Browsing Tag

Mazzy Star

tuesday nite has made their ambient indie rock debut with the harmony-driven single, following after me

Posted on 1 July 2022

The harmony-driven ambient indie-rock duo, tuesday nite, came together during the pandemic through a shared love of tiny desk concerts, even more compact harmonies and indie contemporaries, such as Pinegrove and Phoebe Bridgers.

Now, they’re here with their debut self-titled release, featuring the lead single, following after me. If Mazzy Star and Vanessa Carlton met in the alt-90s middle, the convergence of evocative style would undoubtedly emulate the same radiant warmth in following after me.

The yearning love song stridently triumphs in depicting the bitter lows and the highs that leave a perpetual need for that co-writer in our lives to make a return. In every conceivable way, the unpretentiously expressive single floors you with the fluency of its expression. Debuts this impressive don’t come along every day. Get them on your radar.

Following after me is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Mallaigh Ashton made the alt-90s her own with her latest dreampop single, With a Song

Posted on 4 March 2022

NYC-hailing singer-songwriter, Mallaigh Ashton, made the alt-90s her own in her indie dream-pop release, With a Song. Reminiscences of Mazzy Star are there, but nothing about With a Song feels fractionally assimilative. There’s a real sense that part of the alchemy in this track is from Ashton’s creative passion and unfiltered poetry spilling into a mic.

Her vocals get just enough prominence in the release to give the cutting lyricism on in-love-anxiety a firm hold on your heartstrings but there’s still enough synergy with the soft shoegaze guitars to give With a Song an almost phantasmal mellifluous air as it alludes to just how fragile love can make you.

As a staunch shoegaze fan, it is always daunting discovering new up and coming artists borrowing tones from the alt 90s, but the cynicism soon faded after hitting play on With a Song. Mallaigh Ashton is a matchlessly breath-taking artist.

With a Song is due for official release on March 4th; you can check it out for yourselves via SoundCloud and Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Until the End of the World gave pop a noir twist in their latest single, Easy Come, Easy Go

Posted on 21 January 2022

For their latest single, Easy Come, Easy Go, the lockdown-born outfit, Until the End of the World, gave pop a noir twist. With the 90s-style pop harmonies that will throw you right back to the days when Say You’ll Be There was dominating the airwaves while simultaneously captivating you with the same haunting mystique as Mazzy Star, Easy Come, Easy Go couldn’t be more beguiling.

Until the End of the World consists of the Nashville-based singer-songwriter Meg Olden and the English ex-pat, Ian Webber; their sound is equally as international as their formation. There are obvious hints of Americana in the deserty guitar tones, with nods to the likes of the English singer-songwriter Richard Hawley in the melodies. It isn’t every day that you stumble across an artist as authentic as this. Until the End of the World definitely isn’t an outfit to underestimate.

Easy Come, Easy Go is due for official release on February 21st; check it out for yourselves via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The 90s indie rock icons Airbus return with their third studio album, ‘You’.

Posted on 13 July 2021
Airbus

If you paid attention to the UK rock scene in the 90s, you might already be acquainted with Airbus who are set to release their psychedelically sweet third studio album, You, via Spira Records.

The album unleashes singles penned and recorded back in the 1990s; the band lifted the audio from master tapes using a 24-track 2-inch tape machine to keep the warm analogue glow of the original recordings. Short of hopping in a TARDIS and pushing your way to the front of the crowd when Mazzy Star performed at the Shoreline Amphitheatre, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better way to transport yourself back to the 90s.

If you can imagine what an aural cocktail of The Zombies, Elliott Smith and the Beatles would sound like, you’ll get an idea of the dreamy, colourful accordance that is weaved in the standout single ‘I’. Reminiscences aside, the band’s masterfully melodic presence on the airwaves once more is a breath of fresh kaleidoscopic air. The lead track carries that dreamy feel of wholesome wild abandon that most have forgotten how to offer in the 21st century.

Airbus’ upcoming album is due for release in September 2021. You can check out the band on Spotify, Facebook and YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Cinematic Stoner Rock Meets Folk in Mal Hombre’s Latest Single, ‘When It Rains’

Posted on 4 June 2021
Mal Hombre

Any fans of Mazzy Star will want to tune into Mal Hombre’s latest single, When It Rains, featuring vocals from Coco SaFir. The soft blues slides and bends in the intro give way to a creeping soundscape that will allow you to imagine what the soundtrack would sound like if Tarantino and Lynch Co-Produced a film.

Coco SaFir’s vocals perfectly complement Mal Hombre’s fragile yet resoundingly cinematic instrumental style as it flows through a myriad of stylistic twists and turns. With the soft saxophones as the track gears up for a psychedelic outro, you won’t need to smoke to get high with this 70s-inspired stoner rock track that also introduces elements of folk, jazz and synthpop.

When It Rains is one of those tragically rare singles that compels you to crank up the volume until you can’t quite tell if you’re absorbing the single or it is absorbing you. It’s quite literally a breathtaking single that we couldn’t speak more highly of.

You can check out Mal Hombre via his website or Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Swipe right on Coupdekat’s latest synth-pop single, ‘Love Online’.

Posted on 13 April 2021

UK-based singer-songwriter Coupdeka brought narrative pop to the next level with her latest single, Love Online, which optimistically captures the potential for love during Covid times, even if it has to be digital.

Under the influence of 80s indie icons such as Mazzy Star, The Slits and Blondie, Coupdekat brought a comforting feeling of familiarity to the track as she runs through the dystopic pitfalls of dating in 2021; if you know, you know. And if you know, you’ll undoubtedly find plenty of resonance in lyrics such as “we only make love online”.

Any fans of The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Shiny Toy Guns will appreciate Coupdekat’s indie approach to contemporary pop with Love Online.

You can hear Coupdekat via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Dylan Walker drops his debut single, the chilled love-song ‘All I Need Is You’

Posted on 10 April 2021

It’s not often that bible quotes spring readily to mind when reviewing new music, but “when I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things” could easily be the tag-line for ‘All I Need Is You’, Dylan Walker’s debut self-penned single.

An ex-childhood tennis prodigy and professional player turned musician and songwriter, 20-something Dylan Walker’s opener is a beautiful, gentle mellow little acoustic-guitar-and-vocal-led ballad to love, loss, and the understanding that the important things in life aren’t – as he puts it – ‘…fancy things/ like fast cars and grand clothes and diamond rings’, but the love and support of those close to us. Dylan Walker’s voice is soft, lilting, almost falsetto at times, carrying the message of the lyrics beautifully over the chilled melodic backing. It’s a strong, confident debut, and bodes well for Dylan Walker in the future, with two more singles – ‘Life Began With You’ and ‘We Are Meant To Be’ slated for release later this year on Happy Sloth Records.

‘All I Need Is You’ is out now across all major streaming platforms; you can check it out on Spotify now.

Review by Alex Holmes

Clara Day has made her hauntingly hypnotic debut with ‘The Ritual’

Posted on 29 December 2020
https://claraday.bandcamp.com/?fbclid=IwAR0Y1uPgteh4QQ3rg5njzWJtND5tV-lxq1ovg-UNyJVPOc-QfxlyShf_L-U

Bristol-based singer-songwriter, Clara Day, made her debut with the stunning Psych Folk single, ‘The Ritual’, on December 17th, without a hint of hyperbole, it may be the most enthralling single released in 2020.

By taking inspiration from 70s folk horror films, Clara Day was able to bring hypnotically hexing energy to the ambient semi-orchestral single which oozes sensuality, beguile and tender intimacy, all in equal measure.

Any fans of Mazzy Star, Angel Olsen and Big Thief will find Clara Day’s haunting vocal timbre just as enchanting. Yet, with the celestial psychedelia which the singer-songwriter brings to her transfixing sound, there’s an extra layer of alchemy to sink your teeth into.

You can check out The Ritual for yourselves by heading over to Bandcamp now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Annika Brown: Amanda Palmer Meets Steampunk (Only for The Brave)

Posted on 27 November 2017

Annika Brown’s Latest track Apocalypso is a theatrical spectacular. Nothing quite could prepare me for what was about to unfold over the next three minutes as I hit play on YouTube. It’s hard to pay attention to the actual sound of the track after watching the official music video in which she embraces Kate Bush style dramatics. I certainly won’t be forgetting what I’ve just heard in a long time.

Annika’s sound Is definitely an acquired taste, I’m not sure tracks such as Apocalypso will ever fair well in the mainstream, however she’s created an eclectic mix of sound which she imparts her Emily The Strange demeanour within. Even when she’s playing an acoustic guitar in the woods her unique charm is never dampened. . But that’s just part of it’s charm. Alternative music fans are in for a treat with this act. With operatic vocals, doom riddled melodies and classic piano backing track. There’s a hint of Victorian hysteria within her music, which she reincarnates through her Gothic Soprano vocals. The Same as can be heard with acts such as a Emilie Autumn and her signature Fantasy Rock styling.

Head on over to her website where you can keep up date with her musical ventures. Her latest album The Devils Story Book featuring Apocalypso is available to download or stream now!

 

A&R Factory Present: BATTS

Posted on 29 March 2017

BATTS aka Melbourne based Tanya Batt is back with her new single For Now . Bringing with it a new sound, a new creative direction and a new found love for music again. Moving away from the electronic world and getting back to her roots, BATTS presents you with a heartfelt journey through what feels like space.

Inspired by the roots of her favourite artists such as Mazzy Star, Bon Iver, Daughter, M83 and more. It falls back to the singer-songwriter inspired bed, mixed with her obsession of space and creating songs to make the listener feel they are travelling through outer space. For Now is a song about missing a loved one and it explores a mixture of genres creating a spacey dream folk pop.

BATTS has had a great start to her career with regular support from BBC Introducing, triple j, triple j unearthed, BBC Radio 1 and many more radio stations worldwide. Clocking millions of plays collectively online and playing shows live, supporting the likes of Australian favourites I Know Leopard, Elizabeth Rose, Flamingo, Lastlings and ending 2016 playing NYE On The Hill Festival alongside Tash Sultana, The Preatures and more.

In celebration of the single, BATTS will be holding a weekly residency on Sundays at her favourite Melbourne bar Some Velvet Morning. With free entry and with handpicked opening acts, Matthew Kenneally (Canary), Angie McMahon, Magnets and Robert Muiños.