Lost loves. Lost feelings. Lost time. Lost emotions. Lost friends. Lost lovers.
Summer Heart have hit a chord that indeed resonates within all of us on his new single ‘Good Together”.
What if we could go back in time?
I know it’s been a while.
What if we gave it one more shot?
We have so many, many questions and not enough answers. There are, however, some answers. We can not go back in time, and when we try to, we can never capture the magic of that time. I went to a school reunion, and while I enjoyed seeing the people that I shared bus rides and classrooms with, I very quickly learned that we don’t want one more shot. All of those people got so old, why didn’t they stay young like me? And what about all the loves I have lost? It turns out that they have done very well without me.
Summer Heart, aka David Alexander, has released a new single, ‘Good Together’, ahead of the release of his EP ‘Ambitions’, which arrives on November 6th, 2020. ‘Good Together’ gives us smooth as silk synthesizers that hide the pain that lingers in the lyrics of this song. This song is an excellent teaser for Summer Heats EP arriving this fall on Icons Creating Evil Art.
Building on the success of his debut single ‘How Do You Want Me?”, Tanzos, aka Mik Tanzos, delivers another song that has top ten written all over it. ‘Birdy’, the tale of love gone wrong, is a departure from the edgier sound of HDYWM. Mik opted for a more laid back feel on ‘Birdy’ that works very well with the message in the lyrics. Dreamy synths, soft orchestration flowing along in the back, and smooth picking on the guitar set ‘Birdy’ up to be hit repeat song.
Discussing the influence behind the track, Tanzos tells us: “Birdy tells the story of a couple´s life design falling apart after compromising for too long. Naturally the song has a melancholic tone, but it is not desperate. Conciliation beats the bitterness.”
I can only hope that Mik releases a full album soon because his singles are killing me sonically. The good thing about the release of ‘Birdy’ is that I now have two songs in his playlist, it’s getting better all the time.
I was familiar with A Tribe Called Red in name only. To understand where an artist is, I like to look at what they have recorded in the past. When I received the invitation from Mystic Sons to review the new single by DJ Shub, I listened to A Tribe Called Red, which is where DJ Shub previously recorded. A Tribe Called Red have received many accolades including a Juno Award, Canada’s equivalent of a Grammy.
I don’t give out awards, but I do submit reviews, and occasionally I will grade a release with stars. For Shake Ya Bustle by DJ Shub I will give a favourable review.
I like it. Shake Ya Bustle is a bit light in the lyrics department, A Tribe Called Red used story songs frequently; however, what lyrics there are, are used very effectively. Shake Ya Bustle got stuck in my brain, even as I write this, I am nodding my head to the refrain, shake ya bustle, shake ya bustle. I probably won’t shake my bustle, but I will nod my head, tap my toe and play the song again to reinforce the earworm.
DJ Shub has taken the rhythm of traditional drums and turned it on its side with new samples and synth sounds that work like magic. I love it and look forward to hearing more from DJ Shub.
I am marking October 2nd on my calendar and set alerts for it to notify me because that is the release date for Spunsugar’s new album Drive-Through-Chapel.
Until then, I am content to listen to their newest single, Run.
It seems like it was forever ago that I posted a favourable review of their then-current single Happier Happyless, it was actually on June 5th of this pandemic year that has completely messed up my sense of time.
Here we are on August 13th, barely two months since my last review of their music and just when I think they can’t get any better they release a new single that blows me away, again. Run to listen to it. Run to pre-order their new album. Run, because it is good for you.
I won’t give too much away because I am waiting for the whole album to spin on my turntable, but I can tell you that if you enjoyed Happier Happyless, you would most likely enjoy a good Run.
‘Can’t We Just Be Friends Again’ was a hot release back in March, from the Bristol-based band Tungz. Since then they have garnered positive reviews including one from yours truly. Now they are pushing their music forward in a new and exciting direction as heard on their latest offering ‘Go Out’, released 22nd July 2020 via Heist or Hit.
While written and recorded before lockdown, ‘Go Out’ has become an unintentionally timely release for the band. The lyrics are focusing on anxiety and bad routines, which are all too familiar amid the lockdown.
Speaking about the bands new single, vocalist and songwriter Nicky Green said, “Jamie (Maier) and I spent eight months sofa surfing and sharing rooms while we were looking for a place and saving money to move to London. Because we were moving around so much, the song ended up being written in 4 different places. I wrote it as a conversation with myself. It’s about carrying too much weight in your soul without realising and getting exhausted with a routine that’s no good for you.”
‘Can’t We Just Be Friends Again’ was a hot release back in March, from the Bristol-based band Tungz. Since then they have garnered positive reviews including one from yours truly. Now they are pushing their music forward in a new and exciting direction as heard on their latest offering ‘Go Out’, released 22nd July 2020 via Heist or Hit.
While written and recorded before lockdown, ‘Go Out’ has become an unintentionally timely release for the band. The lyrics are focusing on anxiety and bad routines, which are all too familiar amid the lockdown.
Speaking about the bands new single, vocalist and songwriter Nicky Green said, “Jamie (Maier) and I spent eight months sofa surfing and sharing rooms while we were looking for a place and saving money to move to London. Because we were moving around so much, the song ended up being written in 4 different places. I wrote it as a conversation with myself. It’s about carrying too much weight in your soul without realising and getting exhausted with a routine that’s no good for you.”
Tungz effortlessly weaves funk into grooving bass lines within a song that still sounds new and fresh to our ears. Self-produced, their latest single ‘Go Out’ will be available to stream and download from Wednesday 22nd July via Heist or Hit.
‘Can’t We Just Be Friends Again’ was a hot release back in March, from the Bristol-based band Tungz. Since then they have garnered positive reviews including one from yours truly. Now they are pushing their music forward in a new and exciting direction as heard on their latest offering ‘Go Out’, released 22nd July 2020 via Heist or Hit.
While written and recorded before lockdown, ‘Go Out’ has become an unintentionally timely release for the band. The lyrics are focusing on anxiety and bad routines, which are all too familiar amid the lockdown.
Speaking about the bands new single, vocalist and songwriter Nicky Green said, “Jamie (Maier) and I spent eight months sofa surfing and sharing rooms while we were looking for a place and saving money to move to London. Because we were moving around so much, the song ended up being written in 4 different places. I wrote it as a conversation with myself. It’s about carrying too much weight in your soul without realising and getting exhausted with a routine that’s no good for you.”
Tungz effortlessly weaves funk into grooving bass lines within a song that still sounds new and fresh to our ears. Self-produced, their latest single ‘Go Out’ will be available to stream and download from Wednesday 22nd July via Heist or Hit.
This song has been on replay mode all week. Maybe I like it. Perhaps the sea is a bit salty. Maybe, yeah, just maybe. Here I go listening to it again. Hear I go listening to ‘Depends On Where You Stand” again.
Not only a catchy bit of music but interesting lyrics that reminded me of Modest Mussorgsky’s “Pictures At An Exhibition”. Elaborating on his interpretation of the track, Crawford tells us: “Two former lovers meet together in an art gallery, and they’re out of awkward pleasantries to exchange. No amount of hastily formed opinions on the artwork displayed can drown out what they are neglecting to discuss. They play-out a Hollywood-Esq sequence of trying not to be caught sneaking a glance, whilst attempting to give each other enough space by dancing around each other at a pace that is as excruciating as it is conspicuous.” Brilliant, simply brilliant.
Hailing from Glasgow, Crawford Mack draws on the influence of various works of literature that he devours with an insatiable appetite for words. Crawford is not just a composer and lyricist; he is also a video and art director, and he bringings all of these talents together for the expression of his musical vision.
Initially, Crawford was a jazz musician, breaking out of that genre box he has created a musical sound that, in his words, found ‘the sweet spot between Led Zeppelin and Joni Mitchell’. Crawford has collaborated with a wide variety of musicians from jazz, rock, electronic, and classical music projects. Those experiences came together and resulted in a journey to Antwerp to record his upcoming debut album, ‘Depends On Where You Stand’.
I would encourage you to give the teaser title track a spin while we wait in anticipation of the album release.
Carl Louis closed out 2019 with the most excellent album “Silent Soldier”. As of this writing, we are about halfway through 2020, and Carl is bestowing a single on us, “Portal To Happiness”. The first song to be released off of his forthcoming EP, which is to be released later this year.
Carl had this to say about the new single:
“Portal to Happiness» is about being in the moment. Going to that place inside you where time doesn’t exist. For me, that place is both happy and sad at the same time. That intense feeling is «Portal to Happiness».”
I love some of the imagery on this song, topnotch writing in my humble opinion. Take, for example:
”No sleep in the light
Damn, the sun in July.”
Earlier today, I was basking on my deck in the evening sun, where I live we get about 18 hours of daylight, so if you have trouble sleeping with the light on this might not be the best place to live. I, on the other hand, like the sun in July, bring it on. But, ye, I can relate to what he is saying.
That is just one example, listen to this song and then join the queue to buy to the album when it comes out. I’ll be in that line someplace.
Norway is a hotbed of talent with television shows such as Ragnarok and music covering every genre including the thriving heavy metal scene as well as softer pop sounds such as Resa who dropped an EP for our listening pleasure.
Opening with the electronic shoegaze music of Sunday, the first song in the EP, we could easily fall into the trap of thinking this is really chill listening until you check out the lyrics. Sunday is not church music although the melody could easily go there, it’s the lyrics that jump out and jolt the listener into paying attention to what Resa is singing about.
She is singing about being held down by her on again off again lover, which sounds more like being emotionally submissive as opposed to being physically restrained. Resa submits herself to being held down and submissive on Sunday but will not hold the door on Monday because Resa will not be pinned down because she is not ready to ‘subject in full’ even if it does feel conflicting. Resa gives us raw and emotional lyrics over a smooth bed of music on Sunday.
The next song shifts gears to a happy go lucky sounding song that brings a big old smile to my face, “You Need A Puppy”. This song sounds like two fast and true friends sitting at a coffee bar and talking about the boyfriend of Resa’s friend. The advise that Resa gives her is that she doesn’t need a man because he will leave you and hurt you but a puppy will make you happier. You don’t need a man, “you need a puppy’. I love it, the EP is totally worth a listen even if it only had one song, this one.
The next two songs, ‘Love ain’t Free” and “Borrowed Time” deal with the theme of broken relationships and then we get to the title track of this EP which is also the closer. ‘Dumb and Numb’ is a song of resignation, we’re in a rut but it’s a good rut so let’s just keep going. This track features only a solo guitar but it works, it gives the song an almost lounge music or jazz club feel, chill but not chilly.
I confess that it took me more than one listens to really ‘get’ this EP but once it got to me I enjoyed it immensely. I’m glad I didn’t give up on this music, now I want to listen to it again, not because I have a review that I need to post, but because I enjoy the music. Thanks for another great Norwegian export Resa.
I have been listening to recorded music as long as I can remember and over the years there have been a few albums that needed time to grow on me, take for example Zoom Daddy by The Swirling Edies. This was their third album and I had enjoyed the previous two so I anticipated another fine listening experience. That didn’t happen. From the opening track, I felt off-put by this recording and left it on the shelf for a couple of years. But then I gave it another listen, and then another and now after repeated listens I really like the album.
Rex and their new single, ‘Lovers Like We Used To Be’, from their soon to be released EP did not need time to groove a music stream into my life. From the opening with that delicious bass-thumping away and to the lyrics expressed by the vocals of guitarist and lead singer, JonathanRex, I was hooked. I did not need time or multiple listens to love this music, I was a victim of Rex immediately.
The music and vocals kept me searching my brain for other artists that Rex sound like, candidates included one of my favourite bands The Call, who are led by the thumping bass of lead singer Michael Been, but I ultimately settled on Rex sounding like Rex. Their sound is built on the vocals and lead guitar of JonathanRex who was born with flamenco in his blood, while drummer Nout Kooij was raised as a die-hard punk, and bass player Sara Elzinga was introduced to blues music before she could walk. That is Rex, with their own signature sound.
For their single, Lovers Like We Used To Be, Jonathan Rex says: “It’s a story that happens on a certain night, when you think it’s better to leave a person because all that you have done together is repetitive. You’re left feeling frustrated, but soon realise that it’s your own patterns that causes the friction. When you return, it’s too late and realise you hardly knew her.”
Rex hail from Amsterdam but toured extensively, pre-Covid-19, around Europe and Great Britain. Their second single Palaces features an edgier sound that testifies to this band being more than a one-trick pony. Check them out, they have two singles out, LLWUTB and Palaces, and they have an EP coming soon.
Weathered Music 