Glossy Clouds and the deep grooved indie art pop sway of "Beauty Medicine" (Official Video)

 

"I wanna be, stop breaking down / I wanna leave, stop, bring me down..."


French indie alt rock outfit Glossy Clouds, on their battered blues art rocker "Beauty Medicine", (and I don't mean battered as beat up but battered like deep fried because it is tasty and does have a certain amount of Southern blues rock funk stirred into the mix), gives us a track that is delicious and cool. It starts with sultry melodies over finger snaps, and then bass, beat and guitar downbeats that feel like 70's pop rock, infused with jazzy chords and contemporary funk and blue rock motifs. The oooohs and aaaahs as contributed by who the band refers to as the Choristers adding pop soul flair. The musical break comprised of a feral-esque cool guitar by vocalist Jérôme Bralet felt like an amalgam of Dan Auerbach (Black Keys) and Cory Wong (Vulfpeck) and is supported by Hugo Merle (dangerously cool) on drums and they make up the main core of Glossy Clouds with the addition of the female vocal trio known as the aforementioned Choristers. If it feels like I am backing into all this, I am (sorry) and I sometimes get a bit scatterbrained when experiencing and writing about art, about music but that's ok. I am ultimately digging this sound that has such a lovely cool groove and vibe, a sound that in a way feels like it doesn't take itself too serious while conspiring to seriously make art that is vibrant and cool.

This cool and divergent band shares:

"We strive to yearn and marvel ourselves at every moment, every vision, every atmosphere that even gives us a little joy. "Beauty Medicine" is in a way an invitation to this practice, the medicine that everyone can acquire for free in order to see the beauty that exists in everyday life..."

Glossy Clouds sound like they consume life in a joyous way. Something to endeavor to do, right?

-Robb Donker Curtius

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Glossy Clouds · Beauty Medicine

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Glossy Clouds are Jérôme Bralet (vocals and guitar), Hugo Merle (Vocals and Drums) and their three female choristers. The duo were introduced by their respective girlfriends and immediately hit it off, a shared outlook and energy for music, art, photography and life was channelled into their songwriting and performances to create the unique collective ‘Glossy Clouds’. The result is not just a band, but a creative universe where the gentle humour and anything-goes lawlessness is utterly riveting. The inseparable songwriting duo are outsiders looking in, effectively rock kids in a dance town. It’s this that binds them.

Glossy Clouds will release their debut EP in late July 2021. A live showcase of all tracks will be performed at 229 London on Tuesday 14th September. The live show will align the bands unique songwriting and visuals to craft a complete artistic statement and electric, sexy glam atmosphere. Audiences will be treated to matching custom-made costumes, wild stage moves and unlimited supplies of energy.

Glossy Clouds, indie pop, indie rock, dance pop, blues rock tones, France based, "Beauty Medicine", jazz pop, soul flair, guitar centric, deep groove, fun, sultry, art pop sense,

I Feel Fine and the crashing beauty of "Selfsame" (Official Video)

 

"Be the stray bullet, a fly for the ointment..."

Holding a mirror up and looking hard at yourself is one thing but casting that reflection via sonic eruptions of sound and candid, gut splitting lyrics is an other thing entirely. Brighton (UK) based indie rock, post punk, emo tinged, math rock-ian quartet I Feel Fine have done just that on their debut album "The Cold In Every Shelter" dropping on September 10th (2021). "SelfSame"is one of those reflections. It is a lush bit of work with a beautiful dense bottom, and pearly rhythms picked on electric guitars. That prettiness offsets chunky guitars and ballsy textured bass and drum work. The downbeats are many as are the big eruptions highlighted by gang vocals. Those gang vocal feel like celebration rock tones even though the lyrics veer maybe in dark emotional places. 

The author of those revelatory lyrics is guitarist, vocalist Nathan Tompkins and I wonder if those gang vox make it easier to reveal interior thoughts. Of the track he shares:

"One of the main recurring themes on the album is me identifying my flaws, in the hope that by challenging them I’d be some steps quicker to dispelling their traces altogether. Writing the lyrics to this one was a real watershed moment in that journey personally, because it’s where it really occurred to me that these problems are not so new as they appear. Sure, they may enter under alternating circumstances or come dressed differently, but the shortfalls I battle today are the very same I’ve been batting off for just shy of two decades at this point. So, this is me exploring that."

The blend of post punk, emo and math rock affections is the right blend here. Math rock, in general, walks on a tight rope of delicate musicality and pummeling the listener with sound and I Feel Fine accomplishes this balance so incredibly well here. Sometimes I find too much going on within this genre, too much addition when things need to be subtracted. but not here, everything feels as it should be (to me). Complexity and beautiful musical melodies coming together as one. 

Accompanying the song is a trippy, crazy official video directed and animated by Corentin "Corenchien" Cuvelier. Amazing. It is [composed from pictures taken by the band and friends along with stock footage, all collaged and animated by Corenchien. “The concept behind it was to take the viewer on a visual journey through weird and wonderful places and abstract landscapes, and come back right where we started, creating parallels between the lyrics and the video,” explains drummer Antoine. “The piece has a lot of 'infinite tunnels', also representing the desire to move forward in life but getting stuck in one place.”]

-Robb Donker Curtius

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Having exploded onto the alt-rock scene in 2018 with their rousing blend of emo, punk and math, Brighton’s I Feel Fine are ready to unleash their stunning debut album. ‘The Cold in Every Shelter’ is a beautifully honest and heart-swelling set that displays an incredible knack for writing intricate, technically-minded rock music, but delivered with super-strength hooks and the quartet’s distinctively warming gang-vocal delivery.

Building on the strong foundations set by their debut EP, I Feel Fine continue to deliver the nostalgically influenced alt-rock sound they tastefully pay homage to (think Crash of Rhinos, The Appleseed Cast, Algernon Cadwallader) while looking towards new and fresh textures, adding post-rock dynamics, subtle orchestral swirls and some alt-country inflections. Tying this together with super tight and muscular performances, there is no denying the sky-scraping ambition that this record exudes, whilst retaining the high energy and ultimately joyful euphoria of their live shows.

Leading the record’s sonic journey are these grandiose, heart-on-sleeve emo-punk melodies that are backed up by the painstaking honesty of guitarist Nathan Tompkins’ lyrics. But it’s how Nathan shares his vulnerabilities with the rest of his band mates to sing in unison that gives I Feel Fine this overwhelming sense of unity and brotherhood. Often harmonizing and sometimes screamed, there is so much catharsis bubbling within these songs as we see the quartet morph together as one unit.

The album is an inward study of the self, working through personal insecurities and worries of missed opportunities, as well as a general feeling of being out of sync with the rest of the world. However, there is a silver lining here in that this is not a necessarily unique complex and, in fact, one that many of us look to overcome. It’s with this notion that I Feel Fine find the strength to sing together to unburden themselves.

The chemistry the quartet share is electric and gallantly reaches conclusions of hope and optimism. Wistful, self-aware and incredibly relatable, I Feel Fine want to open up a dialogue between themselves and the listener, and it’s this level of mindfulness that is refreshing to see and comforting to hear.

Building a reputation within the DIY community after having toured several times around the UK and Europe, working hard is something I Feel Fine have never struggled to do. This is a band that don’t sit still and who instead want to step out and get everyone singing together with them.

I Feel Fine, indie rock, alternative rock, math rock, emo, post punk, "SelfSame", stunning official video, Brighton, UK, Official Video, by Corenchien, dark reflections, candid lyrics,

Odd Beholder and the art / anxiety collision of "Accept Nature" (Official Video)

 

"I don't want to be human no more... if being human means working like a dog..."

When art and anxieties collide sometimes impactful things happen and when the art in question is divergent music it can easily seep right into one's psyche. Odd Beholder is the art pop project of Swiss singer-songwriter / musician Daniela Weinmann and her track "Accept Nature", from her sophomore full length "Sunny Bay", is that kind of art expressed sonically and visually via the Official Video as directed by Weinmann herself. 

Sonically, "Accept Nature" has a wonderful sway running gracefully on what feels like a machine beat and light and heavy synths but what I like the most is Weinmann's vocal and lyrical aesthetic. She expounds on the song and video:

The song «Accept Nature» tells the story of an insomniac that watches funny animal videos on her phone at night. She’s chronically stressed out because she feels that she has to compete with machines at work - so she wishes she would either become a machine, too, or survive like an animal in the wild, where her instincts / feelings would be an advantage instead of a disadvantage.

In the video, the protagonist has transformed the trauma of her chronic stress into a cathartic object love. She falls for her exercise machine. To live her relationship or her kink she has to break into a gym at night.

Ironically, the wish to fit in into a merciless competitive work environment ultimately makes her drop out of the mainstream (sexuality). She explores a passion more interesting than productivity and conformity - and this exciting exploration helps her deal with the anxiousness she feels every night. I mean if you can't sleep anyway - you might aswell break into a gym and seduce an exercise machine, right?

One night, she is discovered by a cleaner. This woman observes her quietly and doesn’t interfere for quite a while. Like the dancer, the cleaner breaks a few rules: She brings her dog to work and she spends the night in the gym, prying on the intimate moment between the woman and the exercise machine.

When she finally decides to step forward by switching on the light, she doesn’t call her out. Instead, she signals that she would like to join in.

I interpret this as a second step in the personal development of the two women: After turning to dogs and machines in search of love, comfort and warmth, they finally see each other. They finally discover solidarity and get curios about each other. Happy end: The stressed and singled out employee finds an unexpected ally after she dares to live out her wildest and weirdest feelings.

This is when you might be saying to yourself "what the fuck?" I said the same thing but, then, I absolutely love songs, art with 'what the fuck' moments. 

Odd Beholder's sophomore album "Sunny Bay" will be released on Sept. 10th, 2021.

-Robb Donker Curtius





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Odd Beholder, the electronica / art pop project of the Swiss musician Daniela Weinmann, releases "Disaster Movies“ on April 9th, 2021. It's the first single from the sophomore full-length album "Sunny Bay"!

Odd Beholder, shoegaze, dream pop, indie rock, art pop, Canada, divergent art, singer-songwriter, artist, musician, Daniela Weinmann, electronica, album "Sunny Bay", "Accept Nature"

Moon Walker and the politico art punk pummel of "The TV Made Me Do It" (Official Video)

 

"The newspaper's gonna lose it / The TV's talking too slick..."

Los Angeles based Moon Walker dazzle and sparkle on their edgy funky art rocker "The TV Made Me Do It". Visually looking at the divergent duo of Harry Springer (guitar, vox, production) and Sean McCarthy (both from The Midnight Club) and I am feeling an amalgam of T-Rex and MC5 or even the New York Dolls. Sonically, I am loving the funky bass and guitar lines that draw me back to Roxy Music or Talking Heads, that remind me of Carlos Alomar's Bowie mutations. Springer's vocal aesthetic is beautifully audacious and original, a refreshing characteristic during a time when any sort of flamboyance seems to be traded in for the sound of the moment. 

While "The TV Made Me Do It" shakes and spin in an art punk meets glam meets funk rock way, the lyrics shine with dark lyrics informed by recent dark events, of identity politics turned inside out, small minds ruling the roost, broken morals, proud boys and cancel cultures converging, truth becoming propaganda and propaganda becoming the truth and a day of infamy:

"Showed up early at the capitol / Bright and early with a gun pulled / We were following orders by the president and his owners  / Wore the mask of a movement / The TV made us do it"

Moon Walker was birthed during lockdown, an existence where TV and social media loomed large and no one showed their smiles in public. It is nice to hear music that makes you dance and think (deeply). 

-Robb Donker Curtius 

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If the LA two-piece’s debut release, “Tear Down The Wall” is any indication, Moon Walker has a lot to say. The electrifying track, accompanied with an equally compelling and exciting music video, truly has something for everyone. The relentless drums and explosive guitar riffs are sure to please any rock aficionado who fears the worst for their beloved genre, while the spitfire vocals and eerily timely lyrics make it obvious that this is not a nostalgia-exploiting, blues rock band. Even though they have less than four minutes of released content to their name, one thing is abundantly clear: Moon Walker is here to stay.

Moon Walker, Los Angeles duo, art pop, art rock, glam tones, funk tones, hybrid art punk, dance tones, politico punk, "The TV Made Me Do It", audacious, spirited

Kieran Hellum and the sad dreaminess of "Conversations" (feat. JOBY!)

 

"I don't want to fall in love..."

"Conversations" by Honolulu based singer songwriter Kieran Hellum feels, from the onset, very intimate and wistful. The combination of an upfront acoustic playing octaves (likely Drop D) is extremely dreamy and sad. It is a sound I love and Hellum brilliantly opposes that stripped down sound with hazey droning tones, a shuffling beat and his vocal aesthetic that pierces through the fog in such an evocative way. Hellum vocal sound is artfully lo-fi with a gentle distortion embracing it as lead guitar sustains, bigger guitar eruptions, bottom tones and background tones, that remind me of whale sounds, ebb and flow. You find yourself getting lost and sinking so deep in the sad loveliness that before you know it the song ends to a single acoustic guitar and street sounds like cars whizzing past a lone busker.

Of the track Hellum shares:

"I wrote the main riff at 3am in my friends garage and it had this simple melancholic bliss to it and we recorded it through my iPhone on voice memos. I added some layers and the sound of the two guitars going back and fourth sounded like a conversation between the two guitars, which created the name of the song. The lyrical content might not make a lot of sense from the first listen but it is about the empty and slightly sad feeling you get when you move away from home and the cold air hits you when you are leaving the airport. It also speaks about a girl and how I'm not one to usually fall in love."

It is nice to dream even if it feels like dark waters.

-Robb Donker Curtius

Kieran Hellum · Conversations (feat. JOBY!)

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Kieran Hellum, singer-songwriter, acoustic, indie folk, indie pop, Honolulu, Hawaii, "Conversations", featuring JOBY, stark dreaminess, somber tones, wistful tones,

Moon Sand Land and futuristic nostalgia of "Cut the Carpets"

 

"escalators built of concrete / an outlook on life / fatal to blow..."

Everyone has different references points in their life and when it comes to all things music I tend to be informed heavily by the late 60's to early 90's and, oftentimes centering on the exhilarating late 70's to mid 80's when experimental desires shaped punk, new wave and electronic sounds. Listening, enjoying the bouncy, yet sideways sound of "Cut the Carpets" by New Jersey based Moon Sand Land, the moniker of singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist Jason Ross, and I feel those same new wave and proto punk tones whether they influenced this amazingly creative and talented artist or not. The keys sound like the dirtiest of a Fender Rhodes, the pearly bent synth tones feel very Howard Jones-esque, and the big bottom bass enhanced with dirt and maybe phased sounds feel absolutely funky / sexy. Ross's vocal aesthetic is pushed and playful and in total, "Cut the Carpets" feels at once dance-able and mosh worthy at the same time. Kudos for the cool artful guitar play that gives it all a kind of late 80's Bowie flavor (Glass Spider period). Somehow Moon Sand Land's sound (here) exists in the future and the past.  

Jason Ross: Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Keyboards, Drum Programming

Charlie Kessenich: Drums, Drum Programming

-Robb Donker Curtius

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Moon Sand Land is the solo project of singer, songwriter, and guitarist Jason Ross. Formed over the summer of 2018, Jason collaborated with former Last Shelter bandmates Pictoria Vark and Gavin Caine to record a series of songs that made up his first EP The Duality of Man. His music is essentially described as garage-pop, blending the messier sides of indie with high-quality musicality and showmanship


Moon Sand Land, Lo-fi Rock, Indie Rock, Bedroom / Lo-fi Pop, art rock, indie rock, electronica, 80's new wave tones, "Cut the Carpets", multi-instrumentalist, Jason Ross, divergent art, funky rock

The Planes and the punchy sonic rebellion of "The Constant"

 

"In the novel I was a farmer / You were a wanderer and a sage..."

The full throttle bass / guitar / drum attack on "The Constant" by Brooklyn's alt rock three piece outfit, The Planes, has for me, a potent nostalgic blend of sounds. On one hand, it possesses the sort of dense mod punk proggy musical sway of late 70's / early 80's divergent British bands like The Jam or The Buzzcocks combined with a smoother folk indie meets power pop vocal sound (same time frame) of American bands like Big Star or The Lemonheads. The pushed movement and tightly wound musicality is incredibly evocative as is the raw, progressive guitar lines, furious drums and powerful winding bass lines. The counter positioned youthful vox, tenderly drawn and wistfully wailed work so well against the music because of their different sonic shapes and tones.

Of the song, the bands shares:

"The Constant" is about a dystopian future (or present, depending on how you see the world), where the only constant is decay. You can write the book, shoot it as a movie, change the characters around, but we always end up on the same downward trajectory.

"The Constant" is from The Planes recently released full length, "Eternity on Its Edge".

-Robb Donker Curtius

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In a big, dirty city full of trend-chasers and bandwagon-riders, The Planes stand up for the things that are, refreshingly, always cool and relevant and fun. Three-minute pop songs. Analog recording equipment. The unmistakable sound, and the visceral pleasures, of banging on a Fender guitar hooked up to a tube amp.

The Planes, Indie Rock, Alternative Rock, Brooklyn, three piece, analog recordings, new 2021 album, "Eternity on Its Edge", "The Constant",

Bruvvy and the heavy bite and snarl of "U Think This Song Is About U"

 

"can't relate, heaven sake, what are you talking about...."


Bruvvy hails from South Florida but the rabid guitar line that floods their rocker "U Think This Song Is About U" feels (to me) like early 70's Detroit rock. It is dirty and feral (in it's blues funk underpinning), blending with other tones, contemporary psych rock and pop punk sounds. Guitarist and vocalist Liz Varum's vocal bite is snarky, spitting and empowering matching the pervasive guitar that might just steal the show. The Official Video is cool and fun as directed and edited by Fernan Lauro Gregorio. Check it out.

-Robb Donker Curtius

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Since their first show in 2019, Bruvvy introduced the South Florida music scene to a reimagined version of female fronted rock n’ roll. They have made a name for themselves with their powerful stage presence, their “anything goes” performance style, their raw realness, and most importantly, the friendship that keeps them glued to their listeners and to one another. This is not a rock n’ roll revival; it’s a rediscovery of the very spirit that possesses us to jump, scream, sweat, and connect.

Bruvvy, alternative rock, hard rock, South Florida, blues rock, post punk, psych rock, pop punk, "U Think This Song Is About U",

Andrew Hung and the divergently artful dark inner waves of "Goodbye" (Official Video)

"well I never knew I could, never knew I could be just like you..."

The densely charged opening synth lines of Andrew Hung's track "Goodbye", from his second full length "Devastations", seem to float up cyclically then sort of erupt out into the ether like the intense undulating electric arcs climbing a Jacob's ladder and then things get weird. Hung has a wonderful propensity of blending swinging dance motifs painted with new wave / art punk affections and then adding shots of whimsy and flamboyance. Now mind you, I don't think this wonderful inventive nature is perpetuated as an artifice, as a device, no, I think quite the opposite. I think it comes naturally to this London based artist and thusly, is against his nature to do otherwise. Hung could not sound commercially pop forward if you paid him and for that I am utterly grateful. 

"My songs are my subconscious talking to itself, and this is about how it tried to say goodbye to itself. Well in a way it succeeded because the excavation of self I underwent has allowed my subconscious to breathe again. I hope."

-Robb Donker Curtius

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Today, artist and musician Andrew Hung returns with the release of his much-anticipated second solo album “Devastations”, which is out via Lex Records. The album marks Hung's first new solo material since his 2017 breakthrough debut “Realisationship”, and continues to see him shatter expectations with his bold and unique new direction of expression, earning plaudits across a vast array of press and radio.

Whereas his debut album saw his personal new form of articulation manifest, the new album sees Hung further hone and actualise a sound that is entirely his own. “Devastations” is the ecstatic cry of colour found between light and dark. The album documents a transitional period in Hung’s life; a stepping out from the shadows. Hung explores the deepest recesses of his psyche and in doing so finds himself reconciling the light and dark within. Underlying the propulsive beats and flashes of noise is a melodic tenderness that weaves throughout the album; an offering hand emerging from a turbulent sky. The deepening of inner space becomes an exploration of the universal; a new beginning from the devastations of old worlds.

Speaking about the album Hung says, "Devastations is a breaking out from the prisms of perceptions into the infinite hope we all hold deep inside.

Alongside the release, Hung has also shared a video for album closer "Goodbye". The cathartic new song is a fitting end to the new album, transcending Hung's glitchy electronic sensibilities with emphatic instrumentation, which repeatedly peaks before fragmenting and reassembling around Hung's sanguine vocals.

Going on to speak about the track, he says "My songs are my subconscious talking to itself, and this is about how it tried to say goodbye to itself. Well in a way it succeeded because the excavation of self I underwent has allowed my subconscious to breathe again. I hope."

Andrew Hung, Wave, Gothic / Dark Wave, alternative rock, electronica, indie rock, second full length, "Devastations", Lex Records, single, "Goodbye",

Julien Daïan Quintet and the jazz splash and divine fury of "September Nine"

photo by Renaud Montfourny

Let me state without equivocation that I am not, on any level, a jazz guy. I don't listen to this long standing art form all that much. I don't know the ins and outs. I am not well versed in the many aspects of different jazz theories. I don't steep myself in the world of negative harmonies, pitch collections or 7th chord constructions (at least not on purpose) but I do know what I like and I like "September Nine" by the French jazz and alternative musical outfit Julien Daïan Quintet. I like it a lot. The track is from their 3rd album "CUT-UP" were front man Julein Daïan steers the group through a collision of jazz with hip hop, electronica, tribal rhythms, reggae flourishes and more.

"September Nine" feels like a dance in the rain and trying not to get wet one minute and gleefully getting drenched the next. There are moments that feel broadly like 40's standards and other moments that push into dissonant places. Horns parting the curtains for amazing walking bass lines that literally encircle and pass through a rabid sax solo. The jubilation here is heady, intoxicating and the ramping up and down cadence fueled by brilliant feral drumming takes you on a ride. Those dry and wet moments coincide many times over. It is hypnotic stuff whether you are a jazz aficionado or not. It doesn't matter. Step, no stomp in the puddles. Splash around.

Composer by Julien Daïan. Tommaso Montagnani (bass guitar), Octave Ducasse (drums), Cyril Benhamou (flute), Edouard Monnin (piano), Julien Daïan (saxophone) and featured artist, Alex Tassel (trumpet).

-Robb Donker Curtius

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CUT UP, is the third album from the Julien Daian Quintet (JDQ), led, of course, by Julien Daian, the audacious, reckless innovator who earned his stripes as the maverick of French Jazz. Incapable of compromise as he creates music of its time and place with the vocabulary of his own lived experience. Known for bringing Jazz into uncharted waters in collusion with Hip Hop forms, heavy electronic beats and hypnotic tribal rhythms.

Picking up the vibe and momentum of JDQ’s first two albums French Paradox and Behind the Reef, the ten tracks on CUT UP really break new ground, taking this vision, this compulsion to greater heights and ever deeper depths. This isn’t about fusion, it never was. The mastery lies in Daian’s supreme ability at divining the natural points of confluence between forms, where jazz, hip hop, dub and electronica merge naturally, creating a sound and a vibe that speaks eloquently of the moment it comes into being. Each track is a unique and vivid expression, an episode in an album that forms, as a whole, a varied and provocative freefall soundscape. A deeply personal patchwork, a montage drawn from influences and experience, of emotions and memories, of landscapes and longings.

Summoning a deeply sunny reggae vibe, through Jazz themed progressions, Daian remembers the Patate Records 45’s of his youth, bringing in Luciano and Mikey General on vocals to crystalize the magic on Bring Some Love, a call to the good times yet to come, an irrepressible expression of hope and the power of unity. While Everybody Love me is straight up and down Jazz informed Hip Hop (think New York with a Spike Lee twist) as North Carolinan Rapper Biship Chasten keeps the groove going against a sparse, edgy backdrop.

In the album’s debut single Trop C’est Trop (Too Much is Too Much) the spirit of Serge Gainsbourg is brought into play as his vocal from Ecce homo et caetera is woven through an urban smokescreen of ever intensifying mood and syncopation, and you just know he would have loved it beyond doubt. Right on the edge, an unstoppable, shuffling groove, a hint of a cult 70’s detective theme perhaps? Layer by layer, beat by beat, the menace moves forward as a tribal chorus illuminates the shadows it casts. A sound that could just as easily send the listener on an unknown highway as to the dance floor.

Julien Daïan Quintet, JDQ, jazz, hybrid jazz, hip hop, electronica, collusion, blending tones, innovator, French jazz, alternative artist, new album "CUT UP", "September Nine",

Spaceface and the genre bending hybridized "Happens All The Time" (Official Video)

 

"We are simply sitting, waiting by the stage (We’re waiting, Just waiting).."


In the kaleidoscopic "Happens All The Time" by Memphis / Los Angeles based psych pop / indie rock band Spaceface the hyper lounge punk pop guitar strums that spiral and dance with the dynamically charged drum groove and fluid bass while the vocal aesthetic feels dream pop-esque while synths flutter like butterflies, then BAM. The chorus feels so incredibly nostalgic- drawing pop funk affections meets late 90's hip hop tones (via Jaz Z). Love that youthful vibe and overall I did think of MGMT's first album "Oracular Spectacular" because it was such a hybridized album and "Happens All The Time" is as well. It is no wonder that Spaceface calls their sound: “Retro Futurist Dream Rock”. That makes perfect sense.   

On the story behind the song, vocalist and guitarist Jake Ingalls (also of the Flaming Lips) offers:

“The track is about that dreaded feeling of knowing you’ve seen or met someone before and not quite remembering their name but knowing it’s gonna come up and you just gotta deal with it because at the end of the day, it really does happen all the time. And it’s no biggie.”

[The accompanying music video is as fun and colorful as the track itself, mimicking a 1970’s style performance. Directed by Emmy award-winning puppeteer Dave Bizzaro, the band is brought to life as puppets made out of toilet paper rolls, complete with miniature instruments. Spaceface is a band that is out to create a good time and that’s plenty apparent on their latest offering.]

-Robb Donker Curtius






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Spaceface is a self-described “Retro Futurist Dream Rock” (but you can call them psychedelic-pop) band from Memphis, TN and Los Angeles, CA, active since 2012. Always eavesdropping on the Universe whispering its chaotic will, the groovy bunch harnesses the transcendent pulse of the spacetime continuum into catchy songs that whirl and twirl, bend and stretch, attract and propel. Their unique alloy of dream-pop, funk rock and post-disco, charged by the Sun, ultimately shines way past our collective bedtime, akin to a glow-in-the-dark Slime Science Lab kit.

The project's founding members include Jake Ingalls (also of The Flaming Lips), Matt Strong, Eric Martin, and Daniel Quinlan, but the lead research team recently enrolled Los Angeles-based musical mind, Katie Pierce from Pierced, with whom sonic experiments continue. Ultimately, Spaceface’s goal is to acknowledge the blurred pain that lurks in the corners of one’s vision on a day-to-day basis while providing a brief escape for anyone who needs or desires it. In light of years of thorough research (or a dream to that effect) that have confirmed music, as an artform, to be a potent medicine for both your mind and your feet, the psych rockers abide.

Over the course of eight years, the collective has toured all over the United States, as well as Canada, with stops at international festivals such as SXSW, Desert Daze, Canadian Music Week, Treefort Music Fest, Hangout Music Festival, God Save The Queen City and Distorsion Psych Fest. Always equipped with a state of the art light-show and/or projectors, sometimes accompanied by weirdish stage props and/or gadgets, the ever-evolving American act provides their dedicated following with thrill-inducing D.I.Y. performances that only get crazier as they perfect their experimental craft.

Since forming, Spaceface has offered timely releases that include a self-titled EP, a full-length album entitled Sun Kids, as well as a small zoo of singles and remixes featuring notable collaborations with artists such as Okey Dokey, Julianna Barwick, Mikaela Davis, Julien Baker, Penny Pitchlynn (Broncho), Phantogram, and Matt Duckworth of The Flaming Lips. After recently working with SixTwelve, an Oklahoma City education non-profit, to assist in the production of a fundraising album with several local OKC musicians, Spaceface is back with “Happens All The Time”, a polymorphing disco single that marks the first taste of new music to come from the band in 2021.

Spaceface, psych pop, experimental rock, hybrid rock, blendo pop, nostalgic, brand new, dream pop vox, "Happens All The Time", Memphis, Los Angeles, Flaming Lips

Erica Swindell and the beautiful provocative darkness of "DBY" featuring Little Kruta

"...better to be no one..."

Stepping right into "DBY" by Texan born, Brooklyn based actor, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Erica Swindell and you feel a sweeping, swelling feeling of dark grandeur. There is a pervasive surreal sense, the stair stepping strings lend an added air of mystery and Swindell's evocative vocal aesthetic crooning "don't be yourself" amps up the bent reflections. You feel as if you are plunging into an addictive NetFlixian binger and, in fact, "DBY" would of been an absolutely fitting sonic coda to the recent finale of Hulu's "Cruel Summer" (or maybe even the theme song). It would of been perfect either way.

Written by Swindell and featuring Kristine Kruta on cello who also collaborated with Swindel on the string arrangements, "DBY" was produced by Lorenzo Wolff.

-Robb Donker Curtius


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Erica Swindell is a Brooklyn based actor, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. A native Texan, her introduction to the music world began at the age of 3 through classical violin. She joined her first Country band as a fiddle player and vocalist at the age of 12 and began to incorporate different genres to her classical training. After her Texas years, she made her Broadway debut in the musical ONCE in 2013 and went on to tour the world with the First National Tour of ONCE. During this time, Swindell was spotted by Don Henley of the Eagles and joined his band as violinist and backing vocalist. Currently, Swindell is the concert master for the 44 piece orchestra backing the Eagles “Hotel California 2020” tour.

Erica Swindell, Psychedelic / Freak Folk, Chamber Pop, Shoegaze / Dream Pop, indie rock, indie pop, singer-songwriter, instrumentalist, vocalist, violinist, Texas, "DBY", cinematic, surreal, hallucinogenic,

Jamey Cummins and the chill midnight semi-madness of "Toenail Moon"

 

"I'll be there real soon, I'll be there whenever..."

"Toenail Moon" (think about it) by Austin based, Iowa native Jamey Cummins floats and shuffles on fluttering bass lines, melodic lounge punk guitar lines and dissonant keys, oh and Jamey's vocal aesthetic that feels endearing with a paper umbrella tucked in it. There is a sense of Mac DeMarco and maybe retro John Mayer smashed together but not heavily so, but it might be there in tone and attitude. I am not sure where light jazz tones cross over into lounge punk but you just feel it. The sense here is sort of somber but sort of "things will work out, in the end" (after all is said and sung). Cool vibes. It would be stunning situated on a playlist after a gougey Pixies song. 

-Robb Donker Curtius

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Iowa native, Jamey Cummins has been working as a full time musician in Austin TX for the better part of the last decade. Although he can most often be seen performing vintage jazz and swing music he has a diverse selection of influences ranging from indie rock to instrumental surf. His past original projects include:The Parish Festival, Maylane, The Oliver Twists, and The Orchard Keepers.

Jamey Cummins, Bedroom / Lo-fi Pop, Chillwave, Indie Rock, "Toenail Moon", singer-songwriter, Austin, Iowa,

Tré Burt and the wanderlustful journey of "Sweet Misery" (Official Lyric Video)

 

"You can see the ring of darkness covering up the light..."


Sacramento based Tré Burt's has a voice that envelopes you, embraces you like a weathered rustic novel told to you as an impressionable youngster by a loved one who is older and more wise. You feel a classic roughness in his vocal aesthetic but tender too. His latest offering, "Sweet Misery" from his upcoming sophomore album "You, Yeah, You" feels like a true tale or parable of life, of wanderlust, of the road and the pain that ambles closely on it and even though it and the songs on this album contain stories of fictional people, "a cast of invented characters; heroes, villains, those destitute of salvation, and those seeking it", you could fool me. Burt's vocal tone with the squinty eyed glint and razor blade rasp exists somewhere between Bob Dylan and John Hiatt, but is decidedly better than both, more well rounded, somehow obtuse and somehow more exquisitely seasoned. 

On "Sweet Misery", Burt pushes, "And the weight of my heart/ It swings me left to right like a wrecking ball on a six foot chain forever, all my life" as if to say that life is dark and light, pain and pleasure with misery following closely but Burt puts up a fight to literally push it's darkness away, "It only goes to show, Sweet Misery, you can follow me down to the end of my path but you still gotta go through me".

Burt offers:  

“To me, the chords sound melancholic but also has this really sweet and playful quality about it but also like that innocence is being hounded by some utterly miserable force of nature. When I was writing this song, I already knew what the chords would say if they could talk, so the lyrics reflect that. Sometimes songs can feel like it's something hung up in a museum, meant to be observed behind a velvet rope from 10 feet away. My songs are as much yours as they are mine. I wanted to try and show that.” 

"Sweet Misery" made possible and utterly beautiful by singer-songwriter Tré Burt (vocals, guitar, harmonica) with the talents of Brad Cook (bass, synth),  Phil Cook (keys, harmonica),  Alex Farrar (lead guitar), and Matt McCaughan (drums, percussions, modular synth).  Produced by Brad Cook and recorded at Sound Pure studio in Durham, NC.

-Robb Donker Curtius

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Sacramento songwriter Tré Burt is announcing his sophomore album, You, Yeah, You, which was produced by Brad Cook and recorded at Sound Pure studio in Durham, NC, today with the first single “Sweet Misery”. You, Yeah, You is a narrated collection of songs featuring a cast of invented characters; heroes, villains, those destitute of salvation, and those seeking it. The album represents a summoning of the will to fight the unknown rather than surrender to fear and fatigue. Like his late label mate and songwriting hero John Prine, Burt showcases his poet's eye for detail, surgeon's sense of narrative precision, and his songwriters' ability to transpose observation into affecting verse.


On the first single, “Sweet Misery”, the album title acts as an appeal and a call to action; “You, Yeah You / who else am I talking to”. Burt speaks both to himself and the listener, conjuring a fighter’s scrappy disposition. The protagonist fights his shapeshifting opponent in the form of Misery, a foe whose shadow has cast darker and harder to ignore in the past year. “There is something kinda beautiful about people who are experiencing tragedy in chorus,” Burt says. In this collective tragedy, he recognizes the bedrock to build something new, a deepened understanding of oneself in relation to one’s community, and a well of compassion. “Sweet Misery you can follow me down to the end of my path but you still gotta go through me”, Burt sings, reminding us that we, too, are the fighters who can hold our own in the ring against misery.


“To me, the chords sound melancholic but also has this really sweet and playful quality about it but also like that innocence is being hounded by some utterly miserable force of nature. When I was writing this song, I already knew what the chords would say if they could talk, so the lyrics reflect that. Sometimes songs can feel like it's something hung up in a museum, meant to be observed behind a velvet rope from 10 feet away. My songs are as much yours as they are mine. I wanted to try and show that.” - Tré Burt On “Sweet Misery”


From his humble roots working menial day jobs; as a maintenance technician, servicing airplanes at SFO International, taping boxes as a UPS worker, Burt has been, and always will be, a working-class musician. His clear-eyed vision of America, its deep faults, and the beauty of the humanity that resides within its borders comes through with compassion and tenacity.


Tré wrote his protest anthem, “Under The Devil’s Knee”, which features Allison Russell, Sunny War, and Leyla McCalla, in the late summer of 2020 in response to the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Eric Garner, and the unmitigated police violence across the country. His work caught the attention of scholars and activists, namely Dr. George Yancy, Dr. Cornel West, and Dr. Khalil Muhammad, and garnered an invitation to speak on a panel with the latter two at Harvard’s Kennedy School through Dr. Muhammad’s Institutional Antiracism and Accountability Project.


Burt finds the exported packaging of Black culture en masse tiresome, claustrophobic, and boring, especially when applied to art and expression. Like literary writers Baldwin and Angelou, Burt acknowledges the limitless expanse of Black narrative. He is committed to the rich continuum of the tradition of Black expression claiming the space of artistic weirdness, often reserved for non-Black artists.


Tré Burt’s You, Yeah, You will be out on August 27th via Oh Boy Records and features Brad Cook on bass and synth, Phil Cook on keys and harmonica, Alex Farrar on lead guitar, Matt McCaughan (Bon Iver, Hiss Golden Messenger) on drums, percussions and modular synth, and features Amelia Meath (Sylvan Esso) and Kelsey Waldon on background vocals. Burt will be on tour this year including dates with Nathaniel Rateliff and Shakey Graves this summer, and this fall with Katie Pruitt. The album was produced by Brad Cook and recorded at his home and Pure Sound studio in Durham, NC. Find those tour dates below.

Tré Burt, folk, folk indie, singer-songwriter, instrumentalist, "Sweet Misery", Sacramento, California, sophomore album "You, Yeah, You", beautiful vocal aesthetic, rustic, classic, on the rails folk,

Twilight Lounge and the celebratory psych fest "Diamonds In Her Eyes"

 

"diamonds in her eyes..."

Twilight Lounge is the project of singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist / one man band Noah Shaner from Birmingham, Alabama and "Diamonds In Her Eyes" makes me slowly rise up off the ground and float out my window and down my street (much to the amazement of my stunned neighbors). Ok, maybe not literally but that is how it makes me feel. The heavy vibey guitar lines, the gang vox that come in and out, the lush bass lines and the drum fills over spilling everywhere feels utterly psychedelic. There is also a kind of over reaching celebratory sound and shoe gaze tone. The music break is masterful in it's sort of Beatle-esque-ness on high. It is like it is not a song at all (you don't even get the sense of verse, chorus, verse etc), NO, but just joy flowing non stop.

-Robb Donker Curtius

"Diamonds In Her Eyes is the first single from my upcoming debut album. This song is heavily influenced by 60s guitar pop and modern day indie. "




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Twilight Lounge is the musical project of Noah Shaner from Birmingham, Alabama infusing elements of 60s guitar pop with sparkling synths and modern production to explore new sonic ground and the psychedelic experience.

Twilight Lounge, singer songwriter, one man band, multi-instrumentalist, artist, Noah Shaner, Birmingham, Alabama, 60's guitar pop sounds, psychedelic, "Diamonds in Her Eyes", indie rock

Roos Meijer and the cloudy beautiful reflection of "In My Name"

"we will be so loud that you can't evade"


While most singer-songwriters pen songs that are intimate canvasses to paint on about their lives, I think that folk artists, for whatever reason, also have a long history of writing songs that are about social issues, songs protesting what is wrong with the world, with governments, with corporations. Songs that exist as reflections, mirrors of society, of what is wrong with ourselves. Dutch alt folk singer-songwriter Roos Meijer, on "In My Name", the lead single from her upcoming debut full length "Why Don't We Give It A Try?", combines falling guitar notes, beautiful but somber vocals on top of percussion and drones of sounds, some ambient. There is a thick air of mystery and even defiance as beats and orchestration take over, informed by the misfortunes of people taking advantage of the 'other' as history is written as propaganda instead of truth.

[The song is inspired by a conversation with Julia Jouwe, an activist for a free West Papua and focuses on the hypocrisy of history books, the optimism of young activists, collective accountability, and the power of picking up the torch that was lit by those who came before. The lyrics reflect on Jouwe’s experience of going to West Papua and recognising the value of her family name (her grandfather, Nicolaas Jouwe, was the Papuan leader for many years before being forced to flee to the Netherlands) and the influence this had on her taking up of her late grandfather’s fight for the freedom of his native people.]

Meijer builds tension behind the mirror. I look forward to hearing more. 

[Her debut LP, ‘Why Don’t We Give It A Try?’, is set for release in November 2021 and is inspired by conversations with eight societal change-makers for causes relating to climate, anti-racism, feminism, human rights, orphans, LGBTQ+ youth, and homelessness. Filled with eclectic but integral arrangements, each song creates a fully realized sonic culture within the wider world of the album and, through the unique empathy of Meijer's’ artistic voice, comes from a place of genuine earnestness and societal duty.]

-Robb Donker Curtius

byroosmeijer · In My Name

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The sincerity of Roos Meijer’s alt-folk finds a way to the heart of even the most casual listener as she lends her voice to extraordinary but unheard people from around the world. Drawing inspiration from a diversity of genres, including folk, classical, indie-rock, and world music, Roos bridges many rivers of the musical landscape and leads you to new pastures. With an understated but profound sense of detail, in both song and arrangement, her music finds and navigates emotional fine lines that are seldom expressed in popular music.

Roos’ debut LP, ‘Why Don’t We Give It A Try?’, is set for release in November 2021 and is inspired by conversations with eight societal changemakers for causes relating to climate, anti-racism, feminism, human rights, orphans, LGBTQ+ youth, and homelessness. Filled with eclectic but integral arrangements, each song creates a fully realised sonic culture within the wider world of the album and, through the unique empathy of Roos’ artistic voice, comes from a place of genuine earnestness and societal duty.

‘In My Name’, the first single from the album, comes out on June 18th and is inspired by a conversation with Julia Jouwe, an activist for ‘Free West Papua’. The song focuses on the hypocrisy of history books, the optimism of young activists, collective accountability, and the power of picking up the torch that was lit by those who came before.

On November 29th, Roos has the honour of performing a concert alongside the prestigious Residentie Orkest in Den Haag. For the concert, she’ll draw from her full repertoire and play the debut album in full.

Back in 2018, Roos released her debut EP, ‘Maktub’: a work inspired by the people she met while working in refugee camps in Greece. 'Maktub' combines Eastern and Western pop music to provide insight into the experiences of refugees. All profits from the project are donated to Sounds of Change, a Dutch organisation who lead music lessons in refugee camps.

In 2020, Roos released two new singles: 'Made For Loving You' in June, a song inspired by the unconditional love between parents and children that she observed while working in refugee camps, and ‘Calm Me Down’ in November, a stunningly immersive piece of music that takes you into her experience of anxiety.


Roos Meijer, Singer Songwriter, Folk, Acoustic, dark folk, politico folk, The Netherlands, alternative folk, "In My Name", full length LP, "Why Don't We Give It A Try?"

Fake Turins and the deep funk / art punk groove and emotionality on "Down!"

photo by Mars Washington


Step into the sonic whirlwind of "Down!" by North London indie art rock collective Fake Turins and your eyes will widen, pulse quicken and your head might bob in interesting ways. The dense bits of sound, the deep cut percussive groove might suggest in your head, a more rabid version of divergent artists like Talking Heads or Thievery Corporation with a punk hearted infusion of Gang of Four with Dead Or Alive thrown in for good measure. Bassist and vocalist Dominic Rose adds an intensity to the musical fray, that offers progressive tendencies and whimsy at the same time, pushing hard on the vocal delivery that he chews up a bit. Of the track he offers:

“'Down!' is a song that exists against the daily struggles of depression, cataloguing a personal experience of cynicism fighting nothingness. The song itself masks the tragedy with a raucous psychedelic mayhem, tonally shifting into something darker as we collectively scream all of the reasons the Down has found us. Both verses respectively explore these mundane & profound responses to grief, expressing both the sanctity of life & the meaninglessness of it.”

The live band consists of Dominic Rose (vocals/ bass), Amy Wilson (clarinet), Rose Wilson (saxophone), George Traylen (drums), Jonny Dickens (guitar), Saul Gonwrong (guitar), Mars Washington (orchestral guitar), Mark, (noise/ effects) Jessie B (percussion) and Pierre Cat (synth).

[Due June 11th via Hideous Mink Records, "Down!" is the first single to be cut from their debut EP "Time Flowers Now", which arrives July 23rd alongside a short film. The first two singles will be available to purchase on 7-inch vinyl with the EP in full available on cassette through Hideous Mink Records.]

-Robb Donker Curtius




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Fake Turins · Down! [Radio Edit]

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At the end of 2019, North London collective Fake Turins decamped to the market town of Farnham to record their debut EP with longtime friend and producer James Traylen. The EP was recorded over two days within the dimly-lit basement home studio, capturing and forging an underlying tensity and darkness to the band’s sound.

The first track to be shared from those sessions is ‘Down!’, sonically a rigid and restless ode to the dancefloor, splintered by a windswept reed section (clarinet and saxophone) and bolstered by a big band feel of textured guitars, percussion and the heartfelt vocal of bassist and frontman Dominic Rose. Lyrically the track reflects wrestling with depression and the invisibility of ongoing grapples with the mind, eventually spawning into a group exorcism of screams exploring why each voice has a unique cross to bear.

Vocalist Dominic Rose states:

“Down!” is a song that exists against the daily struggles of depression, cataloguing a personal experience of cynicism fighting nothingness. The song itself masks the tragedy with a raucous psychedelic mayhem, tonally shifting into something darker as we collectively scream all of the reasons the Down has found us. Both verses respectively explore these mundane & profound responses to grief, expressing both the sanctity of life & the meaninglessness of it.”

Fake Turins released a string of singles through 2019 and were longlisted for Glastonbury Emerging Talent competition as a result. In 2020 the band returned with new single 'Legs' and were set to play their first UK festival in Standon Calling and European festival in Left Of The Dial, only for it to be cancelled due to the global pandemic. 'Legs' was named John Kennedy's 'Hot One' on Radio X and received praise and plays from Amazing Radio on both sides of the Atlantic. The release caught the attention of a wide range of press with So Young Magazine summing it up best as “Lyrically subversive yet audibly untouchable.”

2021 saw the release of ‘Evergrown’, a journey into floral big band psychedelia. The Fake Turins wider collective is made up of a range of creatives that produce their music videos, artwork and fashion shoots, including a new series of short visual broadcasts entitled ‘Fake TV’.




post rock funk, new wave-ish rock, UK, psychedelic rock, indie rock, Farnham, Fake Turins, deep groove rock, Dominic Rose, frontman, bass, vox, Hideous Mink Records, "Down!", debut album Time Flowers Now"

Anthonie Tonnon and the warm art pop embrace of "Leave Love Out of This" (Official Video)

 

"spend an evening singing in the war room but leave love out of this..."

It is true. Listening to the purity of "Leave Love Out of This" by the surprising sublime New Zealand art pop / indie rock artist Anthonie Tonnon you feel refreshed like breathing clean air for the first time after spending a life time in a dirty smog filled city. Now don't get me wrong, I absolutely adore dissonant guitars and the raw feral nature of punk and there are elements of ferocity in Tonnon's repertoire (and this song) but it is the spartan moments, when there is no place to hide, that are so stunning. Tonnon's overal aesthetic also feels very classic and if you were to be forced to pick a decade (or decades), I sense the 60's chamber pop aesthetic of a Harry Nilsson and the 2000'a broader pop theatricality of a Rufus Wainwright. You might think of others. For me, Tonnon also dips into the more bent carnival mirror of psychedelia as well and as odd as it might seem, when I listen to the pure art pop Tonnon crafts I flash on the more quieter psych rock moments of a band like Be Bop Deluxe (circa mid 70's - listen to 'Crying to The Sky').

[Produced with The Beths’ Jonathan Pearce, who shares a writing credit on the song, New Zealand-based art popper Anthonie Tonnon “Leave Love Out of This” features Stuart Harwood on drums, Pearce on synthesizers, and a string quartet led by Charmian Keay and arranged by Matthew Bodman. The song has been a favorite at Tonnon’s immersive live shows, such as A Synthesized Universe - where Tonnon performs the epic guitar solo with a Nebula fly-through and a synchronized light show.]

Breath it all in deeply.

- Robb Donker Curtius

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The world is full of singer-songwriters, but few of them forge the kind of paths that Anthonie Tonnon has. His work has developed into a unique blend of music, art and advocacy, and shows that are creative works in themselves.

Tonnon has supported acts like Beirut, Nadia Reid, The Chills and The Veils, while producing albums with bandmate and collaborator, Jonathan Pearce (The Beths). Over that time, he has used live performance to experiment with new technology and approaches, leading to the immersive shows that have seen him touring planetariums, or taking audiences to distant venues on unloved public railways.

Tonnon is releasing a new single, and announcing the upcoming release of his third full-length album, Leave Love Out Of This, produced with Pearce, which will be released on July 16th on Slow Time Records (UK/EU/NZ) and Misra Records (North America).

The album will be available on vinyl, CD, and as a green vinyl Deluxe Edition LP, with a bonus 7” record. It will be the first release on Slow Time Records that is not by the label’s founder, acclaimed Dunedin-born songwriter and performer Nadia Reid, herself.

The first single from the new album, ‘Entertainment,’ is out now, along with a new video produced by Auckland, New Zealand filmmakers, and The Beths’ collaborators, Sports Team, and starring Tonnon, Pearce, Sports Team, and mixed-media artist Erica Sklenars. The video, (inspired by a real gig where Tonnon and Sklenars performed) starts as a disastrous live-to-camera performance and ends in a hallucinatory coda.

On ‘Entertainment’, Tonnon and Pearce move beyond the 1970s technology that powered Successor – and into electronically generated percussion, and textures that blur the lines between organic and synthesized sound. Guitars are set against synthesizers, and drums against drum machines, in a story about restructure at a television station, and an athlete with a once-in-a-lifetime chance at a career on the small screen.

Tonnon provides some insight into the new single: “In television, you have to guess what the audience wants. Different sides can claim they have a better idea but in the end the creator chooses. There is often a battle over what hypothetical audiences ‘want,’ and in this song, this battle plays out between powerful people in cities trying to assert their validity to represent working class, provincial tastes."

Of the approach to the sound of the album, Pearce, who also produced Tonnon’s Taite Music Prize-nominated Successor (2015), and The Beths’ 2020 Aotearoa Music Awards Album of the Year, Jump Rope Gazers says, “This is our idea of what it sounds like when the digital meets the fleshy. We have blunt fingers and thumbs, and we have to create handles and knobs and sliders for ourselves. We can’t really see or really know what our devices are doing; we have to accept what they do, and make something with that.”

Though his sound has evolved over time, a constant has been Tonnon’s lyrics. The artist tackles the rise to the top of the television industry in ‘Entertainment’ as deftly as he did for evolution and the future of work in ‘Two Free Hands’, and regulatory failure in ‘Mataura Paper Mill’. Tonnon has been long-listed for esteemed New Zealand songwriter title the APRA Silver Scroll Award three times, making it to the top five for ‘Water Underground’, his excoriation of the mismanagement of fresh water and local democracy in Canterbury.

Tonnon and Pearce recorded Leave Love Out Of This between 2017 and 2020, and in that time, Tonnon’s practice evolved heavily. He began incorporating new performance elements like dance and spoken-word narrative into his work, and new technologies, including the Wellington-designed Synthstrom Deluge – which he would later use to control music and lighting in an immersive show for planetariums, A Synthesized Universe.

He took the approach further with an annual tour titled Rail Land – which transports audiences by rail to musical performances at distant community halls. The show combines historical research and narrative segues, along with the choreographed use of the technology developed in A Synthesized Universe. The tour gave a practical vent to Tonnon’s growing interest in public transport advocacy. (In 2020 Tonnon was appointed as a representative for Whanganui’s City Council on public transport matters).

Work on both ‘Entertainment’ and Leave Love Out Of This began in Auckland, at Pearce’s studio on Karangahape Road. However, after Tonnon relocated to Whanganui – and with Pearce touring constantly after the runaway success of The Beths’ first album – the pair continued their collaboration at a distance.

The final mix of the single was completed by Pearce in Chelva, Spain, at the home of Lil Chief Records’ reclusive head Scott Mannion, and a refuge for The Beths while between international tours. Drums and bass on ‘Entertainment’ were contributed by Tonnon’s long time band members Stuart Harwood and David Flyger.

At his recent 2021 Auckland Arts Festival performances of Rail Land (March 18 and 19), Tonnon announced he was partnering with Nadia Reid and Slow Time Records for the release of Leave Love Out Of This.

Reid says: “I’d always dreamed of starting a label. I’d worked hard as a DIY musician for years and enjoyed the ins and outs of running my music career with a business sense lens. I see Slow Time Records eventually becoming a stable of like-minded artists – artists I have a connection with, admire, and who also have a tie to Ōtepoti Dunedin, my current home and the place I grew up. Having toured nationally and internationally with Tonnon, and being a fan since forever, it’s a perfect fit that he let Slow Time release his album here in New Zealand, and in Europe.”

Anthonie Tonnon, indie rock, art pop, alternative rock, sublime, beautiful surprises. spartan pure pop, chamber pop, 60's tones, The Beths' Jonathan Pearce, string quartet, "Leave Love Out of This", New Zealand