Artist: T BONE BURNETT Who: Legendary American songsmith and lauded producer who worked
with many greats (Elvis Costello, Robert Plant, John Mellencamp and many
more) and scored movie soundtracks all through his long career.
LET THE FLOWERS GROW
The song was originally written by Boy George with its initial message being
“one of
personal acceptance about being gay. As the song developed, it took on a more expansive and universal scope with its lyrics extending beyond sexuality and embracing race, gender, creed and religion.”
Epic.
Boy George – Peter Murphy
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Artist: PETER PERRETT Who: Former frontman of legendary British new
wavers The Only Ones (1976–1982, 2007–2017)
“The song incorporates themes of longing and desperation I felt in my own
life at the time that found a home in anecdotes of the desert and its characters
experiencing these feelings for reasons far removed from my reality.”
Artists: THE GLASS HOURS Who: American songwriters Brad Armstrong and Megan Barbera.
Their music blurs between Sunday afternoon country-folk and
the golden age of the 1970s.
“It’s about that someone you’ll never be with and that you allow to remain
inside you as a perfect unspoiled thing, yet still you measure and hold your
real relationship up against it. It’s a dream, an illusion, an unfair fantasy.
Nothing and therefore able to be perfect.”
Who: Seasoned American songwriters Brad Armstrong and Megan Barbera.
Their music blurs between Sunday afternoon country-folk and the golden age
of the 1970s. Combining influences from Megan’s mountain roots and Brad’s southern roots, The Glass Hours is currently based in New York’s Hudson Valley. Prior to start the project, they have written, performed and recorded for various independent projects.
Press info: “The songs go where they want to go; Brad and Megan simply try to stay
out of the way. Although it is nearly impossible, in this new world of niche artistry, not
to pick a genre camp and pitch a tent, The Glass Hours seem intent on trying.
Yet, there is a thread that ties the whole thing together, and that is the constant tension and tapestry of their voices harmonizing. Every song on The Glass Hours was written with the idea of this harmony and interaction, point and counterpoint, between two voices trying to come together as one.”
Photo: Braden Chattman
TUTV: This is the kind of record I love to play at the end of a busy day and after
listening to too much, noisy stuff. The soothing mix of melancholic country, musing
folk, sepia-colored blues, some bluegrass, roots, and pop/rock influences can work magically to slow down your stressed mind, as happens here.
The heroes of the sensitive songs here are the duo’s wholehearted voices, solo or harmonizing together. Armstrong and Barbera are both blessed with a characteristically warm, tender and yearning Americana voice. Of course, you need the right, affective tunes that can entertain people’s ears. There are 9 of them here. All enchanting and heart-and-soul touching. References? Young and old(er) artists such as Angel Olsen, Sharon Van Etten, Lana Del Rey, Willie Nelson, Crystal Gayle, Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris. Impressive, right? You betcha.
Add romanticized stories about all things good and sad, bright and dark in life, and you get a lasting record and sonic companion for quiet moments, away from this world’s rat race.
Get a drink of your choice, dim the lights, sit down,
relax, let the music come to you, and start dreaming.
SINGLES: Hurricane / Scarlet Tongues / Same Old You
These rockin’ amazons – Carrie Clark and Pam Peltz – have known each other since
the mid-90s, they played in different bands together and decided to give it a go again with some friends.
Imagine 60s British glam rock legends T. REX and American sassy duo Royal Trux
jamming together. Aeroplane grooves and moves with pithy panache and steaming swagger. Add the saucy and sensual duet vocals, and we have ourselves a winner.
The Baby Seals are three DIY indie grrrls from Cambridgeshire (UK)
who released their debut EP back in 2017.
Mild Misogynist is a ripper from their upcoming debut album Chaos.
The trio have that roaring rawness, unbridled roughness, genuine gusto and spontaneous bravado, Sleater-Kinney had back in the 90s. These three punk Amazons resonate more like Courtney Love when she went mental with Hole ages ago. Garage frenzy rock at its sharp-teethed indie best.
On March 15 the Dandys launch their 12th longplayer, named Rockmaker. Last summer the Dandys dropped stand-alone single The Summer Of Hate. An infectious steamroller that will be on the album.
Courtney Taylor-Taylor (frontman): “It started with a riff that either sounded like
Misfits or Danzig and then got slowed down. Overall, Rockmaker is the manifestation
of our desire to hear a record of heavy raw punk and metal guitar riffs, but it has its
own alley.”
It features Pixies‘ general Frank Black and is a rather gloomy and doomy (yes, Danzig-like) sounding stomper, but vintage Warhols. Its poignant pace creeps faster under your skin than you can say ‘fuck Trump’.
Purrs are 4 French gunslingers who bring together a singular artistic emergency drawn from Great Britain in the 80s and the current observation of a dark future, and orchestrate a bitter present but which does not refuse hope.
‘To Be Enjoyed’ explores the delicate theme of mental health, highlighting the simple desire to feel better and make progress with one’s condition. Through this composition, we aim to convey the idea that there are different ways of taking care of one’s mental health, and that it’s crucial to find the solution that’s right for everyone. Having all lived experiences more or less close to depression, this song is our way of communicating not only with those facing this illness, but also with their loved ones who accompany them on the road to recovery.
Energetic punk ebullience à la British mavericks Idles. Aggressive, furious and from a
fast beating heart. Trust me, Purrs are going places. 2024 will be their breakthrough year.
Bristol punks IDLES became a top act after 4 splendid albums since 2018. And they’re
not done yet. Longplayer #5 Tangk is waiting in the pipeline for release on 16 February.
Ahead of it, you can go apeshit to new, third single and fierce haymaker Gift Horse.
Who? Two-piece act, Justin Keane (vocals, guitar) and Amy Young (drums, backing vocals), from Boston, MA. Fueled by the current chaos of the world and an urgent need to be part of the conversation, the two took the indie rock foundation they built in previous bands and upped the ante by adding new levels of noise via pervasive, edgy guitar sounds, low and thundery drumbeats, and emotional vocals.
Soo All The Way is a mean motherrocker that easily could have been on an early Sonic Youth or Dinosaur Jr album. Distorted guitars, raw and rough. Sturdy drum hits. Expressive and punchy vocals. DIY rock ‘n’ roll at its razor blade sharpest.
This eccentric ensemble is more eccentric than American eccentric legends Sparks and British eccentrics Sigue Sigue Sputnik were in their early eccentric days. Wacky voices, goofy harmonies, and a ridiculously infectious chorus all work together to cause big fun entertainment.
Get up, stand up, and fight
for your right to go bananas.
The LP lands on April 1 and follows their tremendous 2021 one As Days Get Darker.
Aidan Moffat (vocalist) about lead single ‘Bliss’: “It’s about women being terrorized online;
it’s about cowardice and bigotry. It’s about how we expose ourselves on social platforms while hiding alone at home. But you can dance to it too!”
Moffat sings/tells his troll story over a trippy dance beat.
Berlin-based artist KAT KOAN shines again. After releasing her magnific
debut album Lustprinzip in 2022 and three ear-catching singles last year
she has a new track out, titled Dreamirl.
Kat Koan always knows how to entrance the listener with stylishly, graciously
and also sensually designed music that stirs heart and soul. The sentiments
expressed here may be familiar to many of us and can be a comforting companion
on your headphones with the lights dimmed, while relaxing on your couch, dreaming
of your own dream-self.
Last September, British shoegaze heroes Slowdive returned to the scene with praised LP Everything Is Alive, their first full length in five years. Their Boston peers Drop Nineteens followed two months later with Hard Light, their first album LP in thirty years.
And now the equally veteran shoegazers Ride join the revival.
Their 7th LP, named Interplay, their first since
2019, is planned to be released on March 29.
Potent drums/bass determine the upbeat pace and whirling vibe of the track all the way. Peace Sign is a pure pop earworm with an orgasmic chorus. Picobello. Welcome back.
Who? Musical act born from the lifelong musical collaboration of Candy Bassas (vocals and guitar) and Sergi Cabanes (lead guitar). After relocating to Berlin from Barcelona, the duo formed a four-piece band in late 2021, which takes inspiration for its noisy-yet-ethereal sound from artists such as Galaxie 500, Spiritualized, New Order, the Cure, and Lou Reed.
New single Entwined is a cut from their upcoming
debut EP, titled All I Wanted, out on 2 February.
A tenacious tandem of bass and drum take care of this striking song’s backbone beat
all the way through. From the kick-off, Entwined has the impact of a sonic magnet.
Its ongoing flow creeps under your skin without asking. Scorching, shoegazy guitars
add some more electricity and quirky vocals (made me immediately think of the singer
of former Irish indie band JJ72) create a spooky atmosphere. Give it a couple of spins
and you’re hooked.
Who? Zach Pliska and Emily Sturm. Their musical project started in 2017.
They describe their sound as deathgaze, combining the raw energy of
deathrock with the depth of shoegaze. So far the duo released five
albums and a handful of singles and EPs.
Think Siouxsie and the Banshees going fast-forward. Glistening guitar electricity and a pumping bass dictate the ongoing revolving rhythm, while Sturm‘s ghostly vocals roll all over it. No brakes, no breaks. Probably the most upbeat tune Vazum has ever delivered. Blush is a sonic whirlwind, a flamboyant flurry, a turbulent twister.
Who? German pop-rock team So far they have
3 albums on their résumé and #4 is canned.
Nowhere To Run is the 4th shared piece from their upcoming
4th album, named ‘If This Wall Could Sing’, out on 1st March.
Expect an irresistible drive. Fast-forward. Heartening vocals. Atomic is an unadulterated pop gem. A sprightly summer song for freezing winters like this. It could have easily been
a bonus track on Miles Kane‘s newest, perky album One Man Band.
Atomic has an atomic single out with a sky-high starry-eyed bliss.
Who? Italian act started by Paolo Mioni, former member of Jennifer Gentle,
spearhead of the Italian psych scene. They released their debut album Painkillers And Wine last year.
With new single Hey AtlasMonoscopes draw you into their psychedelic world where surrender and hope are the only options to handle life. Hey Atlas sends shivers down your spine. It’s both a melancholic and harrowing jam bringing the mellow moments of Interpol to mind. It touches and moves heart and soul. There’s always a light at the end of the tunnel. That comforting given should inspire all of us who are confused and fidgety these days.
Today, Gordon announced the upcoming birth of her
2nd solo LP. It’s titled The Collective and it’ll land on
March 8.
First shared track Bye Bye, is a dazzling piece of music. Its hypnotic trap beat sonority and fuzzy chainsaw rotating synths are the motor of this dazzling jam. It creeps forward like an industrial rock serpent in slow motion. All over it come Gordon‘s chilling spoken-word vocals citing a series of consumer products. Eerie and enigmatic.
The accompanying video features her daughter Coco Gordon Moore and is directed by photographer Clara Balzary, who is the daughter of Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea.
These Irish punk hound dogs release their new EP Glorach on March 15.
First shared track Empty is a brutalist slab of heavily effected droning guitar and bass, corrosive blasts of feedback and gut-wrenching vocals centered around the persistence
of grief over time.
Deafening sledgehammer.
Screamo disorder.
NIN on acid.
Who? The moniker of Irish musician Paul Dillon who draws inspiration
from bands like The The, The Cure, Killing Joke, Echo and the Bunnymen,
Rammstein, and Depeche Mode, and developed a unique sound that
traverses genres from Darkwave Post-Punk to Trash Metal Indie Rock.
WithOpinion he delivers a Curesque meditation. Pulsating bass, darkwavish melodiousness and wondering vocals and enquiring thoughts. No matter
what you think, say it, sing it, express it, write it down.
Who? American songwriters Brad Armstrong and Megan Barbera.
Their music blurs between Sunday afternoon country-folk and
the golden age of the 1970s.
Same Old You is a crystalline lullaby with a melancholic country aroma. Tender,
moony, and enticing. The endearing duet vocals and melancholic guitar sparks
augment the soul-stirring effect of this bittersweet humdinger.
It’s a candlelight pearl, a heart-warming companion on these freezing winter nights. Romanticism in motion. Think of the quietest moments of Angel Olsen, Sharon Van Etten and Willie Nelson.
Artists: THE GLASS HOURS Who: American songwriters Brad Armstrong and Megan Barbera.
Their music blurs between Sunday afternoon country-folk and
the golden age of the 1970s.
Barbera: “‘Same Old You’ started out as a straightforward observation of how hard it can be to change, even when we keep hitting the same proverbial wall. It then evolved into a diary of sorts about life on the road as a musician. As is often the case, the monetary yield of creativity turns out to be much slimmer than the soul yield. But in the end, we make art because we’re called to the process, and that’s really the spirit of the album.”
Amstrong:“Touring has always been pretty rough. Surprise. We used to stay at campgrounds to keep the money in the gas tank. There was always something so beautiful and romantic about that and about the lies we tell ourselves to justify keeping on with it. Reminds me of
a line by Oberst about some sad singers playing tragic. But that doesn’t make it any less true.”
TUTV: Goosebumps all the way. Same Old You is a crystalline lullaby with a melancholic country aroma. Tender, moony, and enticing. The endearing duet vocals and melancholic guitar sparks augment the soul-stirring effect of this bittersweet humdinger.
It’s a candlelight pearl, a heart-warming companion on these freezing winter nights. Romanticism in motion. Think of the quietest moments of Angel Olsen, Sharon Van Etten and Willie Nelson. Beautiful. Just beautiful.
Artists: THE GLASS HOURS Who: American songwriters Brad Armstrong and Megan Barbera.
Their music blurs between Sunday afternoon country-folk
and the golden age of the 1970s.
Brad Armstrong told Americana UK that “‘Scarlet Tongues’ started as a kind
of call-and-response folk song, then the idea of how that repeated line could mean
different things evolved. It’s a song about chasing something, but always coming
home, or wanting to, anyway. It’s kind of an apology, I guess.“
TUTV: I’m a sucker for melancholic and bittersweet lullabies. And this is one.
A romantic reverie that touches heart and soul with its riveting melody, sparkling acoustic/electric guitar play, lazy drum beats, and warm duet vocals. It has
a Christmassy feel. It’s a sepia-coloured delight. Emotive country at its finest.
