Jason Herring & The Mystery Plan released their new album ‘Queensland Ballroom’ on September 8 via Ten Millimeter Omega Recordings. With an infectious chilled atmosphere and dreamy female vocals, ‘Electric Love’ is the first single from this release. The accompanying video was directed by Jon Ecklund and Fiona Jones and produced by Dream Out Loud Media.
Based out of Charlotte, North Carolina, the band is comprised of Jason Herring, Otis Hughes, Jeff Chester, Amy Herring, Paul Jensen and Patty McLaughlin. This 11-track offering follows the band’s ‘Electric Love’ EP, released in June of this year.
Both of these releases involved production by legendary producer John Fryer, one of the most innovative sonic architects of our age. “John Fryer has practically soundtracked your entire life,” says Impose Magazine, with a musical imprint that is massive, having shaped the sound of nearly all early 4AD Records’ releases (Cocteau Twins, Lush, Kristin Hersh, Dead Can Dance), as well as bands from Nine Inch Nails and Love and Rockets to HIM and Depeche Mode. He is also one of just two artists behind This Mortal Coil, along with Ivo Watts-Russell, and the mastermind behind his latest project Black Needle Noise.
Jason Herring met Fryer while visiting Los Angeles, where his studio is currently based. After collaborating on the ‘Electric Love’ EP, they launched into the new ‘Queensland Ballroom’ LP, which sees the band take a turn from their trademark psychedelic folk sound to a more electronic downtempo groove.
After a hiatus of several years, bandmates Jason Herring (The Interstellars, Muchacho, Farfalla) and Paul Jensen (Fetchin’ Bones, the Interstellars) began writing songs again. Soon thereafter, the first album ‘The Future Ain’t What It Used to Be’ was released in 2010, followed by ‘Chateau Beaumont’ in 2012 and ‘Long Shadows’ in 2014.
“Our previous releases are a little melancholy, so Amy and I decided we should make this record a little more fun. A record outside of our norm” says, Jason Herring. “Electric Love was inspired by Amy and I feeling a bit randy in the studio – that’s fun, yeah?”
This whole experience ultimately led Jason Herring to collaborate further with John Fryer on music for a feature film and an HBO documentary. Fryer also appears briefly in the new video for ‘Electric Love’.
SOURCE: Official Bio
LINKS:
http://www.facebook.com/The-Mystery-Plan-1498248636862179
http://www.facebook.com/10mmomega
http://soundcloud.com/10mmomegarecordings
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoUq0Xz_tBvIeOPc6oL59HA/videos
http://www.reverbnation.com/jasonherringthemysteryplan
http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/jason-herring-and-the-mystery-plan/id366403103
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Jamel Thomas – It Starts At Home
Jamel Thomas is a rising hip hop artist from Toronto, Canada. After releasing his first LP “One On The House” in February of 2018, Jamel was able to break onto the university and college radio scene, getting play on over 100 campus stations; some notable mentions are: American University in Washington DC, University of Maryland, St. Louis University, the University of Texas and University of Notre Dame. The album charted in the top 5 on over 10 stations, making it to the NACC (North American College and Community) radio charts, peaking at #23 and competing against noteworthy artists from labels such as Roc Nation and Mass Appeal.
In 2019, Jamel released his first music video for “It Starts At Home” with a string of new music videos to follow. He is also planning to release a new, much-anticipated album this September. There is a captivating, high-energy element to Jamel Thomas’s music featuring an alternative hip hop sound distinct from anything else that’s out. Jamel describes himself as “Kendrick Lamar meets Drake meets The Weeknd,” but strives for originality in every song, infusing elements of R&B and Pop into the mix. He is committed to innovation and will continue to surprise his audience in the months to come!
LINKS:
http://jamelthomasmusic.com
https://facebook.com/jamelthomasmusic
https://twitter.com/jamelthomasndr
https://instagram.com/jamelthomasndr
https://youtube.com/jamelthomasndr -
The Room in the Wood – Mars (Won’t Save Us)
Band members Paul Cavanagh and Dave Jackson are once again working together after a huge gap since their post-punk band The Room split back in 1985. After reuniting, this past year has seen them write over 30 new songs.
Featuring contributions by drummer Colin George Lamont (Mark Lanegan, Dave Gahan), this album was recorded by Steve Powell (Michael Head & the Red Elastic Band) at his Liverpool-based Ark Studio and mastered by Pete Maher (Barry Adamson, The Alarm).
“‘Every Lie’ is a bluesy, countrified stomper bemoaning the rise of the populist right, and inspired by the late great Johnny Cash – this is a response to Trump and Brexit. ‘Get Clear’ a Spanish guitar-tinged ballad extolling the virtues of escaping cult thinking. It follow-ups our song ‘Magical Thinking’, but is sung to a friend escaping some dogmatic cult,” says Dave Jackson.
“Time Machine’ is another vague sci-fi rumination, wistfully reflecting on the passage of time filtered through the vision of HG Wells. We thought that ‘Mars’ and ‘Time Machine’ gave the EP a science fiction edge and Mark Jordan’s video reflects that,” says Paul Cavanaugh.
Dave Jackson has been writing and recording since his teens – with The Room, 051, Benny Profane, Dust, Dead Cowboys, as Dave Jackson & The Cathedral Mountaineers, and also with former Shack guitarist John Head. He has recorded and released 10 albums with these various incarnations, notched up 7 John Peel sessions with The Room and Benny Profane, and has also appeared on the Whistle Test, Janice Long and Saturday Live.
Jackson has also toured the UK, Europe, and the USA extensively with The Fall, The Violent Femmes, Aztec Camera, The Lemonheads and The Wedding Present. He currently teaches creative writing at Liverpool John Moores University and has developed his novel ‘Violet City’ as a low-budget fantasy feature film.
Apart from The Room, Paul Cavanagh has performed as a solo instrumentalist as Cabin in the Woods and as one of Mike Badger’s Shady Trio. He worked with The Room drummer Alan Wills at Deltasonic Records with The Coral and The Zutons. Paul has also recorded 4 John Peel sessions and released albums with Top, It’s Immaterial, Moongoose, as well as critically acclaimed singles with Gloss. He also played guitar for Chinese Religion, The Balcony, and Ludus.
A Turntable Friend Records is an independent record label. currently in its second life. Based in Germany with distribution through SRD (Southern Record Distributors) and Rough Trade, their mission is to keep vinyl alive while casting light on sonic gems of yesteryear and today. 1990s peers of Sarah Records and Slumberland Records, ATF Records has always had a roster as diverse as Secret Shine, The Wolfhounds, Boyracer (with Even As We Speak), The Claim, The Ropers, the Hellfire Sermons, Lorelei, Bradford, Easy and Dose.
As of November 23, The Mars EP will be available across music stores and streaming platforms such as Spotify. It can already be pre-ordered via Bandcamp.
“Candid and catchy.. between Wall of Voodoo’s Stan Ridgway, The Fall and more folk-pop territory with The Doors also a likely deeper influence”
– Big Takeover Magazine“Brilliant offering, loaded with optimism and wit. This lush and highly memorable music calls to mind other local bands like The Railway Children and Echo & The Bunnymen… gives every indication of a band that is going places”
– Louder Than War“With delta blues riffs and a style that burrows deep into the subconsciousness like Iggy’s ‘Passenger’, it’s an insidious cut”
– God is in the TV“The Room in the Wood play their new set out of their sonic window, and the result is not only rich and diverse, but also significant”
– The Record StacheLINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/theroominthewood
https://twitter.com/davejacksonroom
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi7t-iOS-5UXW26DdPnFRJQ/videos
https://soundcloud.com/theroominthewood
https://theroominthewood.bandcamp.com
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/artist/the-room-in-the-wood/1376319762
https://open.spotify.com/artist/6NAEwzJ6Ygbnx2Bw1rSjTz?si=BEK-hnFYRNeT00Zmquq07A -
Poppymoon – No I Won’t
Poppymoon has today premiered their new single and video titled ‘No I Won’t’. This song is one of those that creeps up behind you and just quietly begins that dance move that entices you to join in. Sabina’s voice is the perfect fit and strength to lead this track into that part of your memory where it becomes a part of you.
While the video is simple it is to the point and past the limit in a signature way. In that way alone I feel that it is the perfect introduction to Poppymoon. Strong yet subtle. Beautiful and boundless. Welcome to the next experience of your life.
ABOUT POPPYMOON
Poppymoon is a German pop duo founded in 2020 by producer djaaaen and singer Sabina. Infusing their sound with elements of their past life in a rock band together, the duo creates a darker pop sound that nonetheless remains groovy as hell. Inspired by their own experiences coming of age in today’s world, their lyrics explore topics around mental health, self-discovery, freedom, and hope.
Sabina and djaaaen started their musical careers early, with Sabina singing ever since she can remember and djaaaen playing various instruments from the time he was six years old. They met in 2011 in a bar when Sabina asked djaaaen, then just a stranger next to her, if he could order her a cocktail. Since she was not of legal age yet, it was a slightly irresponsible decision the duo advise not to copy, but luckily, he obliged. What started as a light criminal act sparked a friendship and a musical partnership for life.
For almost a decade, Sabina and djaaaen wrote and performed music with their band ASHBY, touring Mexico and Germany along with playing gigs all over Europe. In the fall of 2020, amidst a pandemic locking down live music worldwide, the duo decided to indulge their long time love for pop music and form POPPYMOON.
Their first single, “Wanna Play that Game?” was released in September 2020, addressing topics like societal pressure and recognizing your own value against a minimalist pop backdrop that recalled the deft production of Billie Eilish and Dua Lipa. Their second single “Weirdos” followed shortly after and, to start off the new year, the duo announced “Joanie’s Secret” in January and their upcoming single “No, I won’t” in February. Opening on one of the duo’s most driving bass lines and building to a tropical house-indebted climax with Sabina’s commanding vocals guiding the way, “No, I won’t” is an empowering pop anthem tailor-made for a hopeful new year.
“No, I won’t’ embraces the concept of enforcing boundaries and living a life true to yourself without complying with others wishes, projections, and expectations, especially as a female-identifying person,” Sabina says. “Although this song deals with this topic from a female viewpoint, this message stands for everybody.”
LINKS:
http://www.itspoppymoon.com
https://open.spotify.com/artist/31yWm5xJWd4ld6WjI21nI3?si=GSjWsUCWRAWxmMpNcKWH6A
https://instagram.com/itspoppymoon
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDyXHjSbM2RL9_ne4aN-UEw
https://www.tiktok.com/@itspoppymoon