One song at a time I am building towards the release of Spunsugars album release highly-anticipated debut album ‘Drive-Through Chapel’, out on the October2nd via Adrian Recordings.
Today I am enjoying their newest single release Belladonna. I won’t add much to this post, but I look forward to the album which I will give a few more words to than this single.
Listen and enjoy their singles thus far: Run, Happier Happyness and Belladonna.
Some sounds get so stuck in our heads that we never forget them. The first time our baby said a word, it happened to be Dada in my case. It is stuck in there like superglue.
The sound of a flock of geese flying over our heads at midnight with no moonlight it was pitch black. It is locked in my neurones forever.
The song “Breakfast Again” by Owen Meany’s Batting Stance, stuck in my brain tighter than a high e string getting bent for a solo.
The first time my ears heard Breakfast Again, I was hooked, and I still am. Owen Meany’s Batting Stance is the pseudonym of singer-songwriter Daniel Walker, a fellow Canadian and a veteran of the folk music circuits pre-pandemic.
Daniel Walker projects hints of The Mountain Goats, Jenny Lewis, and Conor Oberst to inspire his sound. Daniel tells us that “Their deliberate approach to lyricism coupled with the fact that they emoted a similar high-pitched, nasal vocal delivery proved to me I didn’t need to have a raspy baritone or angelic falsetto to be a singer, let alone songwriter.” His voice immediately brought to my mind the vocalization and delivery of Roy Forbes, especially during his Bim years, and another Canuck.
Daniel tells us that “Breakfast Again” lyrically explores the implications of lost love. Discussing the inspiration behind the track, he says: ‘Breakfast Again is about the emotions: the worries and resolution that come with no longer sharing a life with someone important to you’.
Owen Meany’s Batting Stance released the ‘Breakfast Again’ single on September 4th via LHM Records along with a video release of the song. ‘Feather Weights’, Owen Meany’s Batting Stance’s album will be released October 2nd 2020 via LHM Records.
Accompanying the track is a hazy visual, featuring the frontman himself. The new minimalistic music video blends cloudy and clear shots of the lonesome artis laying in a river; a metaphorical representation of drowning in his emotions.
I listen to a lot of music. I think it safe to say that I listen to more albums than the average person. I don’t listen to much radio, so I don’t factor that in, I am focusing on intentional listening. Pulling out a record or CD or even streaming albums with the full intention of listening to the whole album in one go. For full albums, I average about 450 to 500 albums a year. On top of that, I can add the countless singles, iTunes compilations and other bits of music here and there. I genuinely enjoy listening to music, and I do miss the live concerts.
Having said all that, I am quite pleased when I hear an artist, whose music I had never listened to before, brighten my day. I have an album like that on repeat on Apple Music as I write this. Hot n Saucy is the album, and Vera Hotsauce is the artist. She is in there with The Verve and Urban Hymns, Veil of Ashes with their album ‘Pain’, Velvet Underground & Nico, The Violet Burning, and of course, there are dozens by everyone’s favourite ‘V’ artist, Various. Vera is joining a small demographic with some good company in the “V” column.
I might have completely missed Vera Hotsauce if it hadn’t been for one song, ‘Ricochet’. Vera paints a target on the back of 6ix9ine, a wannabe musician, with a history of sexual crimes against children. I will stand shoulder to shoulder with Vera and any other artist who will call out twats like 6ix9ine. Vera aims a diss squarely at not just 6ix9ine, but also the labels, online streamers and white shirts that enable this guy to make records and videos.
Other than the standout track, Ricochet, I also got my groove going with ‘Hey Boy’, and it’s hypnotic backbeat and bass lines. Lovely, just lovely. The rest of the album gets in line behind these two standout tracks for my listening tastes anyhow. Not a bad listen at all and a socially relevant album. Vera Hotsauce shows that she isn’t just another pretty face; she is a strong woman who knows who she is, what she isn’t and how to express that through the medium of music.
This record documents Vera’s misadventures on the journey to self-actualisation. She tells us “This album tells a story about an era. I’ve made so many stupid decisions that got me so many crazy memories and took me on so many f-d up adventures.”
I have made my fair share of stupid decisions but listening to Vera Hotsauce is not one of those decisions. I rather enjoyed this album and I am totally onboard with the message. Thank you Vera.
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.
One of my favourite listens this year have been The Holy. They have a new video to go with their newest single release, The Rocket Song.
‘The Rocket Song’ tells the story of human arrogance which results in their extinction. Frontman Eetu Iivari says: “The last people living on earth decide to build a space rocket and try to go through black holes to new galaxies. But they fail, like we humans tend to do. We often think we’re unbeatable.”
Following the success of their dual-single release ‘Twilight Of The Idiots’ / No Trial In The Dark’, which received support from the likes of The Line of Best Fit and Clash Magazine; Finnish quintet, The Holy return with electric new track ‘The Rocket Song’.
Oozing with fiery guitar strings, pounding drum pulses and a touch of hallucinating synths, the group’s latest number surges with euphoria. Exploring other-worldly themes, ‘The Rocket Song’ tells the story of human arrogance which results in their extinction. Frontman Eetu Iivari says: “The last people living on earth decide to build a space rocket and try to go through black holes to new galaxies. But they fail, like we humans tend to do. We often think we’re unbeatable.”
However, with the world undergoing a turn of events recently with the Covid-19 outbreak, the band have discovered a new found perspective for the track. Iivari says: “It feels empowering to write a song when you’re feeling anger towards the world. But when shit actually hits the fan, it just feels sad, empty and depressing. I hope the song will help us remember these times in the future, and to remember how small humanity is in relation to mother nature. That we should respect nature far more than we do.”
In further discussion about the forthcoming LP he also said: “Mono Freedom is a utopian themed album. A fictional story about Mother Nature taking over the earth and how the last humans pack their stuff, build a rocket and head over to the nearest black hole. They know that there is probably nothing out there, but it’s one of humanity’s last ideas. All this is seen as a positive, not as a dark dystopian vision, as is usually the case.”
“The record and the lyrical themes are inspired by Alan Weisman’s book The World Without Us; a classic science book that explores a bunch of scenarios of what would happen to Mother Earth if humans were to disappear today.”
The Holy – The Rocket Song
Release date – 21st August 2020 via Playground Music
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.
Swedish synth act Kite are releasing new track Bowie ‘95. It’s an ode to being lost, and the existential dread that comes from having to engage with the ‘real world’. Made up of singer Nicklas Stenemo and keyboard player Christian Berg, the band tell us “The lyrics addresses both the feeling of guilt of not being more part of making the real world much better, but also the acceptance that music and escapism have an important role to play in people’s lives.”
Like recent single ‘Teenage Bliss’ the new song has been produced together with Blanck Mass (Benjamin John Power). The pair tell us that “When we started Kite the band F*** .Buttons were a big source of inspiration to us. Since then we have been following Benjamin John Powers brilliant music as Blanck Mass. We are now extremely excited to announce that we are working on the production of two new Kite tracks with him.”
The band have brought their projection filled, brain melting visual live show to audiences in Scandinavia, Germany, the US, Canada and China. It sometimes even includes cats shooting laser beams out of their eyes, and when their performing their sold our show’s at Stockholm’s Royal Opera House – a 16-piece orchestra.
The pair combine an adventurous nature with pop sensibilities, throbbing beats and an early nineties aesthetic. Their lean approach to songwriting – a methodology of ‘cut the fat’ results in tight, focussed songs that never outstay their welcome.
Back on July 7th, I did a review of Ben Hobbs single, Own Arms, which was in almost constant rotation on my iTunes account. Today I did a proper listen to Ben’s upcoming EP, dropping on July 31st, and I have no problem giving this a 4-star review, that’s four out of four by the way.
In the EP, Better Weather, I hear a bit of Bowie and his Diamond Dogs through to Heroes era. I also feel a bit of an R&B vibe going on in Better Weather. This EP is not mired in the past though. It has a 2020 vibe to it that is very contemporary and very listenable. Better Weather pays homage to the music of the past, but Ben Hobbs is very much connected to the present and is looking forward to better days with his new music on Better Weather.
Ben Hobbs Better Weather
The title song, Better Weather, gives me hope, hope for better weather in a literal and a figurative sense, our summer where I live has been very wet with minimal warm, cloudless days. The music and lyrics of Better Weather warmed my soul via my ears, thank you, Ben.
Ben tells us that the EP is about “insecurities, life challenges, everything. My girlfriend, the inspiration for ‘How We Care’, the journey we’ve been on together, and how we’ve helped each other. In contrast, ‘Loaded Gun’ is based the idea of leaving your world behind for a new one, partly inspired by what was is happening in UK politics; feeling like we are being lied to by our government.
A vast pool of inspiration that brings us Better Weather by Ben Hobbs. Do your summer a favour and listen to Better Weather. The Better Weather EP will be available to stream from July 31st, 2020.
Weathered Music 