Wed, 28 September 2011
Fresh (after a shower) from a warm evening in a great London boozer last night in the fabulously stimulating company of lots of music people including fellow AMP member Justin Wayne, we’ve a pretty much full length show again this week, mostly from US and Canadian artists but with one interesting diversion to Nancy in France for a track that I’d like to turn into a bit of a campaign. A strangely warm and steamy day here in Suffolk today. Could summer have arrived at last? Ice Age Day - New Savages (Kansas City, KS, USA) New Savages is a two piece experimental indie act from Kansas City, using prepared guitars, ancient Egyptian scales, a found object rhythm sections and post-modern experimental writing techniques. http://newsavages.bandcamp.com Ungrateful Men - Grace Valhalla (Nancy, France) It’s a long time since we heard a track from Grace Valhalla. She was briefly around at about the time SnC started back in 2006−8 but she seems to have gone regrettably quiet. I really rate her combination of acoustic with electronic instrumentation very highly indeed. All her albums are available from download from Jamendo.com The most recent dates from 2008. OK, the music has been there for a while but she has an impressive 35700 listens, of which 6700 downloaded her music. The number of listens is pretty steady. Personally, I’d love to hear some more music from Grace Valhalla but how to persuade her? You CAN get her albums as free downloads but that wouldn’t be much of an incentive for Grace to get back to her music. Wouldn’t it be great if a whole load of us conspired to buy the album(s) of our choice at (say) 5 dollars / euros or whatever we can afford, each. That would send a pretty positive message and, what’s more, it would come out of the blue. What a nice surprise. Come on, let’s do it. I’m buying Peak - what’s going to be yours? www.jamendo.com/en/artist/grace.valhalla http://gracevalhalla.hautetfort.com Dear Happiness - Lachi (New York, NY, USA) New Yorker, Lachi is another artist that I’ve been following for a while. She’s recently transformed herself into Lachi and Meridian Gold by taking on a band. And well it suits her. Even better, they are playing a showcase event at CMJ on October 20 - just when I’ll be in New York, so it might be the perfect opportunity to see her live. CMJ I just heard from the good folks at CMJ that they have announced the third round of bands that are playing at the music marathon in a few weeks. Coming in at just under 900 bands, this third round maintains the same adventurous programming CMJ has offered for the last three decades. We couldn't possibly list every single name here (though we certainly can on our website), so here's a quick A-Z shout-out to whet your appetite while your browser loads: araabMUZIK, Braids, Cerebral Ballzy, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., Exitmusic, French Montana, Gauntlet Hair, Hindi Zahra, Islands, Jacuzzi Boys, Kate Miller-Heidke, Lord Huron, Main Attrakionz, Nina Nastasia, Outernational, Parts & Labor, Quilt, Rusted Root, Seekae, Twin Shadow, Unstoppable Death Machines, Vockah Redu, Weekend, Xylos, Young Prisms, and Zambri. Of course, we're not even close to being done. Hundreds more acts, still, will be announced in the coming weeks, so check out www.cmj.com/marathon/music/line-up for the latest lineup updates. CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival will be held in New York City from October 18-22. CMJ Music & Film Festival is one of the world's most important platforms for the discovery of new music and cutting-edge films. For five nonstop days and nights, CMJ features over 1,300 live performances in more than 80 of New York City's greatest nightclubs and theaters. CMJ also presents over 70 informative panels with renowned speakers, an Entertainment Business Law Seminar and the much beloved College Day for college and non-commercial radio programmers. It’s going be a blast. CoCo Chica Latina - Cliff Adam / Cliffey n The Fishnuts (River Edge, New Jersey, USA) Music Submit Here’s a bit of fun. A well known standard which takes on a new life as an instrumental given the Fishnut treatment. His album is Candy Island Unholy Ghost - Devin Farney (San Francisco, CA, USA) Devin Farney’s latest album Ventriloquism is soon to be released, and features 11 original tracks that tip their collective hats in the direction of the Beatles and Radiohead and yet explore a fresh musical direction balancing piano, acoustic guitar and synths. Devin is also professional composer/pianist whose work has received numerous recognitions and awards - and he has had works commissioned and premiered in the United States, France, and Japan. He is also an arranger and editor who has worked for composers like Terry Riley, Glen Roven, and many others. Josephine - Old Wives’ Tale (Miami, FL, USA) Brothers Jaime and Felipe Valencia formed Old Wives' Tale in 2006 shortly after making the decision to relegate their biology, chemistry, music and audio engineering diplomas into mere wall decorations. With their debut record, Younger Limbs, Old Wives' Tale made a handsome impact on the Miami music scene and abroad, performing in venues such as Grand Central, The Vagabond, Rokbar and Churchill’s, as well as London’s Barfly, Madrid’s Orange Café, Paris’ Le Gibus and Barcelona’s Sala Apolo. As the best kind of control freaks, Jaime and Felipe have continued to handle just about everything having to do with their latest sophomore record, Late-Night Paraphernalia - from production duties to art direction. AMPed Currently presenting: Nick Tann who has a view on the AMPed theme tune - take a listen and have your say. From Monday: Dan Lynch from Rathole Radio in Liverpool here in the UK will be up with what looks like being a very full show. Beer and FROTH (FRiends Of the Three Horseshoes) Another village with it’s heart gone dark. There is a campaign to get the pub open again, perhaps as a community venture. It’s a cause dear to my heart and perhaps you’d like to see how it’s going and contribute any comments you’d like through the main site and the social media links. A “like” for the FROTH Facebook page, in particular, would be much appreciated. Thanks. www.facebook.com/pages/Froth/269632263058338 The Cask Report This report aims to give a positive and factually accurate look at cask ale – Britain's national drink. While it aims to promote cask, it also strives to be balanced. It looks at both good and bad, strengths and weaknesses. You can download a copy and there’s an interview with the author Pete Brown at Thanks to Adnams for co-sponsoring the report, as well as supporting Suffolk’n’Cool. Heartbreaker - Matt Andersen (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Canada) Great to hear that Matt’s newest album, Coal Mining Blues, is out. It was produced by Colin Linden (who co-wrote and plays on several tunes) and recorded at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, New York. Featuring the Band keyboardist Garth Hudson and Olabelle singer Amy Helm, it’s a rich vein of new songs, many addressing the trying lives of working people: There’s the self-explanatory “Work Hard for the Luxury,” and the moving title track, which rings true in mining communities from Cape Breton to Sheffield and West Virginia. But not all of Coal Mining Blues is about hard work, as rollicking up-tempo cuts like “Lay it on the Line” and “Fired Up” bear out. How do you like the contrast with the acoustic session Matt recorded here at the barn a couple of months ago for SnC278. http://tinyurl.com/64uxvww |
Thu, 22 September 2011
Music with a decidedly northern bias this week Marseilles is the furthest south that we go for one track. This week's show title acknowledges that I've been racing with the sun to get the show completed an published before midnight on the server rolls around. Fortunately, because of time zones, this celestial fixed point doesn't happen until it is 5 am in the UK. Which, if I can keep my eyes open gives me a full 2 hours to complete the shownotes, upload the audio and get it published. BTW - the Barn is fine thanks; it just looks as though it is on fire ;) They're Here - The Esoteric Gender (Reykjavik, Iceland) OK, so I played The Esoteric Gender a couple of weeks ago. I make no apologies for playing another track from the Prelude album. A live studio performance of that song is in the shownotes for SnC 288. www.reverbnation.com/theesotericgender Surrender - Ólöf Arnalds (Iceland) I had the great pleasure of catching Ólöf Arnalds on my first night of CMJ last year. After a pretty stressful journey from JFK into the city. Music publicist Ariel Hyatt had called me to say get to the show because it was stunning. In that respect, as in so many others, she was dead right. Ólöf was playing Googie’s Lounge (upstairs at The Living Room) on Ludlow Street in the heart of the LES and was the perfect antidote to a day of pressure and deadlines. There is such a lot of remarkable, creative and, above all, beautifully crafted music coming out of Iceland these days. Perhaps it’s something to do with the long dark nights. I have a theory that music takes time to ferment and mature a rushed song is like home-brew beer, created and finished too fast, overheated and not at all palatable. Is it just me or can you feel the space and depth here in what is after all a fairly stright-forward song. Introduction - Hello Electric (Portland, OR, USA) Portland’s HELLO ELECTRIC is minimal rock with a dash of power shine. Kirk Ohnstad, Henry Gibson, and Zachary Bendt are known for their dynamic live shows, which are centered on depth, intensity, and simplicity. Each member has a distinctive role, although they all have the same roots: the drum set. Rhythm is essential to HELLO ELECTRIC. Their live show combines real drums with electronics and pushes the low end with dark keys and thick synths. This takes shape with gritty guitar leads flourishing the heavy bass-driven backbone. “I am inspired by minimalism, open sounds and emptiness. It's a difficult place to be,” says Ohnstad. The band's next venture, Dead Champion EP, will be released on October 25th. HELLO ELECTRIC is set to hit the road again this Fall. Having toured both Europe and North America. They’re set to hit the pavement again this Fall, with tour dates soon to come. www.myspace.com/spaceflight127 Amarra making iTunes sound better? Listener OMas in California contacted me about a rather clever bit of Mac software which works alongside iTunes to improve the playback experience, having checked out his credentials (which are impressive) I gave it a try this afternoon. I loaded the demo version of Amarra Junior and it really does seem to make a difference. Described as a true hi-fi music player for your Mac. The output from iTunes is processed through Amarra to give a number of tweaks, for me the most noticeable quoted benefits are an improved soundstage and refined imaging. Everything just sounds clearer and bigger, putting me right into the music. To be clear there’s no commercial benefit for me in your trying it out, I have no connection with the company and am not endorsing their products but their pedigree is seriously professional. Very interesting. Give it a try for yourself and let me know what you think - there’s a 15 day evaluation package available at www.sonicstudio.com Roustabout - Oh My Darling (Manitoba, Canada) Oh My Darling have prairie roots mixed with bluegrass, Appalachian old time, southern twang, and Franco-folk, makes their style a melting pot of musical languages. Infused with dynamic vocals, brilliant claw-hammer banjo, inspired fiddling, and grooving bass puts audiences into the palm of their hand. The quartet closed out its recent European tour on stage in front of thousands at Trafalgar Square for the massive Canada Day in London. Sweet Nostalgia, the band’s follow-up to Western Canadian Music Award-nominated debut In the Lonesome Hours, will be released this fall. Listen out for the upright bass, delicious playing from MARIE-JOSÉE (MJ) DANDENEAU Ariel Hyatt at the PRS Ariel Hyatt is founder Ariel Publicity, a social media PR firm based in New York. Ariel and the team are specialists in coaching musicians to build great on-line and live reputations. Ariel herself is presenting a seminar for musicians at the PRS in London next Tuesday and although places are limited it is a free event! Her focus will be on the direct relationship for musicians between creating important moments on-stage and off. If you are a musician or even if you just know a one, I’m sure this session will be of real value. Ariel knows that of what she speaks and she’s a passionate end straight talking presenter. There’s also a beer and darts type pub meet-up afterwards. Event details at: http://arielprs.eventbrite.com/?ref=elinktw Racing With The Sun (Radio Edit) - Chinese Man (Marseilles, France) One‐quarter Cantonese, two‐thirds Manchou, the Chinese man appears to be from the Wu Tang Mountain, not far from Marseilles, France. In 2004, the Chinese man (as we affectionately call him) decided to send his disciples around the world to spread the Zen spirit with old music samples and supersonic bass ! The video will probably give you as good an idea of what this bunch from Marseilles are about. Then take a look at http://youtu.be/y1Oo--ymqdU beautiful animation and graphics as well as great music frokm Chinese Man. |
Wed, 14 September 2011
Another short show this week I’m afraid. There seems to be something of a conspiracy to throw all my family responsibilities at me at once. Something of a perfect storm but some of it is good news. I’m sure you’ll enjoy the music anyway. I’m expecting to be back next week when the immediate panic is, hopefully, abating. Meanwhile thanks for your patience and enjoy the music. We have a lovely full moon at the moment. This is how the house and oak trees looked earler this evening. Tether - Dreamers of the Ghetto (Bloomington, IL, USA) Dreamers of the Ghetto are a family band from Bloomington, IL, consisting of brothers Luke and Jonathan Jones, Luke’s wife, Lauren, and Marty Sprowles. Dreamers of the Ghetto marries the sentiment of classic 80s film soundtracks to minimalist, romantic dream-rock, creating a unique environment that becomes almost instantly addicting. The triumphant, reach-for-the-stars attitude of veterans like U2 and Depeche Mode is paired with the gospel splendor of Spiritualized and ominous austerity of The xx, all carried by what Shaking Through calls “the most amazing singer we’ve seen since Sharon Van Etten." DOTG have mined a sound that is both timeless and nostalgic, and they've done so with an earnest fearlessness and refreshing lack of irony. They are true, pure, and unbelievably powerful. Only playing a handful of live shows outside of Bloomington to date, Dreamers of the Ghetto were handpicked to play as main support to The Flaming Lips and Superchunk at Raleigh’s Hopscotch Music Festival on September 10. After listening to Enemy/Lover Grayson Currin of Pitchfork and Hopscotch Music Festival says, “it sounds like the start of something major.” Their debut album Enemy/Lover is released on Temporary Residence October 4th http://dreamersoftheghetto.tumblr.com http://twitter.com/dreamersghetto Multiverse Playground part III An exploration into the evolution of music, art and comedy, has come at last! Featuring over 19 acts including bands, special guest DJs, visual artists, and comedians, Multiverse Playground’s 3rd installment delivers a collaborative and community-driven, multimedia event of epic proportions. Musically, they have brought an array of acts, both within and outside of the Paper Garden roster. Showcasing Paper Garden Records’ Pree and Little Tybee, we have also brought on outside guest DJ sets from Bear Hands, Delicate Steve, and DJ Bearbait (Pattern Is Movement) as well as performances from Snowmine, Twi The Humble Feather, ARMS, Team Genius, EULA, Caged Animals, Data Dog, Afuche, Whale Belly, Lowell, Progress, and Marra Barr. In addition, they will have comedy sets from Chris Betts and Aaron Kominos-Smith (Funny Aaron) amongst visual art from Ugly Art Room, PBR Art, and more. Throughout the day, we have invited sponsors from some of the best up-and-coming music-related tech startup companies to join us and create fun and interactive ways to use their services. We’ll be joined by the lovely folks from Thinglink, Grooveshark, and Livetapp. Oh, and did we mention FREE BEER (for those of you 21+) from PBR and FREE VITAMINWATER yet? Because yeah, that’s happening too! Check out full updated event details and RSVP on Facebook here: www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=153252931420160&ref=ts Lemon Tree - Pree (Washington DC, USA) After touring for two years with Le Loup, guitarist May Tabol returned home to launch a new project with a close group of friends converging in the DC arts scene. Now playing as a four-piece, Pree combines a wide variety of folk instrumentation with electric and digital elements to create a unique sound brimming with layered melodies and contagious energy. Folly was written and recorded over the course of several heat waves and snow storms by May and her cohorts in a rotating cast of bedrooms, basements, and attics across the District, bearing witness to two foreclosures, a bit of squatting, a larger bit of eviction, and a subsequent life shuffle that would rival that of a wind-addled gypsy moth. This patchwork, guerilla style recording, which grew out of necessity, ultimately served to instill a sense of tension throughout the record leaving one hanging on despite the imminence of something so delicate falling apart. Pree’s new album, Folly, will be released on October 18 via Paper Garden Records. OOEE - Jaranatambo (Bogota, Colombia) From the self titled album Jaranatambo. Released in January. In the International Composition Contest (I.S.C) U.S.A 2010-2011, JARANATAMBO managed to become one of the most representative bands of the Latin American Culture and received prize in the category " WORLD MUSIC COMPOSTITION AWARD” with it’s song Ooee, ( 3 place ) recognition that gains even more significance due to the large amount of candidates, over 15 thousand songs. Ooee is a call from the world to the world, made trough indigenous and urban tunes along with the traditional sound of JARANATAMBO, influences this time by the Brazilian culture. Voz: Sandra Serrato Produccion Musical: Alejandro Escallón Percusion: Felipe Penaloza Grabado y mezclado por Alejandro Escallon en Calle Real Estudio Bogota Masterizado por Andres Mayo. Argentina. The entire album is available as a free digital download from Bandcamp. You’ll find it at http://jaranatambo.bandcamp.com/album/jaranatambo www.reverbnation.com/jaranatambomusica AMPed 300 Rich Palmer did a great job of pulling the special 300th edition of AMPed together this week. Weighing in at very nearly an hour and a half in its stockinged feet it’s a goody. The plan was for members to suggest songs that they’d heard on other members’ shows. My thanks also to fellow AMP members Pete Cogle and Johnny Dobson for selecting tracks from Suffolk ’n’ Cool to be featured on the 300th edition. A Moll - For a Minor Reflection (Reykjavík, Iceland) Having mentioned that FAMR won a the opportunity to play the inaugural Black Rabbitt Music Festival in Bejing this coming Saturday and then in Shanghi on Sunday is seems only right to play a track from their 2010 album “Höldum í átt að óreiðu”. A Moll illustrates their use of ambient sounds and remarkable crescendos. Starting as a hard rock duo in a tiny garage, For a Minor Reflection has morphed into the instrumental post-rockers du jour. This energetic, melodious rock group is comprised of four 22-year-olds from Reykjavík, Iceland. Far from simple to define, their music expands and subverts itself with every song. Since their debut album release in 2007, they have toured with Sigur Rós, released a sophomore album, performed throughout Europe, and played showcases at Eurosonic and SXSW. www.myspace.com/foraminorreflection www.facebook.com/foraminorreflection |
Thu, 8 September 2011
Pulling a late one this week ... and thankful, once again, that the Libsyn server is in Pittsburgh - it gives me an extra five hours to hit the midnight deadline! Why so late? Over the past few weeks pressures have been growing from aging but much loved parents. This has entailed quite a bit of time away at the same time as a project to build an annexe for one of said parents is hitting critical and demanding phases. I fully intend keeping to the normal weekly production schedule but if I slip once in a while, I hope you'll understand. Canadian listeners, in particular, may recognise Captain Vancouver who was born a few hundred yards from where I was born (but, I assure you, somewhat earlier). He was, by all accounts, a remarkably unpleasant man and it would seem he was keen to get out of King's Lynn too! Pas La Peine - Eclectek (Lille, France) Back with a remix album, Komiks EP released yesterday, of almost the same title as their full-length album Komiks Music, released almost exactly two years ago. It makes an interesting listen and it is always great to have anything from Eclectek on the show. In fact this track isn’t on the longer album. As ever, the beautifully precise and expressive vocals soar overhead deliciously counter-pointing the more dark and dirty instrumentation and hip hoppery. www.myspace.com/eclectekofficiel www.jamendo.com/en/album/98052 Scratching for Light - Peg Simone (New York, NY, USA) We heard from Peg Simone a few weeks ago with a track called Piece of Pie, a spoken story interweaved with guitar riffs and echoed vocals. Yesterday I heard a remarkable feature in Word of Mouth on BBC Radio about a project by writer Lavinia Greenlaw that entails creating soundscapes and snippets of whispered and overheard conversation at a rail station. The resultant work Audio Obscrua will be available as an audio recording to be experienced on headset whilst wandering around St Pancras Station in London. It runs 13 September - 23 October. www.artangel.org.uk/audioobscura www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/sep/02/lavinia-greenlaw-audio-obscura-installation www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b0145x7y That seemed like the perfect opportunity to play another track from Peg Simone which includes some gorgeous sounds and layered voice - it may seem a bit avante garde but do jump in and submerge yourself in the sounds. www.facebook.com/pages/Peg-Simone Way To Blue : The Songs of Nick Drake Here is a truly rare concert event for Australian music lovers. Following acclaimed, sold-out performances across the UK, a special evening called “Way to Blue: The Songs of Nick Drake” is on its way to the Sydney Opera House November 11 and the Melbourne Recital Centre November 14 and 15. Curated by Nick Drake’s original producer, Joe Boyd (at the helm for two of the Drake albums – Five Leaves Left in 1969, and Bryter Layter in 1970), this remarkable concert brings together renowned contemporary singers united by their reverence for the material. It is an unprecedented tribute that honours the work Nick Drake left behind by gathering the collaborators who were involved in those unforgettable original recordings. The band and string section is led by musical director Kate St John, anchored by double bassist Danny Thompson, who played on many of Drake’s albums, and features the original orchestrations arranged by Robert Kirby in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Sadly, Kirby passed away very recently, but not before conducting the string section at the UK’s very first ‘Way To Blue’ concert in May 2009. Now, ‘Way to Blue’ has become a tribute to Kirby as well as Drake. “The special guest artists who will sing and re-interpret Nick Drake’s often hauntingly poetic material include: folk rediscovery Vashti Bunyan, Scritti Politti front-man Green Gartside, psychedelic pop maverick Robyn Hitchcock, stunning Irish singer Lisa Hannigan, American soul powerhouse Krystle Warren, and UK success-story Scott Matthews. Australian artists will be announced shortly.” Well the news is now out, Australian duo Luluc who I had the pleasure of seeing perform in my friend Ariel’s front room in Brooklyn last year are taking part in the concert. The concert will be all the richer for their participation and they have a fabulous opportunity to work with some legendary and highly respected musicians from around the world. Good news for all. More info at www.gaynorcrawford.com/ Tickets for both Sydney Opera House and Melbourne Recital Centre are available through the site Here’s a video about the concert concept and some of the artists.
I Found You - Luluc (Melbourne and Brooklyn) Although from Melbourne, Zoe Randell and Steve Hassett are now based in Brooklyn. With the release of their debut album, Dear Hamlyn, Luluc has become a quiet sensation. Songs pared down to an essential core, the music of Zoë Randell and Steve Hassett is of austere and unadorned beauty. Since their album's release, they have achieved much, playing major Australian & Canadian festivals and being hand picked to tour with Fleet Foxes, Jose Gonzalez and Lucinda Williams. Relocating from Melbourne, Australia, to Brooklyn in 2010, coincided with wide exposure for Luluc, with two songs, 'I Found You' and 'One Day Soon' featured in ABC TV series Grey's Anatomy. Like a whisper or a caress, Luluc hold their audiences entranced. Zoë’s unique alto is central and provides a strikingly beautiful counterpoint to her nylon guitar. Exquisite melodies are accentuated by Steve's close vocal harmony and guitar accompaniment. Together they create a rich and deeply affecting sound. Southbound - Ben Caplan & The Casual Smokers (Halifax, NS, Canada) Rugged, raspy, and roaring with charisma, Halifax's Ben Caplan & The Casual Smokers is to folklore what smoke is to bourbon. Perfectly coupled. Ben's songwriting is as bold in range as it is in ferocity. Fuelled by a quality of melodrama and powerful lyricism, it's the romance and the manhood crashing with his voice that gives Caplan a truly innovative and experimental artistry. A sound that bridges the gap between controlled composition and unruly passion. Breaking between guitar, banjo, piano, and melodica, Caplan's stage show is almost reminiscent of a burly and bearded Freddy Mercury; a raging, strong, and exploratory songwriter, it's the blues in his soul, and the heart in your chest pounding as one that makes Ben Caplan & The Casual Smokers an act not to be missed. http://bencaplanmusic.bandcamp.com/ www.facebook.com/TheCasualSmokers www.youtube.com/bencaplanmusic On Your Side - Icarus Himself (Madison, Wisconsin, USA?) “On Your Side,” is replete with love-soaked euphoria. Written about the girl our protagonist would marry, the song is about “trusting someone that’s close to you.” Built on a loop of a drum machine hi-hat and a fuzzed-out Casio synth. “I found it hard / to think of past times / I’ve stopped trying now / because you’re on my side.” Icarus Himself was started by Nick Whetro in 2008 as a solo project and has developed into a trio to include drummer Brad Kolberg and multi-instrumentalist Karl Christenson. Career Culture is the third in a series of auto-biographical recordings, beginning with Coffins, released by Science of Sound in May of 2009, followed by the EP Mexico, released almost exactly one year later. This new album was recorded at Science of Sound’s studio, engineered by Ricky Riemer and mixed with the band with the help of Riemer. Guest players include Michael Gallope on keys (Janka Nabay & the Bubu Gang, Starring, Skeletons), Jonathan Lang on keys and clarinet, Jacqueline Kursel on cello, and Rob Ferrett on tenor sax. Their album Career Culture will be released on Science of Sound on October 11. www.facebook.com/icarushimselfperson www.twitter.com/icarus_himself Wave - Will Croucher (Knoxville, TN, USA) With twenty years of playing instruments, Will Croucher is a veteran when it comes to making music. Originally from Hamilton, Ohio, Will made his way over to Knoxville, Tennessee where he took to his garage, bedroom, and living room to single handedly record his newest EP, I’d Rather Be Dreaming. Will notes that the record can be characterised as a blend of shoegaze, grunge, and rock. With influences such as My Bloody Valentine, Pink Floyd, and Starflyer59, Will has created a personal style largely inspired by the ‘80s and ‘90s indie rock. Some of Will’s other projects have included an ongoing black metal project called Swine Suicide and his tour with Millionyoung as their live drummer in 2010. Through the use of piano, drums, guitar, bass, and his own vocals, Will manages to create a simplistic sound on his new EP I’d Rather Be Dreaming that is clearly rooted in pop-rock styles. You’ll find Will Croucher via the Glowmobile Recording Company at http://glwmbl.com/willcroucher 9/11 - time to draw a respectful line? Quitters - Maximino (Orlando, FL, USA) Maximino is the one-man soul baby of Gerald Perez. He has described the sound of Maximino as psychadellic soul that stems from orchestral minimalism and experimental folk. He uses a varying array of instruments (synthesizers, cello, and guitar to name a few) to achieve a large and encompassing sound. You can, rather surprisingly, catch Maximino live at Will’s pub in Orlando, Florida on Sept 30 and Oct 3 The EP, Not So Cold, Cave is available at whatever price you’d like to pay through Bandcamp. AMPed show 300 on Monday Do Not Disturb - The Esoteric Gender (Reykjavik, Iceland) Now here’s a band that unexpectedly, really caught my ear. Tony Platt who was studio engineer at Island back in the day has Esoteric Gender down as one of his favourite bands. Given his pedigree alone, they are worth a serious listen. The Esoteric Gender might be born in Reykjavik, the world's northernmost capital, but the band draws its roots from all over the world. Four members, four different countries: Lisa Jamesdaughter from Manchester, England and Jean-Christophe Salaün, from Caen, Normandy, France, formed the band and were joined by Thomas Brorsen Smidt, a drummer from Denmark, and Gabriel Malenfant, a guitarist from Quebec, who joined the adventure on stage. This partly explains their openness to the range of genres their music touches, from dance to triphop, from rock to electronica. Take a look a the video for “They’re here” a bit more energy and rock sensibilities slip in there and watch out for the drummer’s gesture at the end. Says it all!
www.reverbnation.com/theesotericgender
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