’ve also never had a concept album before,” says Steve Kilbey. “It is the most ‘teamwork record’ we have ever had. Everyone in the band is so justifiably proud of this record and everyone helped to make sure it was as good as it could be.
Personally, I think it’s in our top three records.” Entering their fourth decade of making music and playing live shows with all the fierce creative energy of their early years, The Church have announced a North American tour that kicks off on March 11 th in Los Angeles and circles the States, concluding on April 8th in Pelham, TN.
Starting out in 1980, The Church have continued to expand their highly cinematic and atmospheric blend of indie rock, shimmering post-punk, icy dreampop and psychedelic post-rock without any retread. Their expansive music career yielded a string of hit songs including “Under the Milky Way,” “Reptile,” “The Unguarded Moment” and “Almost With You” amongst others and their equally stellar live shows have been deemed “spectacular” by MAGNET Magazine, citing their “dreamy psychedelia that will daub your evening with shades of paisley.”
Their most recent U.S. performance at 2022’s Cruel World Festival alongside Blondie, Bauhaus and Morrissey was heralded as “a subtle delight… that captivated the late afternoon audience” (Orange County Register), “providing the perfect soundtrack” (Rock Cellar Magazine).
The 2022 epic five-piece line-up is bassist, vocalist and founder Steve Kilbey; with long-time collaborator Tim Powles, drummer and producer across 17 albums since ’94; guitarist Ian Haug formerly of Australian rock icons Powderfinger, who joined the band in 2013 and Jeffrey Cain (Remy Zero), touring multi-instrumentalist who is now a full-time member of The Church since the departure of Peter Koppes in early 2020. The band have also recruited Ashley Naylor, long-time member of Paul Kelly’s touring band and one of Australia’s finest and most respected guitarists (Even, The Grapes, The Stems).
Featured image by Hugh Stewart.
LINKS:
https://www.thechurchband.net
https://linktr.ee/thechurchband
https://www.facebook.com/thechurchband
https://twitter.com/thechurchband
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCE4pG8VtygweNYuwXjJVpiA
https://www.instagram.com/thechurch_band -
Bentley Jones Premieres ‘I Could Be Your Girl’ Video (The Week in #Indie Segment)
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’.
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 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 -
An Interview with Kat Leon (The Week in #Indie Segment)
Holy Wars is a band that is as diverse as it is determined. That is ever more evident in this exclusive interview with Holy Wars’ frontwoman Kat Leon. Kat survives by thriving from her life and putting into her craft. That is a talent I wish everyone had. We would be in a much better world, I think.
And what we learn in this interview is how the music of Holy Wars, as well as Kat’s solo work, are part of an anthology of life. Some of it is dark, some of it light, but all of it real. And what we get in the end is a life in progress. We are all in our own personal holy war, whatever that may be, and what we get through Kat’s voice and the music of her and collaborator Nicolas Perez is a reflection of progression through originality and creativity. This is the very definition of what music is, or at least what it is at its best.
Watch the entire episode of ‘The Week in #Indie’ HERE.
LINKS:
https://www.holywarsmusic.com
https://www.facebook.com/HolyWarsMusic
https://holywars.bigcartel.com
https://open.spotify.com/artist/2dTOWcCL0cYviin0Uz1lj4?si=g4oe1jMzQA67awHSFaBa6Q
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/holy-wars/987826411
https://instagram.com/holywarsmusic
https://twitter.com/holywarsmusic
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKpgMRG6ocgGYRS750lo0LA
https://www.iamkatleon.com
https://www.instagram.com/iamkatleon
https://www.facebook.com/iamkatleon
https://twitter.com/iamkatleon
https://soundcloud.com/iamkatleon