Tokyo’s The Mootekkis are one of those bands that deliver the musical goods every time. And I mean every time. And this time is no exception with the uber-catchy ‘poptastically’ decadent track that is ‘Against the Ropes’, from their new album ‘Pucker Up‘ (check out our review HERE).
The video above gives the quirky story of love lost, found, and lost again on the epic streets of Tokyo while the band plays on. The video harks back to the glory days of MTV and solidifies the band’s stature as one of those #indie bands that truly get it. Look, and sound like a million bucks and, guess what, you’re a million bucks.
‘Pucker Up’, from The Mootekkis is out now. Get your copy HERE.
The Mootekkis
This booze-loving Tokyo-based 5-piece – Australian, American and 3 Japanese – garage rock’n’roll band was formed midway through 2008 by Jude (guitar) and Mike (vox) and two years later were featured on the front cover of Japanzine after winning the magazine’s nation-wide battle of the bands with their 2010 EP track “Hey…What You Want?”.
More recently a number of their tracks from 2014 debut album “Heckling the Dawn” have been used for the Skateboarding Japan podcast while their tune “The Whiskey” is the theme music for drinkers and skaters delight podcast Got Faded Japan.
Prior to this, in August 2012 they embarked on a 10-day tour of New York where they played Manhattan hot spots Bowery Electric and Piano’s as well as New Haven’s Elm Bar and a handful of basement and loft parties in Brooklyn – before this trip 2 members had never been outside Japan.
Brooklyn’s Ishmael Osekre, an organizer of the festival Aputumpu, had this to say after seeing The Mootekkis at a Bushwick loft party: “This was pure rock’n’roll in a way that most people around here haven’t seen for a long time…it was just amazing.”
The Mootekkis have had the good fortune of having a lot of good people behind them. In 2013 they crowdfunded their debut album and in 2014 they finished in the top 10 of Tokyo’s 126 bands trying to earn a spot at Summer Sonic thanks to immense local and foreign support.
They’re truly humbled and wholly committed to giving rock’n’roll lovers something new with decades of respect for what has come before.
The Mootekkis are:
Mike (vocals)
Jude (rhythm/lead)
Koji (rhythm/lead)
Yo’cchan (bass)
Takahiro (drums)
LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/themootekkis
https://twitter.com/themootekkis
https://themootekkis.bandcamp.com
-
Felixity Premieres ‘You&Me’ Single (The Week in #Indie Segment)
Felixity drops her new single, remix, and video for the track titled ‘You&Me’. Featuring a wonderful vocal syncopation done soulfully by Felixity and continuing that level of skill with her voice throughout, ‘You&Me’ centers on that special hook not heard since the glory days of Motown with modern twits and funked-up rhythm that will cause random rewinds just to hear those moments again.
This all culminates into that wonderfully wicked breakdown meant for the masses that literally segways into the remix via that special playlist where both songs are combined. Oberkon matches the mayhem with a slick beat and otherworldly and otherways overlooked instrumentation brought to the forefront which generates that original feel for the dancefloor.
The Oberkon Remix is a collaborative effort between 3 heavy hitters: Andy Spaceland of Alpha and 5 Billion in Diamonds, together with Butch Vig (of Garbage fame and then some); Jay Reynolds (Dua Lipa, Liam Gallagher, MIST, Fred Again, Gabrielle, Paloma Faith); and producer David Francolini, who also produced Felixity’s forthcoming album.
As of April 17, ‘You&Me (Oberkon Remix)’ will be available across all the main digital platforms, including Apple Music and Spotify. On April 24, the next single ‘Twisted Love’ will be released, followed by the full ‘Love Sick’ album on May 1 via Komplex Recordings.
Watch the full episode of The Week in #Indie HERE.
Click HERE to watch Season 6 of Jammerzine’s ‘The Week in #Indie’.
Click HERE to watch Season 5 of Jammerzine’s ‘The Week in #Indie’.
Click HERE to watch Season 4 of Jammerzine’s ‘The Week in #Indie’.
Click HERE to watch Season 3 of Jammerzine’s ‘The Week in #Indie’.
Click HERE to watch Season 2 of Jammerzine’s ‘The Week in #Indie’.
Click HERE to watch Season 1 of Jammerzine’s ‘The Week in #Indie’.ABOUT FELIXITY
‘You&Me’ is a hyper-real and joyful gem that shines in an auto-tuned pop landscape. Equally street-smart-urban and classic chanteuse, her remarkable voice and effortless range make an impactful introduction.
Felixity’s cool, hauntingly beautiful tone is fused with a world-class dynamic production; washes of orchestral uplift and wonderful musicianship weaving soulfully funky, R&B vibes. The deep groove, broad sonic palette, and positive message should resonate with all generations of music lovers.
The Oberkon Remix was created by a trio of heavy hitters: Andy Spaceland (a.k.a. Andy Jenks), part of Alpha and 5 Billion in Diamonds, together with Butch Vig; Jay Reynolds, notable mixer for the likes of Dua Lipa, Liam Gallagher, MIST, Fred Again, Gabrielle, Paloma Faith, and Pixie Lott; and producer David Francolini.
“I often write about things that have hurt me, music is the easiest place I can put the things in my head because I find it simpler to sing about things than say them. I’ve opened up a lot about myself in these songs so I hope someone out there hears them and feels a little bit less alone,” says Felixity.
Recorded in London, Bristol, Brighton, Berlin and Geneva, this LP was mastered by Brian Lucey (Katy Perry, Shania Twain, Liam Gallagher, Hatchie, Green Day) at Magic Garden Mastering and mixed by Cenzo Townsend (U2, Ash, The Stranglers, The Wedding Present) at Decoy Sound. It was produced and engineered at Komplex Studio by David Francolini, who has been operating Komplex Studios out of Bristol but has now moved operations to the French Alps.
Her forthcoming collection of 10 deeply personal songs is part confessional, part exorcism and all infused with her extraordinary voice and street smart lyrics. Inspired by The Weeknd (Trilogy), Etta Bond, J Cole, Anderson Paak, KAYTRANADA, and Jhene Aiko, Felixity’s songs, which were written at the very end of last year, takes the listener on a poetic journey to the heart of the singer.
“Given the confessional nature of Felixity’s lyrics, it was important to create a dramatic soundscape; a cinematic and lush harmonic bed on top of which her wonderful voice could sit and her stories’ meanings are amplified. I have shapeshifted the feel of the songs throughout the record so it feels like the emotional journey that the lyrics portray. All quite conceptual really, but always keeping it uncluttered, funky, simple, and the groove deep,” says producer David Francolini.
This collection of songs of love and loss is just the tip of the iceberg of what is to come. Living between Bristol, London, and Brighton, Felixity has several albums planned for 2020 and is already back in the studio to record the second.
As for many artists, the live shows planned in support of this album have been postponed. Nonetheless, Felixity is hoping to perform again later in the summer, current environment permitting.
Featured image by Steve Gullick.
LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/Felixityx
https://twitter.com/felixity_x
http://www.iinstagram.com/felixity_x
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtqvgVRDF_xKKzWNNYnRVmA
https://music.apple.com/gb/artist/felixity/1497518825
https://open.spotify.com/artist/0rrpwcxiKQNAtpsU3e4q7V -
Jammerzine’s The Week in #Indie for 6/22/2016
This week’s episode includes the latest from Electro London, Roger Shah, Moya Brennan, Ren Stedman, STFU, Naomi Scott, and the Blue Soap Music Blue Soap Box Top 10 in independent tracks.
-
An Interview with Drew Davies (The Week in #Indie Segment)
This interview was a real treat for me. To become a fan of someone’s music that you get to review and to actually get to write about how that music stands out as it’s own is a true privilege. That artist is Drew Davies. I’ve gotten to review two of his tracks so far: ‘Man on the Run‘ and ‘Living the Dream‘. Both tracks stand out in their own individual ways, and each is a musical monster in their own creative right.
And now I get to talk with the mind behind the music and how those tracks came to be and much, much more. There are a few true surprises in this interview (I would have never guessed his origins in music). We also get a detailed glimpse of his views on the current music scene and what he has coming up next. I guarantee, Drew will be one of your next favorite artists.
About Drew Davies
Persistence is a word that’s rather easily thrown around in this era of the five-minute social media fad. But in this golden age of the hashtag Drew’s goals have always been keenly focussed on producing music close to his heart.Through friendships and loved ones come and gone, successes, setbacks and everything in between, Drew has poured himself into his musical labors, and now he’s produced his most personal work to date.
Whilst Drew hails from the North of England he is an adopted Londoner; he’s trod the boards of venues and festivals across the UK and Europe with various bands, worked in musical collaborations, written for other artists and sang in session gigs to get by. From cutting his teeth and paying his dues in some of the seediest venues you’ve ever likely to see to recording in some of the top studios on the planet; these experiences all played their part in his arrival at this vantage point, from which he brings forth his debut solo album.
Musically Drew pulls from a vast array of influences that stretch from 50s rock n’ roll to modern electronica. From the hook-filled, to-the-point numbers of Roy Orbison or Tom Petty, to the cinematic synth sounds of John Carpenter, Vangelis, and Kavinsky, the music is imbued with a heavy tenderness; wrapped up in the genre-bending timelessness of artists like Bowie, Queen or Eurythmics.
“When I wrote ‘Living The Dream’ I had recently removed myself from a number of unhealthy relationships and thrown myself into my work. Whilst I had become somewhat of a hermit in those days I also met a wonderful woman and started a love affair.
The song is about going your own way; but it’s also a snapshot of that period in my life; the lyrics were quite a tongue in cheek; centering on the rejection of the ‘rock n roll’ lifestyle that had been thrust upon me, the new love in my life and the scene from where I was writing the song…”
In preparation for the release of Living the Dream, Drew has readied a full backing band complete with dueling guitars, bass, synthesizers, drums and two backing singers; bringing the full sound of the songs to the stage as they can be heard on the record. Having debuted earlier this year at London’s iconic Troubadour club the band have gone on to play notable London venues and are preparing to tour the UK and beyond.
Self-produced by Drew, the album was recorded at Tileyard Studios in London, before arriving at the hands of mixing engineer Steve Honest (Oasis, Michael Jackson, Fleetwood Mac), with mastering by John Webber (George Michael, David Bowie, Super Furry Animals) at the legendary AIR Studios.
LINKS:
https://www.drewdaviesmusic.com
https://www.facebook.com/drewdaviesmusic
https://www.twitter.com/drewdaviesmusic
https://www.instagram.com/drewdaviesmusic
https://drewdaviesmusic.bandcamp.com