Born in Nigeria but now based in London, Michael Rhodes is a singer who channels the gospel and soul sounds of the 1960s, bringing joy and vibrancy to his songs, as well as imbuing them with his winning personality. Feel It is a self-composed track which sees Michael in full effect, with his soaring counter-tenor voice and upbeat tempo being hard to resist.
Written by Michael three years ago, Feel It is based on unrequited love which, rather than defeating Michael, sparked something of an awakening and led to him looking for happiness in everyday life wherever he could find it – something he hopes will inspire others to do the same. Though Feel It is rooted in a soul and gospel singing style, the inclusion of electronic horns adds a contemporary feel, without it sounding quite like anything else out there.
To support the track’s release, Michael performed a live showcase at St. Luke’s Church, Kentish Town, London, video footage of which demonstrates Michael’s ease with an audience and ability to express himself through his music. With further tracks ready for release and looking to play live across the UK, Michael Rhodes is a singer with real potential and whose passion and sincerity set him apart from the crowd.
LINKS:
https://soundcloud.com/michael-rhodes-8/feel-it
https://open.spotify.com/album/11qKBGrRcenKGOQc9OWzam
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU4_NvS2aaXrRllOwCmPovQ
https://www.facebook.com/iamMichaelRhodes
https://www.instagram.com/michael_rhodes1
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Small Town Titans – Dragonfly
York, PA heavy rock band Small Town Titans have released the Official Music Video for their heartrending single, “Dragonfly”. “Dragonfly” is vocalist Phil Freeman’s celebration and memorial of his mother’s life and tragic passing.
“This song was written for my mother. She passed away in February of 2017 after a three-year battle with cancer. She loved dragonflies which happen to have deep spiritual significance in many traditions and cultures, representing love, freedom of spirit and compassion. She embodied all of these qualities…The intent of this song is to celebrate her life and bring a little light and love to anyone who may be dealing with the grief of losing someone to illness. She was and is an amazing soul, and I hope this song captures a tiny glimmer of her spirit for the person listening to it.”
– Phil FreemanThe Small Town Titans are a power trio from York, PA who love to constantly create, as well as play live. Gone is the notion that a rock band should only release 10 songs at a time every 2 years. In a world where music fans crave new content constantly, the Small Town Titans aim to deliver their brand of art all of the time, drawing inspiration from a new wave of rock bands such as Highly Suspect and Royal Blood, and rock legends such as the Foo Fighters, Audioslave, and Deep Purple. Thanks to their efforts at assembling their own studio in a basement, STT can create and release songs, podcasts, live online concerts, and more with no rules. This artistic change in attitude stems from touring for the better part of 2 years, and realizing how difficult it really is.
After coming home from their last 30-day run, the band had made $4,000. After repairing their vehicle, restocking their merchandise and more, the band was left with $1,000. After putting most of that back into the band’s funds, as usual, each member took home $150. This startling reality made STT take a step back and evaluate themselves as a band, a brand, and a business. After firing their manager, the boys soldiered on with the help of their team at Round 2 Records. They began to truly treat Small Town Titans as a legitimate small business more than ever before. Unnecessary expenses were cut, and more creative and innovative sources of new revenue were explored, such as utilizing the direct to fan creation platform Patreon, where the band is currently making $200 every time they release a new song on YouTube.
Instead of trying to make a million fans, STT is focusing on the fans they already have. With a love for playing live, a Small Town Titans show has evolved into more than a concert. It’s an event, with a setlist that’s decided right before the show, and plenty of stage banter in between songs. The band simply hits the stage to deliver an energy driven show using guitars, drums, and their voices. Nothing more, nothing less. This approach to their live performances has led to them sharing the stage with acts such as Highly Suspect, Papa Roach, Black Stone Cherry, Pop Evil, and more.
By focusing on their engagement with social media and managing themselves, Small Town Titans are growing like never before and having more success as a business and a brand. The band just wrapped up a weekend-long recording session at Hybrid Studios with friend Kevin Soffera, drummer for Seether on the 5x platinum selling record Disclaimer II, and who STT also recorded their last album Reflection with. Six brand new songs were recorded live in the studio, as well as professionally filmed by Springwood Productions at the same time. These new songs and videos will be released throughout the rest of 2017 and 2018. Songs range from the hard-hitting “Me, Myself, and Monster” and “Wreck” to the ballad “Dragonfly”, an emotional song written in memory of Phil’s mother, who passed away earlier this year due to cancer, performed live with just one voice and an acoustic guitar.
Small Town Titans are actively forming a team of like-minded individuals in the new music business who are just as driven and passionate as they are, rather than waiting to be discovered. As the band continues to grow their fan base online this year, they will also hit the road, this time with a smarter game plan, a stronger fan base, and a passionate team behind them.
LINKS:
http://smalltowntitans.com
https://www.facebook.com/smalltowntitans
https://twitter.com/smalltowntitans
https://www.instagram.com/smalltowntitans
https://www.youtube.com/smalltowntitans
https://www.patreon.com/smalltowntitans -
D0m S1th – Playthrough of The End Times
Turn to The Dark Side Music, a quick musical journey down a Dark Alternative Path. Echoing the trip-hop instrumental sounds of MINSTRY’s “TWITCH”, The CURE and Siouxsie and The Banshees. Mary and The Ram’s drummer, Dom Smith gives a dark, distorted atmosphere of mesmerizing industrial electronica with the release of ‘Playthrough of The End Times’ released 3 July.
“It’s a reflection of the here and now,” says Sith. “It’s the video game soundtrack or playthrough to our descent into darkness. I find comfort in making music at this time, and whatever you find comfort in, I hope you can dig this.”
Dom Sith is the electronic soundtrack project from Mary and The Ram and The Parasitic Twins’ drummer, Dom Smith. Based in Hull, East Yorkshire. Sith has previously received airplay from BBC Introducing
LINKS:
https://www.instagram.com/dom_sith
https://twitter.com/d0mS1th -
Rodney Cromwell – Comrades
British indietronica synthpop artist Rodney Cromwell has announced his forthcoming new ‘Rodney’s English Disco’ EP, his first collection of all new material in three years. Previewed by the song ‘Comrades’, which also features a 12″ extended dance mix by electronica act Vieon, the new EP will be available on 7″ vinyl, CD and digitally via London-based Happy Robots Records.
Where the debut album ‘Age of Anxiety’ by Rodney Cromwell (real name Adam Cresswell) drew on personal demons, on this new EP, social and political tribulations in the UK inspired these wry songs of woe. ‘Comrades’ is a robotic turbocharged rebel song for the twitter generation. ‘Barbed Wire’ is a song from across the barricades of the supermarket checkout. ‘Technocrats’ is a song for our illusory robot masters. ‘Dreamland’ is a breakup song for someone who just wants to go back to bed and pretend none of this ever happened. Sonically, this music sits between Kraftwerk, Pye Corner Audio and the Best of Divine.
Rodney Cromwell’s evocative synthpop looks to the proto-electronica of the 70’s and 80’s to construct a twisted soundtrack for the post-truth world. The instrumentation of the new EP has been kept intentionally minimal with its drum sounds taken entirely from a vintage Boss DR-55 drum machine and with a self-imposed limit on the amount of hissy analog gear used in its making. Melody and dark humor combine with simple motorik rhythms, soaring bass lines and the bleeps of retro synths, all within a lo-fi pop aesthetic.
Cromwell’s sound has been compared to the analog electronica of Kraftwerk, Section 25 and the ‘retro-futurists’ of Ghostbox Records. His miserablism and dark humor have been compared to that of The Cure and John Grant.
Rodney Cromwell’s debut album and subsequent EPs found crossover appeal, gaining Cromwell coverage from the likes of NME, Electronic Sound Mag, Huffington Post and Steve Lamacq and Gideon Coe on BBC 6 Music and on Spain’s national RNE3. At the end of 2015, Rodney Cromwell featured in 25 ‘Best of’ lists and was named ‘Most Promising New Act’ by The Electricity Club. ‘Barry Was an Arms Dealer’ featured in the 2015 Official Festive 50.
The video for ‘Comrades’ was produced by Dariy Karyakin, who has produced for David Lynch pet fave Nocturne Blue, has been praised by 6-time Emmy Winner Dutch Rall, and has earned various awards and honors. The sleeve artwork is by Latvian photographer Jelena Osmolovska, whose distinctive gritty post-Soviet fantasy aesthetic compliments the sound of this record.
Along with four original tracks by Rodney Cromwell, the EP features remixes by Rémi Parson, Vieon, Pattern Language and the debut release by Alice Hubble (Arthur & Martha, Mass Datura).
‘Rodney’s English Disco’ EP will be released on May 25 and available on red 7” vinyl, CD and digitally. Distributed by Cargo, this album is already available for pre-order via the Happy Robots Records store or Bandcamp. Catch Rodney Cromwell on tour in May.
LINKS:
http://www.facebook.com/happyrobotsrecords
http://twitter.com/robot_rocker
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_ZvCbaApGUVuQA7m7jaJtg/videos
http://soundcloud.com/happy-robots
http://rodneycromwell.bandcamp.com