Pennsylvanian indie singer-songwriter Kyle Meadows is gearing up to release his third album, Crossing Corners on May 1, following the release of his 2015 debut, False Charmers, and his sophomore Self Titled record. The title track, “Crossing Corners”, was just released a week ago. While Meadows has only been putting records out for the past three years, he’s been playing guitar and songwriting since his early teenage years, beginning to take a genuine interest in putting out his own music in 2012. A gentle track featuring Meadows’ soothing vocals and well-balanced instrumentals, “Crossing Corners” is the ultimate indie acoustic track. “Crossing Corners” combines careful lyricism with Meadows’ moving, clear vocal capability.
Says Meadows of the track, “Crossing Corners” is a recycled song. I wrote it while I was still in high school, but it never had a chorus and the melody was totally different. I always knew there was something special about it so I would always come back to it. It wasn’t until about two years ago, when it all kind of fell into place though. After demo-ing it, I knew it had potential.”
D.C. based four-piece Babbling April just self-released a brand new EP titled Holy Gold. Babbling April is made up of Dave New, Vivi Machi, Ben Medina, and Ben Melrod. February of 2015 saw their debut release, On Breath. Now, Babbling April is back better than ever with the release of Holy Gold. With a unique indie sound and always authentic by self-releasing, Babbling April seeks to be truly themselves and bring joy to others through their music.
Tracklist:
“Reputation”: Reputation seems to be a popular subject these days, and this unapologetic track flips it upside down with the idea that reputation doesn’t actually matter. Need to shake off the haters? Put this song on.
“Blighted Years”: this track starts off with some excellent instrumentals and an inescapable beat. “Blighted Years” combines harmony, hitting lyrics, and great percussion to tie up a fantastic song.
“In the Vulgate”: A rocking, quirky track, “In the Vulgate” is an instrumental interlude halfway through the EP that carries the listener into the second half of Holy Gold.
“If Hearts Really Do Break”: Starting with a foreboding, almost extraterrestrial sound leading into a more gentle and acoustic instrumental track.
“Without A Care”: Following in the vein of “Reputation”, this track lends itself to a bittersweet sound and some emotional lyrics.
“Alliances and Rifts (and Separations in the Holy Gold)”: closing out Holy Gold is another instrumental track that has excellent composition and balance of instruments.
Overall, one of the best aspects of Babbling April’s EP is the careful instrumentation and attention to balance.
Holy Gold is available for vinyl preorder now. Keep up with Babbling April here.
Hailing from Anchorage, Alaska, Parker Longbough is back at it again with a brand new LP, Left on Tri, out this April. Parker Longbough (irl Matthew Witthoeft) has just put out a second album, Bridges to Nowhere/Delirium in Lo fi last June, and is keeping the ball rolling with Left on Tri.
Bridges to Nowhere/Delirium in Lo fi followed after over a decade hiatus since his debut LP, Commander Comatose. Thankfully, Longbough is not making us wait another ten years for a new album; on the contrary, it was less than a year.
Off his new album is the single “Jack Ryan”, a moving track that weaves instruments with mellow vocals. It is a combination of indie rock and slight folk/country influences that combines masterfully, creating a pleasant soundscape.
Keep your eyes and ears open for Left on Tri, out April 20. In the meantime, give “Jack Ryan” a listen!
British Columbian duo Violet Night is gearing up to show the world what they can do. Violet Night is made of vocals and guitar from Connor Pohl and T.J. Rounthwaite on keys. Violet Night is set to release their debut record Colours Of You which will be out May 4.
Pohl says of the upcoming album:
We grew up on everything from heavy metal and rap, to emo and pop. We try to create a colourful mosaic of all those influences when we write; we’ve never created with borders or put limitations on what we are allowed to sound like. We’ll always do whatever feels most honest to us at that moment in our lives and I think we’ve done that here. We are really proud of the album and hope the hues presented complement yours: the colours of you.
Featured on the album is lead single “North”, along with an accompanying studio music video. The song captures a spirit of adventure, longing, and energy. “North” encompasses the emotion that Violet Night does so well at capturing. We look forward to their upcoming album and we think you will too.
Anna Robins, an indie folk/Americana artist heralding from South Dakota has just put out her brand new record, Chronicle. The 12 track LP was entirely written by Robins as the result of a 2016 Song-A-Week challenge, so the title of her album is aptly named, as it chronicled her thoughts, experiences, and feelings at the time. Not only did Robins songwrite the entirety of Chronicle, but also played mandolin, piano, acoustic guitar, and tin whistle, with accompaniment by several artists’ instrumentals as well.
We love a good overture, and Robins does not disappoint, starting her album with “Intro”. Anything with a musical prologue helps create the tone, and for Robins, sets the stage for what’s to come. Coming right up with the first ‘real’ track is “Pulse”, a yearning, strings-focused song that displays Robins’ musical heartbeat. Foreshadowed in the intro is the next song, “Driftwood”. This one shows the first bit of what Robins can do with Americana, especially in the chorus. Next up, “Thief” amps up the mood with a rollicking, harmony-infused track highlighting some excellent banjo playing. This is the kind of song that gets you stomping your feet and clapping your hands. After the whirlwhind of the preceding track, “Amelia” is a change of pace, a lovely, emotional song. Halfway through the record is the sassy “Burn It Down”, full of attitude and quite a beat; this song is unlike any other on the album.
Following up “Burn It Down” is “Trespassin”, a folk song if there ever was one. Robins again masterfully utilizes harmony and strings to make a well-composed track. “The Fox The Rabbit” starts off acapella, and brings in some well-placed bass and electric guitar to further compliment her vocals. Easily a fan favorite is “A Girl’s Gotta Be Goofy”, an absolutely fun and relatable song. While a satirical song, Robins remains down-to-earth and raw in this one. An Americana album would not be an Americana album without a locale-themed song, and “Destination Colorado” is that song – with a twist. Robins does an excellent job of painting the scene with her lyrics, yet tells the listener that this place isn’t for her.
“Call Off The Dogs” follows up the previous song with heartfelt piano and full of authentic lyrics. Closing out Chronicle with an outro called “Raise Your Glass”, Robins nicely ties up her album with a track that reminisces on what has passed while looking hopefully to the future. Robins does a fantastic job of putting her own spin on what an Americana/folk record sounds like, and we’re eager to see her do big things.
With their truly modern and personal sound, Manchester duo SEAWAVES has dropped their new single, “Her”.
Comprised of vocals from Si Van Brussel and co-writer Daniel Benjamin, SEAWAVES has been truly been making moves in the music world, even having their music used in films and commercials by Disney, Sony, The Olympics, and many other big name companies/brands. It’s no wonder; SEAWAVES is something special and very of-the-moment. Benjamin says, “Our music is very personal to us, which is why it’s only us two creating it. Our songs are pretty much us in a form people can connect to.” Following the release of their debut LP, The Motion Picture, SEAWAVES’ second record, The Soundtrack, is due for release this spring. It is the first record in a three-part series, and if “Her” is indication, The Soundtrack will be phenomenal.
New single “Her” is a great example of the energy and authenticity that Brussel and Benjamin put into their music. With an exhilarating beat and uplifting lyrics, “Her” captures the moving, living soundscape that SEAWAVES creates. We can’t wait for The Soundtrack, but until then, “Her” will be on repeat.
Styled as Diā, composer and artist Danielle Birrittella brings carefully crafted music to her listeners, thanks to her experience as an opera singer in both the U.S. and Europe as well as growing up on a Hindu ashram. Now signed to Manimal Records, Diā creates a brand new sound while carrying aspects of her past work. Following the success of her debut EP, Tiny Ocean, Diā has now released a highly anticipated single, “Valentine”, along with a stunning 60’s inspired semi-abstract music video. “Valentine” is a yearning, moving track that carries the listene along a captivating auditory journey. Masterfully combining elements of Baroque music with modern cinematic folk, Diā weaves a truly unique sound. Thanks to her classical training, Diā has a professional hold on her own sound, and her confidence plays out in her music in a completely new way. “Valentine” is an excellent example of Diā’s authentic, unique, and well-composed sound. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for Diā and her music.
Liverpool-born, London-based artist Andro is presenting a beautiful, unique, and soul-filled new sound for the world to hear. He has just released a third single, “Liar”. While currently a solo artist, Andro also spent three years touring with electro-funk group Jungle. He’s previously released “When The Alarm Calls” and “Afterlife”, along with self-directed videos for both tracks. As his name suggests, Andro (Greek for “man” or “masculine”) presents himself with an androgynous side, challenging stereotypes, and we are here for it.
Andro says of his new single:
I wrote Liar, totally premeditating a bond I knew would fail. And I was also grieving. It echoes the period when you’re yearning for nothing but intimacy and you feel you’ve been ladened with a lie after the breakdown of a ‘companionship’.
“Liar” is a yearning, emotive track that clearly displays not only Andro’s vocal control, but his creativity as well. Reminiscent of artists like Sampha and even the legendary Prince himself, Andro has an evident grasp of his sound and we can’t wait to see what he puts out in the future.
Manchester-bred Bipolar Sunshine (irl Adio Marchant) is back at it again with another amazing single. Having released hit tracks like “Whole Heart”,“Major Love” and appearing on “Middle” with DJ Snake in 2017, Bipolar Sunshine is now blessing his fans with a brand new release: “Pressure”. The single is the first of his highly anticipated 2018 EP, Imaginarium. Not only has he dropped the new single, but a spectacular music video as well.
Marchant used to sing for ska band Kid British before heading out on his solo career in 2013. Now based in Los Angeles, he continues to put out quality music, delighting both devoted fans and new listeners alike. The video, directed by Matilda Finn, is fresh, modern, and extremely aesthetically pleasing. Marchant “wanted the audience to feel like they’re watching a movie. Some Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz in the movie Blow kinda feels.” and he definitely achieved this goal; the “Pressure” video is Hollywood through and through. “Pressure” is not your typical love song; it combines angst, desire, purity, and confusion within a few minutes of music. If you haven’t checked out Bipolar Sunshine before, do it today.
