Jaguar On Mars has released their new track titled ‘Post Modern Apartment’. Anthemic and snarky all in one track. This is what daddy likes. That rebel yell with anarchy smell combines into a harmonic drift of a song meant for the speakers and shunned for the earbuds. This was meant to crank, yank, and fester in the ruins of what is left after that first listen.
Jacob Cade will hopefully become one of those artists that define this decade of definable music. Future classic with all of the hook trimmings with the sonic tank of the guitar added for an extra fuck yeah.
About Jaguar On Mars & ‘Post Modern Apartment’
‘Post Modern Apartment’ marks the project’s first release of the year. The band has been building momentum with a series of dynamic singles that led to the debut EP, No More Commercials, which was released in 2024.
Cade shares, “I’m really proud of the sounds and riffs I got on this song. I got really experimental with “direct in” guitars and even just leaving the guitar ringing out on the floor and “playing” the delay pedal. This is also only the second song of JOM that has real drums recorded on it. We recorded them at a friend’s studio with only a couple mics, very janky but so sick. All that to say I hope everyone loves it!”
Formed in 2024, Jaguar On Mars has already made waves in the indie-rock scene, thanks to Cade’s distinctive songwriting, self-produced sound, and ability to craft fresh, genre-blending music. With influences ranging from classic rock legends to modern indie-pop, Cade describes Jaguar On Mars as “something you can turn on and let loose to.”
Before launching Jaguar On Mars, Cade had already established himself as a force in the rock world. His previous projects have been praised by American Songwriter Magazine and BraveWords.com, while his songs and videos have collectively amassed over 100,000 streams and views. Now, with Jaguar On Mars, he takes a bold step forward, blending indie and rock influences into a sound that’s entirely his own.
Born in El Paso, TX, raised in Colorado, and now based in Nashville, Cade’s musical journey started early. Inspired at just eight years old by Led Zeppelin’s The Song Remains the Same, he was captivated by the energy of Jimmy Page—a moment that set him on a lifelong creative path. Since then, he has written, recorded, and performed tirelessly, developing a reputation as a dynamic and versatile artist.
One of the things that sets Jaguar On Mars apart is Cade’s hands-on approach to music. He writes, performs, and produces every track himself, ensuring an authentic and deeply personal sound. His latest single, “Post Modern Apartment,” showcases his ability to blend vibrant melodies, sharp lyricism, and an undeniable indie-rock energy.
Spearheaded by songwriter Charlie Bowles, and performing live with a 5-strong line-up that has been playing together since childhood, London’s Sheepish set their stall on spinning out fluffy, hook-laden indie-psych, tinged with the pangs of esoteric weirdness. Mingling the familiarities of bedroom textures, candied melodies with a penchant for weird experiments and vintage production techniques, each Sheepish track offers its own wondrous pocket-sized adventure – think King Gizzard-esque neo-psych and jangle pop mixed with a Syd Barrett-esque quintessential British awkwardness.
Hot on the heels of January lead single ‘High Note’, which added to the growing collection of tastemakers that now includes John Kennedy (Radio X), BBC Introducing London, Rough Trade, Hard of Hearing, The Most Radicalist and Post-Brexit Pop, new single ‘Little Bit Older’ colours a critique of mid-twenties London life with a dextrous afrobeat athleticism, as Charlie explains: “‘Little Bit Older’ was written by two mid-late twenty year olds living in London struggling with coming of age in a competitive job market and stagnating economy. The song explores the neurotic slightly outdated thought processes of a restless young man jumping back and forth between different approaches to living.”
Jon Lindsay has today released his new track titled ‘Big Stage’ from the upcoming album of the same name dropping this spring via Daffin Records.
A definite powerfully pop oriented songwriter in all of the classic senses, with a modern touch and lyrical message firmly rooted in the now. Jon Lindsay is as much a memorable songwriter as he is a solid musician in every sense of the word.
‘Big Stage’ takes center stage with a mesmerizing panache and lush sound that hits all of the chord progressions in the right places and plants a solid hook where you can find it for relisten. This is such a beautiful song. It simply has a way about it. Think classic songwriting teams like Lennon-McCartney, John-Taupin, and so on, and realize this is one young man with a vision and the energy to get his music to a waiting world.
Check out our other features with Jon Lindsay HERE.
About ‘Big Stage’
“Big Stage” is the fourth full-length album from solo artist and producer, Jon Lindsay, made mostly in Hollywood, CA, at Eric Valentine’s Barefoot Studios. It was produced and performed by Lindsay, mixed by Mike Pepe, and features horn arrangements and performances by Matt Douglas (of The Mountain Goats), and drums from Chris Walldorf (of Moa), and Jonathan Erickson (of the Noises 10).
About Jon Lindsay
Based in Savannah, Georgia and New York, Jon Lindsay is a multi-faceted power pop solo artist, producer, and long time member of the band Benji Hughes (Merge / New West Records). Lindsay’s previous collaborations include Rhiannon Giddens, American Aquarium, Hiss Golden Messenger, The Love Language, and Caitlin Cary among others. This spring, Lindsay will be embarking on his fourth tour, which is shadowed shortly after by the release of his fourth LP, Big Stage.
Tea Eater is a Brooklyn-based weirdo art punk band fronted by Tarra Thiessen. They create campy, cunty, wall-of-fuzz songs that double as spells to inspire new potential realities. Tea Eater features members of Gustaf and Sharkmuffin, and has been support for Thee Oh Sees, completed East Coast and Midwest DIY tours, a LA residency, a set at Distorsion Psych Fest in Montreal, and two UK/EU headline tours in 2023 and 2024. They made waves with their debut LP, Obsession, released in October 2023, which was mixed and produced by Drew Vandenberg. (Faye Webster, Of Montreal, Bambara).
About Their Upcoming Album ‘I Don’t Believe in Bad Luck’ [Out March 28th, 2025] Tea Eater’s upcoming LP, I Don’t Believe in Bad Luck (private listening link), is the story of a hotline psychic who’s sick of everyone—including herself. In this sophomore release, the Brooklyn-based DIY band expands their obsessions to include waffles, bugs, and butter. Through tracks like “People Pleaser” and “You Again,” I Don’t Believe in Bad Luck explores what it means to be the villain in someone else’s story—whether by accident or design.
The record delves into the shadow side of self-reflection, confronting characters like John Lemon and the Bee Girls before crossing the art punk abyss and returning back to their true inner self. With fuzzy hooks and a sense of humor, Tea Eater re-contextualizes messy experiences, showing how even the most chaotic holes we fall into can lead to the best possible outcomes. I Don’t Believe in Bad Luck was recorded at La Fam Studios in Bushwick, Brooklyn, with Tarra Thiessen on vocals and guitar, Lindsey Ann Lawless on bass and vocals, Vram Kherlopian on guitar and synth, and Abdon Valdez III on drums. The album was produced and mixed by Vanessa Silberman and Jasno Swarez and mastered by Vram Kherlopian. Album art photo by Viviane Black.
In addition to the vinyl release, a limited-edition tarot deck, inspired by the album’s themes and Tea Eater’s symbol sets, will be available. The deck, which features reimagined versions of traditional tarot suits such as waffles for pentacles and bugs for swords, allows for further exploration into the album’s surreal, introspective journey, and Thiessen’s own personal mythology. I Don’t Believe in Bad Luck will be released on March 28, 2025 by A Diamond a Heart Production, Amethyst Trax, and La Fam Recordings.
Grammy-nominated and multi-platinum artist Aloe Blacc releases ‘Breakthrough’, the latest single from his forthcoming album ‘Stand Together’ (Grand Scheme Productions via Vydia, a gamma. company), set for release on February 28, 2025, in partnership with the philanthropic community of the same name. Written as a testament to the human spirit, the song encourages listeners to rise above challenges and seize their full potential, continuing Aloe’s legacy of inspiring perseverance and triumph through his music. Produced by DJ Khalil and Joel Van Dijk, “Breakthrough” is an empowering anthem about overcoming life’s obstacles, pushing past limitations, and embracing the best version of yourself.
Like every song on the album, “Breakthrough” is paired with a philanthropic initiative—this time, Breakthrough, a nonprofit organization that provides in-prison education and reentry support for justice-impacted individuals, equipping them with the tools, skills, and mindset needed to succeed upon release.
A soaring anthem of personal transformation and resilience, “Breakthrough” echoes the mission of its namesake organization, which believes that people can create a new path forward when given the right support and opportunities. The song’s message of empowerment aligns with Breakthrough’s flagship program, The Challenge, a 32-week curriculum designed to inspire personal accountability, foster emotional growth, and build essential life skills for individuals preparing to reenter society. With a 92% employment rate and just a 6% recidivism rate among released participants, Breakthrough proves that when the focus is placed on people instead of punishment, lives and communities can be transformed for the better.
“‘Breakthrough’ is about pushing through barriers, believing in second chances, and seeing the potential in yourself and others,” says Aloe Blacc. “We all have the capacity to change, to grow, and to contribute to something bigger than ourselves.”
Aloe announced Stand Together, his first album of original music in five years, with the release of lead single “Don’t Go Alone,” which he debuted with a moving performance on Good Morning America. Inspired by the African proverb “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together,” the track set the tone for an album dedicated to unity, resilience, and collective progress. This powerful message aligns with and was inspired by the mission of The Phoenix, a Stand Together community partner and national sober active community that provides free, active, and meaningful programming to anyone impacted by substance use. Aloe followed that up with “One Good Thing,” a song inspired by a conversation he had with U2’s Bono and The Edge about the late Harry Belafonte and the importance of finding common ground to create meaningful change.
In addition to gearing up for the album release, Aloe recently performed live on Good Morning America as part of the #SoCalStrong special, which raised over $8.5 million for wildfire recovery efforts in Southern California. He also delivered a powerful performance of “One Good Thing” on The Jennifer Hudson Show and appeared on Live with Kelly and Mark, where he performed a medley of his biggest hits, including “I Need a Dollar,” “The Man,” and “Wake Me Up.” These performances continue to showcase Aloe’s ability to captivate audiences while using his platform to spread messages of resilience, unity, and hope.
Up next, Aloe will appear on CBS Saturday Morning’s Saturday Sessions on February 15, performing “One Good Thing,” “Don’t Go Alone,” and “Breakthrough” from his forthcoming album. The performance will offer audiences an intimate look at the powerful themes driving Stand Together, reinforcing his commitment to using music as a vehicle for change.
Check out our other features with Aloe Blacc HERE.
Stand Together Tracklist
‘Stand Together’ cover.
Stand Together (Producer: Jason Mendelson)
Breakthrough (Producer: DJ Khalil & Joel Van Dijk)
Grow Together (Producer: Matt Parad)
What’s Going On (Producers: Greg Spero, Jason Mendelson)
Love in Control (Producer: Stargate)
My World (Producer: Stargate)
Don’t Go Alone (Producer: Oak Felder)
One Good Thing (Producer: Matt Parad, Hunter Hayes, and Alex Wilke)
Not on My Watch (Producer: Eric Krasno, Aloe Blacc)
Stand Together is a philanthropic community that tackles the root causes of our country’s biggest problems. They partner with the country’s boldest changemakers to drive solutions on education, economic opportunity, bridging divides, and dozens of other pressing issues. Learn more at www.standtogether.org and Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.
About ‘Breakthrough’
Breakthrough is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to transforming the lives of justice-impacted individuals and reshaping perceptions of incarceration. We believe people are more than their past and that change is possible through compassion, connection, and community.
Our in-facility program equips participants with essential soft skills, career training (developed with Google Boulder), and entrepreneurial education (in partnership with Colorado State University). Upon release, we provide reentry support, mentorship, and job placement through our Fair Opportunity Employment Program, connecting returning citizens with businesses committed to second chances.
Breakthrough also advocates for a more fair and productive justice system, challenging outdated perceptions and pushing for policies that prioritize rehabilitation and opportunity.
We believe in people, in our shared humanity, and in the power of breaking through to a better tomorrow.
Texas-based alternative rock band Neapolitan kicks off 2025 with their gripping new single, ‘Sell Yourself,’ out now on Golden Robot Records. The track is now available to buy on all major streaming platforms.
‘Sell Yourself’ delivers a raw and introspective journey, painting a vivid picture of someone wrestling with life’s trials and tribulations. Through haunting melodies and emotionally charged lyricism, the song immerses listeners in the inner dialogue of a lost soul navigating a time of deep uncertainty. More than just a song, ‘Sell Yourself’ serves as a love letter to those struggling with mental health, affirming that their journey – no matter how difficult – is an essential part of life.
Neapolitan continues to carve their path in the alternative scene with their dynamic sound, blending heartfelt storytelling with immersive instrumentation. ‘Sell Yourself’ is poised to resonate deeply with fans old and new, offering both solace and solidarity through its powerful message.
About Neapolitan
Neapolitan is a Rock band based out of Austin, Texas. Styles range from Post Hardcore heavy hitters such as Thrice and Underoath, to the modern innovators in Pop such as the 1975 and John Mayer. The band formed at a School of Rock where Chris Schreck (Lead Vocals & Guitar) and Nick Rash (Lead Guitar) worked as instructors.
Knowing the perfect guy for the spot, Nick Rash brought in long time friend Matthew Rodriquez to play Bass. After having gone through a couple drummers over the years, the band settled on the new kid in town Bryce Weston out of Huntington Beach, California. Self-releasing all their music, Neapolitan plans to continue this practice in the Spiring of 2024 by releasing the single “Perfect Place”.
Julian Shah-Tayler has today released the new video for his single titled ‘ForEva’ via Impossible Things Records. Beautifully crafted and married to the music, the video is an AI driven feeling of love and life held within cascading frames of simple times and complex emotion. And, isn’t that what this brilliant piece of music is?
‘ForEva’ is a perfect example of Julian Shah-Tayler as a songwriter as much as it is of him as a multi-instrumentalist or iconic singer. The hook is pristine and the chord progression is as original as it is ear opening. This, to me, is a near perfect song. One that, coming from a person that literally listens to and writes about music all day, can appreciate for what it is: magic.
Check out our other features with Julian Shah-Tayler HERE.
About Julian Shah-Tayler
Born in Leeds, England and educated at Hogwarts(truly!) all the way to a philosophy degree at York university, Julian moved to London as a singer songwriter with classical training on piano and self taught on guitar.
After abortive record deals with Alan McGee he joined hip electro clash outfit “Whitey” as co-writer/guitarist recording many of the songs in his nascent home studio. After a complete breakdown in communication, Julian moved to Los Angeles to pursue his own project and had further success with licenses in TV and film in the USA.
Briana Ann has today released her new video and single titled ‘Wearing White’. We’ve all been there, and we’ve all settled for many things in life. Briana lets us know that you should never settle on your significant other. Being the best you can be requires surrounding yourself with the best of those around you, and for you.
Musically subtle and hitting all the feels, ‘Wearing White’ is an emotional journey that delves into country musicianship and songwriter’s tell all attitude and emotion.
While the song is a ballad, there is a lot of energy in the build up taking the story to it’s conclusion. As in life, you have to wait until the end, until you realize the only end is death. Lesson learned.
About Briana Ann & ‘Wearing White’
Briana Ann says, “’Wearing White”, is about a girl who’s getting married to a man, knowing she’s settling and thinking about the “what if’s” with her ex.” She continues, “What if he was the best she’ll get and she’s just settling? I wrote this song in only 10 minutes, because the ideas flowed to me so easily, and it’s one of the first songs that I feel really proud of writing.”
“Wearing White”, is such an emotional song, Briana Ann wants listeners to feel something when they listen to it and watch the video. Whether they feel sad, because they relate to it, or happy because they don’t, to Briana Ann, the music is all about how it makes you feel. The song is sad, but the video is somewhat humorous, while still being emotional. It’s very entertaining and she’s excited to hear what people think about it.
Briana Ann says her current music is two different genres, “I describe it as pop-country for now and my music is storytelling about my life and things around it. I like to talk about real topics, while making it upbeat and fun.”
Briana Ann continues to work on writing and recording new music, including her first pop single, “You Got It!”, which is a great dance song.
You can expect to see Briana Ann on stage performing in the near future, as well as more new music and fun videos.
“Wearing White”, was produced by Super Producer and Engineer, Chuck Alkazian (Christina Aguilera, Becky G, Detroit Youth Choir) at Pearl Sound Studios in Canton, MI.
Waterlog has released their new single titled ‘Touchscreen’ from the EP of the same name dropping March 20th. After a breakout year collaborating with musical giants like Peter Gabriel, Squid, and Saya Gray, producer, multi-instrumentalist, and now Grammy Award Winning engineer for ‘Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical’ on Peter Gabriel’s ‘i/o’ – Dom Shaw is ready to make 2025 his own with his creative project, Waterlog. Emerging from a winter of reflection on the rugged Cornish coastline, Dom has crafted a distinctive sound that fuses alternative, folk, and rock, woven together with wit, truth, and a touch of myth.
Leading the charge into the new year is brand new single ‘Touchscreen’, the title track from Waterlog’s forthcoming EP set for release on March 20, 2025. The song is a raucous indie pop-rock anthem with echoes of early 2000s nostalgia, laced with Dom’s uniquely inventive musical touch. Brimming with frenetic energy and constant twists, the track showcases Dom’s one-of-a-kind creative vision, fully realised after years of studio mastery.
‘Touchscreen’ is inspired by Dom’s moment of clarity (and comedy) as he pondered the absurdities of modern life dominated by smartphones and social media. The result? A tongue-in-cheek duet between a relentlessly optimistic smartphone and its jaded user, brimming with sharp humor and biting commentary.
“It’s a farcical middle finger to the technology that had such an irreversible effect on me growing up.” Dom shares. “Oddly enough, the song feels more relevant now than when I wrote it.”
The track began as a raw collaboration between Dom and drummer Cam, whose thrashing rhythms laid the groundwork for a gritty, gnarly bassline that brought the song’s energy to life. To play the material at live shows, Dom brought in his long term collaborators; Cam Steele (Drums), Tom Coath (Bass), Tatjana Radivoj (Guitar) and Vi Wang (Sax), who form a five piece band.
With its unabashedly British indie pop vibe, ‘Touchscreen’ is equal parts lampooning satire and cathartic release. Featuring clashing chords, sudden sonic shifts, and polished production, the track feels modern yet rooted in the DIY ethos of 2000s indie rock.
Dom’s charismatic vocals command attention, delivering every line with a blend of humor, grit, charm and even taking inspiration from The Shining’s Danny Torrance for the main hook.
Waterlog’s ability to blend genres is not just skill but sheer joy, and ‘Touchscreen’ is a testament to Dom’s genre-fluid artistry. Whether it’s the raw edge of thrashing guitars or the polished, indie-pop sheen, the track captures an artist at the peak of his creative powers – with a song that humorously yet poignantly reflects the digital age with a modern indie twist.
Q&A
When did you write “Touchscreen”, and why did you decide to make it your title track?
Touchscreen was one of the first songs I wrote for Waterlog, back in late 2023. The lyrics came all at once, they’re all scrawled down messily in a notebook somewhere so you can tell where my head was at at that time. Anyone close to me knows I have quite a conflicted relationship with smartphones and the only way I could fully represent it was this in-your-face, chaotic tune. When people listened to the song it seemed to grab them and not let go which I thought was a good enough reason for using it to spearhead this EP.
What do you think are the most important things screens give us, and what do you feel they take away?
We are at a point where you can see and hear your loved ones from halfway across the world, and people are able to collaborate for incredible causes on a global scale for almost no cost. We have everything at our fingertips including the ability to relive any great moment in human history and learn from the great mistakes of human history. But I think the human response to being given this is not quite as utopian as someone from the past may expect – this ability to live in an endless fantasy has been detrimental to a number of young people.
As you were composing the song, did you know you were going to make this sort of dichotomy of sounds and feelings? If not, how did it happen?
Absolutely, it was all there from the get go. My feelings on the subject are so conflicted and warring that I had to get that across.
When did you first begin bridging the gap between genres, and how does it feel to make that come to life inside a song?
I’ve never really been able to stick to any one genre, it’s the modern way after all! I have such a love for so many different types of music which has served me well in my job as a recording engineer. Whenever I write it’s natural for me to imagine different contexts that the song could exist in and try to combine them. I just love that it’s entering the mainstream these days.
I heard a rumor that some of your songs were recorded in a shed near the sea. What area did you record in, and how do you feel the location in which you recorded affects your final product?
Yeah I recorded most of the material down on the Cornish coast. I didn’t anticipate the sea to play such a part in my emotions while I was there – this song in particular I developed during a particularly stormy period and that had such an effect on every take I did, knowing that the winds were up and the surrounding landscape was in chaos.
Is there one lyric from “Touchscreen” which stands out to you, or has a deeper, unspoken meaning?
I like this question, it’s made me review the lyrics and see them in a different light. I think at the end of the bridge, “there’s no need to thank me”, spoken from the voice of the smartphone. I think it’s amazing that, despite the often all-consuming impact that phones have on our lives, they’re sort of immune to praise/criticism. It makes me think of Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror concept, that the technology pretends to merely show us a reflection of ourselves.
Phonseca has today premiered their new video for the track titled ‘When Night Equals Day’ from their upcoming album ‘Everything Lasts Forever’ dropping March 28th via the Old Bad Habits Label.
A sweetly dark and reflective anthem for those of us who’ve had those darker and more realistic Valentine’s Days, Phonseca does more than relate to those countless members of the club who’ve been forced back into the box that shields us from the world with a little hope and a lot of introspection, the kind we need to move on and move forward.
Musically endearing with a musical canvas that builds the emotion with subtlety and grace, like an old friend that listens so you can learn. Letting us know that loneliness is just part of that road that can lead us to and make us appreciate what love is and who we should love.
A slow beat and a lazy burn take the track into the realm of thought it needs to be in: an honest look into the self and that quiet tear before the realization and motivation sets in. Beautiful.
About ‘When Night Equals Day’
‘When Night Equals Day’ is the superb new single from Indie Synthpop duo, Phonseca, which brings together Bristol’s much respected keys/synth player Matthew O’Connor and radiant Swedish vocalist Kristina Sheppard.
Matthew has a rich musical background, bringing his talent to bands across the musical spectrum from House to Shoegaze, Psyche to Soundtrack, Electronica, Britpop and Rock. Both touring and featuring on albums released on labels as diverse as Rocket Recordings, Invada Records and Dishy Recordings, his creative input has featured on many projects. Inevitably the urge to form a more personal musical landscape saw him starting to write his own music. This began the process which resulted in ‘Between A Dream’, the debut Phonseca album, which came out in 2019.
The album was championed in the UK on BBC Radio 6 Music by both Gideon Coe and Steve Lamacq. With Steve Lamacq featuring it in his “Recommends” show. It also picked up lots of airplay and excellent reviews around the world. Matthew’s classical piano training has an influence on his work. In addition to Phonseca, he has composed Library Music where his work has been synched on primetime TV like BBC1’s – The One Show, Channel 5 programs and National TV in most of Europe. This was the catalyst for first writing with Kristina, initially working on songs for a Disney project which followed a chance meeting at a wedding fayre, where they had stalls directly opposite each other. Since its release, the pair have spent the past few years promoting the debut album while writing/recording the second ‘Everything Lasts Forever’, which is now ready for release via Old Bad Habits Label.
‘When Night Equals Day’, the second single to come from the new album, captures the emotional heartbeat of Phonseca’s indie synthpop, electronica sound. The track’s unhurried pulsing beats, icy ambient synths, desolate piano and sweeping drones make for a deep, contemplative listen. A wintry, never ending glacial atmosphere pervades the track, conjuring lonely and dark winter nights. What begins as a fragile cry for help, evolves into something more resilient. Then by the refrain ‘When Night Equals Day’, it’s realistically introspective again.
“As with the whole album, these songs have a nocturnal feel and this one is no exception”, says O’Connor. “Lyrically I was inspired by classic songs like Kraftwerk – Computer Love and Soft Cell – Bedsitter and other songs too that are so evocative the images freely play out in your mind. The title refers to the Spring equinox, and by complete coincidence this was when we were recording the vocals at Invada. It’s my favorite lyric and possibly my favorite song on the album and another amazing vocal from Kristina, completely embracing the song and meaning”, he further reveals.
An unflinching song about relationships, capturing a sense of disbelief, when a spark you saw in someone has long faded, ‘When Night Equals Day’ is full of heart on your sleeve emotions and a wistful melancholy. It’s ultimately though, a song of strength and independence.
Paul Hooper-Keeley composed his earliest songs and formed his first band, The Threads, whilst in Sixth Form in 1982. He had originally learnt guitar in order to write the music to the lyrics he was writing. Based in Lincolnshire, once The Threads had headed out from their garage band apprenticeship, they quickly built a sizeable and loyal following across the county. They capitalised on this by recording a 4-songs EP of PHK original material, ‘Mind The Threads, John!’, which was self-released and quickly sold out of the 500 copies manufactured.
With their organ and Rickenbacker groove (and occasional brass section), The Threads continued to build up a strong following on the Mod/Garage/Psychedelic/Indie scene, with gigs now taking place across the UK. An appearance at a large Alldayer for Ronnie Lane’s ARMS charity led to them being signed by Unicorn Records. Their first recordings under this deal were produced by Ed Ball (The Times, TV Personalities, Creation Records etc.) and engineered by Colin Richardson (Bullet For My Valentine, Napalm Death, Slipknot etc.) at the Slaughterhouse Studios in Driffield (Happy Mondays, Sisters of Mercy, The Mission etc.) and at Bram Tchaikovsky’s (The Motors) Chapel Studio in South Thoresby. They were released by Unicorn Records (distributed by Nine Mile/The Cartel) on the first Phase III EP in 1986 and also formed the spine of their ‘As Yet Untitled’ LP released by Unicorn in 1987. They then played another large charity Alldayer in London in 1988 with Steve Marriott (Small Faces and Humble Pie), Boys Wonder, The Boys (Steve Cradock’s pre-Ocean Colour Scene band) and The Clique.
UK tours in 1989, 1990 and 1991and European Tours in 1988 and 1989 were accompanied by further EP and flexi-disc releases that generated interest from EMI, Chrysalis and Fiction. In 2001, Detour Records released The Threads CD anthology, ‘Step Back In Time’, (Detour are reissuing it again in 2025) whilst a newly recorded 7” single was released by Twist Records. The last few years have seen a double ‘live’ album of 1980s shows and a triple rarities album released on Germany’s Time For Action Records.
Furthermore, recent Cherry Red box sets including ‘Millions Like Us – The Story Of The Mod Revival 1977-1989’ and ‘Into Tomorrow – The Spirit Of Mod 1983-2000’ (incl. Paul Weller, The Undertones, Stone Roses, Inspiral Carpets, Supergrass, Cast, Primal Scream, Ocean Colour Scene, The La’s, The Charlatans, Ride etc.) have included recordings by The Threads, finally recognising their contribution to the music scene and youth subculture of the time and now bringing them to a wider audience. So much so that The Threads have recently reformed to record and release ‘The International Times’ 12” EP and will be playing a homecoming show in Skegness next May (supported by The Jam’s Rick Buckler) and the huge Mods Mayday 2025 Festival at 229 The Venue, London, over the Bank Holiday weekend.
In the meantime, in 2003, Paul Hooper-Keeley set-up Biff Bang Pow Records and Burnt Toast Music Publishing in order to assist a number of good bands on the scene that weren’t being given the opportunities by other larger (and more mainstream) labels. This resulted in three compilation albums, ‘Shake’, ‘Shout’ and ‘Shimmy’ that combined new bands with a handful of more seasoned artists such as Tom Hingley (Inspiral Carpets), Graham Day (The Prisoners), Fay Hallam (Makin’ Time), Tony Morrison (Long Tall Shorty & Angelic Upstarts) and Ian Page (Secret Affair/New Hearts). There was a modicum of record label success when the debut single by Grasp got to number 83 in the mid-week charts, and BBC TV coverage when the Mod Aid 20 single was recorded for charity. Assembling and all-star cast to record Small Faces classics ‘Whatcha Gonna Do Bout It’ and ‘Afterglow’, the recording session featured, amongst others, Ronnie Wood (Rolling Stones/Faces), Steve Cradock (Ocean Colour Scene), PP Arnold, Chris Farlowe, Mark Joseph, Mike Evans (The Action), Jimmy Winston (Small Faces), Andy Ellison (John’s Children), Reg Presley (The Troggs), Art Wood (The Artwoods), Buddy Ascott (The Chords), Simon Stebbing (Purple Hearts), Dave Cairns (Secret Affair), Steve Trigg (Stone Foundation), and Steve Marriott’s daughter, Mollie. Continuing to write for future projects, he joined rehearsal room band, The Deep Six, in 2015 that also featured Mark ‘Syd’ McGounden and Neil Clitheroe of Makin’ Time (Stiff Records/Countdown). Taking on the management of the band in addition to rhythm guitar, vocals and songwriting, he immediately transformed them and had arranged a gig at The 100 Club within 24-hours and got them a record deal with Heavy Soul Records within the week. Touring with and supporting Secret Affair, Bruce Foxton’s From The Jam, The Lambrettas, Tom Hingley etc. (plus a special guest slot for Kenney Jones of Small Faces/Faces/The Who), they recorded two albums, two EPs and three 7” singles over the next 5-years.
Paul’s next musical project was a collaboration with Mark Le Gallez (The Risk/Sacred Hearts/Thee Jenerators) and Emma Page (Yeh-Yeh/Omega Tribe), starting in 2023 under the name The Mark Three. So far, they have recorded and released two 12” 5-song EPs and a 16-song album with F.A.B. records (Paul playing lead & rhythm guitar, Hammond B3 and piano), as well as ‘live’ shows at 229 The Venue, London, and The Cavern Club, Liverpool. Paul also produces the band. They return to the studio in January and February 2025 to record a new album.
However, with so much original material available (and more being written all the time), a further outlet has been created under Paul’s solo ‘PHK’ moniker. The debut single, ‘Sanctimonious Sue’ c/w ‘The Luvvies Brigade’, was recorded and mixed in October, with Paul again producing the sessions and is now being pressed as a limited edition 7” single for release in early 2025. Being a multi-instrumentalist, Paul plays everything on both tracks (including bass and harmonica as well as his usual guitars, keyboards and vocals) apart from drums and returns to the studio in December to begin work on additional tracks for the forthcoming PHK album, ‘You Should All Be Ashamed Of Yourselves’.
Marseille has today released their new video for the track titled ‘History’. While you can read what we think of the song HERE, the video is a combination of subtle avant-garde and light hearted noir styling with a highlight on showing that youth is in the eye of the beholder.
Carefree and fanciful, the visuals adherently match the song note for note and frame by frame. Featuring a storyline of someone feeling past their prime and given the gift of metaphoric youth who, in turn, finds that inner child and celebrates the fact that their is still life left and love longed for. Beautifully crafted yet simple in execution, Marseille find a clever way to convey a brilliant song.
Hailing from the depths of northern Derbyshire, the five-piece indie rock/shoegaze band have been making waves in the UK music scene, reviving a scene which never really died. At an average age of just 19, the group—featuring Will Brown (vocals), Joe Labram (lead guitar), Lennon Hall (guitar), Will Sabey (bass), and Tom Spray (drums) have already completed a successful UK tour, selling out 150-250 capacity venues.
Marseille have been busy laying down the foundations for an eye catching 2025 after 2 years of grafting, playing encapsulating shows and honing their sound. With the Oasis reunion this year and a new wave of Brit-pop set to sweep the country, it’s an exciting time for Marseille who carry a zero-fucks given swagger with waves of psych, groove and emotion moving through their tracks, making sure the audience never has a moment to lose interest.
‘History’ is a track that really tugs at the heartstrings, a song that is a love letter to the dreams we all had as children, being remembered as a legend of your era. But all the while having that big beat in your face swagger that Marseille naturally carries around wherever they go. A gorgeously well-crafted song which is most excellently brought to life by Wolf Alice’s producer Michael Smith.
On the track, singer Will Brown said, “History is a simple song which applies to any young person with big aspirations. It’s probably the most personal to us as a collective as we fit that criterion. We are 5 young lads that want our legacy to be remembered, and that is one of the most special things that anyone can ever write about.”
Over 2024 Marseille played some very notable shows such as the Quarry Stage at YNOT in front of 4,000 people, Isle Of Wight festival, Manchester Academy 2. They also supported The Twang at Leicester Academy and supported The Bluetones in Lancaster at the Kanteena.
The band have also received backing from clothing brand Pretty Green which is something both parties plan to build on in 2025.
Crooked Teeth, the genre-bending queer forward band known for blending infectious hooks with raw emotion, is ushering in an exciting new chapter. The band is thrilled to announce the addition of bassist and co-vocalist Livi Dillon, a seasoned musician who has toured extensively with Emarosa. Alongside this new lineup, Crooked Teeth has released their poignant new single, “One Week Off,” available on all streaming platforms.
“One Week Off” marks the band’s first release featuring Livi Dillon on vocals. The track dives deep into themes of depression and navigating life unmedicated, delivering an unfiltered, heartfelt narrative. The single was co-written with acclaimed songwriter Nick Long (Machine Gun Kelly, Blink-182, Gwen Stefani) and produced by Shan Singh, showcasing a polished yet emotionally charged sound.
“I’m no stranger to vulnerability especially to it bleeding into songwriting, but “One Week Off” truly feels like the most honest and metaphor free song I’ve ever written. “ says founding member Tyson Evans, “It feels like a new chapter for us where we embrace full catharsis in and through the songs.
This one also welcomes our new member and friend Livi Dillon to the weave which has truly bolstered Jason and I’s pre-existing love for the project and has been such a welcome breath of fresh air.”
About Crooked Teeth
Originally from Santa Cruz, Crooked Teeth has spent years carving out a distinct place in the alt-rock scene, known for its high-energy performances and emotionally raw lyrics. The band is now located in San Francisco / Los Angeles and is fronted by Tyson Evans, the band blends alternative rock, pop-punk, and emo influences into a sound that is as hard-hitting as it is introspective. With the addition of Livi Dillon on bass and co-vocals and a renewed lineup including longstanding drummer Jason Haze on drums and the addition of Jay Pigot on auxiliary guitar, Crooked Teeth’s sound has evolved into a more dynamic, layered force that will captivate audiences everywhere.
Karisa has today released her new single titled ‘Paper Hearts’. Electro pop with a combination of confidence and grace, ‘Paper Hearts’ is a modified nostalgia trip made for the new roaring 20’s captivating that moment between turbulence and temerity.
Highlighted by a pulsing beat, the vocals drone and demure like an electric angel of truth in the moment. Spurned by lessons learned and love lost, this is a track relatable by everyone and becomes the brick in a new foundation that only you can rebuild.
About ‘Paper Hearts’
“Paper Hearts” emerges as a poignant narrative of a love caught in turmoil. Co-produced and written by Karisa Dalamages and Lucas Vuco, the lyrics vividly illustrate the fragile nature of emotions, likening love to paper hearts effortlessly burned or torn apart. “ I wanted to create a story around a love that is broken,” Karisa explains. The song’s evocative melody, textured with instrumental arrangements including soul-stirring violins, transports listeners through a journey of emotional highs and lows. Together, they weave a sonic landscape that captures the essence of heartache and resilience in the face of tumultuous relationships.
Reflecting on the inspiration behind the track, Karisa explains, “The concept of a paper heart symbolizes how flimsy and thin a love can be, and how easily it could be torn or burned— just like a heart made of paper.” In her signature sound, Karisa “utilizes 80’s inspired synths,” she explains “much like my other work, only this time it is also layered with orchestral instruments such as violins. At the end of the song, the listeners get a chance to hear the orchestra in its solitude.”
About Karisa
Karisa is an energetic and passionate Toronto-based singer, songwriter, and musician. Her journey began in grade school when she joined the school choir and later received her first guitar at age 14. She began releasing music in 2020 with her debut EP Vaporcoast and most recently unveiled her EP Endless Summer, released in 2024.
As someone who struggles with depression and anxiety, she leans into music and painting to allow her creative side to help her overcome the challenges in her life. Known for her retro visuals and “blonde bombshell” aesthetic, her influences are inspired by artists like Avril Lavigne, Don Henley, New Order, and ABBA. These influences helped inspire Karisa to create music that blends the 80s new wave synths with modern alt-pop and dance beats. Her previous single, “Sin City,” received attention from notable press outlets like GlamGlare, Ones to Watch, and GRRRL Music.
Steve Drizos has today premiered his new single titled ‘Loneliness Finds Her Own Way’ set to drop on Valentine’s Day. Endearing in execution and sincere in it’s delivery, this homage to love originated by Clem Snide is an outside of the box reimage of a song that is timeless in it’s own right.
Some songs were meant to be. This is one of those songs to take with you on that road trip. It will spark reflection and introversion that you sometimes so desperately need in life. With subtle orchestration and a troubadour vocal mentality, Steve Drizos gives a glimpse of his signature sound, both as a tribute as well as an addition to what he’s done so far, and takes a cover to a new level with his stamp of originality and charm without taking away everything the song already stands for.
About Steve Drizos
Portland, Oregon-based musician/engineer/producer Steve Drizos, a professional touring musician for more than twenty seven years and studio owner, who can currently be found behind the drums for Jerry Joseph and The Jackmormons or helming the board at his SE Portland recording studio, The Panther, just released his sophomore full-length album, i love you now leave me alone (Cavity Search Records).
Having worked with countless artists at The Panther, including Patterson Hood (Drive-By Truckers), Debbi Peterson (The Bangles), Spencer Tweedy, Chris Funk (The Decembrists), and Scott McCaughey (R.E.M., Minus 5, The Young Fresh Fellows), as well as his wife, The Decemberists’ Jenny Conlee, Drizos is no stranger to both sides of the studio, culminating in his debut solo album, Axiom, which was released on Cavity Search Records in 2021. Written and recorded during the start of the pandemic, Axiom was Drizos’ chance to experiment in the studio and make a solo album, playing most of the instruments himself. However, with i love you now leave me alone, he decided to demo everything and build a band around the songs, resulting in a powerful follow-up that finds the songwriter side of him growing and evolving, delivering another strong collection of eight powerful songs that find influence in 90s guitar-rock, pop, and folk.
“My first record, Axiom, got a lot more attention and positive feedback than I ever could have imagined, so I felt really motivated to release a follow up as soon as possible,” Drizos says discussing the birth of i love you now leave me alone. “And where Axiom was very much done on my own, I wanted this project to be a band, tracking the songs live and having much more collaboration. Once I had a batch of songs that I felt good about, I assembled the players and got to work.”
The band includes drummer Joe Mengis (Eels), Tim Murphy (RoughCuts) on bass and backing vocals, Todd Wright on electric guitars and backing vocals, and his wife, Jenny Conlee on piano and electric piano.
“I spent a decent amount of time making demos of these songs that were pretty fleshed out,” he says. “The versions of the songs on the album are not very far from those demos, just played much better and with some much cooler ideas added in.”
Whereas Axiom was introspective and about Drizos and his newfound sobriety, i love you now leave me alone focuses more on Drizos’ loved ones and his relationships with them.
“Most of the songs on this album are about my relationships with those closest to me. Some songs are pretty direct, like ‘troubled heart’ is a song directly for my wife, while others are more of an amalgamation of people in my life. My first album was much more introspective, so I wanted this one to be looking out and talk about some of those relationships.”
But, even with deep love for those closest to him, the self-admitted introvert decided to title the record with a saying he feels a lot. “I think it relates to the album in that the sentiment of ‘I love you, now leave me alone’ is relatable to most introverts like myself,” he confesses. “Deeply loving those closest to us, but at the same time being pretty happy to be left alone. I had the title before I had any of the songs finished or even started. It kind of gave me a compass direction as to what the record was going to be about.”
On the bouncy, warm pop-rocker “kick into touch,” which builds into a driven rocker, Drizos sings:
Everyone I call home Something I want you to know You lift me up, you fill my soul I love you, now leave me alone
“I think that pretty much sums up how I feel a lot of the times. I was worried that people would take that as being rude or insulting, but most everyone that’s heard the lyric or I tell them the album title laughs and says, ‘I get it!’ I’m not the only one who feels this way.”
When asked what the highlight of the album is for him, Drizos beams with excitement about the energy of the record, thanks to playing the songs live in the studio with a full band.
“Overall, I think the energy of a band playing in a room together was captured very well on this record. Even though there was a decent amount of overdubs, the foundation of the songs were all tracked live and I think you can really feel that. Songs like ‘boomerang’ and ‘beautiful nothing’ especially capture the energy.”
Not only did Drizos work with a full band on his sophomore effort, but he also worked with a vocal coach to better deliver his vocals on this release.
“I worked with an amazing singer and good friend, Rebecca Sanborn, as a vocal producer/coach and she really pushed me to do things that I didn’t think I could do. She took me out of my comfort zone and made me work for it and I could not be more pleased with the results. As someone who doesn’t consider myself a strong vocalists, I am really happy with the results on this record.”
While the record sounds fresh and contemporary, it is heavily rooted in and influenced by 90s rock, something Drizos contributes to the music he keeps coming back to.
“[90s rock] resonates with me the most,” he admits. “Maybe at 50 years old it reminds me of a more innocent time in my life, maybe it’s just really familiar and comforting. I love the energy and larger than life aspect of music from that era. Can it be overly earnest from time to time? Absolutely. But I’m not afraid to go there! As long as it’s not ALL like that. I guess it doesn’t feel like it was a choice to go in the direction of 90s rock, its just where I live most of the time.”
When Drizos recorded and released Axiom, he had no intentions to play any of those songs live, and thus didn’t. However, he approached i love you now leave me alone differently, with live shows in mind.
“I approached the writing and the producing of the album with the idea of playing live shows in mind, which I did not do with Axiom. I hope that the live shows are a pretty close representation of what the album sounds like. Since I don’t really play live shows, at least as a band leader playing my songs, I’m not sure what to expect. I feel like I have found a great group of players that I feel really comfortable with, so I would love to bring these songs to a live audience.”
The album’s first single, “brooklyn 97202,” is about his SE Portland neighborhood.
“I chose this as the first single because I really wanted to release it in the summer. It’s a summer song, as well as a good example and introduction of what the band sounds like.”
“Almost everyday I walk the same route around my neighborhood,” he continues. “Most of the lyrics for this album I came up with on these walks. Last summer I felt hyper aware of the phenomenon that happens in the Pacific Northwest, after a long and dreary winter/spring, the lights come back on and everything turns from grey to technicolor overnight. And there is a collective lift in everyone’s mood. The lights coming back on has definite parallels with the seasonal depression that a lot people suffer living in this area.”
With the album’s first single set for release July 21st, and the album set for release in early 2024, Drizos is excited for people to start hearing the record. And, while he made the record for himself, something he would listen to, he’s not shy about admitting he wants people to hear it and connect with it.
“All I’m doing is making music that I enjoy making and listening to, and hope that others will get something out of it. I try my best to ride the line of believing this record is really good, wanting people to hear it and enjoy it, and at the same time not take any of it too seriously and remember its another record in a long line of records that have come before and will come after.
“I hope it gets to people’s ears and they find something that they can relate to in it. I’m in a unique position where I’m not making a record for a particular fan base or planning a big tour around the release of the album. So the stakes are relatively low in those regards, which takes some of the pressure off. I love making records, I love collaborating with people I trust and respect, and I will keep doing that regardless. But at the same time I’m an insecure artist who wants people to like what I create.”
Zanski’s latest single, “Canines,” is a haunting exploration of memory and self-doubt. With its melancholic mood and driving indie energy, the track captures the feeling of being caught in between moments—reminiscing on the past, but unsure whether those memories are truly accurate. The song’s lush instrumentation and experimental production reflect Zanski’s ability to blend indie, alternative, and emotional undertones in a captivating way.
The title, “Canines,” plays on the imagery of baring teeth, a symbolic representation of confronting emotions and memories. With its raw, questioning tone, the song contemplates the idea of remembering an event or feeling with uncertainty—like a cliffhanger that leaves you wondering whether the memory is truly complete.
A standout element of the track is Zanski’s unique mixing choices—quiet, intimate vocals pushed through tape saturation to create a warm, almost whispered sound. The song’s pulsating guitar riffs, which were processed through an array of pedals, add to the track’s layered, textured feel. Zanski also employed an alternate guitar tuning created by a close friend, which provided an unconventional foundation for the song’s composition.
About Zanski
Based in East Toronto, Zanski’s music is the result of years of self-reflection, experimentation, and a unique approach to production. Known for blending analog and electronic elements, his tracks are a testament to his ability to craft genre-bending sounds that weave together intricate guitar work, synthesizers, and raw emotion.
Zanski’s 2021 debut, Phenomena, delved into dreamlike, low-fidelity recordings, while his hit single “Fool” embraced a minimalist, sultry vibe. With “Canines,” Zanski has further refined his sound, pushing the boundaries of self-production and channeling a more organic, authentic songwriting approach.
Consumables have today released their new track 'Infinite Games' from their upcoming album of the same name dropping March 7th via We Are Time (North America) and Fierce Panda (UK/EU).
Pulling off that ‘demo’ feel while keeping that sheer originality spice and charm from a band meant for the stadium, this goes well beyond indie cliché and becomes it’s own thing in it’s own right.
‘Inifinite Games’ is the perfect introduction to your next favorite band giving you your next favorite album. The title track chugs along without a care in the world, just as we should a learn to do from time to time. Consumables show us that it’s not hard to make good music on your own terms. This is not a game.
About Consumables
Consumables are a fierce NYC-based art punk quartet with a defiant philosophical edge. Their debut album, Infinite Games, co-written and produced by Bodega’s Ben Hozie, cuts to the heart of contemporary alienation by grappling with the desperate quest for control in a world drowning in chaos and unpredictability. The band is made up of Kyle Crew (vocals, guitar), Miles Fox (vocals, bass, synth), Hector Guillen (drums), and Dylan Joyce (guitar).
Consumables have made a name for themselves with their explosive live performances around NYC. Guitarist Kyle Crew is tall, confident, and observant, like a watchtower atop a stage where everyone and everything is moving. This commanding presence translates to the album’s rollicking opening track, “Keys to the Cell,” a reflection on Crew’s six month incarceration in an Arkansas jail on pot charges. The track kicks off the album on a raw and optimistic note, reveling in possibilities and new horizons. It lays down the aesthetic gauntlet for what’s to come: “screaming sirens came and went / everything’s a game of chance.”
The band’s debut album is conceptually inspired by the book Finite and Infinite Games by James P. Carse, which explores the difference between the two concepts. Finite games have boundaries, rules, and clear winners and losers. Infinite games have no winner; the only goal is to continue the play. “So much unnecessary suffering happens when a person plays a finite game in an infinite game scenario,” explains Crew. This theme surfaces often throughout the album’s twelve tracks, from exploring tensions between technology, selfhood, and authenticity on the post-punk standout “Great Design” and the drama of keeping a romantic relationship alive on slacker-tinged “Ten Toes Down”.
Consumables’ rhythm section is filled by drummer Hector Guillen, who developed his craft early in life playing in prog bands in his native Panama, and bassist Miles Fox, whose synth-pop anthems are amongst the album’s standout cuts – sequenced here as perfect foils to Crew’s jittery hook-centric punk sensibilities. Infinite Games is a bass-forward album; its pulse is impossible to ignore. Listen to Guillen and Fox’s seasoned interplay on “Emotional Speedball,” a meditation on the highs and lows of lust made manifest through a rhythmic core weaving through heavy traffic. Highlights “Dry Rot” and “Messages” surge with the band’s push and pull of rhythmic elasticity. In the latter, Fox meditates on a world of ubiquitous signaling systems wherein – somehow – nothing gets through. In a lyrical highlight of the album, he ponders our “complex motivations, not motivated.”
The album culminates in the hazy eponymous cut, “Infinite Games” where the band takes flight with a euphoric singalong crescendo that evokes the peak of a psychedelic experience: “I feel limitless / this is what freedom is.” This musical openness expresses the boundless feeling of a relationship viewed through an infinite mindset. There is an immediacy attached to Crew’s question of the purpose of it all: “What kind of creature am I? I’ve got to figure it out.” This is an album about enlightenment at a time when the clock is ticking.
Infinite Games is out March 7, 2025 via We Are Time (North America) and Fierce Panda (UK/EU). The album was produced and co-written by Ben Hozie of BODEGA, engineered, mixed by Adam Sachs, and mastered by Mikey Young.
Rebekka Karijord announces the release of her new album The Bell Tower due out April 25 via Bella Union. The album is her second on Bella Union following the success of her collaborative project Complete Mountain Almanac, with Bryce and Aaron Dessner of The National, whose self-titled debut was released in January 2022. To accompany the announcement, Rebekka has shared first single “Sanctuary”, one of the most emotionally charged moments of the album and a track that encompasses both The Bell Tower’s sonic signature and overarching theme. As the voice samples’ cool tones bubble forth, Rebekka sings of the beauty of the natural world, and the grief involved with watching it slowly be erased.
““Sanctuary” is one of those songs that wrote itself,” she says. “It’s a song for my daughters–they’re seven and ten–and they grew up in nature, nature is their sanctuary. That’s their safe place. They both know what climate change is, but how do you as a grown-up tell a child how drastic it is? It’s so massive to comprehend, and it’s impossible as a parent to look your kid in the eyes and say, ‘This is not going to be like this forever,’ you know?” Musically, “Sanctuary” reflects this aching sorrow, its placid tones intermingling with its evocative lyrics. “My Daughter, have the Springs gone silent? / Will you ever dare to have a child?” Rebekka sings softly. “Or has the ocean reached your doorstep? And the sun turned hostile?”
‘The Bell Tower’ Tracklist
‘The Bell Tower’ cover.
Lacrimosa
Sanctuary
Fugue
Serenade
You, Mountain
City By The Sea
Megafauna
9th Duino Elegy
Earth
Let This Darkness Be A Bell Tower
Vespera
About Rebekka Karijord
From early on in her artistic journey, acclaimed composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist Rebekka Karijord has been fascinated by the human voice. Known for her sweeping film scores (like for the Hulu Greta Thunberg documentary I Am Greta) as well as her work with artist Jessica Dessner and The National’s Bryce and Aaron Dessner in the group Complete Mountain Almanac, she brings a unique musical perspective and skillset to every one of her projects. The Bell Tower, her seventh solo album and one of her most ambitious records to date, is many things at once: it’s an ode to our planet in peril; it’s a missive from a mother to her children; it’s a meditation on humanity and our place within the natural world. On top of that, it’s also an experiment, something that evolved from an idea into an innovative and all-encompassing work that touches upon 19th-century poetry, environmental activism, and the cross-section of digital and organic instrumentation.
“Six years ago, I got in touch with the linguistic department at Stockholm University, who do voice research with contact microphones for people with hearing and vocal disabilities,” Rebekka explains. “I found that work really interesting, and they actually made a few of the microphones for me, which are technically really amazing. I ended up recording 25 female, non-binary, and male singers from all over the world, and built a sample instrument out of the individual voices, as well as my own.” This instrument is the basis upon which The Bell Tower is constructed, and the result is breathtaking—by manipulating the pitch, delay, and other characteristics of the samples, Rebekka unlocks an entire universe of sound, essentially all originating from the human voice.
This process went on for some time, and after the sample instrument had been built, Rebekka realized that, more than just an interesting experiment in sound, she had the beginnings of a record on her hands. “I wrote some pieces, but I felt that while the samples on their own were strong, something was missing. I contacted Roomful of Teeth, the American voice ensemble which features Caroline Shaw as a member, and they were super excited about the material.” Rebekka began writing and scoring music for eight members of Roomful of Teeth, but the nascent collection of songs still required more of a focal point. While tinkering with the music she had thus far, Rebekka came across an episode of the podcast On Being with an interview with the Buddhist poet, translator, and philosopher Joanna Macy, and something clicked.
“I heard a sequence where she was talking about ‘grief over a changing world,’ and that really became the record’s headline,” explains Rebekka. “With her permission, I started trying to set music to poems by Rainer Maria Rilke that she had translated. I felt the poems expressed something I have been yearning to write about myself. He described a longing for the natural world, for a deep belonging—but he also describes the Anthropocene and disintegration from nature, way ahead of his time. There is so much longing and movement in his words, so much intuition and sensitivity. That’s a great starting point for music.” The album’s title itself comes from Rilke’s poem “Let This Darkness Be a Bell Tower”, referencing the transformative power of art, that can change fear into something beautiful and valuable.
Through this lens of poetry, Rebekka was able to contemplate the impact of climate change on not just our society at large, but on us individually as human beings bearing witness to its destruction. On the opening track of The Bell Tower, the emotional and reverent “Lacrimosa”, Rebekka directly samples a portion of the interview with Macy that sparked the album’s theme. “It seems clear that we who are alive now are […] witnessing something for our planet that has not happened at any time before […] There’s a need some of us feel, I know I do, to what looks like it must disappear, to say, ‘Thanks, you’re beautiful.’” The use of the digital voice instrument, with its clear and pure tones, adds to the solemnity of Macy’s words. It feels as if it is tapping into something ancient and spiritual, which in turn serves as a healing balm for the anxiety one feels when broaching the massive topic of environmentalism.
With Macy and Rilke now part of her songwriting process, Rebekka had to make the decision whether to add her own voice to the mix—literally. “I had always thought of this as a choir record, but I wasn’t intending to have my own voice in it, although I did sketch some songs with my own voice” she says. “When I recorded Roomful of Teeth at the Grieg Hall in Bergen, the choir parts were amazing, they’re so good at all the extended techniques. After sitting with the recordings, I realized that the album needed a personal perspective, to be able to truly connect with the themes I was approaching .” As such, Rebekka’s voice serves as an anchor around the ethereal qualities of the vocal samples and choir recordings, sharing her own perspective with the listener.
While Rebekka has extensive experience in production, The Bell Tower is the first of her solo records she has produced completely on her own. To execute a project of this scope, she felt like a singular vision was needed to make sure everything stayed coherent. The album was then mixed by David Chalmin in Biarritz, France, and mastered by Taylor Dupree in New York, which was “when things really fell into place,” according to Rebekka. “They really understood the material.”
Rebekka’s vision is perhaps most evident on “Sanctuary”, the lead single off The Bell Tower and one of the album’s most arresting moments. Much like Joanna Macy’s earnest words on grieving nature, “Sanctuary” tries to imagine a path forward for those of us who cannot bear the effects of climate change, and what our current efforts mean to future generations. Addressed to Rebekka’s two young daughters, “Sanctuary” is at its core an expression of a mother’s love in the face of the unimaginable and is the most personal song on the album.
“Serenade”, another highlight from The Bell Tower, also looks towards the future. The track begins with the euphonious cooing of the vocal instrument, until Rebekka’s soprano voice comes in, supported by lush harmonies. ““Serenade” is a love song to nature. It’s like laying down on a bed of moss and just being submerged in that feeling and forgetting yourself,” she says. Another track that embodies this sentiment is “Fugue”, which blends elements of electronica, experimental music, classical, and ambient. It’s perhaps the track where the technicality of the sample instrument is at its most bare, with several voices interlocking in uplifting arpeggios.
With all these different themes married together on one album that came together so organically, The Bell Tower is a body of work that must be listened to with intent in order to be fully appreciated. Whether it be Joanna Macy’s Buddhist environmentalism, Rilke’s spiritual reverence, the exploration of the full range of the human voice, a mastery of music production, or just the need for a quiet place to sit and think, The Bell Tower provides the listener with a fully-realized experience of what it feels like to live through the present. “Historically, we’ve been using nature in theater, in film, in music, as something that is a set design for our lives, where we are the protagonists,” Rebekka says. “An idea that has been resonating with me lately, what we need to deeply understand, is that we are all made of the same stardust. When we destroy nature, we are destroying ourselves. That’s what writing this album has been—an attempt to go deeper into that notion.”
The Awakening has released their new video for ‘Haunting’ from their latest 12th album eponymously titled via Intervention Arts. Immersed in a sonic vibe that could only come from Ashton Nyte, there is a slow build to a slow burn with a world building type of vibe that takes you in and sucks you down the rabbit hole of originality.
Ashton is a true artist, in the truest sense. Life inspiring at just under 3:30, ‘Haunting’, the song and video, is just as the word is defined: poignant and evocative; difficult to ignore or forget. And that is how you become a truly independent artist. Independence from the status quo assembly tracks freely advertised on Spotify. Emancipation from the mainstream’s expectations of what music should be allowed to be. This is the audio in audacity. The audacity to express who you are. And, what’s more, there are twelve more tracks backed by eleven more albums of that whole other universe you could be lost in right now.
Check out our other features with The Awakening HERE.
Check out our other features with Ashton Nyte HERE.
About The Awakening
Now based in the U.S., The Awakening is a dark musical project born in Johannesburg, South Africa, in the late ’90s as the creative expression of vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, author, actor and songwriter Ashton Nyte. The Awakening’s sound has morphed and mutated over the years, incorporating elements of Gothic Rock, Darkwave, Gothic Metal, Industrial Rock, Post-Punk, Electronic, Folk Noir, New Wave, and other theatrical meanderings.
Frontman Ashton Nyte has released 8 solo albums and 2 books in addition to his work as The Awakening. He has contributed vocals and lyrics to several other projects, featuring members of The Cure, Peter Murphy, The Mission, Beauty In Chaos and All About Eve, among others.
Nyte has written and performed in theatrical productions and hosted philanthropic events, including his “Rock Against Rape” concert series and presenting a lecture series at US universities focusing on tolerance and acceptance. He has had songs featured in major television shows like Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin (HBOMax), The Purge (USA Network), among others.
Music journalists have described Nyte as “Johannesburg’s Bowie” for his widely varying musical styles and theatrical performance approach. With a catalogue of over 300 released original songs, Ashton Nyte and The Awakening have enjoyed airplay and chart success on major independent radio stations worldwide and have toured extensively and headlined music festivals in the USA, Europe, and South Africa to upwards of 30,000 people.
In 2019, Nyte worked on the score of the movie Don’t Let Go with composer Ethan Gold, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2019. He completed a 36-date European Tour with British indie artist Wayne Hussey (The Mission) in September / October 2019. Waiting For A Voice, his seventh solo album and first book of poetry, short stories, and personal reflections, was released in July 2020. His second book and eighth solo album, Autumn’s Children, was released in August 2023 and was named one of the Top 17 Albums of 2023 by American Songwriter. 2024 saw Nyte contribute his voice and lyrics to the latest Beauty In Chaos album and the movie Pale Horse, directed by the late Pearry Teo. The Awakening’s self-titled 12th album was released on 18 October 2024. The Awakening is set to tour extensively in 2025.
Philly-based metal warriors Corners of Sanctuary (COS) are back with a vengeance, unleashing their latest digital single, “Never Count Me Out.” This powerhouse track kicks off the release of their brand-new EP, “Forever Metal,” available now via SODEH Records.
With their signature blend of classic and modern heavy metal, COS continue to prove their unyielding dedication to the genre. This latest anthem is a testament to their unstoppable energy, reinforcing their status as torchbearers of true metal.
“We like what we do and don’t see a need to deviate,” says COS founder and guitarist Mick Michaels. “Audiences seem to like what we do…they’ve always been our gauge. So it works for us.”
About Corners of Sanctuary
Corners of Sanctuary (COS) is a New Wave of Traditional American Heavy Metal band that emerged from Philadelphia in 2011, driven by a passion to revive the essence of Classic Heavy Metal. In 2012, they unveiled their debut album, “Breakout,” which garnered positive reception. This success was swiftly followed by the release of “Harlequin” in 2013 through Pure Steel Records in Germany. Later that same year, their third album, “Axe to Grind,” hit the shelves under La Mazakuata Records in Mexico. In 2014, “Axe to Grind” received a re-release in Europe courtesy of Pure Steel Records. COS inked a deal with Metalizer Records in Germany in 2015, leading to the critically acclaimed album “Metal Machine,” mastered by Stu “The Hammer” Marshall, guitarist and producer of Death Dealer.
Corners of Sanctuary has graced stages across the United States, Europe, and the UK, sharing the spotlight with renowned artists such as Saxon, Anvil, Stryper, U.D.O., Butcher Babies, Grim Reaper, and many more. Their impressive roster of performances includes collaborations with notable figures like Tim “Ripper” Owens, Tracii Guns, Enuff ‘Z Nuff, Joey Belladonna (Anthrax), and Damon Johnson.
In 2018, COS unleashed “The Galloping Hordes” on Killer Metal Records (Germany), a remarkable album mastered by the legendary producer Bill Metoyer (Slayer, W.A.S.P., Armored Saint, Fates Warning). That same year, they embarked on a European tour and a subsequent US West Coast tour. The band commenced work on their upcoming album, “Heroes Never Die,” scheduled for release in 2020. 2019 witnessed COS supporting Bulletboys, Grim Reaper, Blaze Bayley, Last in Line, Janet Gardner, and the Iron Maidens, and gracing the stage of the iconic Whiskey A Go-Go.
As 2019 drew to a close, COS delighted their fans with three EP releases: “Hold onto Christmas,” “Metal Brigade” (on 7″ vinyl), and “What We Leave Behind.”
In June 2020, COS signed with RFL Records (US) and unveiled their album “Heroes Never Die” in October 2020. The band remained active in 2021, releasing “Blood and Steel: Volumes One and Volume Two” and the album “Fight Till the End” across digital, CD, and Vinyl platforms. They also collaborated with Faster Pussycat, the Three Tremors, Enuff Z Nuff, and made a return appearance at the Whisky A Go Go with Kill Devil Hill.
Throughout 2022, COS shared stages with Canedy, Doyle, Tantric, the Iron Maidens, Trapt, and made a notable appearance at SonarFest. They achieved success with their cover of Def Leppard’s “Mirror, Mirror,” which led to the release of the tribute EP titled “Defying.” Additionally, COS unveiled their second best-of compilation, “Metal Never Dies.” In 2023, the band remains devoted to crafting their forthcoming full-length album, “Vengeance of the Fallen.” They also treated fans to an extended EP titled “This is Metal,” featuring a cover of Judas Priest’s classic “Breaking the Law.” The year is already marked with scheduled shows alongside A Light Divided, Enuff Z Nuff, and Spread Eagle, as well as performances at SonarFest 2023 and a return tour to the UK in April of the same year.
Cameron Sage From has today released her new single titled 'She's Not Me'.
Cameron Sage From has today released her new single titled ‘She’s Not Me’. An accessible track with a feeling of early summer in the music and longing in the vocals, there is a symbiance felt between the lines and above the song that relates to us all, at least those of us looking for a reason to feel whole again.
While the pop elements are sparse, they fuse with the melody and hook to become something that rises above and fuses withe the message. This is what music with meaning should be.
About Cameron Sage From
Cameron Sage From is an 18-year-old pop riser hailing from Toronto, Canada. Now based in Los Angeles, the singer-songwriter is known for her soulful vocals, undeniable stage presence, and heart-on-the-sleeve lyrics. Cameron began singing before the age of two, quickly discovering a passion for performing. Her childhood was filled with music, dance, and the stage. She was a member of the acclaimed Toronto Children’s Chorus, and played lead rolls in various high school musicals including Roxy Hart in Chicago, Belle in Beauty and the Beast, and Young Nala in The Lion King, to name a few.
As a teen, Cameron threw herself into songwriting, musicianship, and music production. It was while studying music production that her instructor recognized the potential of her original songs and told her to start recording her own music. Creating her own brand of infectious pop music at 17, she debuted her singles “Back to U,” “Superficial,” and “Disappointment” in early 2024. Her willingness to experiment—with bold production choices, raw lyrics, and her evolving vocal delivery—has established her as an artist to watch. In under a year, her music has already racked up nearly a million plays, and she has received praise from outlets like tmrw Magazine and Melodic.
Her new single, “She’s Not Me,” is a sun-kissed pop banger produced by Nashville-based Josh Frigo, known for his mixes for Niall Horan and Fletcher. “She’s Not Me” tells the relatable story of unrequited love. The song feels like a diary, detailing the emotional journey of a love triangle. She shares, “I really wanted the feel of ‘She’s Not Me’ to contrast the instrumental with the lyrics. If you dive into the lyrics, it’s quite depressing, but it’s masked by a warm, upbeat instrumental. It’s kind of like how the lyrics say, ‘You have no clue how I feel, and I’d like to keep it that way.’ The friendship feels like a game of pretend in this situation.” The single entices with its colorful synths, lush guitars, and addictive chorus. Cameron’s magnetic vocals take center stage as she sings over colliding beats and breezy soundscapes.
Looking ahead, Cameron Sage From is poised to continue taking risks and evolving as both a performer and a creative force in the industry. Fans are eager to see where her career will take her next, as she continues to create music that resonates deeply with listeners while establishing herself as a true artistic voice in pop music and a dynamic, versatile young artist.
Since September, we have been taking you with us on a series of bootlegs and rarities produced by P. Uminski , where each month, a new title reveals an intimate facet of our musical universe.
After “Glow”, “Suppose”, and “Words Unsaid”, it’s time for “A Silent Day” , available on all platforms.
This track is a dive into solitude and loss, a folk ballad tinged with indie rock , where Émilie’s voice floats for 1’49 mn above a hypnotic rhythm and stripped-down arrangements.
Inspired by the dark and reverberated atmospheres of the group Archive, Radiohead or the Cure, “A Silent Day” captures these moments where silences speak more than words.
And the rest is coming soon… “Mind” , our next title, will be released on March 4th and will mark the end of this cycle. Another piece of this puzzle, with a different energy, but always this raw sincerity that drives us.
Founded in 2018 in Montpellier by Denis Navarro (guitarist and composer), Deleo explores a universe blending post-punk, new wave, and pop. Early on, the band caught the attention of James Sanger (Keane, Oasis), leading to a fruitful collaboration. Despite the challenges of COVID and lineup changes, Deleo evolved with the addition of Philippe Uminski as producer and Émilie Domergue on vocals, whose softness and melancholy brought a fresh dynamic.
Joined by Félicien Bousquet (bass) and Benjamin Marmier (drums), Deleo crafts a sound that alternates between light and shadow. Their debut album, “The Best is Yet To Be”, was praised by the media (Oui FM, Radio France).
In 2024, Deleo will launch a series of bootlegs to keep the connection with their audience, ahead of a new EP in spring 2025, produced by Philippe Uminski, and an album set for release in late 2025.
Swedish dark metal act The Vice has announced the release of the band’s upcoming five track EP ‘A Great Unrest’, set to be released on March 7 via Noble Demon.
Following the success of their latest full-length album, Dead Canary Run (2024, Noble Demon), The Vice embarked on an exciting journey to create a series of EPs. The addition of Joel Öhman, a long-time collaborator, has transformed the band into a finely-tuned quartet, enriching their sound with fresh perspectives and innovative approaches.
The first offering from this new chapter, A Great Unrest, has this growth on full display, amplifying every inch of the foundation made of blackened metal, ambient pop and unbridled rock n roll.
The five tracks – three new ones, a cover of “1 Sun” by Miley Cyrus and a rearranged version of “Welcome The Storm” from the latest album – were recorded in the fall of 2024 at Studio Underjord (Skraeckoedlan, Magna Carta Cartel, Haystack among others) in rural Sweden.
Fresh off of writing and recording a full album, this EP was the perfect way to musically break the “limitations” that can come when working to create a really unified piece of art.
And while it wasn’t exactly Fantomas-levels of diverse tracks, sound engineer and owner of the studio, Joona Hassinen really pulled his ‘A’ game giving it a coherent sound. “A Great Unrest” sounds a bit lighter, yet more harsh than “Dead Canary Run” with an electrified, distorted tension running throughout.
In support of the upcoming release, The Vice have unleashed the first single and title track of the EP.
Guitarist Rickard about the track: “To me, ‘A Great Unrest’ is everything that The Vice is all about, boiled down to its purest form. One sinister fucking riff, a couple of choruses trembling with fierceness, passion and rebellion, and a final act to release all that built up tension in a beautiful, yet most ominous way. All in under three and a half minute, really think we obliterated every head of every nail with this one.”
Regarding the EP’s themes, the band adds: “Thematically there wasn’t any other ideas, thoughts, than usual when entering the studio. The Vice is, has always been, and will forever be about unrest, rebellion, those mixed feelings of unease and ecstacy when balancing on the last inches of the edge, about to plunge into the void. Some songs here and there have more specific themes, but in general it’s reflections and ideas about this existence from a quite calm, gathered perspective though always prepared, anticipating the moment when the tension breaks and the unknown madness begins. Somewhere along the way the visual representations like the cover art, music video, title etc all started to lean towards some kind of cold war aesthetics. This was absolutely not intentional, never discussed and nothing we’d naturally turn to. Sure some things led to the other, but at least some of it feels like the music just had an inherent vibe of that, cold, metallic, bleak, post-war vibe.”
Ian Fisher has today released his new album titled ‘Go Gentle’. This is an album that stays with you like an old friend. Through the best and worst of times, there is something for celebration and solace, but better than that, there is a relation within the lyrics that are surrounded by the music in a way that moves and motivates in ways that only love can.
I have never heard a more personal album, to be honest. Nothing here is trying to impress, yet everything subtly and seamlessly succeeds to express. What I hear, overall, is that we are not the only one. Everyone hurts, bleeds, laughs, cries, and, more importantly; lives. ‘Go Gentle’ is a soundtrack for life. That bitter sweet tightrope between surviving and thriving that sometimes gives us a little imbalance. How we find ourself is based on how we perceive and learn. The title tells us how to do just that. Go gentle.
Check out our other features with Ian Fisher HERE.
About ‘Go Gentle’
“Nobody can tell me how to feel/I know what is real for me,” Ian Fisher sings in “The Face of Losing,” the opening song of his new album, Go Gentle. The Missouri-born songwriter, a dual citizen of the U.S. and Germany, is keenly addressing something at once highly personal and yet, to a number, universal: death and grief.
Go Gentle was shaped by Fisher’s experiences following the death of his mother in 2023 after a 26-year fight with cancer. It is a cathartic album, both for artist and audience, and makes the case that death, and the grieving that follows, shouldn’t be shunned. Rather, it should inspire us to live more fully.
“Death is something that we conveniently shove to the side and don’t address very often. And that can be really unhealthy because it creates a situation where we think we’re going to live forever,” Fisher says. “But everyone we know and have around us is going to die. It’s a miracle that we even have this moment right now.”
Despite its subject matter, Go Gentle, produced by Fisher and Jonas David, is not a dour record. While Fisher bravely confronts his own complicated emotions over the album’s 10 tracks, the songs range from comforting ballads, like the “The Face of Losing,” to the upbeat “Take You With Me,” which imagines us riding along with the loved ones we’ve lost.
“Instead of them being gone forever, I view it as a change in the way they exist,” he says of those no longer here. “They become a part of us and we travel with them.”
Fisher, who excels at making a style of music that Rolling Stone once described as “half Americana and half Abbey Road-worthy pop,” has done his share of traveling, moving to Europe — about as far away as he could get from his Missouri hometown — when he turned 21. In writing Go Gentle, he realized that his decision to roam was itself motivated by death.
“The recurring theme was how much my mother’s cancer diagnosis affected me. I had grown up with this fear of losing one of the people I loved the most my entire life, like being raised under this Sword of Damocles,” he says. “The song ‘Mother Please Forgive Me’ on the album came from the guilt of being a son who moved to the other side of the world to escape the reality of their mom being sick.”
It’s those hard realizations that make Go Gentle such an instantly moving album, and Fisher has already had fans approach him teary-eyed after his concerts. But he didn’t conceive of Go Gentle as a roadmap for grief. He was simply telling two stories he knows by heart: his own, and his mother’s.
“It’s a realistic documentation of what happened, like a documentary you’d watch,” Fisher says. “I tried to write about my personal experience, but pose it in a way that’s open for others who want to enter and maybe, if we’re lucky, we could start to heal together.”
Tomás Doncker & The True Groove All-Stars has today released their new single titled 'Wha-Gwaan!' featuring Frank Benbini from Fun Lovin’ Criminals via True Groove Records.
Tomás Doncker & The True Groove All-Stars has today released their new single titled ‘Wha-Gwaan!’ featuring Frank Benbini from Fun Lovin’ Criminals via True Groove Records.
A new school groove with a world beat and a universal rhythm, Tomás takes his beyond original soulful take on what vocals should be and combines that with a guttural sequel to a Marvin Gaye classic. And, if you know the meaning of that Marvin Gaye classic, then you get an idea of what the necessity of ‘Wha-Gwaan!’ truly is.
Almost touching the core of all that drives and moves us, ‘Wha-Gwaan!’ is one of those tracks that makes you think as much as it makes you feel, and does it with all the feels. This is music at it’s core. That driving force that unites those of us who listen and divides the ones that refuse to get it.
I hoe this is where the indie music scene is headed.
Check out our other features with Tomás Doncker & The True Groove All-Stars HERE.
About ‘Wha-Gwaan!’
Tomás Doncker has long been a prime mover on the New York music, arts and culture scenes. From the early 1980s, as a member of groundbreaking No Wave and Punk Funk bands The Contortions and Defunkt, international touring, recording and songwriting collaborations with luminaries such as Bootsy Collins, Meshell Ndegeocello, Madonna, Ivan Neville, The Specials and the legendary Ms. Patti Smith, to helming his own band, The True Groove All-Stars, Tomás has established himself as a cross-genre innovator without peer.
Doncker’s previous works have seen praise from the likes of BBC, CNN, Huff Post, MOJO, Spin, Brooklyn Vegan, NPR’s ‘All Songs Considered’, Guitar World, All About Jazz, Paste Magazine, Rolling Stone and Blues Matters Magazine where he was a recent main cover feature.
‘Wha-Gwaan!’ follows September’s EP ‘The AMPlified Soul Remixes’, Doncker’s most recent collaboration with the late acclaimed, grammy award winning ‘ambassador of funk’ Amp Fiddler, renowned for his performances with the likes of Prince and Seal.
The track serves as a wake up call to the increasing levels of social and racial injustice and the lack of acknowledgement of it.
On Wha-Gwaan!’s subject matter, Doncker says, “The Legendary Nigerian Godfather of Afro Beat, Fela Ransome Kuti once said: ‘Music is the weapon of the future’. Well… The future is most definitely NOW! ‘Wah Gwaan’ is a Jamaican Patois greeting that means ‘what’s going on?’ or ‘what’s up?’. The lyric is a modern day riff on Marvin Gaye’s classic ‘What’s Going On’. Through an Afro Beat/Funk-Rebel music lens. It was designed to be a wake up call response to the seemingly increasing presence of social injustice in the world today. The hypnotic dub-funk groove is brought to the boiling point by the legendary Frank Benbini (Fun Lovin’ Criminals/UB40/Uncle Frank), who I’m thrilled makes a guest appearance on drums and hype vocals.”
Alongside the single’s release Doncker is also pleased to announce a show at London’s legendary Cumberland Hotel, a venue steeped in rich cultural history which has seen previous performances from the likes of Bob Dylan, Diana Ross, Jimi Hendrix and Buddy Holly. The event will be run in conjunction with Eel Pie Records, a music studio originally founded by The Who’s Peter Townshend and reignited as a record store / music culture hub by Kevin Jones and Phil Penman hoping to keep its rich musical legacy alive. Jones and Penman are also the lead producers / curators of Twickenham’s beloved High Tide festival. The show will feature some very special guests and sees Doncker backed by his True Groove All-Stars band which include members of The Specials.
Doncker is fast becoming a mainstay in venues throughout the UK and was recently invited to support KillerStar at their upcoming two night stint at London’s The 100 Club, a band which features an array of David Bowie’s most trusted musical collaborators.
About Tomás Doncker & The True Groove All-Stars
For over a decade, Doncker’s expansive creative endeavors have found a home with his label / production hub True Groove Records. Projects have included work with Ravid Kahalani, P-Funk alumni Michael ‘Kidd Funkadelic’ Hampton and Amp Fiddler, Hip Hop pioneer Keith Shocklee (Public Enemy/Bomb Squad), and iconic bassist / producer Bill Laswell.
His ongoing musical collaborations with New York Poet Laureate and Pulitzer Prize winner Yusef Komunyakaa yielded the critically acclaimed albums Big Apple Blues, The Mercy Suite and The Black Magnolia Project. Most recently, Doncker and Komunyakaa joined forces with visual artist Floyd Tunson to create ‘ENDANGERED’ in June of 2022, an immersive multimedia experience which addresses the historical conundrum that black men in America are endangered. Inspired by Tunson’s Afro-Futuristic and politically charged artwork, and powered by lyrics from Komunyakaa, Doncker composed a sonic journey to freedom, a modern-day Revolution of the Mind, that has been hailed as “a socio-politically charged audio-visual soundtrack of 21st Century dissent, discomfort and reclamation.”
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