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NYC's Timothy Dark announces 'Dark Day Afternoon' EP, previews 'She Put a Spell on Me'

New York-based artist Timothy Dark has announced his forthcoming EP 'Dark Day Afternoon', which is slated for release on March 30. This five-track offering is preceded by the release's lead single 'She Put a Spell on Me'. The EP was co-produced by Robb Torres and Timothy Dark for Darkseed Entertainment at Quartier General Studios in Los Angeles.

This release follows Dark's latest album ‘The Last Days of Dark’, which was produced by longtime collaborator Dan "The Band' Policar (Sean Paul, Raekwon The Chef). Two of the tracks 'Unpatriotic' feat. Stephanie Linn and 'The Future' really made some waves in the face of the realities of Trump's America.

“Christmas is a hard time for me, as my parents are no longer with me and I don’t know how to celebrate it anymore. So decided I was going to take a trip to LA just to get away. I went into my catalog and picked ‘She Put a Spell on Me’, jumped on the plane, and recorded most of the song in two days. On the third day I knew it needed a female vocal,” explains Timothy Dark.

“My friend Angie Atkinson had just moved to LA, so I called her and asked her what she was doing. She was chillin’ in her PJs so I asked her to come through and sing on the track. She said if I paid her Uber she would do it. By the grace of God, she lived on the same street as Robb’s studio so I saved a lot of money. She came in and knocked it out in about an hour and the rest was history.” 

Dark's expansive artistry encompasses politically charged hip-hop, buttery R&B, grimy rock, street savvy poetry, literature, non-dogmatic spirituality, and singer-songwriter style emotional intimacy. Previously described as “Michael Jackson’s band meets Inspectah Deck of WuTang meets the energy from Queens that made the Ramona’s play fast”, Timothy Dark’s music is rich, diverse and unpredictable. 

“The new ‘Dark Day Afternoon’ EP pulls ample inspiration from Billy Idol, Michael Jackson, Prince, David Bowie, Tears for Fears, The Cars and Elvis Presley. I spent years listening to their music, originally for sampling purposes. But I became a fan and couldn’t stop listening and learning from them all,” says Dark.   

“Most people don’t know I have written pop songs for years. I just never released many of them because I loved rapping so much. But now that I have a band, it’s time to dig out the pop and alternative songs and let the world hear them. It’s time to let people know that I’m not just a rapper; I’m an all around songwriter. This EP is the beginning of all of that.” 

Born in Harlem, Timothy Dark was raised in East Elmhurst, Queens and the South Bronx before the streets were sanitized. He learned how to survive amidst the violence and corruption of hard times New York. One of his most formative moments was his mother boldly placing him onstage during a James Brown concert and the Godfather of Soul shaking his hand. It has become a symbolic gesture on many levels with the feeling like, in that handshake, James Brown transferred an electricity that courses through Timothy to this day.     

The emergence of hip-hop as an art form became a way to observe and experience and street life and turn it into something special as a solo artist and as a member of rap crews. He’s opened for Nas, Black Rob, and immersed himself in New York City’s thriving Antifolk scene, collaborating with such talents as Nellie Mckay and Nicole Atkins. 

'Dark Day Afternoon' will be available on March 30 across digital stores and streaming platforms. Timothy Dark and The Indestructible Characters launch the EP that night at New York's DROM (85 Avenue A), along with Liz Rees and Miss Represent. Their next show scheduled for April 14 with American Anymen, Crazy and the Brains, Phoebe Blue, Dolltits and Clinical Trials at Search Party Studios (71 Wave Avenue, Staten Island).   

News story provided by Shameless Promotion PR

#SoundCloud #music #Timothy Dark #Alternative Rock #Storytelling #Funky

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FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT FOR SMALL MUSIC VENUES - ELLES BAILEY RELEASES ‘LITTLE RABBIT BARN’ LIVE EP

Small music venues have been closing down across the UK. According to Music Venue Trust, around a third of the nation’s small gig spaces have closed in the past decade. It’s a blight that leaves music fans poorer and denies artistes prized opportunities to hone their craft and play intimate live gigs. Such closures also diminish local communities and arts scenes.

Thankfully, indie venues, artists and music fans are all fighting the trend. Rising Blues and Country star Elles Bailey is determined to fight the good fight for grass roots, live music, so she’s releasing a free live 4-track EP in support of the Little Rabbit Barn venue, in Ardleigh on the Essex/Suffolk border, asking only for donations to support the venue and its grass roots cause.

Started in 2011, Little Rabbit Barn runs house concerts: an independent live music model that’s become familiar to American audiences, which is becoming increasingly popular here in the UK. Although a house concert is a private gig, for which the audience are sent personal invitations, it’s open to all music fans. The model is non-profit-making, funded by guest donations and host’s subsidy.

Elles Bailey has played Little Rabbit Barn and speaks highly of it: “It’s tough out there on the road, but the hospitality that we received when we arrived at Little Rabbit Barn was some of the best we have ever had in the UK. We had covered well over 2000 miles in 8 days and as you can imagine, were rather travel-worn, but the show was a little haven of refuge for us! We even got to have a post-show cuddle with a rabbit! What more could you want?”

Jonathan Rabett of LRB responds, “It was a privilege for us at Little Rabbit Barn to host Elles at our end of year show and to record Elles Bailey and her band towards the end of their extensive Wildfire UK & European tour, 2017. They delivered a stunning performance without overpowering the intimacy of the space. A performance that is now etched into the very fabric of the Barn. I know you will enjoy listening to this recording which has been authentically mixed by Jay Stapley and closely overseen by Elles.”

Recorded at Little Rabbit Barn, Elles Bailey’s 4-track EP is a free download, though Elles is appealing to downloaders to make a donation to support Little Rabbit Barn and the live, grass roots cause.

“What Jonathan, Lyn, Terry and the team at LRB have built is such a beautiful thing,” adds Elles, “It’s a testimony to their hard work and love of live music. I’m so happy to share these live tracks, and to give back in the small way I can to this amazing live music venue!”

You can download the EP and make a donation here

News story provided by Central Press PR

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British duo Spray gear up for new single 'Anthologised by Cherry Red'

British synth band and self-styled indiepop chameleons Spray have announced their forthcoming single 'Anthologised by Cherry Red', which is slated for release on May 11.

Founded in 2001, Spray is comprised of Ricardo Autobahn (synthesizers) and Jenny McLaren
 (vocals, guitars), both formerly of the Cuban Boys, who took their chaotic technopunk to number 1 on the Festive 50 (twice), recorded one of the best Peel Sessions ever and went head-to-head with Sir Cliff Richard in a Christmas Chart Battle (but ultimately lost). Their hit single 'Cognoscenti Vs Intelligentsia' (a.k.a. 'The Hamster Dance Song') sold a million copies, reached number 4 in the UK single charts, landed them on Top of the Pops and, in the words of John Peel, was “the most requested song I’ve had since 'God Save The Queen'.

In a mathematically constructed list presented by RockListMusic.co.uk, the Cuban Boys registered as the 30th most popular band in the history of the John Peel Show, ranking ahead of the Inspiral Carpets (31), The Cure (34), Nirvana and The Stone Roses (=tied at 35). BBC producer Mike Engles selected the Cuban Boys' first Peel Session as one of his top 10 all-time favourites, alongside Nirvana, The Damned and Ivor Cutler.

'Anthologised by Cherry Red' came about after a chat Ricardo Autobahn had with a fellow musician. When asked what he was currently up to, he uttered the beautiful phrase “oh, I’m at that stage in my career where I’m being anthologised by Cherry Red”. A lot of Spray’s inspiration and ideas come from everyday comments and this went straight in the band notebook.

"The song is not a critique of Cherry Red as we're actually big fans of the label. It’s more a straightforward story song about a fading rock band finding success in their twilight years," says Jenny McLaren. "It’s also an observation about the state of the music industry. If the business is based on catalogue reissues, where are the catalogue reissues of the future going to come from?"

Spray's music is influenced by Sparks, The Buggles, DEVO, Pet Shop Boys, the KLF, Chvrches, and The Big Moon.

"This is spiky, new-wave electronic pop with a sense of humour. But we take our sense of humour very seriously. We aim for big choruses and funny lyrics, disco beats and deafening synths," says Ricardo Autobahn. "We try and write songs about things that aren’t normally written about in pop. There’s enough songs now about love and cars, we try and go beyond that".

Following the demise of the Cuban Boys, Autubahn and McLaren formed Spray, turning their attentions toward synthpop and releasing their debut album ‘Living In Neon’ in 2002 on U.S. indie label Ninthwave Media. This was followed by ‘Children Of A Laser God’ in 2006, which included their smash cover of Lisa Lougheed's ‘Run With Us’ (also 'The Raccoons' theme song).

Spray was the secret weapon behind the UK's 2006 Final at Eurovision for Daz Sampson ‘Teenage Life’, having written and produced it, as well as singing the treated vocals for that track. Ricardo Autobahn and Daz Sampson would also collaborate on a dance version of 'Rhinestone Cowboy' under the name Rikki and Daz, recording it with the legendary Glen Campbell himself and filming its expensive video in the Arizona desert. This track went top 10.

Spray also recorded a novelty track as the Barndance Boys called 'Yippie I Oh', which became a top 30 hit. Under the moniker The Attery Squash, Ricardo's track 'DEVO Was Right About Everything' was remixed by Devo themselves. More recently, Spray recorded music with anarchic BBC star Hacker T. Dog.

Ricardo Autobahn writes music for TV and radio, which can be heard from BBC4 to ITV2 and from Australia to the USA. He also plays keyboards with Welsh punk pop legends Helen Love, also known for their collaboration with Joey Ramone.

Throughout all of this, the duo has continued to record their verbose off-kilter indie-disco synthpop. Later on this year, Spray will release their fifth studio album, whilst undertaking their first live shows. ‘Anthologised By Cherry Red’ is the first material to be released, reflecting the band’s archetypal sound – a celebration-of-all-things-pop tinged with cynicism, despair and the band’s ironic humour.

Spray 'Anthologised by Cherry Red' will be released on May 11 across all the standard online music stores and streaming platforms.  

News story provided by Shameless Promotion PR

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Serpico Releases Their New Album Rock Tattoo

Hardest rock album of the 2018 comes from Pori, Finland. As Serpico turbo-charges it's furious hard rock'n'roll on their new album "Rock Tattoo".

Serpico has become familiar by their praised music videos and active touring around Europe. Their new album doesn't let You down. Fast speed and danger is present all the time on this future classic of rock 'n' roll!

News story provided by Inverse Records  

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BRIT PUNKS TONOTA 80 SIGN TO ENGINEER RECORDS FOR NEW ALBUM RELEASE

With a moniker taken from a vaporising device featured in the 1970's sci-fi novel 'A Whirlpool Of Stars, UK punk-rock trio 'Tonota 80' transmit news that their new album 'Killer Sands And Beating Hearts' will be released via UK/US label Engineer Records on 23rd March 2018.

Originally becoming acquainted through a chance meeting in their local record store; the Maidstone/Kent based musicians David Bloomfield (Vox/Guitar), Richard Pronger (Bass/Vox) and John Edwards (Drums) met again several years later and hatched 'Tonota 80' upon the UK music scene. Despite the band being firmly routed in old school British punk reverie, the 3 piece bring in subtle influences from an myriad of genres. Sighting the likes of Husker Du, Dinosaur Jr, Swervedriver and Radio Birdman as some of their most influential peers - Tonota 80 are encased with a penchant for brash guitar riffs, colossal melodic hooks and 60's inspired vocal harmonies.

Their self-released debut 'Jonesing For Chips' brought much welcomed support from revered BBC 6 Music taste-maker Steve Lamacq and captured them many fans of underground British rock music. After time spent out to write and produce new material, the punk fuelled anthems of Tonota 80 caught the attention of Engineer Records who shall deliver the digital/CD release of the bands latest creations.

News story provided by Ambicon Music  

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Dead End Finland Release Lifelong Tragedy

Dead End Finland released the first single called Lifelong Tragedy, from their forthcoming fourth album, that will be released on 2019 via Inverse Records.

Dead End Finland is a melodic metal band from Helsinki, Finland. The band was formed in 2008 and they are known from their massive sound and topnotch production.

News story provided by Inverse Records  

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London artist Kini previews ‘I Too Overflow/ Dudu (Play)’ single ahead of debut LP

Swedish label The Sublunar Society is previewing the new double A-side single ‘I Too Overflow/ Dudu (Play)’ from London-based artist Kini ahead of the release of her debut album 'A Room of One's Own'.

British artist Kini (full name Kini Echeverria-Valda) may have Bolivian roots, but she grew up in the Cotswolds. Her brand of experimental electro pop is endearing and genuine, recalling various works by The Knife, Bjork, Esthero and Fever Ray.

‘I Too Overflow’ is a proud acknowledgment of my own tendency to overflow, with fear, anger, frustration, idleness… We all do, but society says it’s ugly to show that you do. I’ve always felt this pressure to suppress, conceal and withhold facets of myself; there’s always been pressure to conform in this way,” says Kini.  

“The song ‘Dudu (Play)’ is about the, at times, tyrannical pressure to compartmentalize ourselves; how in order to face the world, we feel obliged to disassociate aspects of ourselves to present a more “acceptable” version of ourselves in order to participate. I personally feel weighed down by this obligation. I’d rather be unified in my own version of unsuitability and incorrectness”.

Right from the offset, Kini carved herself out as the alternative kid at school, playing guitar and screaming in bands. Fuelled by a fascination with the recording process and intrigued by the growing potential for immersion into solitary composition, her curiosity led her to record demos in studios, acquire a Tascam 4-track cassette recorder and eventually study music technology at college. With no formal education in music, she was free to experiment with compositional software and found that, in the vastness of these programs, one could find the potential for the unconventional.

Forever the wannabe weird kid, she started making her experimental electro-pop music inspired by the likes of Bjork. An introvert and keen observer, Kini is inspired by the found sound compositions of musique concrète, as well as the musical output of Bjork, The Knife, Kate Bush, Juana Molina, Aisha Devi, Holly Herndon, Gazelle Twin, Kyoka, JLin, Jenny Hval and U.S. Girls.

By sitting quietly and critically listening to her environment, a track can often begin with recordings made, for example, during a busy commute. Utilizing sound manipulation techniques, she has learned throughout her education and her own experimentation. Her tracks draw on an eclectic mixture of sound sources, incorporating in both electronic and acoustic elements. For instance, her song ‘Icaro’ was made using a sampled broken piano, vocals and an ironing board.

While the finished piece may retain little resemblance to the original sound idea, it’s through this process and ample experimentation that Kini makes sense of the chaotic world around her, by channeling what she absorbs into the music making process. This experimental approach was inspired more recently by artists such as Holly Herndon and Gazelle Twin and fostered throughout university, culminating in a Masters in electronic music composition, and her own unique blend of the natural, the industrial and the electronic.

Today Kini is a creative audio post professional with experience with BBC, The History Channel and Shepperton International Sound Studios. As a dubbing mixer, sound editor and sound designer, she has prepared audio for TV broadcast, film, online delivery and other content distribution channels.

Most recently, Kini contributed vocals for the forthcoming EP from Broken English Club’s Rust Ballad under her latest moniker Blood Powers, and has teamed up with the Swedish cutting-edge label The Sublunar Society to release her debut album ‘A Room of One’s Own’

‘I Too Overflow/ Dudu (Play)’ will release on April 6, the same  day as the international release of ‘A Room of One's Own' album. While both will be available through online stores, streaming platforms, and via The Sublunar Society's own Bandcamp, the full album will also be made available on limited edition CD via the label’s website.

News story provided by Shameless Promotion PR

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THE MAGIC NUMBER: INTERSTELLAR RODEO ROLLS OUT ITS LINEUP FOR YEAR SEVEN

2018 HEADLINERS: FEIST, JULY TALK AND COURTNEY BARNETT.

Interstellar Rodeo takes place July 20-22, 2018 at Hawrelak Park.

The 2018 Interstellar Rodeo Edmonton lineup is here. For its seventh year, Interstellar Rodeo Edmonton serves up an inspired, decorated and script-flipping bill that jumps off the page and walks the walk.

This year’s headliners include Feist, an incandescent master of mood who brings her new album Pleasure to Edmonton for the first time. Music fans in this city simply cannot get enough of July Talk, an unstoppable, entangled frenzy of bodies and voices on stage and committed advocates for protecting these safe spaces offstage. Interstellar Rodeo is also thrilled to welcome indie rock phenom, poet and guitar shredder Courtney Barnett for her Edmonton debut. By the numbers, this year’s lineup is the most decorated yet, with Grammys, JUNOs, Polaris winners and a long list of other accolades earned by performers across genres.

Interstellar goers will be making full use of the dance floor again this year. With the big beats, swirling hoops and undeniable power of A Tribe Called Red’s powwow step and the country-Cuban-rockabilly grooves of Nashville’s The Mavericks, who remain as committed to getting the party started in 2018 as they have for the past 25 years, the 2018 festival promises to move you.

Interstellar goers will be making full use of the dance floor again this year. With the big beats, swirling hoops and undeniable power of A Tribe Called Red’s powwow step and the country-Cuban-rockabilly grooves of Nashville’s The Mavericks, who remain as committed to getting the party started in 2018 as they have for the past 25 years, the 2018 festival promises to move you.

If you’re looking for new perspectives, Interstellar Rodeo has a lot to offer. There’s the truth-telling, banjo-punk folk rush of Acadian Lisa Leblanc, already a superstar in Francophone locales. Faouzia, a young Moroccan-Manitoban with an astounding set of pipes and a knack for pop hooks in both French and English, is just on the verge of breaking big. Then there’s the mind-melting mix of hip hop, dance hall and cumbia of Cuba’s cigar wielding, flute-playing La Dame Blanche, who is guaranteed to make an impression. All three artists will make their Edmonton debuts on Interstellar’s stage.

Interstellar Rodeo 2018 already promises to deliver on its annual mission to introduce Edmonton music lovers to new artists. On this theme, the festival is thrilled to welcome New York’s Margaret Glaspy to Edmonton for the first time. This young songwriter, who burst on the scene with an album Emotions of Maththat wound up on many Best of 2016 lists, has made a huge impact with her astute observational, confessional songwriting shot through with sharp edges of electric guitar.

This year, the planets align for another edition of the Interstellar All Stars, a special feature where songwriters take the stage to perform together. This year, Interstellar Rodeo brings east to west with Tim Baker (Hey Rosetta!) and recent JUNO Award Songwriter of the Year nominee Rose Cousins, who will join Regina’s Jason Plumb and his band The Willing.

Alejandro Escovedo brings a notable memory of Interstellar’s history at Hawrelak Park; the Texas rock punk icon performed at Interstellar’s inaugural year, in fact its very first day. With their swirling, anthemic indie rock, Calgary’s Reuben and the Dark is also welcomed back for a second performance.

Interstellar Rodeo takes place July 20-22, 2018 at Hawrelak Park.

For daily lineups, please visit interstellarrodeo.com

Pre-sale tickets available WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7 at 8am MT. Pre-sale tickets will be available to those who purchased a weekend pass to Interstellar Rodeo 2017 in both Edmonton and Winnipeg. Please note that you must be signed in to your account atstore.sixshooterrecords.com in order to buy tickets. Weekend passes on sale to the public at 8am MT on THURSDAY, MARCH 8. Tickets available at interstellarodeo.com and at Blackbyrd Myoozik (located at 10442 82 Ave NW, Edmonton, AB T6E 2A2).

Interstellar Rodeo’s 2018 lineup was announced at 12pm MT from the ATB Branch for Arts & Culture by festival founder Shauna de Cartier, with a live performance by Jay Gilday.  

News story provided by Six Shooter Records

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Kristin Hersh announced to play London's Meltdown Festival, curated by The Cure's Robert Smith

Indie rock icon Kristin Hersh is among the first dozen artists to be named for this year’s Meltdown Festival in London.  

Set to take place at London's Southbank Centre on June 15-24, this year marks the 25th edition of this iconic festival. This special celebration, curated by The Cure’s Robert Smith, offers a jam-packed line-up of unique performances. Apart from Kristin Hersh, this year's line-up includes My Bloody Valentine, Nine Inch Nails, Mogwai, The Psychedelic Furs, Manic Street Preachers, The Libertines, Deftones, Placebo, Mono, 65daysofstatic, Alcest, and The Notwist.

Kristin Hersh has been confounding expectations and breaking rules since founding her influential art-punk band Throwing Muses at the age of 14. Her solo career spun off in 1994 with the release of 'Hips and Makers', a widely acclaimed album which included 'Your Ghost', a duet with R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe. Since then, Kristin has released a steady stream of distinctly individual solo albums, including 2010’s 'Crooked', her first release in the inventive book/CD format for which she is now known. She played all the instruments on her latest release 'Wyatt at the Coyote Palace', an explosive work defined by blistering guitars, powerful drumming and Kristin’s signature visceral vocal technique. Her poignant true stories bring the listener into what the BBC calls Hersh's "dark and dizzy world".

Throwing Muses first gained traction in the early ‘80s playing with similarly singular artists like The Pixies and Dinosaur Jr. They continue to release groundbreaking music and tour the world, most recently with 2013’s double CD masterpiece 'Purgatory/Paradise'.

In 2004, Kristin formed the noise rock power trio 50FOOTWAVE, releasing a series of frighteningly intense mini-albums, mostly available for download free of charge. The most recent 'Bath White' EP, which is like “a series of loud explosions, of velvet like dreams all intermingled at the same time" (Liverpool Sound & Vision).

Kristin’s writing career has flourished with the highly acclaimed 'Paradoxical Undressing' (released as 'Rat Girl' in the USA) and the award-winning 'Don’t Suck, Don’t Die', a personal account of her long friendship with the late Vic Chesnutt, in addition to the enchanting books that now accompany each record release.

Kristin Hersh, 50FOOTWAVE and Throwing Muses continue to create gorgeous, exciting music, with new releases expected online and in the stores as this year progresses.

The Meltdown Festival is the UK’s longest running artist-curated music festival. Smith is the lead singer and principal songwriter of The Cure, and its only constant member since the group formed in 1978. A defining band, The Cure took ‘alternative rock’ mainstream around the world and received numerous awards including a Brit Award for Best British Band, an MTV Icon Award, a Q Inspiration Award and NME’s Godlike Genius Award. Smith has also been presented with an Ivor Novello Award for International Achievement.

An iconic figure in his own right, Smith’s influence reaches across popular culture, film, art, and fashion. His many collaborations include performing and recording with artists as varied as David Bowie, Billy Corgan, Blink 182, The Stranglers, Placebo, Crystal Castles, Faithless, Korn and 65daysofstatic.

Meltdown is one of the UK’s most anticipated music events each year, in which an iconic artist curates their own personal festival, revealing their interests and influences. Robert Smith follows in the footsteps of such legendary curators as Patti Smith, Nick Cave, Yoko Ono, Massive Attack, Ornette Coleman and 2017’s M.I.A.  

"I am honoured and excited to be curating the 25th Meltdown. More than 30 of my all-time favourite artists – some of the most exciting, inspirational, intense and influential performers of the last 40 years – will make sure this 10-night extravaganza is the must-see event of the summer!" says Robert Smith. "as each invitee confirms, as each shimmering piece falls into place, I pinch myself - this is really happening... And the complete picture will undoubtedly be out of this world

Kristin Hersh says that “Meltdown is an opportunity for musicians to present what they do in a different light: music from the musician’s perspective. A private thing, a world unto itself.” Hersh will be playing the fesival on June 21.

Tickets for Robert Smiths' Meltdown go on sale to Southbank Centre members at 10am on Tuesday, March 13. Tickets will go on sale to the general public at 10am on Thursday, March 15.  

News story provided by Shameless Promotion PR  

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The new single from Ali Jacko ‘Only Thing I See’

What would you expect from an ex-kickboxing champion turned musician? Probably not Ali Jacko’s new single the ‘Only Thing I See’

Ali Jacko’s new single ‘Only Thing I See’ is a story about a once in a lifetime kind of love. It is beautiful, emotional, and heartfelt, and certainly not the kind of track that you would expect from a five times World Kickboxing Champion. But that’s the kind of artist that Ali Jacko is, his surprising back story and poignant musicality make for an extremely unique artist.  

Born in London’s East End, Ali Jacko’s illustrious Kickboxing career began with a chance encounter with the legendary Muhammad Ali, after this it was a done deal. Ali Jacko set out to be the kind of athlete that would inspire and enamour people just as Muhammad Ali had done for him.

Ali Jacko’s character in the ring makes the genre of his songs even more interesting. ‘I never lost a fight’ he says, ‘Once I fought with 22 stitches in my hand and came out on top’. Ali Jacko has now applied his can-do attitude and steely determination to his music career, with his promise to release a new track each month of 2018, and with their beautiful lyrics and Americana country rock vibes, they are set to be a real hit.  

‘Only Thing I See’ was released on the 28th of February 2018, and it is quite simply a declaration of love. ‘God knows there’s nothing better than you and me together // and there’s nowhere else I’d rather be’, sings Ali Jacko. There is a power and intensity to his vocals that gives the lyrics the gravitas that they deserve.

Ali is accompanied by a four-piece band, and his deep and expressive vocals rightfully take centre stage. The track starts simply with Ali and the band playing in an understated manner, he then builds up to what is a high energy chorus, the drum beat is taken up a gear and Ali unleashes his real vocal power.  

He’s already released a handful of singles - one of his previous videos features supermodel Jodie Kidd.

Having conquered the world of fighting, he is now ready to turn his head to music, and ‘kick’ his competition out of the way….

News story provided by Pluggin Baby

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Seattle's Nostalgist presents 'Smoldering Amber', second single off new 'Disaffection' album

Seattle-based post-punk outfit Nostalgist has unveiled 'Smoldering Amber' as the second single off new ‘Disaffection’, slated for vinyl and digital release in March. The six-track offering includes five original songs and a cover of 'Texture' from shoegaze legends Catherine Wheel's 1992 classic 'Ferment'. This new single follows up the super lush shoegaze ripper ‘Present:Tense’.

Formed in 2012, Nostalgist is led by Asa Eisenhardt (vocals and guitar). ‘Disaffection’ follows ‘Of Loves and Days Ago’ (2015) and 2013’s ‘Monochromantic’ EP, which was engineered, mixed and mastered by Jack Shirley (Deafheaven, King Woman, Tony Molina).

Recorded and mixed throughout 2016 and 2017, every track on ‘Disaffection’ features great contributions by renowned drummer Aesop Dekker (Khorada, Worm Ouroboros, Extremity, ex-Agalloch). More recently, in the fall of 2017, Alex Entrekin joined as the new drummer, building on Dekker's crushing performances while bringing nuances and twists all his own. Monte McCleery (also of Seattle funeral doom outfit Un) is currently filling in on bass.

Nostalgist’s brand of heavy, ethereal post-punk is informed by bands like Lowlife, Slowdive, Lycia, Comsat Angels, The Chameleons, Killing Joke, Fields of the Nephilim, Hum, and Red House Painters.

Asa Eisenhardt comments on 'Smoldering Amber': "This is the most lyrically intimate thing I've written to date. As with many of my songs, it chronicles the beginning, middle and end of some manner of relationship, but here the words are especially dramatic (even for me, ha) and visceral. Infatuation is the most central theme. The instrumental arrangement emphasizes a dub rhythm in the verses, and I expect that influence to become even more prominent in future material. Dub was an enormous influence on '80s post-punk, so following the throughline from bands I hold near and dear as influences (Comsat Angels, The Chameleons and Killing Joke to name but a few) and investigating that sound continues to be a natural progression for me."

"At the same time, I do my best to really blend things up when I write, and both the mix and contrast of the heavy and the ethereal in "Smoldering Amber" is easily the most pronounced of the songs on Disaffection. The verse section is minimal and grooving, but the chorus is huge and lumbering. The bridge is fragile and deliberate, the outro is hard-charging, uptempo and intertwined with synth melody. Dynamics are another dimension of musical color one can explore and manipulate, really. All in all, I think this track is especially exemplary of our elemental makeup".

Emotional openness has been the band's hallmark since the band's beginnings. Since its inception, Nostalgist's sonic blend has been equal parts swirling riffs, expansive shoegaze atmospheres and airy post-punk isolation, combined with a romantic, self-questioning lyrical bent and cinematic themes. Lush layers of warm guitar fuzz and shimmering reverb interweave with melodic bass, intricate drums and evocative, determined vocals, tempering the music's melancholy with just a slight sliver of hope.

Nostalgist crafts lush and powerfully intense distortion-laden dream rock riffs. A love of film noir, a sense of isolation and a decidedly romantic aesthetic shine through what are generally vulnerable lyrics. Eisenhardt’s talents in post-punk song-crafting are illuminated in the darkest moments with the warm, glowing embers of nebulous shoegaze.

The outfit's latest output only further refines these sounds and ideas. “When writing 'Disaffection,' my sights were firmly set on creating a handful of focused, memorable songs that crystallized everything I’ve wanted Nostalgist to be, to the best and most thorough degree possible. It’s a mission statement on the direction of everything to come,” says Eisenhardt.  

The ‘Disaffection’ album will be released on March 16 on vinyl and digitally on March 30 via the band's own Nostalgium Directivelabel.

News story provided by Shameless Promotion PR

#SoundCloud #music #Nostalgium Directive

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Vandal Moon previews 'Baby Sounds' from coming 'Wild Insane' LP, produced by FM Attack

California-based duo Vandal Moon are gearing up for the release of their new album 'Wild Insane'. Ahead of that, they are previewing the first single 'Baby Sounds'.

'Wild Insane' is an 8-track offering loaded with dark and sweetly alluring pop tracks – a fab find for lost souls and soundtrack for the post-traumatic stress of simply being a citizen in the 21st century. The new album is rooted in post-punk and new wave, with gothic undertones of the early 80’s.

"I cover a lot of themes of alienation and dystopia on the record. We're living through a dystopia right now. The internet is slowly killing us all with its incessant input, and I think we know it. But we're so drawn to it, that we'll be damned if we can't convince ourselves otherwise. Myself included. I'm victim to our brave new world, and it came through on this record very naturally," says Vandal Moon frontman Blake Voss.

"'Baby Sounds' is a song about an android that has awakened into full consciousness. In the process of learning to think for himself, he discovers that part of that is making decisions which can severely impact the lives of others. It’s about a robot struggling with thoughts of love, death, violence, seduction and mortality. At the same time it’s a metaphor for how the modern person maneuvers through society. How to wade through all the bullshit, and still be a positive human being."

Driving and hypnotic, this electronic/post-punk album from Vandal Moon plays on the darker undertones of the early 80's synth movement. With pop hook sensibilities, emotive vocals, and themes of gothic alienation, the California-based duo pulls from the atmospheres of The Cure, The Chameleons and Gary Numan.  

This album was written and recorded by Blake Voss, produced and mixed by Shawn Ward (FM Attack), and mastered by Peter Maher (Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails, U2, Patti Smith, The Killers, Noel Gallagher). This record also features contributions from new romantic legend Logan Sky (Visage, Boy George), emerging synth-pop duo vverevvolf and vocalist Nicollette Vaughn (a.k.a. Nico), with guidance by electronic artist/producer Emika.  

Blake Voss formed Vandal Moon in 2012 and, although he has collaborated with various artists over the years, it only recently morphed into a duo comprised of Voss (vocals, guitars, synthesizers and principal songwriter) and Jeremy Einsiedler (drum machines and synthesizers).

Based in Santa Cruz, they are big on synths, guitars, and drum machines. They are inspired by various acts of the new wave, post-punk, synthpop and darkwave scenes of the early 80's, along with newer pop sounds, and particularly by such bands as The Cure, The Chameleons, New Order, Gary Numan, Depeche Mode, Blue Angel Lounge, Wax Idols, Kristin Kontrol, Drab Majesty, and Emika.  

Recently, Vandal Moon won a Synthy Award from Echosynthetic for his 2017 collaboration with The G on ‘Stars That Fade’ (from the ‘Cosmopolis' album). He also contributed vocals and guitar for 'Braindead' on the new 'Electric Blue' album from vverevvolf.

Starfield Music was created by synthwave vanguard artist FM Attack (a.k.a. Shawn Ward), who has had great success pioneering a sound and helping to develop the synthwave scene. Following up the release of his own album 'Stellar' via this label, he is expanding upon that sound to take the music into new and different directions.

“The purpose behind developing Starfield Music, as a label, is to have a creative outlet to make music that isn’t generic or relegated to one specific genre or style. I want to feel free to take my music in any direction, and help other artists to do the same," says Ward. "Since meeting Blake, I thought his music was the perfect sound for establishing the vision of ‘Starfield Music’ even further, and perhaps create something new while resurrecting some nostalgia from a lost and forgotten era.”

'Wild Insane' will be released across digital stores and streaming platforms on April 20, but will already be available for pre-order via Bandcamp as of March 9 with 'Baby Sounds' available for download immediately upon order.

News story provided by Shameless Promotion PR

#SoundCloud #music #Starfield Music #darkwave #synthpop #postpunk #goth

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Rodney Cromwell to release ‘Rodney’s Engish Disco’ EP, previews 'Comrades' single

British indietronica artist Rodney Cromwell returns with his first all new material in three years with the song 'Comrades'. This is the first track off his new EP 'Rodney's English Disco', forthcoming via London-based Happy Robots Records.

Where the debut album ‘Age of Anxiety’ drew on personal demons, in his new material, current social and political tribulations inspired Rodney’s wry songs of woe. ‘Comrades’ is a robotic turbocharged rebel song for the twitter generation, inspired by recent upheavals in the UK. Sonically, it sits somewhere between Kraftwerk, Pye Corner Audio and the Best of Divine.

The digital single also features a 12" extended dance mix by synthwave act Vieon. Conceived in 2009 in a box room in Coventry, Vieon is the brainchild of synth wizard Matt Wild. Influenced by pioneers such as Jean-Michel Jarre and filtered through the soundscapes of 80s electronic film scores, Vieon blend the sounds of the analogue past and dystopian future with synth hooks and epic solos to create evolving, emotive, spacey electronic music. ​

Cromwell's sound has been compared to the analogue electronica of Kraftwerk, Section 25 and the 'retro futurists' of Ghostbox Records. His miserablism and dark humour has been compared to that of The Cure and John Grant.

Rodney Cromwell’s evocative synthpop looks to the proto-electronica of the 70’s and 80’s to construct a twisted soundtrack for the post-truth world. The instrumentation of the new EP has been kept intentionally minimal with its drum sounds taken entirely from a vintage Boss DR-55 drum machine and with a self-imposed limit on the amount of hissy analogue gear used in its making. Melody and dark humour combine with simple motorik rhythms, soaring bass lines and the bleeps of retro synths, all within a lo-fi pop aesthetic.

Rodney Cromwell's debut album and subsequent 'Black Dog' and 'Fax Message Breakup' EPs found crossover appeal, gaining Cromwell coverage from the likes of NME, Electronic Sound Mag, Huffington Post and Steve Lamacq and Gideon Coe on BBC 6 Music and on Spain's national RNE3. At the end of 2015, Rodney Cromwell featured in 25 'Best of' lists and was named 'Most Promising New Act' by The Electricity Club. 'Barry Was an Arms Dealer' featured in the 2015 Official Festive 50 on Dandelion Radio. He has performed with the likes of Marsheaux, Death & Vanilla and Steve Davis and at various festivals, including Threshold, Indietracks and Madrid Popfest.

The forthcoming 'Rodney's English Disco' EP will be released on red vinyl 7”, on CD and digitally. The twelfth release on Happy Robots Records, it features remixes by Rémi Parson, Vieon, Pattern Language and Alice Hubble (Arthur & Martha, Mass Datura). The sleeve photo came from Lavian photographer Jelena Osmolovska, whose distinctive gritty post-Soviet fantasy aesthetic perfectly compliments the sound of the record.

Rodney Cromwell will launch the first leg of the Ohm from Ohm tour and will be joined by Vieon, Nature of Wires and The Frixionfor dates in visiting Birmingham, Salford and Leeds. Find out more and order tickets at www.ohmfromohm.co.uk and check out other live dates below.

TOUR DATES 

March 15  Birmingham - The Actress & Bishop

March 16  Leeds - The Fenton

March 17  Salford - The Eagle Inn

May 10  London - The Islington

May 11 Coventry - The Tin Music & Arts

May 12  Southend - The Railway Hotel   

News story provided by Shameless Promotion PR

#SoundCloud #music #Happy Robots Records

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MORS SUBITA release second single from their upcoming third album!

Finnish modern melodic death metal band MORS SUBITA release second single "Into the Pitch Black" from heir upcoming eponymous album due to be released in April 6th 2018 by Inverse Records.  

Guitarist Mika Lammassaari comments: "“Into the Pitch Black” is a relentless album. It sticks to your head like a nail and does not give up until you´ve given it enough spins. We definitely went back to our roots with amping up our melody-game. We also wanted to furthermore increase the hostility of our riffing and drumming so there´s a lot more brutality to accompany the nice melodies. This album without a doubt our strongest and most versatile album yet – it sounds like the work of totally bipolar band but somehow it all flows together very well."

Music video for the first single 'As Humanity Weeps' is available  below

The album was recorded at the legendary Tico Tico Studio in Kemi with Ahti Kortelainen (Kalmah, Impaled Nazarene, Sentenced) with additional arrangements recorded at the Demolition Center in Oulu by Mika Lammassaari. Mixing and mastering for the album was done at Illusia Productions by Stefan Pommerin.

News story provided by Inverse Records  

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Bauhaus' co-founder Kevin Haskins to release 'Bauhaus - Undead' Art Book via Cleopatra Records

Bauhaus' member Kevin Haskins will be releasing ‘Bauhaus – Undead: The Visual History and Legacy of Bauhaus’ on March 16 via Cleopatra Records. While this is an elegant and tasteful deluxe coffee table art book, it is also a historical and intimate trip through the development of this groundbreaking band from the perspective and memorabilia of one of the quartet’s founding members. 

Carefully curated from a largely unseen collection of memorabilia and combined with personal recollections by original member and author Kevin Haskins, this beautiful high end coffee table book (10’' x 13’' in 316 pages) takes readers on a visual journey from the bands inception in late 1978 to their breakup in 1983, through to their very successful reformation in 1998 and eventual legendary performance at The Coachella Music Festival in 2005.    

Bauhaus is one of the few groups of the post-punk era to achieve truly mythic status with a savory legacy of artful, timeless, dark rock and theatrical performances. Bauhaus has always been, and continues to be a pivotal link in the evolution and revolution of contemporary music.

‘Bauhaus – Undead’ features original stories penned by Kevin Haskins about poignant and sometimes amusing moments throughout the band’s hallowed career, as well as largely unseen materials, such as photographs from Kevin’s personal collection, band artwork and sketches, DIY flyers made by the band members themselves, backstage passes, show posters, set lists, contracts, tickets stubs, fan club material, pins, their recording schedule, vintage gear photos, tour itineraries, letters, a Bauhaus comic strip | and hand-written lyrics.

Kevin has worked with the impressive design team of Jeff Anderson of Artist In Residence and Donny Phillips and Kaylee Carrington of KIHL Studio. The unique design reflects the bands stripped down aesthetic and art school origins. This is a fitting tribute and celebration of the legacy created by this revolutionary group.

Bauhaus was formed by Daniel Ash in the small industrial town of Northampton, England in the Winter of 1978. Plucking Peter Murphy from his dead end job at the printing works, remarkably, he had no idea if he could sing and just recalled that he was the most charismatic looking one among his high school friends. His intuition was dead on! Following a couple of rehearsals in his parents living room, Daniel recruited the two brothers, Kevin and David Haskins, who would make up the band’s formidable rhythm section.  

After being together for only five weeks, the band recorded their legendary and timeless nine-minute single ‘Bela Lugosi's Dead’, which remained at number one on the British Independent chart for two years. Three years later, the band performed the song for the dramatic opening scene of Tony Scott's sensual vampire movie ‘The Hunger’. Seminal and groundbreaking, the group was too busy following their own muse to chase after fly-by-night-trends. The pioneering spirit that fueled their work established Bauhaus as one of the most important and influential artists of the past three decades.

Their eclectic influences ranged from Psychedelia to Punk, Dub Reggae to Glam, the latter surfacing most notably in their audacious cover of David Bowie’s ‘Ziggy Stardust’, which earned them their first national chart hit in October 1982. The band went on to record four critically acclaimed albums before disbanding in 1983.  

In 1998, the band reformed for an extremely successful ‘Resurrection’ World Tour, attracting a much larger audience than they originally enjoyed back in the day. They sold out three nights at The Palladium in Los Angeles in a record breaking fifteen minutes, attesting to the timeless quality of their music and their ever growing fan base. During its last decade, Bauhaus released a new studio LP ‘Go Away White’, toured with Nine Inch Nails, and played a legendary headlining performance at The Coachella Music Festival in 2005.

Many Artists have name-checked Bauhaus as influences, including Radiohead, Bjork, Massive Attack, Sigur Ros, Nine Inch Nails, Tricky, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Flaming Lips, The Horrors, Jello Biafra, Marilyn Manson, Janes Addiction, Tool, Jarvis Cocker, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Hole, Interpol, Skinny Puppy, The Smashing Pumpkins, and Nirvana, to name just a few.

To mark its release, On March 16, Lethal Amounts and Cleopatra Records will present ‘UNDEAD ~ A Bauhaus Book Release and Signing Party’. While the doors at Lethal Amounts open at 7 pm, the book signing with Kevin Haskins takes places from 8 to 10pm. Books will be sold at the gallery or guests can bring your own copy to be signed, but no records, CDs or other outside merchandise will be signed. Exclusive and limited edition merch is also expected to be available at the event, which will also feature a special guest DJ set.  

In the meantime, copies of the book are now available signed and unsigned via Cleopatra Records at http://bit.ly/2qk1vzu. Signed copies will no longer be available after the street date of March 16.

News story provided by Shameless Promotion PR

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Hiidenhauta release a music video from their upcoming second album 1695!

A Finnish melodic black metal band Hiidenhauta released a music video 'Nälkäkevät'  from their upcoming second album '1695'. The album’s theme revolves around the Great Famine of 1695-1697, a great calamity which beset the Finnish area at the time. During the period, approximately every third citizen of Finland (then under the Swedish rule) met their end as a result of starvation or epidemics.

The lyrics of Hiidenhauta are written in Finnish, abiding by the poetic Kalevala meter. History and nature are among the prominent themes of the band’s lyrics. 

The album is released on March 16th 2018 via Inverse Records.   

Vocalist & lyricist Tuomas Keskimäki comment:   "”Nälkäkevät” was an unanimous choice for a music video song from the very beginning. It sums up the whole album; music and lyrics. In many songs, the album grabs onto the destinies of different individuals, as ”Nälkäkevät” considers the big picture first, and finally ends up a single person’s despair and surrender. There’s also the heart of the song in these themes; that moment when everything is lost. During the Great Famine of 1695-1697 not a single group of people could avoid death, even the King was dying. The information of mass-deaths and famine reached Stockholm but the area of Finland was in encirclement, so help was impossible to get through. All of these reasons together formed some sort of biblical symphony of fate." 

News story provided by Inverse Records    

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Dead Shape Figure to release fourth album in June, first music video out now!

Finnish, Helsinki-based metal band Dead Shape Figure will release their anticipated fourth album 'Cacoëthes' on June 8th 2018 via Inverse Records. It's been five years since their latest studio album 'Opus Victoria' was released. The band guarantees that the upcoming album is the best DSF ever!  

The first single 'The Last Of The Bearing Beats' is released today (February 26th 2018)

”Cacoëthes is simply the best Dead Shape Figure Ever. It took some time but now it's very easy to stand behind our music and lyrics" comments the band's singer Galzi.

The drummer Mohkis talks about new single: ” ’The Last Of The Bearing Beats’ is an opening track from our upcoming Cacoëthes album and it represents Dead Shape Figure's updated sound. A Whole Lot Of Everything.”

News story provided by Inverse Records