Ontario-based fourpiece The Crowleys have just dropped their brand new EP, Colours Change Their Tone. The Crowleys is made up of high school friends Cohen Wylie providing lead vocals and guitar, drums and backing vocals from Stuart Downie, Kaulin Horlick’s bass, and Justyn Horlick on keys and guitar.Recorded at Threshold Recording Studio, Colours Change Their Tone represents a big step into the future for the Crowleys. Known for their signature psychedelic pop, The Crowleys have a unique sound that fits well into the evolving soundscape of the 21st century.
Colours Change Their Tones starts off with the mellow, inescapable attraction of “Pink Rainbows”. After “Pink Rainbows” is “Midnight Blue”, the namesake for the album. A psychedelic, synth-packed track carries the EP well and provides a smooth transition into the next track, “Stargazer”. Midway through Colours Change Their Tones is “Girl What”, a groovy, sassy track that indubitably shines on the EP. Laced with even percussion and Following “Girl What” is “L.A. Sunsets, which again highlights the psychedelic aspects of The Crowleys while maintaining an approachable sound. Colours Change Their Tones closes out with “Pansy Party Extravaganza”, which sounds just as the name implies.
The Crowleys on their new EP: “The title comes from a corny little line in Midnight Blue, “The colours change their tone when I hear her on the phone”. It’s about how a significant person or event can change how you perceive everything around you. Small or dull things that you never notice are suddenly bright and very much in the foreground. Or like a character in a film that falls upon tough times and has literal storm clouds roll overhead. Related to that is how terrifying it is that sudden and small things or occurrences – in the grand scheme of your life – can have huge impacts.”
We are thrilled that Colours Change Their Tone is out in the world, and you should definitely give it a listen.
From across the ocean in Melbourne Australia, dream pop band Lowtide is planning on releasing a fantastic new album that will both electrify and mystify their fans and followers from across the globe. This new album, Southern Mind, is scheduled to be released on February 16th, but was officially premiered in its entirety live by Henry Rollins on his KCRW radio show on Sunday, February 11. Not only has their music received overall positive reviews, but the relaxed vibes and memorizing rhythms have a high potential of being their most successful album to date. Southern Mind embodies a lot of similar sounds that fans have always related to Lowtide, however, they have added even more upbeat pop beats and undertones that add new layer and depth to their music.
New releases from Lowtide, however, do not stop with Southern Mind. On the same day that the new album was streamed, they also released a new single Elizabeth Tower as well as a new clip. Also, it is important to note that they also announced their headline tour! Obviously this Melbourne based dream pop band has been busy at work over the past year to set them up for what looks to be like pure success in the new year.
Southern Mind is out February 16th. Keep up with Lowtide here.
Milwaukee-based No No Yeah Okay, an electronic/pop/hip-hop/punk band is dropping their sophomore EP, Cabal, on February 9. Comprised of Mark Gage (producer), Christopher Quasius (guitar), Colin Plant (vocals) and Joshua Paynter (bass), the group, founded in 2014, signed to LA-based indie label Little Assembly last year. No No Yeah Okay came together to combine their music as one group, releasing their debut EP, Dual in 2014. They have already released their single, “Make Believe” and an accompanying music video. You can check it out here. It has been well received, being added to Spotify’s New Music Friday and streamed over 114K times, as the group has been growing in both recognition and popularity.
Kicking off Cabal with “Boulevard”, a synth-filled track that is highlighted with streams of even vocals. “Get Lost” provides more of a soft-punk sound with electronica that is not over-the-top, but perfectly present. “Make Believe” blends soft pop with hip-hop beats, while “That Ain’t You” is an upbeat, catchy track melding tight pop sounds with clear vocals. “What Can I Say” is one of the most hip-hop/electronic of the tracks, combining snappy beats with flowing vocals. Cabal shows No No Yeah Okay as more experienced, synced, and mature.
Pop group Honey Child is releasing their self-titled ninth album on, you guessed it, February 9th. Honey Child was created by Claire McKeown and features Claire Boutelle, Aimee Jacobs, Danielle Mandell, Dayna Richards, Jacquelyn Sky, and Cynthia Zitter. Each of the ladies in the all female group was hands-on in the production process, making this an album of strength in its design.
The album consists of nine songs and clocks in at 28 minutes in total. One of the songs from the album is titled “Run With Me”, which is the first single released from their album. “Run With Me” is a fascinating song that will transport you to a different world. It is about people that have had enough of materialistic things in the world. The people that are fed up decide to run away to another part of the earth, such as the river. The beat from “Run With Me” is very captivating, the singers basically “steal away” from the world.
Another song from the album is “She Calls His Name”. The beat and the melody mesh seamlessly together. The ladies’ voices blend well together, creating a fascinating affect on the listener. The song is like a mix of classical music – meets a little pop – that will leave you wanting more.
Other songs from the album include “Standing in The Shadows”, “Gotta Wait Another Night”, “I See Other Sides”, “Sorrows Arms”, and “Our Last Goodbye”.
Australia’s Ruby Boots, now based in Nashville, TN is about to release her label debut Don’t Talk About It February 9 with Bloodshot Records, having previously released a 2016 album, Solitude. Born Bex Chilcott, the talented artist is backed by The Texas Gentleman and produced by Beau Bedford on this album — and we’re here for it. With confident vocals and sumptuous instrumentation, Ruby Boots delivers a treat for the ears. To sum it up, the album is an experience, a journey. Navigating a country/Southern-rock inspired soundscape that is still accessible for the country-hatin’ folks, Ruby Boots oozes real emotion and authenticity, especially in tracks like “Believe in Heaven”. From the bold opener, “It’s So Cruel” to the title track, “Don’t Talk About It”,Chilcott displays both her range and variety of styles while maintaining the album’s theme. “It’s So Cruel” already has a music video to accompany the scathing track, full of neon lights and rockin’ vibes, utilizing slow motion and close-ups to pack even more of punch for this track.One of the indubitable highlights of Don’t Talk About It is the stunning acapella track “I Am A Woman”, perfect and raw. Ruby Boots says of the song, “As tempting as it was to just write an angry tirade I wanted to respond with integrity, so I sat with my feelings and this song emerged as a celebration of women and womanhood, of our strength and our vulnerability, all we encompass and our inner beauty, countering ignorance and vulgarity with honesty and pride and without being exclusionary to any man or woman. My hope is that we come together on this long drawn out journey. The song is the backbone to the album for me.”“Infatuation” is another great track on Don’t Talk About It, full of both yearning lyrics and a catchy beat. Closing out with “Don’t Give A Damn”, which combines all the soulful elements of a country blues song with a tinge of almost jazzy piano. Don’t Talk About It is a strong album for a variety of reasons, but it is clear that Ruby Boots knows what she’s doing. Whether you’re looking for some rockin’ folk or some folksy rock, Ruby Boots has got you covered.
We can’t wait for Ruby Boots to drop this masterpiece of an album tomorrow!
Cutting their teeth in Chula Vista, California is doom metal band Of Ennui. Band members Christian Cate (guitar), Brian Strauss (vocals and guitar), Angus Garcia (bass and back vox), and Indigo Machado (drummer) have formed together to create music that fans and followers like have come to love. Their artistry truly lies in their ability to emote an amazing amount of feeling in what some have called, “poignant narrative lyricism.” Their latest EP, Tone Poems, is no different from all of the other music that they have put out since forming together in 2015. Not only does Tone Poems embody everything that their fans love about this group, but it also features new, insightful imaginative artistry that projects feelings experienced by the band members themselves. Not only does the music express difficult topics, but also addresses intense issues that make their work relateable to many of their fans.
Tone Poems was recorded in San Diego and mixed by award winning Jerik Centeno. This release has a tone that separates itself from their prior work, but still acts as nice addition to their collection of music that they have produced this far. Those who follow them are excited about this new release and, as always, are avidly awaiting the release of more work in the future as well as attending their live performances.
Tone Poems is out February 23rd. Keep up with the band here.
Critics have been raving about Jaden Smith‘s newest album Syre since the day it released this last November. American rapper Jaden Smith has become one of the darlings of the music industry and has since received attention from fans across the globe. Not only did the album hit the US Billboard 200 at number 24 for December 9, 017, but it has also received positive reviews from critics. This was a long awaited album, however for Smith’s followers especially after the music video for “Fallen” was released a few months prior. With the support of the social media crowd Smith has since become someone to watch in the near future.
To many who have heard her music, the name Syre was a point of interest and originates from Jaden’s middle name. The album features the many different facets of Smith’s talents. Upon listening to the album, those at Exclaim! wrote, “SYRE changes shape in such a way that it plays like two distinct albums; it’s a sonic playground, and Smith bounces from toy to toy, flexing his artistic muscle throughout.” Not only does the music favor the range and ability of Smith, but it also addresses several different topics of interest. For those looking to enjoy rap, this album is a twist on the norm and requires patience from the listener and attention to detail to appreciate the artistry.
Tomorrow, musician Tony Banks – who began his career as a founder of the rock band Genesis, playing keyboard and composing music for the group – releases his sixth studio album Five. This studio album is unique because this will be Tony Banks’ third album containing classical music following Seven: A Suite for Orchestra in 2004 and Six Pieces for Orchestra.
The album holds five (no pun intended) songs on it, ranging from eight minutes to 15 minutes in length. Tony Banks is on the piano for each of the tracks, while the Czech National Orchestra, Czech National Symphony Orchestra Choir, and conductor Nick Ingman make up the orchestral arrangement.
The very first track from the album is “Prelude to a Million Years”. The song is the longest on the album, and exists at a slow tempo, led by beautiful piano chords and a blend of instrumentals. Toward the halfway mark, the music begins to pick up its pace. As the song goes on, it seems like it is taking you on an adventure. “Prelude to a Million Years” is a great starter track to the album. The second song on the track is titled “Reveille”. “Reveille” differs from its predecessor in tempo, starting off fast and then move slowly as the song gets to the middle and then begins to pick back up again. Other songs on the album are “Ebb & Flow”, “Autumn Sonata”, and “Renaissance”.
Five is out tomorrow. Keep up with Tony Banks here.
Today, the world is finally able to hear new music from indie pop band Felsen. The album delivers a message through melody and lyrics that they created in their late-night West Oakland Studio. A highly anticipated work, Blood Orange Moon is eleven tracks of musical wonder, from first track “Vultures on Your Bones” through the title track at the end.
“Vultures on Your Bones” has many different melodies crafted together as one. The acoustic guitar blends perfectly with the rest of the instruments and the leading vocals on the track. The song seems like it is about a vulture eating at the bones of an individual and the vulture will not leave the vocalist alone. The vulture continues to come back and bother the individual.
Blood Orange Moon will definitely take the listener on an emotional rollercoaster ride. The album goes from being about wanting to be with someone in songs like “Lovecraft”, losing a loved one in songs like “You and I will Meet Again”, and desire. It addresses human emotion in a beautiful way.It tackles communication, whether it’s face to face or direct. “Blood Orange Moon” is not only amazing because of the vocals and instrumentals, but the songs are relatable and relaxing. The album is great to turn on during a late night car ride when you just want to vibe to music or when you just want to unwind for the day and relax.
