Rising pop prospect Seeva drops cathartic new EP, Afterthoughts following a slew of successful teaser singles.
A powerfully intimate collection of songs, Afterthoughts navigates the breakdown of a romance, detailing reflections on personal relationships and the trials of young adult hood from a British Queer Asian perspective – all while maintaining an empowering self-determination. As his signature airy vocals feature across the lo-fi minimalism of tracks like “Focus” and “Twenty-Two”, to the swooping sounds of “Artefact” and the anthemic “Gemini Moon”, Seeva’s talent to create divine pop music with a poetic mastery of lyricism shines. Afterthoughts solidifies Seeva’s unique ability to capture the nuances of adult relationships, queerness, heartbreak and redemption.
His impeccable debut album, We Need to Talk, Seeva made a huge impact earning critical support for his electropop creations from the likes of GAY TIMES, ATTITUDE, ALT PRESS, and EQUATE MAGAZINE, while also being spotlighted on Live Nation’s Ones to Watch list. Seeva has fostered additional advocacy from key radio stations including BBC Radio 2’s Jo Wiley, Beats 1 Radio and BBC Introducing as well as BBC Radio 6 and Hoxton Radio Flex FM.
Working diligently behind the scenes with the likes of Lily Moore and Matt Taylor, alongside continued support from the established British producers behind Dua Lipa, Tom Walker and Mabel, Seeva continues to prove his commercial appeal. Accomplished in his creative direction; his track “Worship” was handpicked for Footlocker’s ‘Voices of the Future’ social campaign. He also holds continued partnerships with the Tate Gallery, where his achievements include crafting an original score for Andy Warhol’s 92nd birthday anniversary and scoring their UK Black Pride collaboration. Pre-lockdown, Seeva further developed his growing profile through festival placements at Brighton Pride, Liverpool Sound City and The Great Escape.
There’s no question that Seeva’s growing reputation for his impeccable emotional artistry, defines his as one of the most captivating names in the rising pop scene. A gorgeously melodramatic creative with a talent for soul-baring song writing, this new EP is set to launch a ground-breaking year.
Ray Laurél Reveals New Single ‘ Manic Pixie Dream Boy’// WATCH HERE
Hotly tipped London based newcomer Ray Laurél follows up his well received debut Hunter Schafer with razor sharp new offering, Manic Pixie Dream Boy. A vibrant guitar led cut showcasing Ray’s versatile vocals over driving chords, the track serves as a statement of intent from an artist set for big things this year. Speaking on the track, he states:
‘I was talking to this guy on Hinge for ages; he listened to stuff like Merzbow, had a whacky fashion sense, and was pretty intense. It got really deep and out of the blue he just unmatched me. I was kinda taken aback, I scrolled through Instagram and saw this article and was like, yep. He was a Manic Pixie Dream Boy. Someone free-spirited and refreshing, but yet remains unavailable. This song also comes as a reflection as to how I’ve definitely played the role of an MPDB myself. It’s like a realization that sometimes my intense, somewhat overly-romantic nature can be toxic as hell.’
Since independently releasing Hunter Schafer last month, Ray Laurél has quickly grabbed attention from a wide array of blogs and Spotify playlists. Set to make his live debut in support of Jeshi, the next few months look to be exciting ones. Stay tuned for more soon.
“Just Like a River” started as a guitar part. Shortly before going into the studio, I wrote a poem exploring the openness and non-linear nature of time which became the lyrics for this song. I wanted it to feel open and expansive, but also close, and for the listeners to feel themselves within that space.
☾ Listen to “Just Like a River,” from my new album, These Are The Sounds Left From Leaving ☾
Outside, the world was swirling with information and disinformation, news about physical, political, and emotional violence, and urgent climate warnings; meanwhile, I was inside my tiny apartment being quiet, trying to see clearly both what was outside and within.
I started studying poetry more seriously, which deepened my sense of the sonic qualities of language and poetic detail. I remember going back and forth between poems and songs, feeling their similarities and differences. Songs felt very clearly like the place to put these big exterior and interior anxieties. I needed to fully feel them, and there is nothing like music moving through your body and resonating within to make you really feel. Songs can pull everything out of your heart, and they can put everything in too. I followed the sounds and shapes and feelings of all of my anxieties, contextualized them with the details of everyday life, and wrote it all into this album.
Thank you for listening,
Jenny Berkel
rock band Sunsleep are announcing their signing to SBG Records (Rain City Drive, Famous Last Words, Jonny Craig), the Sacramento-based label founded by Shan Dan Horan (Century Media, Artery Recordings, Outerloop Records).
Sunsleep is the project of Devin Barrus (vocals), Miles Croney (guitar), Lance Nerio (guitar), Dylan Woods (bass), and Mason Croney (drums). The five-piece debuted in 2017 with their first single, “Fever,” which quickly crossed over 1.3 million streams. Invigorated by the success of the first track, the band created their first EP, I Hope To See Again with Brand New Eyes, which they put out in 2018.
Blending intricate, catchy pop melodies and emotional lyricism with dreamy ambient guitar work and energetic percussion, Sunsleep’s music blurs the lines between rock and pop. The five members bring to the table a wide range of musical influences that inform the Sunsleep sound, citing inspiration from dark-pop groups like PVRIS, The 1975, heavier rock bands like Anberlin and Underoath, and even R&B acts like The Weeknd and PLAZA.
After releasing a handful of singles in 2020 — including fan-favorite “New Sensations” — the band regrouped in late 2021 to finalize their first album, due out later this year. “This record is super eclectic sonically and lyrically for Sunsleep,” lead singer Devin Barrus says. “We really experimented around with what we had established previously as a band and wanted to go further and venture into other areas the band has yet to explore as well. “There is no overall ‘concept’ to this album but rather a full fledged group of standout cuts that really give dimension to Sunsleep as a band.”
PENTAGRAM HOME VIDEO – has released the first single from his forthcoming album due this autumn: “Nothing Ever Dies.”
SPOTIFY || APPLE MUSIC || YOUTUBE || TIDAL || SOUNDCLOUD
Immortal chanteur Freddy Carrie Cruiser (aka Pentagram Home Video) performs songs for the haunted — with love to Scott Walker, Serge Gainsbourg and the films of David Lynch.
When the world stopped turning, Freddy Carrie Cruiser spent a year performing songs at night to an empty room on the side of a hill facing out onto a harbour.
Mr. Cruiser performed the albums of artists like Scott Walker, Roy Orbison and Chris Isaak from opening track to close. These nighttime performances played out to a backdrop of films on mute — from the works of James Dean and Elvis Presley, to the realms created by Ingmar Bergman, Pasolini and the interiors and exteriors created by David Lynch.
When there were no bars to frequent, Freddy found sanctum in these strange worlds and plucked from the ether this harrowing original single “Nothing Ever Dies”.
Delving into the lyrics of the new track, Freddy says:
“Nothing Ever Dies is about accepting that all things must pass but that life exists in the moment. Finding solace in the shadows can lead to the discovery that life & love is a revelation often discovered in the darkest moments & embraced when you’re ready to step out of the shadows.”
New York City-based indie-pop singer-songwriter, Aubrey Haddard releases her anthemic indie-rock third single, “Processing Power” today, where she confronts being inundated with constant information, along with a matching lyric video. Haddard’s second full-length album, Awake And Talking, will be out August 19, 2022 and is available for pre-order now, via Beverly Martel Records. Aubrey Haddard will be hitting the road in select cities across New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and more this summer. Find tickets on sale now here.
The guitar-driven, heavier-leaning “Processing Power” is Haddard in overdrive–it’s the moment a system becomes overloaded. In a fast-paced, 24-hour news cycle that never seems to stop, one can swiftly become overwhelmed with uninterrupted information consumption. The result is a cathartic release where Haddard is able to unleash the emotions that come with being bound to such a perpetual system.
Haddard explains the commanding alt-pop track is, “A droney kind of anthem. Charley [Ruddell] had that great guitar part that we just scorched with overdrive and it felt so powerful. What else does power even sound like if not a beefy guitar line? We are consistently inundated with information and I felt like screaming about it into the void.”
two-time Grammy nominee Beth Nielsen Chapman returns with her bluesy new single ‘Hey Girl’, her first new music in over four years, and the first taste of her upcoming 15th album, CrazyTown, out this autumn on Cooking Vinyl (Pre-order)
With a career spanning nearly 40 years, Beth proves she’s still as vital as ever with this anthemic new track written in reaction to the ‘Me Too’ movement, a song Beth calls her “celebratory shout out to our sisters making their way in the world.”
Beth Neilsen Chapman: “We were talking about the capacity for survival and overcoming the challenges that are part of being in the world as a female, balancing strength and vulnerability. As the writing of the song progressed, we touched on feeling lost, being taken advantage of, and navigating one’s safety and the experience of not being taken seriously.”
Produced by legendary producer Ray Kennedy (Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle) and co-written with hit songwriter AnnieRoboff and the UK’s Jessica Sweetman, ‘Hey Girl’ blends elements of classic rock, blues and pop to great effect, demanding attention with its addictive chorus and Beth’s effortless vocal. It’s a welcome return for this acclaimed singer songwriter and a bold introduction to the forthcoming new album.
Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2016, Nashville based, Beth Nielsen Chapman has released fourteen solo albums and written seven #1 hits and songs recorded by the likes of Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson, Bette Midler, Elton John and Neil Diamond, plus many more. It’s been four years since her last album, 2018’s ‘Hearts of Glass’ and for the upcoming ‘CrazyTown’ Bethhas signed to UK imprint Cooking Vinyl.
Beth: “CrazyTown’ is a collection of songs that reflect all the twists and turns of life, especially reflective of this wild ride we have all been living through. I’m looking forward to hitting the road with this new music finally seeing the light of day.”
To celebrate the release Rough Trade have a signed exclusive coloured edition of the album. You can also get a personally signed and numbered Test Pressing on the D2C store, along with LP & signed CD via Amazon Pre Order.
International artist, Monsta X, are preparing their U.S. juggernaut of a tour; Monsta X: No Limit Tour presented by Lexus. Kicking off on May 21st at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, it includes ten-stops total, ending on June 11th in California. With a second night recently added in Chicago, Monsta X have attracted a massive international fanbase over the years with their array of hit singles and tours.
Monsta X and Lexus first joined forces on the music video set for their hit single “You Problem,” which Billboard referred to as a “dance floor charmer.” Prior to that, “One Day” was released, marking the group’s third Top 40 single — and as Forbes reported, makes Monsta X only the second K-pop group in history to appear on the chart more than once. Both of these viral singles lead into the release of Monsta X’s second English-language album The Dreaming; where they once again teamed up with Lexus for a Pop Up event in Los Angeles last December.
MONSTA X GEAR UP TO HIT U.S. SHORES
FOR THEIR TEN-STOP 2022 TOUR
MONSTA X: NO LIMIT TOUR PRESENTED BY LEXUS
KICKS OFF ON MAY 21ST IN NEW YORK
LIMITED TICKETS AVAILABLE HERE
It is rare to come across a completely formed artist such as Dalton Cyr, whose music is full of the raw emotions of a person twice his age. At 21, he pours so much of himself into his music, you cannot ignore the fact that you are in the presence of an artist at the top of his game.
The singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist produces simply astounding pop and rock songs infused with intricate guitar work and a voice that passionately tells his own story. Combining the pop sensibilities of Justin Timberlake and Ed Sheeran with the rock influences of John Mayer, he is not a carbon copy of anyone else and marches to the beat of his own drum.
Bursting onto the scene with his debut album in 2012 titled I’ll Be There and still not yet a teenager, he has been constantly touring since that time and performing in front of audiences as large as 50,000. Since that stunning debut and growing into the role of a live performer with the high-energy and vibrancy of youth, he has released a whole swag of singles and an EP, rounded off by his sophomore album in 2017 called Breathe.
Showing a maturity way beyond his years, it was the launchpad for the next step in his exciting and limitless career. Composed of seven songs, it was a clear indication that Dalton was here to stay- and that the future was anything he imagined it to be. Complex and inspiring arrangements keeping pace with original guitar work and vocals that are simply breathtaking, it is hardly surprising that he has been inducted into Robert M Knight’s “The Brotherhood of the Guitar.” A place that is reserved for artists that are considered to be the best emerging guitarists in the industry today, it is a validation of his extraordinary work to date.
That well-earned reputation has seen him become part of the songwriting team behind iconic TV shows such as Baywatch TV and Baywatch Hawaii, and two of his songs were included in the feature film TIME TOYS. It is therefore a natural progression that he has come to the attention of legendary producer Mikal Blue who has worked with One Republic, Jason Mraz, Five For Fighting, and Colbie Caillat.
That magical combination of a producer who has become the go-to man in the game and the brilliantly talented Dalton, is starting to bear fruit as songs start to emerge from his third album. The anticipation behind the album is palpable and it is certain that Dalton Cyr will no longer be an artist of tomorrow- but an artist of here and now.
Glassio’s debut single “Try Much Harder” broke the Spotify Global Viral Charts in early 2016 (peaking at No. 9). A series of successful singles followed in 2017 and 2018, garnering over 5 million streams cumulatively on Spotify. The release of the singles “Morning House,” “Daydream” and “Back for More” brought Glassio to the top tier of up and coming electronic artists in NYC. They were soon opening for acts like Fujiya and Miyagi, Electric Youth and Miami Horror. “Daydream” became a dance-hit in Latin America, making it to No. 1 on the Dominican Republic iTunes Charts and finding itself on New Music Friday South America. 2018 saw the group perform at SXSW festival, where they were named one of the best electronic acts by Ladygunn Magazine.
After the project became a solo effort in 2018, Sam R. released the Age of Experience EP, heralded by Mother Jones as “proof that electronic music and great storytelling are a perfect match.” The EP has over 5 million streams across all platforms and features the song “Back for More,” featured on HBO’s Here & Now show.
A debut album, For The Very Last Time, was released in July of 2020. It was subsequently named one of the best electronic releases from July 2020 by Bandcamp, and received praise from blogs like Consequence of Sound and Fader. The lead singles “Nobody Stayed for the DJ” and “A Million Doubts” both made it to No. 1 on Hype Machine. The first of the two scored popularity amongst some of Spain’s biggest DJs (Amable, Hal9000, Nacho Ruiz) and the second achieved over 1 million streams between Apple and Spotify within it’s first 6 months of release. Renowned music blog “This Song Is Sick” named it “an immaculate piece of art.” It features backing vocals from Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Daneshevskaya.
His sophomore record See You Shine, a 17-song album that documents the exodus of a young adult out of a small town that shuns them for their beliefs and into the depths of the deserts of Arizona, looking for a new life in a distant city was released May 18th 2022. The record also addresses themes of resilience in the face of grief/loss – brought on by the pandemic – and is dedicated to his late father. The album’s sound marries Glassio’s passion for French and British electronic music with singer-songwriter tropes akin to Jackson Browne, or Wilco.
Outside of Glassio, Sam R. has co-written and produced songs with French Horn Rebellion, Clubhouse, warner case, NAKAYA and Madelyn Darling.
The 5-track body of work displays an empowering journey, that touches on feelings of confusion and heartache, through which MATT navigates with his cathartic songwriting, all the time learning and evolving. Sonically dynamic and self-produced, the EP is an impressive and timeless keepsake from a challenging period.
‘End Like This’, the focal track, comes as a euphoric up-tempo moment, born from the relief of gaining closure and facing forwards. Sharing a little more, MATT explained: ‘I had just come back from my month away when I wrote it, and had decided just before I got back that I would ask to meet. We agreed to meet on a Saturday and I wrote half of ‘End Like This’ before we met, and the other half, after. I know the chat was basically doomed from the start, so I wanted to prepare myself and make it easier! If I knew it was going to end, I might as well make it fun!’.
The EP also reveals a new single, ‘Passive’, which is the second previously unreleased track. The intoxicating offering is a weightless moment of escapism, that is inspired by the frustration and loneliness of a disconnect.
April 13th tracklist
1. GODSPEED
2. Passive
3. no matter what i say.
4. April 13th
5. Daydreaming
6. End Like This
Stand out off the EP, “Prosper” features West Side Boogie andwell known LA poet La Speaks Volumes.
Jackson II has been previously recognized for past singles “Crazy” ft. Nezza, “No Biggie”, “Fanatic”, and “O.M.G” (Take One)– which together have garnered combined streams of over 200K and counting.
Kevin DeWayne Jackson is an American rapper and songwriter. Born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana, he embarked on his musical journey under the stage name Jackson II. Jackson started a collective with his friends called their p.o.e.t.s which stands for their purpose overcame every torn story.
Jackson has written songs for a few up and coming artist, and has had the chance to work with people like Prince, Will.i.Am, Nicki Minaj, Neyo, and Zendaya. Jackson is looked at as a poet and a thinker, piecing together clear flows to paint vivid pictures, which is why he became a lyricist in the first place. His fascination with words and wordplay allows him to voice his opinion and share his thoughts musically. For him, it’s about the art in the music and he hopes to always inspire never impress. A quote he came up with is “it’s not about being the chosen one it’s about being one with what you’re chosen to do” and for him, that is what his music will convey.
JEEN has entered the 2020s with boot firmly planted in the current musical landscape.
JEEN (2020), Dog Bite (2021) and the forthcoming Tracer (2022) could be a trilogy of sorts. A strong reflective collection and a call on song to navigate these last couple of years. JEEN is a heady intoxicating record. Each track swirls with a sense of naivety and wild abandon. A “before times” if you will. With Dog Bite there is an enveloping intensity and immediacy which strongly reflects the moment in which it was recorded where all were being strangled and suffocated by the pandemic. Dog Bite might have the monicker of something ferocious and the sneer to back it but with Tracer there is a more vulnerable and fragile quality to JEEN’s vocals. Both warmer and less angular. Perhaps affected by past experience, perhaps intentional. Whichever way one can’t argue how intimate a space she creates on this album, vocally and sonically. Upon first listen one quickly realizes Tracer is an immersive experience. A challenge or even a dare, to sit with and allow oneself to be taken in and even more so taken over.
Following on from the previous post, it started me investigating in full the catalogue of William DeVaughn.
He’s possibly only known to many for the 70s classic ‘Be Thankful For What You Got’, recorded at the famous Sigma Sound Studios in Philly using MFSB musicians, which has been covered by many others in every decade since it’s release in 1974, including some of these better ones:
80s Craig Peyton, Sunset Gun
90s Portrait, Pauline Henry (The Chimes), Massive Attack, Cleveland Watkiss
00s Omar & Erykah Badu (2000), Omar & Angie Stone (2001), Walter Beasley (2007), Lipbone Redding (2009)
10s Rumer (2015), David C. Johnson (2016), Sade (Live) (2016), Lady C (2017), Raquel Rodriguez & Stan Taylor (2019) and most recently in May 2020 by J-Felix Feat. Sol Goodman, … and there’s many more especially reggae versions.
He recorded two albums in 1974 and 1980 respectively, and left the music business after the release of ‘Figures Can’t Calculate’ album in 1980 but returned in 2004 releasing a single and a new album ‘Time Will Stand Still’ in 2008 on his own Mighty Two Diamonds label. A few unreleased tracks surfaced on various compilations. His latest release was in 2017 with a cover of Junior Walker’s – What Does It Take (To Win Your Love) – yet another one covered by many.
After bit of digging I’ve just discovered that he has released a new single in Sep 2020 New World Living a sample of which is on his website:
‘ONE MORE STEP / MAKE IT HOME’
OUT NOW
STREAM HERE
“A highly individual musical identity, fusing pop with R’n’B, gossamer melody with liquid guitar work” – CLASH Magazine
With 3 million Spotify streams rising singer-songwriter Joe Hicks shares double A Side ‘One More Step / Make It Home’ – the second instalment from his upcoming debut album out later this year.
Initially when Joe started writing new music back in 2020, he was intending to release another EP, but with some persistent encouragement from Sam Winfield (Amber Run, Fickle Friends, Robin Trower, Only Sun), he soon gave into the challenge of writing his first full-length album, despite how daunting the commitment felt.
The follow-up to the assured, ‘Mirror Mirror,’ this double releaseis the second glimpse into Joe Hicks’ forthcoming debut album, set to release later this year. Both tracks showcase Joe’s glistening craft despite their contrasting qualities, outlining his effortless knack for songwriting and artistry. ‘One More Step’ is the pinnacle of an earworm, fully equipped with a driving bass and palatable cadences a plenty. “Lyrically it’s born out of frustration at not being able to do much over the past couple of years,” says Joe. “Combined with the inherent uncertainty of the career I’ve chosen to pursue…” With ‘Make It Home’ Joe embraces a deeper sense of compassion with a nostalgia-drenched backdrop, and the track’s affluence of lyrical consolation. “Make It Home became a song for a loved one to say, no matter where chasing my dream takes me, no matter how busy or far away I am, I’ll always be there for you.”
Minny Pops will celebrate the 40th anniversary of their album ‘Sparks In A Dark Room’ with a special ‘40 years and 40 days anniversary night’ at London’s Paper Dress Vintage on 29 June 2022.
The one-off show will see the Dutch electro pioneers perform a 44 minute assault of classic songs, performing 8 minute versions of tracks from their second studio album.
Minny Pops will also be joined on the night by Finnish electronic music duo Pihka Is My Name, and cyberpunk pop-star Huxlxy will also bring his blend of melancholic pop and villainous lyrics to the celebrations.
’Sparks in a Dark Room’
40 years and 40 days anniversary night
Minny Pops
w/ Pihka Is My Name and Huxlxy
Paper Dress Vintage – 352a Mare Street – London
29th June 2022
Doors 8.00pm
Tickets available here
MICROWAVE have released new single ‘Straw Hat’ which is the perfect soundtrack to a lazy Summer day with those familiar Weezer and Pavement style melodies.
Speaking about the new single the band said “Straw Hat is a love song to an indiscriminate lover. It’s about drinking top shelf liquor in your underwear and reflecting on your past behaviour. It’s about having your privacy rights softly violated but being cool with it.’
Larkin Poe – the GRAMMY® Award-nominated duo of Georgia-bred, Nashville-based multi-instrumentalist sisters Rebecca and Megan Lovell – is back with the ferocious new single, “Bad Spell,” available now at all DSPs and streaming services. An official music video premieres today via YouTube. “Bad Spell” marks the first single from Larkin Poe’s highly anticipated sixth studio album, Blood Harmony, due via their own Tricki-Woo Records on Friday, November 11. Pre-orders are available now.
“Ever since I heard ‘I Put a Spell on You’ by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins for the first time I’ve wanted to write a female response to it,” says Rebecca Lovell. “I’d had the title ‘Bad Spell’ in my journal for years, and it was so fun to create a song where the riffs and guitar tones have that singular purpose of nastiness and swagger.”
WATCH “BAD SPELL” OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO
LISTEN TO “BAD SPELL”
PRE-ORDER BLOOD HARMONY
neillfrazer@hotmail.com
