Often, music videos which look to be fairly low budget are completely endearing and look like they were probably a total blast to make - and that's certainly the case for the latest offering from the absolute genius Cosmo Sheldrake. The new video for his tune Wriggle was made by Wilm Danby and it's giving off vibes of some of the TV programmes of my early childhood. In the video, Cosmo writes, "we follow a bird as she introduces us to three separate systems and their daily tasks and habits. Sunflowers dance, ships brave the frothing seas, fish glug past volcanic vents, a scraggly bird gets eaten by a sea monster and galleons with netherworldly banditos dance and sing." The description and the video fit Cosmo's music perfectly - it's all pretty bizarre and wacky but simultaneously wonderful. Get watching/listening and look out for Cosmo's debut album The Much Much How How And I on 6th April!
Thursday, 8 March 2018
Wednesday, 7 March 2018
LISTEN: Malena Zavala - 'A Vision That's Changed'
Atmospheric - that's probably the best word I've got to describe this one, the new single from Malena Zavala. I was lucky to catch Malena live a few weeks ago opening up for Sivu in London (I wrote about that stunning gig here) and can't wait for her debut record Aliso, which is due for release on 13th April via Yucatan Records. This new track builds slowly before we're introduced to a dreamy-guitar solo and layered vocals, resulting in a stunning tune that is warm to the core. It's a pretty promising sign of things to come from the record - keep an ear out for it! Catch Malena opening up for FIL BO RIVA at his London headliner on 17th April - tickets here.
WATCH: The Vaccines - 'Put It On a T-Shirt'
With less than four weeks until the new record from The Vaccines is released I'm beginning to get pretty excited - particularly as I'll be seeing the band perform tracks from the record and signing copies at HMV Oxford Street on album release day, 30th March!
The new record Combat Sports features the singles Nightclub and I Can't Quit, alongside brand new track Put It On a T-Shirt. If these three singles are anything to go by, the record is going to be a solid contender for one of my favourite records of the year, alongside the likes of recent releases from The Wombats, MGMT, Rae Morris and Geowulf. Check out a live performance video of the new tune below and pre-order signed copies of the record here!
The new record Combat Sports features the singles Nightclub and I Can't Quit, alongside brand new track Put It On a T-Shirt. If these three singles are anything to go by, the record is going to be a solid contender for one of my favourite records of the year, alongside the likes of recent releases from The Wombats, MGMT, Rae Morris and Geowulf. Check out a live performance video of the new tune below and pre-order signed copies of the record here!
Tuesday, 6 March 2018
LISTEN: Gengahr - 'Where Wildness Grows'
Their recent single Before Sunrise has been one of my favourite tracks of the year so far and I am really looking forward to hearing the Gengahr record in full when it's released this Friday! To keep the excitement levels up and tease us a little more, they've shared the title track Where Wildness Grows which is completely, mind-bogglingly sublime. Such a beautiful vocal performance from Felix!
Once the album is out in the world, the Gengahr chaps are heading out on the road, first for a mini tour of record stores to play and sign copies of the record next week, then on a full UK tour in April/May. As if releasing an album and touring the UK and Europe weren't enough, they're also curating their second exhibition with their own artwork and that of fellow musicians Mystery Jets, Alt-J, Marika Hackman, Slaves, Puppy, Toothless and more from 15th to 20th March at A-Side B-Side Gallery (details.)
Follow Gengahr online - Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.
Follow Gengahr online - Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.
LISTEN: Gizmo Varillas - 'Losing You'
"I like the idea of sad lyrics with happy music. It balances things out."
I'm a little late sharing this track (I've been sorting out my submissions inbox and couldn't archive this one without sharing), the recent single from Gizmo Varillas, the first from his second album Dreaming of Better Days, released 25th May via Muisca Records. The tune, entitled Losing You, was written in response to shootings at a nightclub in Orlando in 2016. Speaking about the track, Varillas says that “I was really touched by what I saw on the train that same day [...] I was on my way to work, and I saw two men sitting opposite me, crying, holding hands. I must have internalised that, and the next day the song just flew out of my mouth, word for word. I used the name Maribel as a way of putting myself into the shoes of one of the Latin mothers who lost their child. That song is basically a letter to her. The sad lyrics provide some sort of depth, and the happy music gives reassurance.”
I first discovered Gizmo back in 2016, opening up for Jack Savoretti at Somerset House, and saw him open again for Jack almost exactly a year ago at Hoxton Hall and was really impressed on both occasions. While on first listen the majority of his tunes appear feel-good due to the rhythms contained within, the joyful music is "often undercut by wistful melodies or recognitions of life's grimmer elements." This was true of his debut album El Dorado, and is a theme which continues onto the upcoming record, which is said to "acknowledge mankind's darker sides, and seeks to find light therein." Check out the first single below!
I'm a little late sharing this track (I've been sorting out my submissions inbox and couldn't archive this one without sharing), the recent single from Gizmo Varillas, the first from his second album Dreaming of Better Days, released 25th May via Muisca Records. The tune, entitled Losing You, was written in response to shootings at a nightclub in Orlando in 2016. Speaking about the track, Varillas says that “I was really touched by what I saw on the train that same day [...] I was on my way to work, and I saw two men sitting opposite me, crying, holding hands. I must have internalised that, and the next day the song just flew out of my mouth, word for word. I used the name Maribel as a way of putting myself into the shoes of one of the Latin mothers who lost their child. That song is basically a letter to her. The sad lyrics provide some sort of depth, and the happy music gives reassurance.”
I first discovered Gizmo back in 2016, opening up for Jack Savoretti at Somerset House, and saw him open again for Jack almost exactly a year ago at Hoxton Hall and was really impressed on both occasions. While on first listen the majority of his tunes appear feel-good due to the rhythms contained within, the joyful music is "often undercut by wistful melodies or recognitions of life's grimmer elements." This was true of his debut album El Dorado, and is a theme which continues onto the upcoming record, which is said to "acknowledge mankind's darker sides, and seeks to find light therein." Check out the first single below!
Gizmo plays an album launch show at London's The Lexington on 21st May (tickets here) with more dates to follow!
Monday, 5 March 2018
LISTEN: George Taylor - 'Stay Warm'
With the current weather, a song that opens with the lines "when you're walking in the winter, with the snow beneath your feet, when you feel the cold and shiver" seems pretty relevant - though it looks like the snow has all gone for the start of a new week! Stay Warm is the new single from George Taylor, a showcase of his beautifully soulful vocals and honest songwriting. This is theme through all his singles to date - as Taylor writes, "it all comes down to honesty for me [...] I always really believe in what I'm singing. I'm putting everything out on the table. I hope they hear it's real."
He describes this new single as being "a song about longing for someone that you can't be there for", it's heartbreaking and compassionate - listen below. It's also on my chill/folk playlist - follow that here.
He describes this new single as being "a song about longing for someone that you can't be there for", it's heartbreaking and compassionate - listen below. It's also on my chill/folk playlist - follow that here.
Friday, 2 March 2018
LISTEN: Rae Morris - 'Someone Out There'
I haven't posted an album recommendation in a while, but couldn't resist rambling a little about just how brilliant this record is for much longer. Almost exactly three years after sharing her beautiful debut Unguarded, the absolute star Rae Morris released its follow up Someone Out There at the start of February, and I love it. You can listen to Rae giving a track by track explanation of the record below...
The singles shared before the release were fairly promising but I was completely blown away upon listening to the record the whole way through for the first time. To be honest, it exceeded my expectations and in the month since its release I've listened to the record an immeasurable number of times, with each listen bringing something new with it. I'm finding myself relating to a lot of the tracks for various reasons and feeling quite intense emotions upon listening, something I'm not really used to - at times over the last few weeks it has felt as if Rae had managed to write tracks describing exactly how I'm feeling, capturing it better than I ever could have. There have unashamedly been more than a few tears shed to a couple of the tunes, but most of all I'm completely in awe of the record as a whole, describing it to anyone who will listen as a work of art and my favourite album of the year so far. I think what I love most of all is that Rae seems to be incredibly humble - I don't think that she's aware of just how good she is.
The record is a bit of a sonic change for Rae and I have to wonder whether I'd have really given the record a chance if I hadn't already been a fan of Rae's music - it's far more pop-oriented than most of my usual listening. That said - I completely adore the record. The production is incredibly strong, each tune seeming simultaneously so powerful yet so delicately put together. The lyrics are impressive throughout, telling beautiful and often heartbreaking stories, and nowhere is this more true than in the the likes of Rose Garden and the closing track Dancing With Character (listen to the lyrics closely and tell me you don't tear up.) There are some really lively, upbeat tracks like the singles Atletico (The Only One) and Do It and one of my personal favourites, the absolute tune Dip My Toe. Other favourites include the complete tearjerker (for me, anyway) Wait For The Rain and Lower The Tone - but there really aren't any weak links within the record.
Put short I think that the album is incredible, a shoe-in for a Mercury Prize nomination (surely?) and I would love to give Rae and Fryars a big hug for bringing me so much joy with the record. Check it out here and make your own mind up, and grab tickets for Rae's tour here.
Follow Rae Morris online - Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.
The record is a bit of a sonic change for Rae and I have to wonder whether I'd have really given the record a chance if I hadn't already been a fan of Rae's music - it's far more pop-oriented than most of my usual listening. That said - I completely adore the record. The production is incredibly strong, each tune seeming simultaneously so powerful yet so delicately put together. The lyrics are impressive throughout, telling beautiful and often heartbreaking stories, and nowhere is this more true than in the the likes of Rose Garden and the closing track Dancing With Character (listen to the lyrics closely and tell me you don't tear up.) There are some really lively, upbeat tracks like the singles Atletico (The Only One) and Do It and one of my personal favourites, the absolute tune Dip My Toe. Other favourites include the complete tearjerker (for me, anyway) Wait For The Rain and Lower The Tone - but there really aren't any weak links within the record.
Put short I think that the album is incredible, a shoe-in for a Mercury Prize nomination (surely?) and I would love to give Rae and Fryars a big hug for bringing me so much joy with the record. Check it out here and make your own mind up, and grab tickets for Rae's tour here.
Follow Rae Morris online - Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.
LISTEN: Thandii - 'Another One'
Summer vibes at the ready for this one! I had the total joy of running the door for a headline Tom Figgins gig last April where Thandii opened the evening with a beautifully dreamy set - I recognised her at the time from singing with the wonderful Seramic a few weeks before, and I've since seen her in live videos for Mr Jukes. She works with some pretty cool artists, but she's stepping out as a soloist with a bold sound, making an "attempt to put a female stamp on an otherwise male-dominated sound."
Filled with dreamy 70s psychedelic vibes, elements of jazz and disco - and a harp - this new tune is intricately layered. The track was produced, written and recorded in Margate, where Thandii relocated from London after a late night bet... she describes it as "a kind of west coast on the east coast [...] Margate has been incredible." You can hear her chatting about the importance of the local scene to her own music in an interview with BBC Music Introducing In Kent's Abbie McCarthy here, when the track was made their record of the week in February!
Filled with dreamy 70s psychedelic vibes, elements of jazz and disco - and a harp - this new tune is intricately layered. The track was produced, written and recorded in Margate, where Thandii relocated from London after a late night bet... she describes it as "a kind of west coast on the east coast [...] Margate has been incredible." You can hear her chatting about the importance of the local scene to her own music in an interview with BBC Music Introducing In Kent's Abbie McCarthy here, when the track was made their record of the week in February!
Thursday, 1 March 2018
LISTEN: 10 O'Clock Chemical - 'Babylon Is Fallen'
Who doesn't love a synth? Describing their sound as "spiky electronic pop with a bass and funk emulsion", Stoke-on-Trent's 10 O'Clock Chemical have shared their debut single Babylon Is Fallen and it's a bit of a tune. The band are made up of songwriter, keyboardist and vocalist Rhys, drummer Danny, bassist Josh and guitarist Jack, with the four of them meeting through Stoke's music scene and finding that they shared a love for rock and electronica. They've been in the studio for over a year working on their debut EP, due in June, and this is the first release from it, a pretty promising debut which was produced by Matt Johnson (Jamiroquai) and mixed by Adrian Bushby (Muse, Foo Fighters).
While on the surface the track is a quality slice of electro-pop, delve deeper and you find that it explores the "edgy uncertainty of contemporary life". The band describe that it is "about the unveiling of illusion and the birth of skepticism [...] It's a cry for liberty in the midst of our activities being increasingly surveyed, our speech policed and a call to revolt against the mundane order I believe has been put there by a much higher, darker source of power."
While on the surface the track is a quality slice of electro-pop, delve deeper and you find that it explores the "edgy uncertainty of contemporary life". The band describe that it is "about the unveiling of illusion and the birth of skepticism [...] It's a cry for liberty in the midst of our activities being increasingly surveyed, our speech policed and a call to revolt against the mundane order I believe has been put there by a much higher, darker source of power."
LISTEN: Christof van der Ven - 'Killed This Stone-Dead'
I had the total honour of seeing Christof van der Ven perform live last week, supporting Adam Barnes at his album launch show. From the couple of EPs which are available on Spotify and the recent single Empty Handed, I was already aware of the beauty he is able to create in a song, but was pretty taken aback by his opening track, which at the time reminded me a little of early Bon Iver (who funnily enough, Christof opened for on Monday evening.) Fast forward a couple of days and the tune, entitled Killed This Stone-Dead, was released as the second single from his upcoming debut album, which is released alongside debuts from Isaac Gracie and Bryde on (Friday) 13th April! Really love this and genuinely can't wait to hear the record!
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