Mint drop their new video titled ‘Goodbye Beautiful’. Music with a message is more important than ever in these weird times that we live in and it’s nice to get those subtle reminders from time to time. Do we listen? Sure, sometimes. Sometimes not. But the important thing is that it is highlighted.
The music is upfront and in your face in a way to capture the mind and captivate the motivation. Combined with the contemporary visuals you get a contemplative look at contemporary times. Feel the need and urge to wake up and speak up. Some people won’t listen. But some will. Get the ones that will speak up with you.
We’re as scared and angry as any other person our age. If we can provide a soundtrack for people that can relate then we have made a difference. We’re not a protest band and not every song will be a protest. We can’t afford to take a day off work and travel to London to add our voice. But we’re not just going to watch TV and read online either.
ABOUT ‘GOODBYE BEAUTIFUL’
On ‘Goodbye Beautiful’ frontman, Zak has written a song that encapsulates the diverse issues his generation faces. Memories of hearing ‘Bella Ciao’ sung by the sole Italian family in his area inspired him to write a song to voice the resentments, fears, and concerns of the young over the environment and their future, as well as wider issues such as racism, animal cruelty and societal division. In three and a half minutes, Mint channel the broad scope of the song into a high-octane imperial march towards certain doom. Guitars careen through the mix mounting to an explosive and unforgettable chorus. It is a powerful statement of intent from a group that see the emotional resonance of music as a potential platform for uniting people. The accompanying video is compiled from footage taken by a friend of the band on his travels, interspersed with suggestive images: icebergs, waste, oil spillage, animal suffering, and protesters clamoring for revolution.
As they were developing the idea, the group reached out online and contacted organizations, bloggers and social media. “It was an amazing response and took us by surprise” confirms Sam (Veggie). “Most people were delighted to be involved and all added thanks and support.” “We’re hoping that we will touch upon people enough to make them think” Zak adds. “We hope that it will inspire them to do their bit”. Fans of the song can expect a raw honky-tonk acoustic version forthcoming too.
ABOUT MINT
Mint comes from the dolorous landscape of West Marsh, Grimsby. The northern and eastern boundaries are formed by Alexandra Dock, while the western edge is subsumed into the smog of the Pyewipe industrial area. The south is bordered by impassable railway tracks. It is an area with little hope, no tourists, and the dried-up husk of a once prosperous fishing industry. Zak, Veggie, Lenny and Bambi all attended the same school, though the semantics of the word ‘attended’ is loosely applied here. They formed a close bond while locking horns over their different music tastes. Guitarist Lenny drew inspiration from the avant-garde sounds of Nick Cave, The Birthday Party, and The Pop Group, while the other three members leaned towards indie classics and the harder edges of rock. They went on to study at Grimsby Institute and the idea to form a band was soon realized and became serious in 2018.
Being half Palestinian and sporting wild hair in an area affiliated with skinheads, frontman Zak Rashid had it hardest coming up, and started to look outside of his home town. He was a young pro skateboarder and surfer by day and taught himself graphic design by night. When he is not gigging he runs the (only NE) local surf shop and designs artwork for artists such as Lucy Spraggan, Black Honey and False Heads. Lenny works in the cafe next door whilst Bambi and Veggie work shifts in soup canning factories. Mint has enjoyed UK radio support from Radio 1 and playlisting on Radio X and has performed at all major UK festivals. In mid-2019 they started to realize their sound, an idiosyncratic fusion of indie melodies set to beefier instrumentation. Recently they have begun work with award-winning production team Sugar House and taken on management.
LINKS:
https://www.instagram.com/wearejustmint
https://open.spotify.com/artist/3P1VGtEN58XJY7P0TzIapp
https://soundcloud.com/wearejustmint
https://www.facebook.com/WeAreJustMint
https://twitter.com/wearejustmint
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Holy Wars (ft. NOCTURN) – Tainted Love
Holy Wars has released their new video for their rendition of Soft Cell’s classic ‘Tainted Love’. This time with the assistance of producer Nocturn. that initial listen lends to the fact that we do indeed live in darker times. This is a creatively dystopian and electronically original take on such a recognized track that it really, on some levels, becomes a Holy Wars track. This is an accomplishment because, let’s face it, re-recording ‘Tainted Love’ is a bold move because of the instant recognition. Holy Wars does it the right way with said dystopia and highlighting the strong points of themselves: Kats vocals, Nick’s musicianship, and Nocturn’s production. With that coming together you have a re-envisioning and not a simple remake.
The video becomes a vessel for this. That slow burn and buildup found mainly in the movies we talk about the next day. That signature vision from signature visionaries on a mission to make realism into the relevance and show the beauty in the beat.
Check out our other features with Holy Wars HERE.
Tainted love song credits:
- Song by Holy Wars
- Produced by Nocturn
- Vocals: Kat Leon
- Guitar: Nick Perez
- Mixed by George Dum
Tainted love video credits
- Directed by: Diego Vicentini
- DP/Colorist: Horacio Martinez
- Steadicam: Carlos “MacGyver” Rosas
- 1stAC: Gabriela Perez
- Gaffer: Carlos Suarez
- KeyGrip: Manchin Hsiung
- MUA: Jessica Hoagland
- Production Assistants: Freangel Pacheco
- BTS: Francisco Dominguez/Sabrina Ruocco
- Gear supplied by Panny Hire LA
- Shot at Schecter Guitar Research in LA
About Holy Wars
Holy Wars was founded in early 2017 by frontwoman Kat Leon (Sad Robot) and co-creator Nicolas Perez (The Beta Machine, Kitten, Sad Robot). The feel and sound of Holy Wars are intense, dark, and honest. The birth of Holy Wars began after a terrible loss, the sudden death of both Leon’s parents in 2015. During a time of shock and sadness, music would be the best form of healing for Leon and her pain would be written into a 6 song dedication to her parents titled ‘Mother Father’. Leon found her rebirth and Holy Wars was born.
Holy Wars’ live debut was in front of a packed audience at the Echoplex in Feb 2017. The response from that live show resulted in multiple bookings and music blog reviews stating Holy Wars was the band to watch (LA Times, Grimy Goods, Alternative Press, Huffington Post and more).
The twisting chord progressions Holy Wars employs might at times call to mind Radiohead circa OK Computer; the band’s canon fire riffs and soaring melodies could be likened to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. It is as punk in attitude as it is as melodic and precise in musicality.
Kat was added to the “Women Who Rule/Best of Music 2017” list by the Huffington Post.
“…a distinctly heavy synth-rock sound that’s somewhere between Siouxsie and Suicide with a modern production sheen.”
Los Angeles Times“Hearing Holy Wars on a stream is one thing, but seeing the band perform live is a whole other experience. Kat Leon is an enchanting performer, full of emotional and physical movement — something that needs to be witnessed live.”
Grimy Goods“Orphan” is a gripping, mesmerizing number that merges elements of doom rock with the cinematic goth-rock of Kate Bush and Chelsea Wolfe. The searing guitars, hardened rhythms, and Leon’s soaring vocals form a wall of sound that pounds on your chest again and again. While the music is dark and heavy, it is a reflection of the pain and anger of a woman who has lost her heart and soul and is now alone. Her lyrics are emotional and hard-hitting”
The Revue“We’ve had the pleasure of catching (and reporting) on two Holy Wars shows in 2017, but without the knowledge or history behind the music. In both instances, we were captivated by the energy that this band fed its audience. The energy was electric: intense and visceral. However, knowing all of the pain and healing that Kat put into writing the music, and seeing her embody all of those emotions on stage, amplifies that energy 10 fold.”
Blurred CultureLINKS:
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 -
Gilbert Neal – Drop Of You
Gadabout, raconteur, ne’er-do-well-er. Gregarious and fecund. An artist who has said his dream is to be the American Susan Boyle with an album title (Dirty Red Pagan) suggested by Andy Partridge of XTC. Gilbert Neal is a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter with a uniquely imaginative multi-genre style that’s refreshingly difficult to categorize. In addition to his contributions as an indie rock solo artist, his adventurous, exploratory spirit has even found him performing in a Genesis tribute and a country music line-dance band.
Born in Buffalo, NY and currently based in North Carolina, Gilbert Neal has performed in various bands, jazz ensembles and theater productions throughout the years. However, at the heart of it, Gilbert is first and foremost a songwriter, with most of his lyrics being quite personal, telling a specific story or referring to a particular incident. Thematically, Gilbert is inspired by religion, politics, sex, loss and parental love. His sometimes quirky songs can be tongue-in-cheek, theatrical and somewhat socialist, frequently weaving in sexual, and godless messages in the lyrics. Gilbert says he strives to make each album 1) a cohesive piece of work and 2) guaranteed to possibly make a fantastic musical!
Gilbert has been writing and singing in bands since he was 12. From an early age, it never occurred to him not to be able to play and sing at the same time, write harmonies, and arrange music. For his solo debut, ‘Drink The Beast With Me’ (2006), Gilbert worked with a full band for the first time. Since then, he has focused more on orchestrating the majority of the musical elements with his own artistic vision. His most recent musical outputs incorporate pieces of all of his various musical experience including jazz, funk, soul and prog rock, often with a healthy sprinkle of musical theater. (He has been a musical director for a dinner theater and has a degree in vocal performance/music theory.)
Gilbert has been inspired by an eclectic mix of musicians ranging from XTC and Stevie Wonder to Steely Dan, Radiohead and the Les Humphries Singers. His current band features Gilbert on vocals, piano, guitar and bass, Steve Camilleri on drums, Darrell Nutt on percussion, Marko Marisic on additional guitar, and Pamela Henderson on backing vocals.
His fifth album, ‘Mayor of Estes Park’ was released in Summer 2016. His previous four albums include ‘Drink The Beast With Me’ (2006), ‘Our Deepest Apathy…’ (2008), ‘Vultures and Diamonds’ (2010) and ‘Dirty Red Pagan’ (2013).
LINKS:
http://gilbertneal.com
https://www.facebook.com/gilbert.neal
https://www.twitter.com/MrGilbertNeal
https://www.instagram.com/dirtyredpagan -
Joy Cleaner – Pink Lite
Joy Cleaner officially drop their new single and video titled ‘Pink Lite’. In the tradition started by bands such as Hüsker Dü and The Lemonheads, Joy Cleaner delivers that smooth guitar-driven sound and groove-centric rhythm that gives the listener that casual smirk letting them know that good independent music is alive and well in bands like Joy Cleaner.
ABOUT JOY CLEANER
After playing in numerous indie rock and punk bands together across North Jersey since 2009, guitarist Joey DeGroot and bassist Kyle Wilkerson formed Joy Cleaner in late 2015, almost as a challenge to themselves to take a more mature, accessible, and deliberate approach to songwriting. Following the release of their debut album on Jigsaw Records, 2017’s Total Hell, Joy Cleaner was praised for their strong hooks and full embrace of power pop songwriting, with many comparing their sound to Teenage Fanclub, Guided By Voices, and The Lemonheads.
2018 saw the addition of drummer Justin Grabosky, after which the band hit the road for several tours of the Northeast, Midwest, and South, including a stop at the 2018 Athens Popfest. The band spent spring 2019 in the studio with producer Josh Evensen of Where Is My Spaceship, recording their sophomore LP, which is slated for release in late 2019.
ABOUT ‘PINK LITE’
The Pink Lite intro riff happened during the first practice we had with Justin. I was playing Joey’s guitar and we jammed on that riff for a few minutes and quickly moved on to something else. I don’t think anyone thought much of that riff but one night I wrote down some notes during an acid trip, which became the lyrics, and figured out the rest of the song real quick.
LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/joycleaner666
https://jigsawrecords.bandcamp.com/album/pzl165-joy-cleaner-youre-so-jaded