“Our Time Is Now” is the third album of original music by Twilight Fields of North Bay, Ontario, Canada. This is the song-based project of Allister Thompson (known in ambient music circles as The Gateless Gate).
Twilight Fields’ music is very much a throwback to the spiritually intense days of “big music” when bands like The Waterboys, The Church, and Big Country weren’t ashamed to try to make philosophical statements with their music.
This particular album mainly deals lyrically with the importance of and our need for unconditional love to navigate sorrow and loss in an increasingly confused world, whether it’s love between partners, siblings, parent and child, or human and other beings and the natural world.
It combines elements of the gentle psychedelia of late sixties/early seventies Beach Boys with influences from Kiwi and Aussie pop (The Go-Betweens, Crowded House), the smarter end of Brit-pop (James, Doves), and classic seventies singer-songwriters, along with sonic touches from post-punk, psych, post-rock, shoegaze, dream pop and progressive rock.
The album contains a cover of The Moody Blues’ 1986 classic “I Know You’re Out There Somewhere” that mixes the mellotronic style of early Moodies with a hint of shoegaze.
About Twilight Fields
Twilight Fields is from Northern Canada and makes “ambient rock” with influences from progressive rock, ambient, dream-pop, psych-folk, and shoegaze. This music asks big questions about life and loss. Look for party-rock elsewhere.
LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/twilightfields
http://twilightfields.bandcamp.com
https://twitter.com/tfieldsband
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Poppymoon – No I Won’t
Poppymoon has today premiered their new single and video titled ‘No I Won’t’. This song is one of those that creeps up behind you and just quietly begins that dance move that entices you to join in. Sabina’s voice is the perfect fit and strength to lead this track into that part of your memory where it becomes a part of you.
While the video is simple it is to the point and past the limit in a signature way. In that way alone I feel that it is the perfect introduction to Poppymoon. Strong yet subtle. Beautiful and boundless. Welcome to the next experience of your life.
ABOUT POPPYMOON
Poppymoon is a German pop duo founded in 2020 by producer djaaaen and singer Sabina. Infusing their sound with elements of their past life in a rock band together, the duo creates a darker pop sound that nonetheless remains groovy as hell. Inspired by their own experiences coming of age in today’s world, their lyrics explore topics around mental health, self-discovery, freedom, and hope.
Sabina and djaaaen started their musical careers early, with Sabina singing ever since she can remember and djaaaen playing various instruments from the time he was six years old. They met in 2011 in a bar when Sabina asked djaaaen, then just a stranger next to her, if he could order her a cocktail. Since she was not of legal age yet, it was a slightly irresponsible decision the duo advise not to copy, but luckily, he obliged. What started as a light criminal act sparked a friendship and a musical partnership for life.
For almost a decade, Sabina and djaaaen wrote and performed music with their band ASHBY, touring Mexico and Germany along with playing gigs all over Europe. In the fall of 2020, amidst a pandemic locking down live music worldwide, the duo decided to indulge their long time love for pop music and form POPPYMOON.
Their first single, “Wanna Play that Game?” was released in September 2020, addressing topics like societal pressure and recognizing your own value against a minimalist pop backdrop that recalled the deft production of Billie Eilish and Dua Lipa. Their second single “Weirdos” followed shortly after and, to start off the new year, the duo announced “Joanie’s Secret” in January and their upcoming single “No, I won’t” in February. Opening on one of the duo’s most driving bass lines and building to a tropical house-indebted climax with Sabina’s commanding vocals guiding the way, “No, I won’t” is an empowering pop anthem tailor-made for a hopeful new year.
“No, I won’t’ embraces the concept of enforcing boundaries and living a life true to yourself without complying with others wishes, projections, and expectations, especially as a female-identifying person,” Sabina says. “Although this song deals with this topic from a female viewpoint, this message stands for everybody.”
LINKS:
http://www.itspoppymoon.com
https://open.spotify.com/artist/31yWm5xJWd4ld6WjI21nI3?si=GSjWsUCWRAWxmMpNcKWH6A
https://instagram.com/itspoppymoon
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDyXHjSbM2RL9_ne4aN-UEw
https://www.tiktok.com/@itspoppymoon -
WANK – Shut You Down
Featuring founding members Bobby Amodeo, Spider, Danny Walker, and the new addition of Higgins X-13 (formerly of The Offspring). WANK plans to release their new album ‘White Knuckle Ride’ later this year.
Guitarist Danny Walker tells Punknews, “We got back together a couple of years ago to jam, started recording some stuff, liked the way it was sounding, started playing some shows, and decided to make a full record. We didn’t plan it to be 20 years (since the release of their Maverick Records debut), but here we are. We’re proud of the new record. We’ve got a lot of punk and rock influence, but this album pops on top of all of that.”
Frontman Bobby Amodeo (who interestingly enough is a cannabis chemist by day) says, “WANK is stoked to be back making music. We’ve spent the last year producing our new album, ‘White Knuckle Ride.’ You’ll hear PRD, reggae skank, melodic hooks, and pop harmonies. WANK is rock-ready, and we look forward to destroying a stage near you very soon. Check us out!”
WANK formed in 1995 in Huntington Beach, CA. Mixing pop sensibility, rock chops, and punk energy, WANK (influenced by the Beatles and the Clash, among others) quickly gained momentum and garnered a reputation for themselves with melodic songs and highly entertaining live shows. In 1996, WANK self-released their debut, Get a Grip on Yourself. Their continuing success as a live act brought them to the attention of producer Mike Ness of Social Distortion, who oversaw the recording of “Larry Brown” for a split 7″ on Time Bomb Records (1997.) Ness also produced WANK on their version of “Auld Lang Syne,” their contribution to the comp, Christmas Gone Wrong (1997.)
In late 1997, “Forgiven” was added to rotation at the World Famous KROQ 106.7 in Los Angeles, and WANK was still unsigned. An industry bidding war ensued, and WANK signed a historic record deal with Maverick Records. In 1998, following an expedited major label re-release of Get a Grip on Yourself, WANK took their show on the road, touring with The Specials, Goldfinger, Social Distortion, and Warped Tour ’98. The band parted ways with Maverick Records in 1999 and focused on other projects.
In 2000, Amodeo was diagnosed with cancer, and after years of treatment, he’s back and rocks ready. Walker formed and fronted Handsome Devil and was signed to RCA in 2001. Handsome Devil released three albums – Love and Kisses (2001), Knock Yourself Out (2004), and Fully Automatic (2007), and toured with The Used, Lit, Zebrahead, and Warped. In 2007, Walker and friends (from Lit, Adolescents, and Cadillac Tramps) formed Rockers in the Round – an acoustic showcase series. Walker released two singer-songwriter albums – Mumble & Strum (2011) and Salvation (2012). Spider focused on session work and artist management, and he’s still the hardest hitting drummer around.
WANK reunited in 2016, self-releasing their 5 song EP – On with the Show and, in 2017, added guitarist Higgins X-13, formerly of the Offspring. In 2018, WANK is in the studio finishing a new full-length album for release. Enjoy – WANK is back.
LINKS:
http://www.wankusa.com
https://www.facebook.com/wankusa
https://www.instagram.com/wank_usa
https://twitter.com/wank_usa
https://www.reverbnation.com/wankusa
https://www.youtube.com/c/WANKUSA -
LaRissa Vienna and the Strange – Haunted
Denver, CO based Alternative Rock Band LaRissa Vienna and the Strange has revealed the Official Music Video for their single, “Haunted,” off of their upcoming, debut LP Neptune VII, due out September 1st. “Haunted” was directed by Daniel Rachlitz and Demi Dehererra.
“I wrote Haunted” about the guilt of missing someone from your past. It is a song about the shame of desiring things you can’t have. For the music video, each band member has a storyline of what “haunts” them, whether it be relationships, alcohol abuse, or mental illness. Everyone has that one thing that haunts them, and in the music video, we wear it on our sleeves.”
– LaRissa ViennaInfluenced by David Bowie, Marilyn Manson and Shirley Temple (with a tattoo on her shoulder to match), LaRissa Vienna is a force to be reckoned with. Her somber, ghostly rock tunes will entrance you and run chills down your spine while the melodic, story-telling guitar mixed perfectly with the melancholy tones of her voice and the bass stays loyal to the hard-hitting drums.
Despite the soothing rock tones, LaRissa Vienna’s live show is nothing short of electric; despite standing only 4 feet 11 inches tall, her fiery energy demands the attention of every soul in the audience.
Starting out as a solo artist in 2008, LaRissa Vienna made her mark on the Denver music scene by writing and producing her own music, which she dubs “spooky rock.” Coming off of the local success of her 2015 and 2016 EPs, Strange Siren and Make the Pain Pretty respectively, and having had accumulated over 100,000 views on her “Underwater” music video within just a month of its release, Vienna is set to release her debut album, entitled Neptune VII” in September 2017.
There’s a definite camaraderie on the project, which finds her further honing her craft and establishing herself as a versatile artist within the rock realm, navigating the genre with grace and authority. Centering at its core around reconnecting with your inner child, the album’s lyrical content tackles the subject of facing the inevitable changes that come with growing older. Never shying away from autobiographical honesty, what results is arguably Vienna’s most personal project to date, embracing change and heartbreak as a natural course of life.
“The Strange” is Nick Workman – the lead guitarist with wild hair who has experience in every style. Aaron Mendoza on bass, influenced by The Cure and Coheed and Cambria, has experience in experimental bands and plays perfectly with the compelling drum styles of Luke Wolff. The classically-trained violinist Vanity Welch adds a perfect unique touch to the band.
LaRissa Vienna and the Strange intend to inspire and influence fans to be creative and express themselves by leading by example.
LINKS:
http://larissaviennamusic.com
http://facebook.com/larissaviennamusic
https://twitter.com/larissa_vienna
https://www.instagram.com/larissaviennastrange