The Swagger is an original 4 piece indie-alt rock band from Hornsey North London UK originally formed in March 2011.
SOURCE: Official Bio
Written by Lee Stevens & Paul Stevens
Music recorded by The Swagger 2018
Produced by Mike Bennett & The Swagger
Engineered, Mixed & mastered by Angus Wallace at Far Heath studios, Northamptonshire UK
The music video was done by Electric Copper Films Ltd
Produced by Tina Emmett
Editing & Directed by Ben Coen
LINKS:
https://theswagger.bandcamp.com
https://facebook.com/theswaggerofficial
https://facebook.com/groups/theswaggermusic
https://twitter.com/theswaggermusic
https://instagram.com/theswaggermusic
https://musicglue.com/theswaggermusic
-
Claudio Conti – Old Clouds Fell
Claudio Conti is an Italian songwriter whose style is rooted in the same romantic pensiveness that marks the music of Tim Buckley, Nick Drake, Gene Clark. and Tim Hardin. Largely drawn to psychedelic music, folk rock, and 80’s indie rock, he considers Gram Parsons, The Doors, The Smiths and early R.E.M. as his main influences.
His new 14-track album ‘Garnet Dusk’ is a very ambitious and personal album with moods alternating between the chaotic experiences of a man in his early to mid-thirties, the solidification of his beliefs and worldview, including its flaws and qualities.
‘Garnet Dusk’ addresses such issues as migration and maturity – the product of deep thinking about the impervious, inevitable situations that life dishes up, usually not on a silver platter. This album was equally inspired by the sound of the ocean as by a woman’s departure. This is Conti’s attempt to explain unusual encounters like ships passing slowly in the night.
“This album is about the mysticism of love and rediscovered affection. The truth in children’s eyes and parents’ lack of consideration. And the frustrations, the illusions of flippancy that take us far from certain situations and on a detour towards the firmness of our insight, the channel of real life, where we find the life source that we really need,” says Claudio Conti.
Back in 2003-04, Conti self-released a sequence of home recordings called ‘Botticelli’, followed by the ‘Handmaids Skim The Marble’ EP in 2008 and the ‘Northern’ EP the following year. Having spent a significant amount of time in the UK and the United States, his various life experiences there allowed him to further shape his expressive-musical style and influences, resulting in the album ‘Every Forest Has Its Shadow’ (2012), which he fully wrote and then recorded with psychedelic folk rock band Magic Salad.
After a two-year hiatus, Conti split his time between Chicago, Los Angeles, and London last year, and decided to officially release his first solo album ‘Saltworks’ (recorded in 2013-14) with Seahorse Recordings and was very well received by Italian magazines and webzines.
This latest album ‘Garnet Dusk’ is like fire in the sky, lasting just a short while but holding your core intuitions – carpe diem. Then comes the night with its glorious shadows and blinding lights… a reel for the poets… a tryst for the unsatisfied.
“A sumptuous violin courtesy of Alessio De Vita immediately demands the full attention of the listener as Conti’s light, calming tones perfectly accompany. It magically refrains from upping the tempo and serves as an almost angelic call to the heavens”
– Louder Than War“Claudio Conti uses a folk scenario in which he weaves songs that you never get tired of – this is a pleasant and fluid earful… an inward-looking journey the artist leads us on discreetly”
– Rockit“Here unfolds a cherished and evocative dimension with swaying images of pure and luminous harmony”
– Music Map“Claudio interprets this genre uniquely, sneaking in races of British folk-rock under the influence of Jeff Buckley’s intimate vocal dynamics and the liquid atmosphere of a superb electric guitar”
– TempiDuri“You could easily become enveloped by the notes in Conti’s music or the genuineness of his vocals”
– Sound36 MagazineLINKS:
http://www.facebook.com/Claudio-Conti-1479110699037058
http://twitter.com/claudioconti70
http://soundcloud.com/claudio-conti-1981
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkwofKkFAABqlS_hjhcTpmA/videos
http://open.spotify.com/album/3qE7dqbAJTLmCSI7TgYbUs
http://itunes.apple.com/it/album/saltworks/id949723409
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=claudio+conti+saltworks
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/claudioconti -
San Eco – Perspectrum
San Eco combine the unique approach of two musicians, one with a footing in innovative electronica, the other in bombastic indie pop. Five years in the making, their debut album ‘San Eco’ finds them drawing influences from Fela Kuti to Slint, Nathan Fake to R.E.M, into a delicate and emotive electronic alt rock treat.
Morris Cowan (Adam Taylor) cut his teeth in the electronic music scene in the mid-noughties, and since then has released for Nottingham based Wigflex imprint and German label Zaubernuss. He has built up notable admirers, having had his tracks championed by Mary Ann Hobbs and Tom Ravenscroft on their BBC Radio 6 Music shows.
Tom Edney’s brand of alternative indie songwriting has also earned him a considerable following. Never shying away from ambition, his alternative rock music has him drawing inspiration from varied subjects like Victorian Gothic Monasteries on Manchester housing estates to his Lynchian inspired dreams. His efforts such as ‘Hands On’ and ‘The Manchester Underground EP’ have earnt him plays on many stations around the world, including BBC Radio 6 Music.
It was during the recording of Cowan’s ‘Six Degrees’ and Edney’s ‘The Manchester Underground EP’, that the two actually became aware of each other’s music – listening in through a wall between neighboring studios. Cowan tabled an offer of a session, and five years of creativity and hard work later, they are finally ready to release their debut album ‘San Eco’, on Manchester multimedia label ‘Beatphreak.’
LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/sanecosounds
https://beatphreak.co.uk/artists/san-eco -
Musta Paraati – The Leader
Finnish post-punk legends Musta Paraati will be releasing their first new album in 34 years on October 2018, through Cleopatra Records. The ‘Black Parade’ LP features 11 tracks in English. 10 of these are new and ‘The Leader’ is a new English rendition of their song ‘Johtaja’, which released as a single in 1983. The band is previewing this track ahead of the album release.
This release follows Cleopatra Records’ 23-track deluxe reissue of their 1983 debut album ‘Peilitalossa’ on CD & digitally, also featuring bonus material from their 1984 sophomore album ‘Käärmeet’.
Highly regarded as Finland’s premier post-punk/goth rockers, Musta Paraati was making music before their countrymen Russian Love, Two Witches, and The 69 Eyes. With their own unique sound that is upbeat and with an old-school punk attitude, their music gained them cult status in their native Finland, their albums being considered prized contributions to record collections, and also led to touring with other cult bands like Lords of the New Church and Hanoi Rocks.
It is not surprising that Jyrki ’69’ Linnankivi from The 69 Eyes joined Musta Paraati members Sakari ‘Saku’ Paasiniemi (guitar), Pasi ‘Panda’ Nikander (bass), Yrjö ‘Ykä’ Knuuttila (drums) on this album. The band’s original vocalist was Jore Vastelin, who passed away in 1993.
“We started this project with Jyrki to make a couple of songs in English for our fans abroad, but it grew into a full album. We are really excited and proud of our new album ‘Black Parade’. It has pushed us to the next level and we are already working new material for the future releases,” says Yrjö.
“Since the material sounded virtually like the music Musta Paraati was making back in the 80’s, I took an imaginative journey back in time and studied everything I found from that era, including music, movies, and politics. I also kept the somewhat naive approach for lyrics and rock’n’roll to keep things simple,” comments Jyrki 69.
In 2015, Musta Paraati had a new lineup with vocalist Herra Ylppö, with whom they played a string of well-received shows and released the two-track EP ‘Uusi Musta/Uudet Juhlat’. Ylppö’s work with solo career and his band Maj Karma led to Musta Paraati guitarist Saku Paasiniemi sending some new tracks to Jyrki 69.
“Two hours after I sent the demos to Jyrki, I received three completed songs,” says Saku. “We didn’t really think of our collaboration marked the new coming of Musta Paraati at all – it was just another cool project!”
Following the re-release of ‘Peilitalossa’, Jyrki 69 shared the new demos with Cleopatra Records, the label signed on for a new album and Musta Paraati joined Jyrki 69 in the studio to record what would become the ‘Black Parade’ album.
The album cover for ‘Black Parade’ features photography by Stefan Bremer, the same photographer whose image features on the band’s debut album, taken at exactly the same location.
As of October 19, 2018, ‘Black Parade’ will be available from online stores and streaming platforms, such as Spotify. It can already be pre-ordered digitally via Bandcamp and on both CD and vinyl via Cleopatra Records. This Musta Paraati vinyl is a limited edition purple vinyl pressing. This album will be supported with a full-scale international tour starting in November 2018.
LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/mustaparaati
https://mustaparaati.bandcamp.com
https://soundcloud.com/musta-paraati
https://www.instagram.com/sakupaasiniemi