VIX 20 return to Goosewing Music with the punchy new single “Try Again”. Following in the wake of previous power pop outings “Digital Age” and “Hashtag Change”, “Try Again” harnesses the thrills of rough-edged seventies pub rock songwriting and turbocharges it with twenty-first-century punk energy.
A complete back to roots for Vix after the electronica of their last single ‘Tron Takes the Train’. This was the first song CJ and Mills wrote together which paved the way for Vix 20 incarnation. The track was originally due out in April but Keyworker commitments kept the boys away from music and now more than ever ‘Try Again’ takes on a deeper relevance although originally penned as an homage to ‘Dammed if you do, dammed if you don’t’ keep patient, and try again!
Vix20 is Gary Mills and CJ, two music industry veterans who grew so disillusioned with the state of every element of the music industry that they both walked away vowing not to return…fast forward a few years, now rejuvenated, though no less prickly about the Modern Age, they return, to quote the band themselves, “we’re hard rockers turned to the dark side of pop”
LINKS:
https://www.vix20.com
https://www.instagram.com/vixtwenty
https://www.facebook.com/vixtwentymusic
https://twitter.com/Vixtwenty
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuPABFfRP8fWPKkp6mA9Kkw
https://open.spotify.com/artist/01fEKKUsAN1pp9jguVrTQG?si=0cMw1OI6R6mM2iO_42M6sw
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BLɅCKƎLVIS – Gimmie Ya Luv
BLɅCKƎLVIS (BLACKELVIS), A South-Wales based band who have created a monstrous stir across the music scene within just 3 months of their first debut show at Tiny Rebel Cardiff in May 2019.
The band’s infancy has included headline bookings at six of the most renowned venues in and around Cardiff, which have consistently generated rapturous “always-wanting-more “crowds each time without fail – in addition to numerous support bookings across the region. “It is rare to see a band that can captivate a room full of people and takes them to a level of musical ecstasy. To do that on your debut performance is almost audacious and a wonderful spectacle to behold. BLɅCKƎLVIS is quite simply the best new band we have seen in a long, long time and could well become one of the biggest bands to emerge from Wales this year.
Their music has been described as a fusion of wavy funk rock blended with reggae and hip-hop rhythms and R&B/soul vocals whilst retaining an element of powerful, heavy grooves, provided by their uniquely individual rhythm section. The members of BLɅCKƎLVIS come from very different musical backgrounds; Frontman LEVi Tyrell Johnson has been gigging for several years as a solo artist playing acoustic or using live loops and beat-boxing as a base to build upon his Prince style vocals and beautiful guitar melodies. LEVi is no stranger to the stage as he comes from a long line of artists and performers. LEVi has been performing or creating art someway all his life. Dreamer and visionary. Lead Guitarist Ruben Kingman is a fourth-generation musician and is steeped in lifetimes of musical heritage and exploration. His dad Simon Kingman is a master of the instrument and plays as the lead guitarist and backing vocalist in the sophisticated roots rock group Zervas & Pepper as well as writing on his own accord. With Ruben’s instrumental background, he has been described as ‘Epic’ by the South-African Blues-Rock Maestro Dan Patlansky. He is certainly one to watch in the future.
Bassist AndyExilded has played in many bands over a 20-year musical career, including Blues-rock band We Are The AfterGlow, ska punkers WolfPunch & Skate punk band Not Since The Accident. His playing has been likened to a mix of Matt Freeman from Rancid & Flea of RHCP. Andy has shared a stage with many punk legends during his career including The UK Subs, Sham 69, Stiff Little Fingers, CONFLICT and many more. During his time living in Liverpool, his band at the time was supported by acts such as The Coral, The Zutons & Miles Kane, He is a genuine musical heavyweight.
Behind the drums is C.J Collins, an astoundingly hard-hitting yet versatile player who has been playing alongside bands and artists for over 15 years. Having a long history of playing in various groups, ranging from big-band Jazz & Gospel to Metal, Rock, and Hip-Hop, a definitive arsenal of different rhythmic styles can be heard throughout his performances. Over the years C.J has been likened to a blended style of John Bonham, Chad Smith, and Mitch Mitchell.
The band released their debut recording ‘See Love’ EP on Newsoundwales Records in October 2019.
ABOUT ‘GIMMIE YA LUV’
Gimme Ya Luv is about the frustration of being an artist in this world (in a fun and enjoyable way). It’s about asking for the people’s love and appreciation so that we can make something of our lives and hopefully do good for others along the way. The main premise of the song is; if you give us your love, we won’t waste it. We’ll transform that love into something great!
Featured image by Gwyn Williams.
LINKS:
https://instagram.com/blackelvisband
https://twitter.com/blackelvisdiff
https://facebook.com/Blackelvisband -
Phil Rudd – Head Job
Phil Rudd solidifies his rock roots and firmly asserts his reason in rock history with his new video for the title track off of his album “Head Job”. The album has recently been re-released as to get all of the legal BS that can sometimes happen out of the way and now it is time to get down to business. And this song, along with the album “Head Job” is all about getting busy with it’s classic yet timeless sound that Phil helped to create.
About Phil Rudd
Described by Malcolm Young, co-founder of AC/DC, as “the real deal”, Phil Rudd, the band’s long-term drummer, played in several Melbourne bands such as Buster Brown and The Coloured Balls before joining up with the rock giants in 1975.Rudd powered the band to super-stardom with his dogged consistency and unshakable back-beat on classics like ‘It’s A Long Way To The Top (If You Want To Rock ’N’ Roll)’ ‘TNT” and ‘Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap’, becoming an indelible part of AC/DC history.
To the untrained ear, Phil Rudd’s drumming may seem rudimentary, but his style and groove have earned him the adoration of generations of his peers. Rammstein’s Christoph Schneider said in the October 2010’s Modern Drummer, “AC/DC were my absolute heroes because they are simple and easy to copy, though soon you find they are not so easy to copy.” The magazine’s May 2010 issue also honored the rocker with the feature ’50 Reasons To Love Phil Rudd’.
Rudd has appeared on all but three of AC/DC’s 18 studio albums, which have sold more than 200 million copies worldwide. When the blockbusting album ‘Highway to Hell’ went multi-platinum worldwide, Rudd said he ‘‘went straight down the road to buy my first Ferrari’’ sparking a lifelong love of luxury cars. Rudd showcased eleven of his luxury cars in Christchurch, New Zealand as part of an earthquake appeal fundraiser, his current collection includes a rare 1991 Ferrari F40, a brand new Ferrari 599, two Lamborghinis, a 2010 Rolls Royce Ghost, 2011 Bentley Mulsanne, and Bentley super sport, Audi R8 V10, a 2011 Aston Martin DBS, and 2010 Mercedes SLS AMG. The cars have a combined worth of approximately $3m. Rudd’s airport hangar is also home to his MD 520N helicopter.
With the lavish rock star lifestyle firmly in place, Phil Rudd recorded and released his first debut album ‘Head Job’ with Kiwi musicians Allan Badger and Geoffrey Martin in 2014. The album was released via Universal Music Group in Australia & New Zealand but further promotional plans were scuppered by well-publicized legal problems in New Zealand.
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ShapeShiftingAliens – Fade Away
‘Fade Away’ is the second single off the band’s self-titled album ‘ShapeShiftingAliens’, the CD release of which will take place in mid-February via Stockholm-based label The Sublunar Society.
ShapeShiftingAliens is a Swedish duo, consisting of Johan Cléve on vocals and Niklas Rundquist, also known as a solo artist by the moniker Brainshadow. Together, they create music and unusual and eccentric videos.
‘Fade Away’ is about a civilization and a world on the verge of collapse as a result of the endless drive for greed and power, but this song is also about the temporary nature of everything nowadays. The accompanying video perfectly reflects this thematic. Niklas Rundquist created, produced and directed the video, eerily bringing the lyrics of this dystopian song to life.
ShapeShiftingAliens signed to The Sublunar Society in 2016. They have since released several singles, followed by their self-titled ‘ShapeShiftingAliens’ LP. ShapeShiftingAliens’ inventive approach was noted by Nolan Cook of The Residents, leading them to collaborate on ‘Shadows’, the final track from their debut album.
Rundquist and Cléve met when they were working with Iodine Jupiter. Cléve is a producer, composer, live and studio musician (guitar) for film, as well as touring and performing artists. Inspired by various film music composers and especially horror films, their music has also been influenced by David Bowie, Lou Reed, Goldfrapp, Air, Radiohead, Smashing Pumpkins, and Massive Attack.
Niklas Rundquist / Brainshadow collaborates with other artists as an electric violinist, remixer and mastering engineer. Most recently, he cooperated with Big Paul Ferguson of Killing Joke and Mark Gemini Thwaite (GMT, The Mission, Gary Numan), Lima 13, and Sonisk Blodbad. He is also a member of The Leather Nun, whose history runs back to the 1980s. He also composes music for films, documentaries and commercials, and various artists on the London scene.
The Sublunar Society is a record label and publishing company, founded by Marie Lundvall and Peder Bjoerk in 2013. Sublunar releases music and publishes literature for the international and national markets. The company also produces exclusive limited edition art products for collectors. The guiding spirit behind The Sublunar Society is one of artistic freedom and creative exploration beyond the conventional.
‘Fade Away’ is now available across online stores and streaming platforms like Spotify, as well as Bandcamp. Not long after that, the ‘ShapeShiftingAliens’ album will be released on CD on February 15, and can already be ordered now.
LINKS:
http://www.sublunarsociety.net/artist/shapeshiftingaliens
http://www.facebook.com/shapeshiftingaliens
http://shapeshiftingaliens.sublunarsociety.net
http://twitter.com/shapeshal
http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/shapeshiftingaliens/477620386
http://open.spotify.com/artist/32gDLBQt0KvaMsWTdXHgC8