Mercury Slim has officially released his new video for the song titled ‘Space Cadet’. This song, and video come to think of it, have that ethereal quality from that first frame/note. Almost a subtle journey to be shared. A dream state in transit. A personal journey of bonding and growth. Its funny how life can inspire, and even encourage, the magic in music and share that with anyone who wants to listen. In that way alone, we are all connected. We’re all the space cadet. Our goal is to live long and prosper.
About ‘Space Cadet’
I wrote this song while living in a Van on a rainy day
The song is very multi-faceted and takes on Many roles rather than being about any one thing in particular. I continue to find new meanings as time marches on. Space Cadet about rejecting everything culture and society hands you as what you are supposed to be. As well as rejection of the consumerism and ideology that drives a lot of what’s harming people and the planet we live on. The chorus/ hook is a release from societal expectations.
I became a huge Star Trek (particularly TNG) fan after high school and it has shaped how I view the world and what is possible for humanity in a post-scarcity society. On another facet, my father and I began working together right after I got out of high school and he drove the company work van.
Once I got into Star Trek, which he was already into, it became something we bonded over and we were able to connect in a positive healthy way really for the first time in our lives. He had been gone for half of my childhood battling addiction and was able to overcome what he needed to come back into my family’s life. We named his work van the NC-17D and it was kind of our ship to drive around and solve mysteries (doing IT work) in.
LINKS:
https://linktr.ee/mercuryslim_
https://www.instagram.com/mercuryslim_
https://soundcloud.com/mercury-slim-6
https://www.facebook.com/mercuryslim
https://mercuryslim.bandcamp.com
https://twitter.com/SlimMercury
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Spray – Anthologised By Cherry Red
British synth band and self-styled indie-pop chameleons Spray have announced their forthcoming single ‘Anthologised by Cherry Red’, which is slated for release on May 11.
Founded in 2001, Spray is comprised of Ricardo Autobahn (synthesizers) and Jenny McLaren (vocals, guitars), both formerly of the Cuban Boys, who took their chaotic technopunk to number 1 on the Festive 50 (twice), recorded one of the best Peel Sessions ever and went head-to-head with Sir Cliff Richard in a Christmas Chart Battle (but ultimately lost). Their hit single ‘Cognoscenti Vs Intelligentsia’ (a.k.a. ‘The Hamster Dance Song’) sold a million copies, reached number 4 in the UK single charts, landed them on Top of the Pops and, in the words of John Peel, was “the most requested song I’ve had since ‘God Save The Queen’.
In a mathematically constructed list presented by RockListMusic.co.uk, the Cuban Boys registered as the 30th most popular band in the history of the John Peel Show, ranking ahead of the Inspiral Carpets (31), The Cure (34), Nirvana and The Stone Roses (=tied at 35). BBC producer Mike Engles selected the Cuban Boys’ first Peel Session as one of his top 10 all-time favorites, alongside Nirvana, The Damned and Ivor Cutler.
‘Anthologised by Cherry Red’ came about after a chat Ricardo Autobahn had with a fellow musician. When asked what he was currently up to, he uttered the beautiful phrase “oh, I’m at that stage in my career where I’m being anthologized by Cherry Red”. A lot of Spray’s inspiration and ideas come from everyday comments and this went straight to the band notebook.
“The song is not a critique of Cherry Red as we’re actually big fans of the label. It’s more a straightforward story song about a fading rock band finding success in their twilight years,” says Jenny McLaren. “It’s also an observation about the state of the music industry. If the business is based on catalog reissues, where are the catalog reissues of the future going to come from?”
Spray’s music is influenced by Sparks, The Buggles, DEVO, Pet Shop Boys, the KLF, Chvrches, and The Big Moon.
“This is spiky, new-wave electronic pop with a sense of humor. But we take our sense of humor very seriously. We aim for big choruses and funny lyrics, disco beats, and deafening synths,” says Ricardo Autobahn. “We try and write songs about things that aren’t normally written about in pop. There are enough songs now about love and cars, we try and go beyond that”.
Following the demise of the Cuban Boys, Autobahn and McLaren formed Spray, turning their attention toward synthpop and releasing their debut album ‘Living In Neon’ in 2002 on U.S. indie label Ninthwave Media. This was followed by ‘Children Of A Laser God’ in 2006, which included their smash cover of Lisa Lougheed’s ‘Run With Us’ (also ‘The Raccoons’ theme song).
Spray was the secret weapon behind the UK’s 2006 Final at Eurovision for Daz Sampson ‘Teenage Life’, having written and produced it, as well as singing the treated vocals for that track. Ricardo Autobahn and Daz Sampson would also collaborate on a dance version of ‘Rhinestone Cowboy’ under the name Rikki and Daz, recording it with the legendary Glen Campbell himself and filming its expensive video in the Arizona desert. This track went top 10.
Spray also recorded a novelty track as the Barndance Boys called ‘Yippie I Oh’, which became a top 30 hit. Under the moniker, The Attery Squash, Ricardo’s track ‘DEVO Was Right About Everything’ was remixed by Devo themselves. More recently, Spray recorded music with anarchic BBC star Hacker T. Dog.
Ricardo Autobahn writes music for TV and radio, which can be heard from BBC4 to ITV2 and from Australia to the USA. He also plays keyboards with Welsh punk-pop legends Helen Love, also known for their collaboration with Joey Ramone.
Throughout all of this, the duo has continued to record their verbose off-kilter indie-disco synthpop. Later on this year, Spray will release their fifth studio album, whilst undertaking their first live shows. ‘Anthologised By Cherry Red’ is the first material to be released, reflecting the band’s archetypal sound – a celebration-of-all-things-pop tinged with cynicism, despair, and the band’s ironic humor.
Spray ‘Anthologised by Cherry Red’ will be released on May 11 across all the standard online music stores and streaming platforms.
LINKS:
http://www.facebook.com/spraynet
http://spray.bandcamp.com
http://www.twitter.com/spraypopmusic
http://www.instagram.com/spraypopmusic
http://www.youtube.com/user/spraynetdotcodotuk
http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/spray/5903199
http://open.spotify.com/artist/0lF1G9Lj5OsNKzBXmZWdcd?si=6XETlVr1RIenyJ0aYOvUTw
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spray_(band) -
Oliver Jones – Ugly (ft. Mello D)
Oliver Jones drops his new video for the track titled ‘Ugly’ with a little help from Mello D. With a harsh heart and hard lyrics, Oliver drops a soul-sorte with the mind of madness and heart of purity. Visually dark and mindfully dirty, ‘Ugly’ is ugly in that it scrapes the scab off and exposes the truth. In a world of honesty, we can honestly say that this, in fact, is something beautiful. however, in the real world, it is something to fear. But, when those of us expose the truth in themselves the become leaders, or at least what leaders should be. And, by saying that, Oliver is a leader with his music.
ABOUT OLIVER JONES & ‘UGLY’
Oliver Jones announces himself in explosive style with his debut single Ugly… the combined debut breakout release from fledgling record label powerhouse Pyro Music MGT. Taken from the forthcoming album also entitled Ugly, Jones delivers a brutally honest account of his life tribulations in which he lays his deepest emotions bare.
Produced, composed & arranged by long-time collaborator Mello D – Ugly arrives accompanied by a visceral visual narrative directed by Adam Al Sened (dLO Media). The cinematic visuals serve to compliment Ugly’s dark and sinister themes, seeing Jones portray a troubled alter-ego whose story goes from bad to worse as a night on the town unfolds.
Discussing his debut release, Jones states:
“I wrote Ugly at a time where things were really going wrong for me as life’s pressures became all-consuming. Instead of playing the blame game, I thought I’d reflect on where I stood, and the part I was playing in the situations I was finding myself in. I’ve always been real & seek to convey the truth in my music, but that can’t just be exclusive to portray me in a positive light, I’ve got to be honest with myself & my mistakes in life”.
In addition to the single release of Ugly, the South London native has also announced the album also entitled Ugly is scheduled for release later this year.
LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/ThisIsOJ
https://twitter.com/_ThisIsOJ
https://www.instagram.com/_thisisoj
https://www.facebook.com/pyromusicmgt
https://twitter.com/pyromusicmgt
https://www.instagram.com/pyromusicmanagement -
The Dayoffs – Next To Nothing
NYC-based Japanese-Russian duo The Dayoffs have announced ‘Next To Nothing’ as the second single from their forthcoming self-titled debut album. The Dayoffs are Vladimir Komarov and Atsuo Matsumoto – both are producers, having met in the studio while working on other artists’ output. Always busy working on other people’s music, Vladimir and Atsuo recorded some instrumental improvisations during studio downtime, gathering enough material for a debut LP. Hence, their name The Dayoffs – from constant lack of studio time for their own music.
The Dayoffs is a rock duo with an elastic, transparent and multilayered sound and catchy riffs and hooks due to some solid pop sensibilities. ‘Love Love Love’ is a prime example of this, oscillating between winning elements of Teenage Fanclub, Ash, The Boo Radleys, Ultra Vivid Scene and Pet Shop Boys. Slated for release on November 10 via German boutique label Emerald & Doreen Recordings, their debut offering is comprised of 11 refreshing tracks.
Coming to their praise immediately was James Atkin of EMF fame. “I’ve been so looking forward to this musical offering from The Dayoffs, having followed their progress from the fruition of this new project. The track ‘Next To Nothing’ ticks so many boxes for me from the off. Opening with a low-tech acid synthesizer that tells you something serious is going down and to hold on tight for the ride. The distorted bass makes you actually feel dirty with the drums pounding like a sweaty amphetamine episode.”
“I’ve always been a fan of Vladimir’s vocal delivery, weaving non-committal but with acute emotional conviction. I love the way the guitars crash into the chorus, creating beautiful textures and dynamic highs. These guys have seriously got their songwriting and production skills nailed, Vladimir and Atsuo have created a truly stunning album that will no doubtable be on everyone’s turntables by the end of the year.”
The new video for ‘Next to Nothing’ presents clips of skiers from yesteryear, a DIY style that pays homage to American punk, skate, and snowboard videos of the 90s. In contrast, the videos for earlier tracks ‘Love Love Love’ and ‘State of Madness’ focus on the duo, their life, and environment in New York City, the latter even filmed by prominent Russian movie director Fedor Lyass.
Atsuo is Japanese and Vladimir is Russian. Despite living in different parts of Manhattan and supporting opposing soccer teams, these two have much in common. Not only are they born on the same day, but they are both musicians and recording professionals. The two met in 2012 at the legendary Stratosphere Sound Studios, when Vladimir was tracking for a project and Atsuo was engineering the sessions. During the first recording hour, both realized that their recording methods and musical tastes are similar. Soon they teamed up to produce a bunch of records, including the debut album ‘Country Mile’ by James Atkin (EMF) and ‘Voshod’ by Russian post-punk heroes Manicure.
Vladimir Komarov is a musician, sound producer, DJ, and journalist and otherwise known as a pioneer of Russian shoegaze and indietronica. While his Russian music projects Hot Zex and Punk TV became staples of the nascent Russian indie rock scene, they also were well-received abroad. Atsuo Matsumoto is a Japanese musician and sound engineer and, apart from The Dayoffs, he is a member of Andy Chase’s Camera2 band.
The Dayoffs sound seems to gravitate towards Teenage Fanclub, which is interesting considering that it was at the band’s Manhattan’s gig in the summer of 2014 that Vladimir and Atsuo decided to jointly explore this sound further.
“This is a rock album. Speedy, noisy but lyrical – as guitar as could be. We did this on purpose. It was like playing with old toys – sweet, nostalgic and big fun. Maybe too sweet sometimes – but I don’t mind. These songs came out of nowhere, uncalculated and with a lot of improvisation,” explains Vladimir Komarov. “It took us more than two years to complete this 30-minute record as we are perfectionists. Every time I listen to it, I have nothing I’d like to add. This means that it is off the table and I’m very excited to know that our next record will follow different direction”.
The Dayoffs debut LP will be made available across all the regular digital sales and streaming platforms.
LINKS:
http://www.facebook.com/The-Dayoffs-707158302724188
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7t1WCdY8RgIHGf0iIgtRgQ
http://soundcloud.com/thedayoffs
http://www.instagram.com/thedayoffs
http://twitter.com/thedayoffs