It can take time living in the world for an artist to truly represent themselves in their music. Caroline Rose is proof of that. In 2014, she was pegged as an Americana folk-rock youngling with a debut album I Will Not Be Afraid, that was in thrall to past predecessors. Four years later, Rose has lived. Feeling disconnected from her own music and the modern world, the New York musician decided to embrace it. At 25, she joined Tinder, rented her first apartment, socialised more, wore red all the time and got a girlfriend. They travelled, then broke up. Rose discussed “politics, capitalism and Rihanna” and put herself out in the world.
The self-described “queer feminist” has put her real experience into her invigorating 2018 album Loner. It’s bright and vibrant like the red clothes she now wears and she says, reflects her true personality and real life experiences from her circle of friends – an accidental pregnancy, financial stability and unfaithful lovers. “A sprightly, angsty pop burrito,” is how it was term. Loner is a dark-edged album of manic and millennial modern pop, drawing on indie-rock, surf music, synth hooks and bright production, which Rose herself, recognising the lack of gender diversity in the field, is keen to take credit for. “I wanted to make sure everything was as me as it could possibly be,” she affirms. Rose represents herself absolutely.
It’s funny that East Brunswick’s debut album was called Seven Drummers – when “Essendon 1986” kicks off in earnest, that’s exactly what it sounds like. Jen Sholakis is the central focus of this spiralling, seething number, her toms rumbling the earth beneath her as her bandmates carve into their respective stringed instruments. The band has never sounded this dark, this aggressive or this forthright – and it’s this immediate shift that ends up paying off to create their finest singular moment to date. A fading, sepia portrayal of restless outward Australia that, truthfully, couldn’t have come from any other band.
“Teddywaddy” is the band’s most profound and riotous statement, focusing the seasoned intensity of singer/guitarist Marcus Hobbs, bassist/keyboardist Rie Nakayama, guitarist Rob Wrigley and drummer Jen Sholakis. Named after a slumbering patch of country 90 minutes from Bendigo, Teddywaddy was recorded with rising producer Anna Laverty (Courtney Barnett, The Peep Tempel). It follows 2014’s Australian Music Prize-longlisted Seven Drummers and 2009’s mini-LP Dead Air.
EBAGC have sojourned in Berlin and toured Asia but always circled back to Victoria, with Hobbs dropping wry geographical pins throughout his detailed songwriting. Spanning both smouldering studies of isolation and open-air eruptions of catharsis, Teddywaddy revels in such whiplashing contrasts. For every spacious swath of majesty, there’s some punked-up exorcism to fray the nerves and throttle the senses.
Band Members
Marcus Hobbs, Rie Nakayama, Robert Wrigley, Jen Sholakis
‘Essendon 1986’ is taken from the East Brunswick All Girls Choir album ‘Teddywaddy‘ was released June 29th
The likes of Amanda Palmer and Nardwuar have waxed lyrical about the art of asking. So it went that Amy Shark reached out to her teenage idol, blink-182’s Mark Hoppus, to work on a song for her debut album. Not only did it eventuate, but it turned out to be the highlight of the record. “Psycho” offers a dark, duelling perspective on an intense relationship as soundtracked by pensive guitars and restrained drum programming. The latter eventually gives way to live drums complementing Shark’s high notes, and it’s one of the year’s best dynamic payoffs. Ask and you shall receive.
Amy Shark – Psycho (feat. Mark Hoppus) from the new album ‘Love Monster’ is out now:
Since the moment James Bay released his single, “Hold Back the River,” he instantly wooed fans all over the world. And after hustling for the past few years and playing small venues the British singer-songwriter clearly sang from the heart with the smoothness that’ll make you weak in the knees — but still had just enough rasp that showed that he’s not another pretty face . Similar to Bay’s own determination to make it as a household name, While some solo artists heavily rely on the slower side of things, Bay does the opposite, filling his set with explosive and upbeat songs, playing with so much energy and passion that you have to believe every lyric that he’s singing.
Aside from playing his LP, Chaos and the Calm, Yes, believe it or not, the singer had a Charlie Puth-style pop reinvention in 2018, releasing a decent coming-of-age record in Electric Light. In a weird way, however, Bay almost overshadowed himself – “Pink Lemonade” is so far ahead as the album’s frontrunner, you almost question why the other songs bothered showing up. A neon-tinged nu-rock number, the song sees Bay indulging a more soulful tear in his vocals while a wall of electric guitar churns against the slick production.
“Million Dollars To Kill Me” successfully positions Joyce Manor as modern guitar music’s answer to Guided By Voices, The band have been churning out likeable blasts of power-pop as quickly as possible and doing it at a remarkably consistent rate. On their fifth album, frontman Barry Johnson has mastered the simple affectations in his lyrics made to be scrawled in teen diaries. Elsewhere, ‘Silly Games’ transposes a yearning Roy Orbison-like melody to a modern indie rock band and ‘Fighting Kangaroo’ is a constant crescendo of an opener.
Of Joyce Manor’s five albums, Million Dollars may be its most cryptically titled. Does it allude to some sort of bounty? Defiance? Survival? The cost of living? The album’s title track doesn’t make it any clearer – in fact, it muddies the waters even further by detailing a demised relationship where, while both parties are still fond of one another, the proverbial writing is on the wall. Truth be told, none of that really matters when it comes down to it. “Million Dollars” is one of the strongest, sharpest songs Joyce Manor has ever written. What’s in a name, anyway?
‘Million Dollars To Kill Me’,Joyce Manor exist as a primordial example of a band growing up gracefully.
The Calendonian soul singer reworks solo material, jazz and blues standards on 39th album, featuring Hammond organ/trumpet player Joey DeFrancesco . Van reinvents jazz, blues standards and deep cuts from his catalog on the new LP, You’re Driving Me Crazy, released back in April via Sony Legacy Recordings. The soul singer collaborated with Hammond organ/trumpet virtuoso Joey DeFrancesco on the album, which is his 39th studio project.
Van Morrison’s third album in a matter of months – following the bluesy Roll With the Punches and the jazz-focused Versatile – seems to have been sparked by musical camaraderie as much as by any overt creative impulse. Both of those 2017 albums featured Morrison band regulars, while You’re Driving Me Crazy finds him working with organist Joey DeFrancesco and his sizzling soul-jazz combo. Both share an enduring desire to preserve mid-century music – but also to extend its reach. Like Morrison, DeFrancesco is no staunch traditionalist. They fiddle with the genre, revel in it. The results can’t exactly be called ground breaking, but You’re Driving Me Crazy crackles with wit and verve. That’s contagious.
Jazz journeyman DeFrancesco – who has previously worked with Miles Davis, John McLaughlin and Grover Washington Jr. – recruited his own band for the Morrison sessions, with guitarist Dan Wilson, drummer MichaelOde and tenor saxophone player Troy Roberts contributing to the LP.
You’re Driving Me Crazy alsoincludes reworked jazz and blues classics (Peter Chatman’s “Every Day I Have the Blues,” Eddie Jones’ “The Things I Used to Do,” Cole Porter’s “Miss Otis Regrets”) alongside tunes from throughout Morrison’s discography (“The Way Young Lovers Do from 1968’s Astral Weeks through the title-track to 2005’s Magic Time).
Elvis Costello might be one of the most dexterous and accomplished pop songwriters of the rock era, but he’s not above dipping back into his own well on occasion. The singer has spent a lot of time in recent years touring and performing 1982’s Imperial Bedroom, so it makes sense that his latest outing, Look Now, smacks of that record’s baroque pop flair. With The Imposters back in tow, Costello’s first record of new music in five years is an intricately detailed and meticulously crafted affair, one longer on arrangements and musicianship than rock and roll spit and vinegar.
A veritable jack of all musical trades, Costello has canvassed just about every genre imaginable over the course of his 40-year career. He can play the part of the crooning balladeer (“Look Now”, “Stripping Paper”, “Photographs Can Lie” ) just as easily as he can the fiery bandleader (“Mr. and Mrs. Hush”, “Unwanted Number”). Look Now album boasts a little of both, but, generally speaking, the record is a relaxed hang defined much more by piano, strings, and winds than Costello’s rock and roll pedigree. But it’s hardly a snoozer, either. Subtlety might reign, but there’s a swanky, sophisticated cool coursing through Look Now that punches it up in even its hushest moments
Elvis Costello has always had a talent for writing songs that you feel with your whole body, and “Under Lime” might be his most orgasmic yet. Following up with the “Jimmie” we left “standing in the rain” on National Ransom, Costello delivers a peppy, poppy homage to an illicit backstage tryst between the older showman and the daffy young assistant on a low-budget “Mystery Guest” TV show. Costello’s vocals are satin-sinister, sweet as honey on one line and a dangerous purr in the next, and Pete Thomas’ clockwork drumming keeps everyone in check. But it’s Steve Nieve who steals the show with a ragtime piano that hits its frantic, fiery peak at the tail end of the last verse, and the song ends in a glorious shudder. I’m not ashamed to say I actually swooned when I heard him play it live this past November.
After canceling a slew of European tour dates, Elvis Costello is bouncing back from a “small but very aggressive cancerous malignancy” . Elvis Costello & The Imposters are Steve Nieve (keyboards), Davey Faragher (bass), PeteThomas (drums) they recorded Look Now in Hollywood, New York City and Vancouver, British Columbia.
This LP marks Costello’s first release since 2013’s Wise Up Ghost with The Roots and 2008’s Momofuku with The Imposters.
“I knew if we could make an album with the scope of ‘Imperial Bedroom’ and some of the beauty and emotion of ‘Painted From Memory’, we would really have something”, Costello says of Look Now. The album is entirely written by Costello, save for “Don’t Look Now,”“Photographs Can Lie” and “He’s Given Me Things” which were co-written by Burt Bacharach. “Burnt Sugar Is So Bitter” was written with Carole King.
“Look Now’ is an outstanding 12-strong addition to his song catalogue. Elvis Costello’s 30th album –co-credited to the Imposters, basically the Attractions with a different bass player — is his strongest in years.
Paul McCartney’s first album in five years is a lot like his most recent records: a little nostalgia mixed with some forward-thinking music. He knows he’s never going to make another Sgt. Pepper’s or Band on the Run, so he instead finds a sweet spot afforded to a legend like himself — one that allows him to nod back to his past as he forges ahead. The result is something like a concept record, and one of his strongest outings in years. He gets horny, looks back on his wild past and even finds time for a lengthy jab at Donald Trump. He sounds a little worn at times, but that’s to be expected. And that fatigue fits the theme of Egypt Station, which drives from one stop to another with a renewed sense of purpose.
Paul performs “Come On To Me” featured on the album Egypt Station
You’ve seen what Little Freddie, Ali, and Elsa can do. Think you can do better? Show us! Film yourself dancing to ‘Come On To Me’
“My hope is that if there are kids being bullied – and there are… Maybe by listening to this song and watching this video, they might just think it’s not as bad… that it’s the kind of thing you can just stand up to, laugh off and get through.”
Paul and Emma put a lot of care into making this film. Take a sneak peek behind-the-scenes of ‘Who Cares’. featured on the album Egypt Station.
Catching Brooklyn-based punk band Public Practice live for the first time was an earth-shattering experience. Lead singer Sam York channeled Karen O throughout the performance, holding the crowd in the palm of her sweaty, beer-soaked hands as the rest of the band—a Bushwick DIY supergroup of sorts made up of members of the newly defunct Wall and Beverly—seamlessly transitioned between synthy post-punk and 70’s-esque, groove-inspired art-punk. All of that frenetic energy is clearly still on display on Distance is a Mirror,EP the group’s first ever release, hinting that much more is on the way in 2019. With a funky breakdown here and blistering distorted guitars there, the EP has a distinct musical sound that’s entirely theirs, eclipsing their past work in other bands in just four tracks spanning twelve minutes. “Bad Girl(s)” sees York fight back at the industry and society that demands she look, act, and sound a specific way, screaming that “I won’t play your game.” That line dominates the ethos of Public Practice, a band that refuses to play by the rules, which in turn led to one of the best debut EPs of 2018, more than whetting our appetite for a full-length in 2019
Members of the bands Beverly & Wall doing punk-disco/danceable new wave that reminds me of Tom Tom Club, Talking Heads, Gossip, Radio 4, The Rapture and maybe LITHICS. The four members of Public Practice—singer Sam York, guitarist Vince McClelland, synth/bassist and vocalist Drew Citron, and drummer/programmer and producer Scott Rosenthal
The full EP, “Distance is a Mirror” by Public Practice,
01. Fate/Glory – 00:00 02. Bad Girl(s) – 02:38 03. Foundation – 04:45 04. Into the Ring – 08:26
Roanoke is a folk/americana duo fronted band that uses rich harmonies, heartfelt lyrics, and roots music to create a captivating and unique sound. An exceptionally talented young quintet, Roanoke belie any geographic references implied by their name because they make their home in Nashville. That misnomer aside, the music they offer on their stunning sophomore effort, “Where I Roam”, reflects a clarity and cohesion that suggest that even early on in their collective career, the band possesses a knowing sense of skill and savvy. Seamless harmonies and the back porch setting suggested by mandolin, banjo and violin assure a seductive sound, a delivery that lures its listeners even on first encounter. Within the span of its five tracks.
Roanoke weaves a series of tender tales and nuanced narratives, all spawned from a decidedly heart-worn perspective. “Jordan,” “The Light” and “Without You” provide an uptick in energy, while the beautiful ballads “Losing You” and “Heavy Goodbyes” effectively ensure the emotional embrace. The couple at the helm, Joey Beesley and Taylor Dupuis, effectively mine this appealing presentation to full advantage, allowing Where I Roam to transport its listeners to destinations where the auditory appeal is undeniable.
Tennessee Stone explores the dynamic of two people experiencing the highs and lows of love. It’s about feeling lost and wanting to escape and runaway, but also realizing its very easy to lose your way while searching for the unknown. In those moments you think about the memories and emotions that once were, which leads to a yearning for the comfort of your home in another being.
“The infectious rhythm and mood carry through in the video, which takes an equally spirited look at the intricacies of relationships….Hauntingly shot at a small country farm, the video cuts between slow-motion shots, artsy interludes, and intimate moments of reflection, effectively evoking a feeling of absence.”.
“Swirling guitars and harmonica, plucky mandolin, and driving percussion dust the landscape of Roanoke’s adventuresome sound….Fans of the band will feel right at home with its soaring choruses, full-bodied roots instrumentation, and razor-sharp overall delivery. Newcomers to their sound will be captivated by the simultaneous tenderness and energy of the breezy, earthen roots tune.”
Band Members
Taylor Dupuis,
Joey Beesley,
Zach Nowak,
Kyle Breese,
John Fiorentino,
