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
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The Moon – Make It In The Easy Way You Know
“Make It In The Easy Way You Know”, single from the album “Waiting For Yourself”.
The Moon is:
- Spino: guitars vocals
- Charles: guitars vocals
- Den: bass
- Pio3: drums
The music video is made by Uponadream, edited by Mark Londero & Giulio Venier.
2014 © music lyrics & images The Moon
LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/themoonrockband
http://www.uponadream.it -
Pls Pls Me – Water Torture
Pls Pls Me has today premiered their new video for the single titled ‘Water Torture’. When I first heard Pls Pls Me last year I fell in love with their style and originality. And, when I interviewed them, I fell in love with their personalities and drive. Jimi Fish and Jessie Torrisi are two artists who could easily have brilliant solo careers but, when brought together, become this original thing that demands a listen and commands an audience.
With ‘Water Torture’, this is proven a solid fact. This video has that slow burn feel that captivates you with that first look and keeps you for a second. The song gives a sonic resilience to the recently disenfranchised and isolated with the assurance that we are not alone yet we can survive isolated. ‘Water Torture’ is a song of strength. And, almost like an anthem, it drives that point to the end and makes that end of the song a new beginning. Take a listen. Take a look. Take the message.
Check out our other features with Pls Pls Me HERE.
Featured image by Jason Leavy.
About ‘Water Torture’
‘Water Torture’ is Pls Pls Me’s send-off to Donald Trump. It is a description of how the duo felt the last 4 years, just hearing his voice. “For anyone who cares about racial justice, or the rising number of COVID deaths, or who wants this country to stand for more than celebrity or ego – it felt like he was taunting us,” Jessie says. Trump’s tweets, history of sexual harassment, his claim of being a super successful businessman while declaring bankruptcy 6 times, all find their way into this song.
Though they’ve been known to inject their politics into their music before, Pls Pls Me didn’t set out to write a song about Trump. One day, Jimi heard a sound clip by Brooklyn producer Noams on instagram. Instantly lyrics popped into his hand, so he reached out to Noams, who had never intended to make a song from the instrumental, and they struck a deal. Soon after, musicians from NYC to Austin TX lent their voices for the chorus; it turns out quite a few people felt bruised ‘n battered by 4 years of a Trump presidency.
The vision further came together when their New York photographer friend Jason Leavy flew out to California and they did a shoot at Hayes Mansion, San Jose, taking pictures masked up by the eery yet entrancing light of the swimming pool at night.
“For me, this song is a purge,” Jimi says. “I love our campiness and our ability to bring queerness to such a serious topic. Right now, America feels split in so many ways. While unity would be great, there will be none until we get the negativity out.”
Music, after all, is catharsis. And we could all use some of that after 2020.
About Pls Pls Me
Pls Pls Me is a Brooklyn-based queer electro pop duo who came together on a grey New Year’s Day in 2016. While launching QUEER MF, a local showcase and party for queer music, singer/multi-instrumentalists Jimi Fish and Jessie Torrisi bonded over writing songs about sex, longing, and surviving the age of Trump.
Their love of eclectic, hip hop-inflected production and otherworldly harmonies crystalized with last year’s long-awaited debut EP, Too Late. Jammerzine called them “a slow melodic burn… that hits in all the right places.” Analogue Trash calls their modern dream-pop “very doomy, but a lot of fun.” And OVRLD says Pls Pls Me are a cross of “early XX and Everything But the Girl.” Their latest track Water Torture, which is a send-off for Trump, is a departure from their summer love anthems.
But this band has a sonic range. More than anything, Pls Pls Me is the story of a deep friendship formed over late nights at the piano while pondering the power dynamics of love and the art of being queer. Their follow-up EP, produced by indie songstress Sarah Jaffe, is due out in Summer 2021.
LINKS:
https://plsplsme.nyc
https://www.facebook.com/PlsPlsMeNYC
https://open.spotify.com/artist/2GFPThWEgRKDMICtF5Nb85?si=JMN8DTqgQOKENVw2O1tY1g
https://www.instagram.com/plspls.me
https://www.twitter.com/PlsPlsMeNYC
https://www.soundcloud.com/plsplsme
https://www.youtube.com/user/YouPleasePleaseMe -
Whispering Sons – Alone
Whispering Sons are Sander Hermans (synth), Fenne Kuppens (vocals), Kobe Lijnen (guitar), Sander Pelsmaekers (drums) and Tuur Vandeborne (bass). The band just wrapped up a mini-tour with The Soft Moon, but look forward to a series of shows with Gang of Four and headlining a series of European live dates in November in support of this album.
This is the first major release for this Brussels-based outfit since their ‘Endless Party’ EP in 2015. This new release represents what the band describes as a “giant leap forward”. Together with producer Micha Volders and engineer/co-producer Bert Vliegen, the band used their time in the studio as a means to broaden their sound, enriching it with acoustic drums and a whole range of synthesizers.
This album, recorded over a period of ten days at GAM Studios in Belgium, evokes an atmosphere that is ominous and urging while capturing the band’s live intensity. Mixed by Bert Libeert (Goose, B, Raving George – Charlotte de Witte) at Jetson Studio and mastered by Frederik Dejongh (Hooverphonic) at Jerboa Mastering, this work is tinged with angst and isolation. Lyrically these songs stem from alienation, distance, and inertia.
The songs on ‘Image’ were written after the band collectively moved to Brussels in 2016. Between intense touring, they channeled their new ideas into the music found on this album. Feeding on the dynamics of the city, the tracks unveil feelings of alienation and distance. ‘Image’ is a motionless state, in which observations overshadow actions. It reflects the artificiality of things, yet still desperately clings on to ideas and obsessions, something which is also strengthened by the cover artwork, created of Flor Maesen.
Whispering Sons won Belgium’s prestigious Rock Rally in 2016, the same national contest that launched the career of dEUS. Since then they released several 7 inches – ‘Performance/Strange Identities’ (2016) and ‘White Noise’ (2017), and the ‘Endless Party’ EP. Touring extensively in Europe, they’ve developed a reputation for their animated performances.
As of October 19, the ‘Image’ LP will be available everywhere, but it can already be ordered via Cleopatra Records on CD and also digitally via Bandcamp.
SOURCE: Official Bio
LINKS:
http://www.whisperingsons.com
https://www.facebook.com/WhisperingSons
https://whisperingsons.bandcamp.com
https://twitter.com/WhisperingSons
https://www.instagram.com/whisperingsons
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7AFnJzNQsK_bRA5Dwi3z9w/videos
https://soundcloud.com/whisperingsons
https://open.spotify.com/artist/2iIBcGbTd24FtVwuP9o2OT
https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/whispering-sons/1068572713