Shot in a pseudo-50s sitcom style really fits the video for the new track by Dar.Ra titled ‘Diamonds N The Shadows’. The video gives a stylistic way to tell a story in a campy comedic way. The track is five minutes twelve seconds of sonic bliss that never lets up and is comprised of an almost continuous hook. ‘Diamonds N The Shadows’ is a track that really needs to be put on a loop. It’s that melodic and tasty.
About Dar.Ra
Born in Dublin, Ireland, Darragh J Brady – AKA Dar.Ra has been in the music industry for a while with hits in the UK and Australia, signed to EMI, Festival and various dance labels over the years, remixing Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Tears 4 Fears, Savage Garden, and writing for Rachel Brown (Faithless, Groove Armada) plus having music on various Hollywood films like ‘Snakes on Planes’ films starring Hilary Duff on ABC TV, Match Of Day (BBC TV) and US Documentary City Of Hope.
He grew up in Brighton and London and his first solo album Soul Hours was released in 2010 made the album of the week of Spain’s Heart FM, as well as receiving support from BBC Radio, playing to over 1 million people on air within one live show.
Also an author, Dar.Ra has a book available called ‘Road Tales’ which has been getting brilliant reviews and is based on people Dar.Ra met while being the road from the late 1990s to 2008.
LINKS:
https://facebook.com/Dar.Ra7
https://youtube.com/kushadeep7
https://twitter.com/kushadeepmusic
https://instagram.com/dar.ra.brady
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Jammerzine Exclusive: An Interview with Janna Jamison
Jammerzine presents an exclusive Zoom interview with Janna Jamison, an LA/Nashville-based singer-songwriter, vocalist, and multi-talented musician. She is most known for her 2020 EP entitled ‘White Guys That Play Jazz’ accompanied with her single ‘Paris’.
As a student at Belmont University School of Music, Janna Jamison shares her incredibly interesting perspective on the music scene as she explores her hometown influences and how they interact in a country/indie-rock music environment.
Initially giving off an Indie singer-songwriter vibe, Janna Jamison is hesitant to label herself: as of now, her sound is extremely experimental. By incorporating elements such as Jazz and indie rock, Janna Jamison explores and tests around with different genres, bringing something entirely unique to the table.
In this interview, Janna details her history and background in music, as well as her pop-music influences and advice to other aspiring young musicians.
Janna Jamison is releasing an upcoming EP this year called ‘Pulling My Clothes’ on all major streaming platforms. She is also premiering a music video for a song on her upcoming project called ‘Invitation to A Beheading’ which includes vintage-musical theater influences.
Her released projects and social media can be found below!
Janna Jamison’s Music:
Contact Information:
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An Interview with Beauty in Chaos’ Michael Ciravolo (The Week in #Indie Segment)
Beauty in Chaos curator Michael Ciravolo dropped his new album titled ‘The Storm Before the Calm‘ on May 22nd. We have an extensive, entertaining, and exclusive interview on this new album as well as previews of the tracks. If you are not yet a fan, you will see the personality in every track and the scope that the album as a whole delivers sonically. And, if you are already a fan, you will see the beautiful evolution that Beauty in Chaos gives in this latest outing. Either way, the songs command a listen.
And, in this interview, we talk with Michael about this evolution in style, creativity, and emotion as Michael and all involved write another chapter in the book of the beautiful and chaotic in ways one could never have guessed.
Check out more information and content about Beauty in Chaos on Jammerzine HERE.
Order ‘The Storm Before The Calm’ as well as Beaty in Chaos’ previous albums HERE.
Check out the full episode of The Week in #Indie 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 BEAUTY IN CHAOS
Beauty in Chaos’ forthcoming album ‘The Storm Before The Calm’ will be released on May 22 via LA-based label 33.3 Music Collective in time for World Goth Day. Recorded at Ciravolo’s own SAINTinLA Studio, it was produced by Michael Rozon, Grammy-nominated for his work with Ministry.
Beauty in Chaos is the brainchild of guitarist Michael Ciravolo. Originally from New Orleans and now based in Los Angeles, he is best known as President of Schecter Guitar Research. He also played guitar in Human Drama for 30 years, in addition to playing live and recording with Michael Aston’s Gene Loves Jezebel since 1998.
In 2018, Beauty in Chaos released their acclaimed debut album ‘Finding Beauty in Chaos’, followed by the ‘Beauty Re-Envisioned’ album (2019). Other BIC artists include Simon Gallup (The Cure), Al Jourgensen (Ministry), Robin Zander (Cheap Trick), Pete Parada (The Offspring), dUg Pinnick (Kings X), ICE-T (Body Count), producer Tim Palmer, guitar icon Zakk Wylde, Ashton Nyte (The Awakening), Kevin Haskins (Bauhaus, Love & Rockets), Rolan Bolan, Michael Anthony (Van Halen), Michael Aston (Gene Loves Jezebel), Paul Wiley (Marilyn Manson), Michael Aston and Dirk Doucette (Gene Loves Jezebel), Pando (A Flock of Seagulls), UMMAGMA, Evi Vine, Johnny Indovina (Human Drama), Danny Lohner (Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson), Betsy Martin (Caterwaul / Purr Machine), Kevin Kipnis (Purr Machine) and KITTY LECTRO, among others.
Featured image by Anabel Dflux.
TRACK LIST
- The Outside ft. Ashton Nyte
- Almost Pure ft. Steven Seibold (Hate Dept./ Pigface)
- Temple of Desire ft. Rafe Pearlman
- A Kind Cruelty ft. Curse Mackey
- The Delicate Balance of All Things ft. Wayne Hussey
- Stranger ft. Kat Leon (Holy Wars)
- The Storm Before The Calm ft. Adrienne Lavey
LINKS:
https://www.beautyinchaosmusic.com
https://www.facebook.com/beautyinchaosmusic
https://www.instagram.com/beauty.inchaos
https://twitter.com/MichaelCiravolo
https://www.beautyinchaosmusic.com/music-store
https://www.beautyinchaosmusic.com/bic-blog
https://soundcloud.com/33-3-music-collective
https://beautyinchaos.bandcamp.com -
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