MORE THAN DISCO: More Than Disco

Showing posts with label More Than Disco. Show all posts

TEMPERS

The despondent corners of a Lithuanian disco may be far from the bright lights of New York but the inspiration for such flickers of the night can present itself in many forms. Dark-wave duo, Tempers, build their own private narrative within a song whilst using the complexities of feelings, particularly those that are unresolved, to evoke moments connected with life meaning.

Brooklyn’s dreampop/shoe-gaze outfit Dead Leaf Echo have toured back-to-back over the last twelve months, tipping over 100 shows across every major city in the U.S. supporting the likes of Beach Fossils, Weekend, Whirr, The Warlocks, The Telescopes and The Ocean Blue.

“Safety - a bass heavy, ambient, and alluring track which builds from simplicity into a pseudo-electric arena rock finale."

"Distinct charm of the well-loved twang of folk guitars combined with hectic horns, drums and vocals that conjure up classic Americana."

(The Line Of Best Fit)

“When making this record that was/is my mantra – it was just constantly looping in my mind. I believe 'good' is timeless and once you can recognize that you'll see the world in its fullest."

Florence quartet The Vickers can be easily identified by their signature 60’s psych-rock sound which derives much of its inspiration from the hooks and catchiness of British invasion songs; perhaps better articulated by the band as being an influence of “immortal 60’s melodies mixed with a touch of 90’s spleen”.

Tipped as being one of the UK’s bands to watch in 2014 by independent music and culture magazine God Is In The TV, post-punk quartet, Silver Arm, have begun their musical insurgence with their first physical release, He Of The Slow Creep, following on from their 2013 debut. Pairing with new London-based indie label, Big Tea Records, has been a welcomed partnership as the band’s sound is at home with their current punk/rock roster of artists, including Irish shoe-gazers Elastic Sleep and Seattle punk outfit Absolute Monarchs.

The Magic Hands journey began during a European winter in 2011 when Melbourne musicians Alex Badham and Lucy Roleff crossed paths in a German bar. The Tone EP of the same name also features two remixes of the its debut release track, as well as a lo-fi cover of Kylie Minogue’s I Believe In You. The four-track EP is currently available through Bandcamp and will receive a full release through iTunes and other streaming service on April 1st, 2014.

How long does it actually take for a broken heart to mend given that much of our emotional being is entwined with the cellular structure of our bodies? Science suggests that it takes a total of seven to ten years for a total self-replication of the bodies cells and organs, and with this in mind, Brisbane electro-pop songstress, Michelle Xen, has decided to explore the notion of deep love. But let it be known from the beginnings - this isn’t your typical love song.

Suburban dysfunction and the guise of perfect lives fill the dream state of Joss Worthington’s songs, just like they have been captured from a movie – or as he calls them – postcards that blinker on the horizon like Morse code to the outside world. As a producer he is accustomed to working with other musicians but his new solo project, Postcards From Jeff, is something he can claim as his own. Recorded at his rural hideaway in Yorkshire, Worthington brings his love for Scandinavian noir and Twin Peaks together for his debut EP, seeing his fondness for melodramatic narratives realised through cinematic song-scapes; something innately dark but serve as an appealing undercurrent for the themes of his songs.

In a considerably short space of time Australian vocalist and music producer, CVIRO (pronounced CAIRO), has tactfully introduced his smouldering and uncensored sounds to R&B enthusiasts on an international scale, particularly those who have appreciated the revival of this genre in a more contempory electronic setting. Described as seductive, soul-stripping and bold, and garnering attention from online music linchpins Earmilk, Hypetrak and The Music Ninja, the Gold Coast vocalist enters 2014 with many of his debut impressions already cemented.

They are now one of the many bands that can say they have graduated from the school of crowd-funding after riding the waves of a being DIY music duo in the lead up to their newly released debut LP. After playing in several alternative and garage bands before the WWL inception, Ash Lamonthe and Elsa Gebremichael later found a harmony in experimenting with a different kind of pop-flavoured music; Pyramids being the result of musical stylings accumulated over four years as a band, creating an effortless mix of disco, synth-pop and indietronica.

Not many 20-year-old aspiring female singers could be mistaken for the sage vocals of Billie Holiday or Nina Simone but Cleveland soul-stress, Lorine Chia, is an old soul with all the makings of a seminal female artist. Her rumoured cameo on Kanye West’s new album sent all the right attention her way following her poignant take on Holiday’s classic Strange Fruit; a case of mistaken vocal identity, nonetheless, but one which generated enough attention in the lead up to her latest second LP release, Naked Truths.

“Two old school players coming together to produce something as raw and talented as they are, but completely different than what is expected; a blend of sounds bridging blues, punk, rap, hip hop, and a pronounced Boston sound.”

(ABSOLUTE PUNK)

"It's completely obvious that Boogie Boy Metal Mouth is the devil's music.”

(I HAD AN ACCIDENT RECORDS)

After receiving over 500 remixes through a world-wide producing casting call for their 2012 hit, Eye Wide Open, Brooklyn psychedelic dance-rock duo, Dynasty Electric, decided to abandon the traditional studio approach to record their next album by experimenting with an open source, cross-collaborative platform. Through the help of crowdfunding and the online genius of music networking site Indaba, the Dynasty duo were overwhelmed by the creative responses from stems and tracks which subsequently turned into material for their latest full length album, Euphoria.

"London’s Benin City is one of those rare acts impossible to compare with others. Coming from a mosaic of backgrounds as wide-reaching as the gap between spoken word and electronic music, the songs that they’ve released so far have little in common. One thing about them all: they’re all very, very good."

(PIGEONS & PLANES)

High school friends Adam McGinn and Andy Kai Nagashima are about much more than nostalgia. Following on from their debut self-titled release, YDIMITU, the Boston left-field R&B/experimental duo, EARLY NINETIES, return with down-tempo offering, Playboy; a mature composition reflecting on the things we claim to need which are also, consequently, the hardest to receive.

Tom Lark is the pseudo-ego of a man birthed from the debris of an earthquake-ravaged rehearsal space. With the dying aid of a muck-a-bout laptop and a broken-stringed guitar, and no immediate employment prospects in sight, Lark created a makeshift studio in his bedroom where he produced music whilst Christchurch was being rebuilt in 2012. His latest single, Got Get a Job, is his newest material in twelve months. And just as his earlier alt-pop releases have attested, Tom Lark may just be boyishly charismatic enough to escape his adult responsibilities for another while, finding his saving grace in the rediscovery of grunge and Brit/70’s pop; “It’s a bit like Bowie with fuzz pedals and beats.”

They have hurled themselves into the unknown since their paths crossed in Florida, and their journey from this point onward has captured the landscapes of eleven cities and five countries. Their intrinsic need to not bind themselves to one place for too long has been enough to see them onto their newest of destinations, which sees them residing in Waterford, Ireland, currently.

The New Highway Hymnal were recently named the "Best Act of 2012" by Boston Phoenix and made our "Best of Bandcamp" wrap-up in 2013 for their Whispers release late last year. With influences stemming from 60's rock to the later psychedelic bands of North America and Britain, the four pack a live show with enough brooding attitude and psychedelic swirl to see them get noticed among new audiences beyond their debut festival appearance at SXSW and through the live music scene of their hometown Boston.

Pages