Browsing Tag

Nick Cave

Samuel H James – Summer: Tenderly Nihilistic Darkwave Murder Folk

Posted on 1 November 2020
https://soundcloud.com/samuelhjames/summer

Portsmouth, UK-based Multi-Instrumentalist, Composer, Artist and Producer Samuel H James has released their entrancingly chilling darkwave murder folk single “Summer”. Considering the Summer we have all just endured, the despondence and tender nihilism ensure that Summer is one of the aptest new releases that you’ll hit play on this year.

Any fans of the macabre lyrical styling of Nick Cave, Arab Strap and Jack Ladder will definitely want to give the cutting Post Punk track a listen. As the powerful beats retain tribalistic rhythmic momentum, Samuel H James seeks dramatic vengeance for the loss of a fictional lover, allowing you to get wrapped up in the atmospheric imagery which is crafted from the verses which run through as pensively cutting meta poetry.

Summer is available to stream via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lucas Penner has taken Post Punk to a seriously slick new stratosphere with “So Well”

Posted on 27 October 2020
Lucas Penner

You’d be hard-pressed to find old-school crooning alongside cold Post Punk tones and slick Setzer-style rock n roll grooves anywhere other than Toronto-based artist Lucas Penner’s standout single ‘So Well’.

So, you may as well hit play on the beguilingly masterful release which puts a neo twist on baroque. The styling may be on the archaic side, but you can expect a retro-futuristic earworm to crawl in your ear from the outset.

Any fans of Nick Cave, Tom Waits or Fable Cry will definitely appreciate the insidious air to the murder folk-style lyricism which will allow you to feel like you’re being aurally dragged into a hellish stratosphere.

You can check out So Well for yourselves from October 27th via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Cat Mullins and ThemBoys are going to start a cult!

Posted on 5 October 2020

Dark, moody, and atmospheric, vaguely threatening and at once hellishly enticing, ‘Cult’ by Cat Mullins and ThemBoys is a perfect slice of sinister, country-tinged rock music for the weird, the strange, and freaks of all kinds.

Like Nick Cave, The Urban Voodoo Machine, Nick Marsh, or The Long Insiders, ‘Cult’ calls out to the disaffected and the disturbed, Mullins’ resonant baritone offsetting beautifully against the baleful tones of the track, the band’s nefarious aims set out in a clarion call to the wicked, the bad, and the dangerous to know.

Cat Mullins and ThemBoys debut album is out now.

Review by Alex Holmes

Blonde Lion has released their enrapturing ennui-laden Alt Folk single “Ordinary Day”

Posted on 5 August 2020

Folk-Pop singer-songwriter Blonde Lion released their latest single “Ordinary Day” on August 5th. Elliott Smith may not be with us anymore, but Blonde Lion’s melancholic style is just as efficacious at drawing pensive emotions from you and offering aural resolve.

Obviously, I didn’t make it to the end of Ordinary Day with dry eyes. The delicateness of the atmospheric and intricate acoustic instrumentals was one thing, the resonance in the lyrics was quite another.  Ordinary Days was inspired by the days where you wake up and struggle to find anything which offers any meaning. The jaded ennui was all too relatable and it’s safe to say that after the global lockdown, plenty more people will see themselves in this sublime soundscape which serves as the perfect introduction to Blonde Lion’s compelling style.

You can check out Blonde Lion’s latest release by heading over to SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Fade – Cinderella’s Fancy Eyes: Romantically Bitter-Sweet Neo-Classic Indie Pop

Posted on 26 May 2020

From the first vocal note in the standout single “Cinderella’s Fancy Eyes” from Fade’s debut EP “After Midnight” the arrestive pull of the soundscape takes its firm grip. From there on out, the bitter-sweet Neo-Classic Indie Pop melodies kick up an evocative storm whilst keeping the progressions poised and piercing.

The lyrics in Cinderella’s Fancy Eyes poignantly and deftly capture the darker side of romanticism – the side which any fans of William Blake and Jack Kerouac will appreciate. While the playfully dark tones will easily enamour anyone who finds themselves drawn to Nick Cave’s artfully bleak approach to songwriting.

Cinderella’s Fancy Eyes is a tender masterpiece which we certainly won’t forget about in a hurry.

You can check out Cinderella’s Fancy Eyes along with the rest of Fade’s debut EP which dropped on May 8th for yourselves via Spotify.

Keep up to date with new releases from Fade via Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Calboa’s latest release ‘Same S**t’: a newly found motivation in music

Posted on 2 May 2020

With a tumultuous past behind him and a newly found motivation in music, English artist Calboa has released his new single ‘Same S**h’, an ode to living through the same everyday problems and being able to atone for the mistakes we make, changing our way of life.

Indie to the bone and melancholic in his lyrics, Calboa inherits precious knowledge from acts such as The Doors, Nick Cave and The Libertines, demonstrated through a creative and straightforward approach to his music. He covers both personal and universal themes such as the loss of friends and loved ones and the dangerously easy descent into the world of drugs.

In this light, ‘Same S**h’ represents a relatable anthem for us all. Starting with a syncopated organ to set the tone for the first verse, crunch guitar lines quickly kick in to expand the rocky sound of this ballad, while his vocals reverb passion and honesty.

Calboa can classify as a poet – a multi-instrumentalist who finds in music his greatest expression and a way out of the “s**t” he’s had to deal with by using his experience as a means to inspire listeners.

Though the song is titled ‘Same S**h’, it’s definitely not the “same shit” you’re used to hearing, so go check it out on Spotify.

Review by Jim Esposito.

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!

 

Nathan Degner – Willow Tree: Are We Back in The 90’s?

Posted on 10 November 2017

Nathan Degner is a singer songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and music composer that is just starting to put all of his deft skills into practice with his upcoming album ‘Mr Badger’. It’s so delectably twee. I can’t help but love the name of the album. Romantics aside. The man reeks of talent. Seriously.

He has the home grown allure that a lot of British indie acts revelled in through the Brit Pop rock phase of the 90’s. I have no doubt in my mind that Nathan can contend with the likes of Johnny Marr, James Dean Bradfield, and Thurtson Moore when it comes to his guitar riffs and solo’s. When they’re put up against the punchy beat of the bass and it’s just irresistible. I’m sure he can be forgiven for the baseline being oddly familiar to the rhythm of Parklife by Blur.

Nathan’s voice definitely isn’t something that you hear every day, he’s followed in the footsteps of the likes of the Talking Heads and Nick Cave when it comes to the vocals which he eloquently conveys with almost apathetic command.

To check out Nathan’s new track Willow Tree, head on over to his website where you can download the track for FREE.

https://www.nathandegnermusic.com/

Stay connected with Nathan and all of his musical ventures on the links below:

https://www.facebook.com/nathandegnermusic/

https://www.instagram.com/nathandegnermusic/

Machinic Demiurge’s Dark Release ‘Mechanically Separated Human’

Posted on 16 September 2017

If there is one thing which connects the various reference points that Machinic Demiurge it is a dark, agitated claustrophobic vibe that comes from its hushed menace and hypnotic backbeats. It employs fractious industrial splinters, gothic otherworldliness, strange skittering dance beats and enigmatic bass riffs to create a Bauhaus-esque, horror movie soundtrack for a new generation.

Oddly for all its sharp, jagged edges and sense of impending doom, Mechanically Separated Human is strangely elegant in its oddness, after all you don’t have to understand beauty to appreciate it and to a legion of Goths, anarcho-punks, darkwave dancers and other denizens of the night, this will be one of the most beautiful records they have heard recently. To others it will be strangely enticing and to yet others it will be confounding and challenging and no matter where you stand on the matter you won’t forget it in a hurry.