Posts Tagged ‘singer songwriter’

EL TEE – ” Everything Is Fine “

Posted: September 18, 2020 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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El Tee writes honest songs about the perennial push-and-pull of holding space for yourself and giving it up for others. Listeners are swept up in stories delivered via introspective lyrics embedded in warm and nostalgic tones of instrumentation. El Tee’s songs saunter through intimate moments, and then drive hard and fast straight into the pit of your heart – all within the same few minutes.

The singer-songwriter – real name Lauren Tarver – explained the track’s origins in a statement. She noted that the song is “a very descriptive narrative” of a personal experience she had while travelling in New Zealand. Tarver also described the song as “emotional, to say the least” in a post to her Instagram.

‘Everything Is Fine’ joins two previously released singles on the album’s ten-song tracklist: ‘How I Like It’ in August last year, followed by ‘Keep Walking’ in March. “I went on a road trip with a friend, and was so full of anxiety the whole time,” she said. “It was bottled up and I couldn’t shake it. I literally felt trapped by the mountains of NZ.”

An American expat, Tarver recorded the album in her adopted hometown of Melbourne in 2019. Andrew McEwan engineered and mixed the album in addition to playing drums.

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Melbourne-based singer-songwriter El Tee has announced her debut studio album, ‘Everything Is Fine’, days after premiering the record’s title track. Melbourne community radio station 3RRR premiered the single on Monday (May 11). The song’s accompanying music video the following day. Dan Cahill directed the video, having also worked on El Tee’s video for ‘Keep Walking’.

Debut album ‘Everything Is Fine’ out September 18th, 2020
Released September 18th, 2020

The Band:
Guitar (rhythm) by Lauren Tarver
Guitar (lead) by Tim Scott
Drums by Andrew McEwan
Bass and BVs by Mimi Gilbert
Written by Lauren Tarver

ANJIMILE – ” Giver Taker “

Posted: September 18, 2020 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Indie singer/songwriter Anjimile has announced his debut album “Giver Taker”, out on September. 18th via Father/Daughter Records. The quiet, sprawling lead single “Maker” is now. Self-discovery shines through on this soft, acoustic ballad—laden with exceptional harmonies and synths. On Giver Taker, the gorgeous debut album by Anjimile, death and life are always entwined, wrapping around each other in a dance of reverence, reciprocity, and, ultimately, rebirth.

Giver Taker is confident, intentional and introspective. Anjimile Chithambo (they/them, he/him) wrote much of the album while in treatment for drug and alcohol abuse, as well as while in the process of living more fully as a nonbinary trans person. Loss hovers over the album, whose songs grieve for lost friends (“Giver Taker”) and family members (“1978”) along with lost selves (“Maker,” “Baby No More,” “In Your Eyes.”) But here, grief yields an opening: a chance for new growth. “A lot of the album was written when I was literally in the process of improving my mental health, so there’s a lot of hopefulness and wonder at the fact that I was able to survive,” says Chithambo. “Not only survive but restart my life and work towards becoming the person I was meant to be.”

Each song on the album is its own micro-journey, adding up to a transformative epic cycle created in collaboration with bandmate Justine Bowe of Photocomfort and New-York based artist/producer Gabe Goodman. “1978” and “Maker” both begin as Sufjan Stevens-esque pastoral ballads with Chithambo’s mesmerizing voice foregrounded against minimal instrumentation and swell into the realm of the majestic through the addition of warm, steady instrumentation (informed by the mix of 80’s pop and African music

Chithambo’s Malawi-born parents played around the house) and harmonies by Bowe. “In Your Eyes” starts out hushed and builds to a crescendo via a mighty chorus inspired by none other than The Lion King. The allusion is fitting: each song encapsulates a heroic voyage, walked alone until accompanied by kindred souls. The choirs present throughout are equally deliberate. Chithambo grew up as a choir boy himself, and several songs (notably “Maker”) grasp not only towards reconciliation between his trans identity and his parents’ strong religious beliefs, but towards reclaiming his trans identity as an essential part of his own spirituality. (“[Less] Judeo-Christian, more ‘Colors of the Wind.’”) There is a boldness to this borrowing and shaping, a resoluteness that results from passing through hardship and emerging brighter, steadier. As a closing refrain on “To Meet You There” might sum it up: “Catalyst light of mine / now is your time.”

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Giver Taker was recorded in Brooklyn, Boston, and New Hampshire by Goodman, thanks in part to the Live Arts Boston Grant by the Boston Foundation.
Released September 18th, 2020

All songs written by Anjimile Chithambo
Produced by Gabe Goodman & Justine Bowe

Anjimile From the album, Giver Taker, out September 18th, 2020. Father/Daughter Records

HACHIKU – ” I’ll Probably Be Asleep “

Posted: September 16, 2020 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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After 4 years in the making, today we are thrilled to announce the release of Hachiku’s debut album “I’ll Probably Be Asleep” which is out Friday November 13th. Anika started working as an intern at Milk! Records 5 years ago and it’s been a pleasure to watch her musical career grow and go from playing small single releases at the Old Bar to playing packed out performances at Iceland Airwaves.

Her time and dedication to making an amazing album have really paid off – if you ask us. During this quite extraordinary year we are hoping this album will bring some joy to everyone’s lives and we are so excited to witness where the next 5 years will take Hachiku. Ahead of the album, a new Hachiku track & video is out today! ‘I’ll Probably Be Asleep’ was directed by Roxie Halley who says “It draws on the camp, colourful and psychedelic visuals of cult 70’s horror, while dealing with honest emotional themes at its core.

“Hachiku’s globe-trotting has made for more worldly pop, and her songs have a homespun feel that is both intimate and magical, assured and hard to pigeonhole.” – Brooklyn Vegan

“Hachiku’s music sounds like if Wes Anderson recorded Beach House’s second record Devotion.” – The Music

“Her music is brave, bold and extremely well-crafted. Not only the sound and the production, but the writing, while innocent at times, evokes real and raw emotions. Hachiku may well be the Björk of the bedroom pop generation” – SXSW Music Preview

“There is nothing undercooked about this majestic piece of music, a haunting ethereal plod through raw emotion, with Ostendorf’s icy voice rhythmically plucking each syllable.” – The Guardian

‘I’ll Probably Be Asleep’ is out now on Milk! Records and Marathon Artists. From the forthcoming album ‘I’ll Probably Be Asleep’ out November 13th, 2020.

ANJIMILE – ” Giver Taker “

Posted: September 14, 2020 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Imitation might be the sincerest form of flattery, but ordinarily, artists who draw too hard from one source let down their own muse, and short-change the listener too. Not so Boston-based, Texas-raised Anjimile, whose debut album introduces a fully formed, confident voice – one that sounds slightly familiar.

Non-binary, trans and of Malawian heritage, this intense indie singer-songwriter identifies foremost as a Sufjan Stevens fan. Their hypnotic orchestral folk songs “Come Howling After” an unfathomable god. Like Stevens, Anjimile’s vocals can whisper, swoop and trill lines like “It’s a miracle to behold, it’s a miracle to be held in your arms”.

But derivation is not the whole story here. Tracks like “Maker” or “Ndimakukonda” boast compelling African instrumentation and cadences, putting significant stylistic space between Anjimile and Stevens. Throughout, the production – also by relative unknowns – is pin-sharp and generous. On debut album Giver Taker, released earlier this month, Anjimile charts their recovery and rebirth from both a bad relationship and addiction. “In Your Eyes” zooms the focus out a little, with the non-binary artist asking “Was my body denied?” over a soothing bed of acoustic guitars and lilting melodies.

Although the alternative take on masculinity provided by Moses Sumney might be another valid comparison, these nine songs chart Anjimile’s own self-development and recovery, both from a relationship (Baby No More, Not Another Word) and addiction; this is no one’s story but theirs.

Writing a song about a fading romance is never easy. Writing a song about a fading romance where you bear the brunt of the blame is even harder. Writing a song about a fading romance where you bear the brunt of the blame, but the song still simmers with the kind of alluring energy that makes it feel like it’s not a song about a fading romance at all feels practically impossible — but that’s exactly what Anjimile does on “Baby No More.” Anjimile first released an acoustic version of the song on his 2019 Maker Mixtape, but this new take streamlines the nimble pluck of its lead-guitar riff and buoys it with the pure dance-floor groove of shuffling drums, an elastic bass line, and some sublimely tasteful keyboard plunks. Anjimile balances the song’s bubbling energy and the suave tinge in his voice with lyrics that boast a brutally frank edge: “Am I dead? Must be dead/Am I sick in my head?/Am I wrong? Must be wrong/Best get gone/I can’t be your baby no more.”

The new track will appear on the Boston-based singer-songwriter’s upcoming album, Giver Taker, out September 18th via Father/Daughter Records. In a statement, he explained that he wrote the song a few months before getting sober, when the relationship he was in was suffering because he was no longer taking care of himself: “I quite literally felt like I was losing my mind, vis-à-vis alcoholism,” Anjimile said.

“Active alcoholism and committed romantic relationships generally do not mix well, and ‘Baby No More’ is more or less what happens when you’re not a good boyfriend,” Anjimile said. “Although it’s got a very groovy and relatively lighthearted musical vibe, some of the lyrics are quite dark.”

“Baby No More” is the second offering from Giver Taker, following, “Maker,” which was released in July. The album marks Anjimile’s label debut, though it does follow a string of independent releases he’s shared over the past few years.

Giver Taker is released on 18th September

MOLLY PARDEN – ” Kitchen Table “

Posted: September 7, 2020 in MUSIC
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Georgia-born, Nashville-based singer/songwriter Molly Parden has a new EP on the way, and she shared the video for the first single from the project. The Rosemary EP will arrive November. 13th on Tone Tree Music. But in the meantime we can enjoy “Kitchen Table,” the video for which is a dark series of high-contrast scenescapes. While spooky, it’s also strangely calming to watch. “Kitchen Table” has the lush, unhurried sway of a Faye Webster (whose backing band Parden once played in) tune and the delicate vocals of your favourite indie-folk singer. If Parden’s tender voice sounds familiar, that might be because she’s offered her pipes as backup vocals to more than 50 records since moving to Nashville in 2013. She’s also performed with the backing bands for Sam Outlaw and David Ramirez.

Molly has toured the world as a bassist, guitarist, and singer—joining the backing bands of Atlanta’s indie songstress, Faye Webster; west coast troubadour Sam Outlaw; and Austin Texas’s boozily existential poet, David Ramirez. While at home in Nashville, Molly paid her bills as a waitress, and in the studio with her voice—providing her uniquely fragile and captivating harmony vocals on over 50 records in just a few years. Though Molly rarely recorded or performed her own songs, the few songs she did release garnered millions of plays on online streaming platforms and a small body of devoted listeners throughout the world. Her growing number of fans and champions finally encouraged Molly to team up with long time friends Juan Solorzano and Zachary Dyke, both having made their marks on Nashville’s indie music scene as producers and multi-instrumentalists themselves, to properly record and release a record of her own.

The result was “Rosemary”—an EP of fragile indie tunes that are as haunting as they are comforting, beautifully raw and yet just out of reach. From the effortless, transcendent melancholy of “Feel Alive Again,” to the flirty pop nostalgia of “Who are We Kiddin’,” each of Molly’s songs enchants the listener with a disarming union of aloofness and intimacy—timeless tunes in a postmodern soundscape. If it weren’t for the persistent reminder of a distressed 808 snare loop, a tune like “These Are The Times” wouldn’t be out of place on one of Chet Baker’s classic records from the 50’s:

Molly – vocals
Juan Solorzano – electric, bass, acoustic
Tommy Perkinson – drums
Matthew Wright – keys

“Rosemary” EP out November 13th 2020

FENNE LILY – ” Solipsism “

Posted: August 31, 2020 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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This week, singer songwriter Fenne Lily released a new single “Solipsism” it’s from her forthcoming album “Breach”, out September. 18th via Dead Oceans Records. The new track follows the release of previous singles “Berlin” and “Alapathy” and standalone tracks “To Be a Woman Pt. 2” and “Hypochondriac.” “A lot of situations make me uncomfortable — some parties, most dates, every time I’m stoned in the supermarket,” Lily says. “‘Solipsism’ is a song about being comfortable with being uncomfortable and the freedom that comes with that. If you feel weird for long enough it becomes normal, and feeling anything is better than feeling nothing. I wanted this video to be a reflection of the scary thought that I’ll have to live with myself forever. It’s surreal to realise you’ll never live apart from someone you sometimes hate. Dad, if you’re reading this you killed it as shopper number 2.”

The new single ‘Solipsism’ is now in the world (via Dead Oceans) alongside a bonkers video ft. my dad and Willie J Healey. It’s for anyone who has been or still is scared of everything — for anyone who feels like Louis Theroux at parties — for myself looking back on 21 as a weird time, not the end of the world.

Thank you to Joe Sherrin on bass and guitars, Josh Sparks on drums, Brian Deck and Ali Chant for producing and mixing, Tom Clover for directing and the 40+ shoot day team who worked tirelessly to bring my dumb ideas to life

“Solipsism” the new song by Fenne Lily off ‘Breach’, out September 18 on Dead Oceans Records.

JOSH RITTER – ” Rare & Unreleased Songs “

Posted: August 31, 2020 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Like everyone, I’ve been thinking a lot about the times we’re in. Sometimes those thoughts come to me as lyrics:

“These days have made a change in me”

I had written a song with that line in it a while back, and recently, I listened back and I realized that it felt very relevant to me now. “Time is Wasting” became the nucleus around which I imagined a mini-album / EP / whatever that brought together several recordings and a few live performances from the last several years that I was proud of but hadn’t found a recorded home for. See Here, I Have Built You A Mansion is a collection of eight of those songs.

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There is a lot of time and distance and farewell on these recordings. “Miles Away” is all about physical and emotional distance. “Brothers In Arms,” one of my favourite Mark Knopfler songs, is a pathos-filled, Shakespearian rumination on battle and memory; this version was recorded during a soundcheck. I initially wrote “Be of Good Heart” for Joan Baez’s final album, but I loved it so much that I wanted to do a recording with my band as well. “Haunt,” “Heaven Knows,” and “Waiting on You” were recorded with the Royal City Band during the Gathering sessions. And “Lawrence, Kansas,” which was recorded live in Lawrence, Kansas, is one of my earliest compositions and a reminder of how much I miss playing live with my incredible band.

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I am indebted to the phenomenal musicians and producers that I am lucky enough to work with and call my friends. I am also very grateful to you for listening and giving me the opportunity to continue making music. Finally, a huge thank you to my incredible family! Be of good heart everyone. – Josh

LAURA FELL – ” Bone Of Contention “

Posted: August 30, 2020 in MUSIC
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Based out of London, Laura Fell is a songwriter by night, and a psychotherapist by day. Laura is the first signing to the fabulous music-blog, turned soon-to-be fabulous record label, Ballon Machine, and is gearing up to the November release of her debut LP, “Safe From Me”, a record described as, “a search for answers from a woman always expected to have them to hand”. This week Laura has shared the first single from the record, “Bone Of Contention”.

“Bone of contention is an exercise in anger”, explains Laura, a song about, “allowing myself to sit with my anger, and ending up finding clarity and power within it”. While Laura started her creative journey writing poetry, it’s arguably the skilled arrangement here that shines brightest, as Laura’s lithe lyricism is combined with steady acoustic guitars, the warm pulse of upright bass and the contrasting flutter of lightweight synths, that dance atop the mix like leaves blown around by the wind. Ambitious musicality, sitting alongside an undeniable way with words and a voice every bit the match of Nadine Shah or Aldous Harding: on this evidence Laura Fell is a talent the world won’t be able to ignore for long.

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Fell’s dedication to this journey of self-discovery was unquestionable from the off, so much so that her peers questioned her sanity. Holding down three jobs to fund the record, Fell was determined that the songs would go far beyond their acoustic guitar genesis, assembling classically trained musicians to fully realise her vision.

Safe From Me is out November 20th via Balloon Machine.

JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE – ” Dies At Just 38 Years Of Age “

Posted: August 24, 2020 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
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Justin Townes Earle, an acclaimed US songwriter and son of Steve Earle, has died, in news confirmed on the artist’s Facebook page on Sunday night.

“It is with tremendous sadness that we inform you of the passing of our son, husband, father and friend Justin,” the post read. “So many of you have relied on his music and lyrics over the years and we hope that his music will continue to guide you on your journeys. You will be missed dearly.”

Named for his father’s friend and idol Townes Van Zandt, Earle, 38, battled addiction throughout his life. He released eight albums across the course of his career, which saw him honoured twice at the Americana Music awards including for his best-known song, “Harlem River Blues”.

Many have paid tribute to the artist on Twitter, with the musician Samantha Crain reflecting on their friendship: “Such a tremendous songwriter. He took me on two tours and always treated me so kindly. He understood struggle, he understood joy I saw him at the peaks and valleys of both through the 13 years I knew him.” His friend and collaborator Jason Isbell said: “Had a lot of good times and made a lot of good music with JTE. So sad for his family tonight.”

“When you start with my middle and last names,”said  Earle, “how much worse can the expectations be? My father is one of the greatest songwriters who’s ever lived, and I couldn’t write a song like [revered singer-songwriter] Townes Van Zandt if my life depended on it. But you know going through the door you’re gonna be judged based on that, so you better be ready.”

By the time he was 14, Earle was doing residencies in the competitive Nashville songwriter’s scene. It was the mid-1990s, and artists in the so-called alternative country movement, spearheaded by acts such as Uncle Tupelo, BR-549 and Neko Case, were mixing post-punk energy with honky-tonk twang. Earle’s first three records were released by Bloodshot Records, one of the drivers of the scene and inheritors to Steve Earle’s 1980s blue-collar barroom country. Earle was an on-and-off member of the raucous country-rock band the Sadies. As Earle gained confidence, he committed to being a solo artist.

The writer and cultural critic Hanif Abdurraqib praised Earle as “an incredible writer of narrative – stories that flourished beyond the music they were laid over”. the NPR music critic Ann Powers described his last album, “The Saint of Lost Causes”, as “a powerful road map of America … we’ve lost someone with real vision.”

Earle is survived by his mother Carol-Ann Hunter, his wife, Jenn Marie, and their daughter, Etta St. James Earle.

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HOLLY HUMBERSTONE – ” Falling Asleep At The Wheel “

Posted: August 15, 2020 in MUSIC
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Rising UK-based singer-songwriter Holly Humberstone’s spellbinding debut EP is nothing short of pure perfection. “Falling Asleep At The Wheel” continues to prove the singers undeniable talent and skilful song writing abilities. At just 20 years old, Humberstone is carving her own path on her debut release.

Opening with her debut single Deep End, Humberstone opens up about her sisters challenges with depression and her undeniable commitment to being a supportive figure within her life. The honest and emotional track pairs warm guitar chords with a strikingly clear vocal performance. On the ethereal title track, Falling Asleep At The Wheel, navigates a one sided relationship. The song opens with upbeat piano chords before moving into haunting synth sounds over warped handclaps. Soul-baring and candid, ‘Falling Asleep At The Wheel’ is a deeply affecting collection of songs that solely document Humberstone’s own personal fears and emotions, but the power and grace of her sentiments are sure to resonate universally.

I wrote this song a while ago whilst still unsure of who I wanted to be and where I wanted to head musically. Writing this song was probably the first time I felt like I knew who I was within the music I was making. The track is about losing momentum and feeling like your emotions will slowly destroy the relationship you’re in and you altogether. I think the dark, wonky sonics define who I am musically, which is why Falling Asleep At The Wheel is such a milestone track for me, and has taught me so much about myself as a musician. We created the song at the house I grew up in, which is very old and falling apart, in the middle of the countryside. You can almost hear the weird sounds of the house within the track. It’s where I feel the most me and love that this is all coming from that one place.

Falling Asleep At The Wheel is a brilliant debut release. Comparable to music from Lorde and Billie Eilish, Humberstone exhibits a maturity that many of her pop predecessors worked away at for years before achieving. The emotional clarity paired with exciting and stirring sentimental production leaves you wanting more, but the honest and conversational six tracks are more than enough for the moment. Each listen brings new emotions, discovering lyrics you may have missed that hit you directly. Humberstone has exhibited poise and grace on her debut EP, creating an intimate atmosphere to share her innermost thoughts.

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