Fort Lowell Records presents: STOWE [dj set] at The Opera Room | Sunday, May 29, 8PM

Kicking Bird-Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

[Repost from Music. Defined.; by Josh Terzino, May 20, 2023]

The day we’ve all been waiting for has finally arrived! To be more accurate, the day you’ve been waiting for has arrived. I’ve been listening to Kicking Bird’s debut LP for so long I kinda forgot that it wasn’t actually out yet. It was five long moths ago that I premiered the first single off the album, “Lauren,” and I received my vinyl copy of Original Motion Picture Soundtrack about a month ago (one of the joys of pre-ordering is you may get an early surprise!).

The album is a beautiful piece of surf rock meets indie pop with allusions to the greats like Springsteen and McCartney mixed in to add a hint of familiarity to this musical introduction. Kicking Bird fills their music with relatable themes like alienation and disconnectedness, love both unrequited and lost, and the need for some kind of support to make it through this world.

“Lauren” pops up early on the album, but a couple of my other favorites fall back to back in the middle. “Stuck” has an amazing energy, with a guitar riff that absolutely rips. Eventually it turns into a screaming solo that is a certified face-melter.

The day we’ve all been waiting for has finally arrived! To be more accurate, the day you’ve been waiting for has arrived. I’ve been listening to Kicking Bird’s debut LP for so long I kinda forgot that it wasn’t actually out yet. It was five long moths ago that I premiered the first single off the album, “Lauren,” and I received my vinyl copy of Original Motion Picture Soundtrack about a month ago (one of the joys of pre-ordering is you may get an early surprise!).

The album is a beautiful piece of surf rock meets indie pop with allusions to the greats like Springsteen and McCartney mixed in to add a hint of familiarity to this musical introduction. Kicking Bird fills their music with relatable themes like alienation and disconnectedness, love both unrequited and lost, and the need for some kind of support to make it through this world.

“Lauren” pops up early on the album, but a couple of my other favorites fall back to back in the middle. “Stuck” has an amazing energy, with a guitar riff that absolutely rips. Eventually it turns into a screaming solo that is a certified face-melter.

If you find any of this compelling, I urge you to go check out the full album. You can find it on Bandcamp or any of the other DSPs.

New album: Kicking Bird || Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

[Repost from Add to Wantlist; by Dennis, May 19, 2023]

Kicking Bird is an alternative rock band from Wilmington, North Carolina (US), Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is their full-length debut album without a movie attached (no, we’re not going to talk about Dances with Wolves). Tom Michels (bass, guitar, vocals), Shaun Paul (guitar, bass, vocals), Shaylah Paul (keyboards, vocals), Robin Cooksley (guitar) and Greg Blair (drums) claim to have stolen chords and melodies from some of our favorite early 2000s’ indie names, who of course had also been inspired by their predecessors themselves (telling lyrics in closing track Rip Off: “He said: it sounds like Townes // I said: everything’s a rip off”), yet everything here sounds quite fresh and original in 2023. You’ll hear eleven guitar-driven rock tracks with influences from punk, Americana, 60s girl groups and power pop – energetic music with relatable stories, infectious hooks, woo-hoo’s and hand claps, and awesome harmony vocals. This just might be one of those records that future artists will be stealing from in 20 years.

Local band Kicking Bird turns punchy pop-rock into a party, debuts first album

[Repost from Port City Daily; by Shea Carver, May 19, 2023]

WILMINGTON — A band that has traversed states and found its nest in southeastern North Carolina is releasing its first full-length album this week.

Kicking Bird will give fans a live taste of “Original Motion Picture Soundtrack” Friday night at Reggie’s 42nd St. Tavern. The 11-track release is a testament to the band’s talent and thriving creation of punchy pop-rock.

“We’re just a sweaty dance party band,” guitarist and frontman Shaun Paul said Wednesday during a break from working at Hot Wax Surf Shop, his family’s business.

Shaun is the primary songwriter with his wife Shaylah (keys), whose collaboration is going 15 years strong. The two met in Chicago and first played in a band called Chaperone. That partnership — and eventual marriage — led Shaun to jamming with Shaylah’s brother, Dylan, in the first incarnation of Kicking Bird, a name that has its roots firmly planted in dance and cinema.

It’s a reference to the Kevin Costner movie “Dances with Wolves,” specifically the Sioux Indian from the Pawnee tribe known as Kicking Bird, who is friends with Costner’s character.

The Pauls are joined by Robin Cooksley (lead guitar), Tom Michaels (bass) and Greg Blair (drums), whose expansive soundscapes — fuzz guitars, pedals, driving ‘90s rhythms — are a bit cinematic as well. Though “Original Motion Picture Soundtrack” isn’t a direct reflection of the Costner movie, Shaun said each track coalesced in a way that could be a musical short film of sorts. 

“Like a day in Carolina Beach — on someone’s vacation,” he suggested. “You could write a whole story around it if you wanted to.”

The band was playing many of the songs live by the time it started recording. However, during the process, three new tracks were added into the mix: “Hickory River,” “Stuck” and “Talking to Ghosts (IRL).”

Shaylah wrote the latter on piano first and brought a loose representation with few words to Shaun, who added in the guitar melody. He said the G-flat note stood out, so he ran with it to blanket the song’s haunting vibe.

“I think that kind of permeated all the lyrics from there,” Shaun added.

On the song, Shaylah sings:

“Slip away/You can visit when the moon grows/I’m still on your mind/Slide away/It’s a mirror on a tightrope/I’m still on your mind.”

“It’s one of my favorites, as far as lyrical content,” Shaun said. 

The husband and wife approach songwriting differently, but the polarity is what makes it work — along with mutual respect and constructive criticism.

“Her concept of music structure and kitsch and melody are far superior to mine,” Shaun said. “And my knowledge of chord structure and what makes a song move to the next part is something that she benefits from.”

Shaun writes from fiction, Shayla from personal experience.

“I like the sound of words first,” he explained. “And the meaning of them will come later. But this record is a fine mix of both.”

A lot of Kicking Bird’s lyrics center on proverbial rock ’n’ roll inspiration: love. Whether it’s online dating (“Talking to Girls (on the Internet),” which has a hard open conjuring ‘90s Brit rockers Hefner) or moving past an old flame (“Stuck”), each is punctuated by a solid hook. It’s one of the quintessential elements needed to make a pop song … well, pop.

“It has to draw you in and keep you singing, or humming it later that day or week, month if it’s really good,” Cooksley said. 

He references “Talking to Girls” and “Just to Be Here with You.” The latter is Cooksley’s most beloved song on the record, due to the dynamics of guitar work that crescendos into noise. 

“It has a killer drum beat, ripping guitar leads and gorgeous backing vocals — a bit of everything,” he said.

The perfect pop song, according to Shaun, comes with two verses, three choruses, and a bridge, and it must not exceed three-and-a-half minutes. Only one, “Talking to Ghosts,” from the album does so — by 11 seconds.

Shaylah finds herself drawn to the “melodic component” first, ensuring it’s an instantaneous attention-grabber for the listener. But it also must have “heart” and an “addictive quality, so you can’t help but play it again and again.”

She cites “Lauren” as a good example. 

“There isn’t exactly a chorus that repeats multiple times; the catchiest part of the song is the verse near the end, where the band drops out besides the bass and handclaps,” she said. “That moment has the kind of energy that pop songs have, where they can move the energy in the room.”

Shaun was listening to a lot of Ty Segall and Bruce Springsteen during recording, which infuses influence even if subliminally. Power rhythms are aplenty on the album, tipping its hat to ‘80s and ‘90s bands. Particularly, he named The Clash and The Ramones as music that perfectly blends in tandem pop sensibilities with rock edge. 

Though Motown girl groups, The Ronettes and Chantels, also are inspirations.

“There’s simpleness in the lyrics to those songs that kind of convey a lot with a little and that’s hard to do,” he said. “Where we have fun is turning the music into a party. We’re not looking to make anybody think too hard, but at the same time, we want everybody on the same wavelength.”

He said each member plays a critical role in reaching that end-goal. Shaun called Blair an “emotional empath” of a drummer, who secures the vibe of a song without much direction.

“I don’t know how to explain how to play the drums,” he said. “But Greg will just pick up the sticks and be like, ‘OK, I get you.’”

Michaels is the “wonderkid” when it comes to recording and electronics, and made the album “sound good,” Shaun praised. He added Cooksley runs checks and balances to make sure everyone and everything is in order. 

“He is also an amazing guitar player when it comes to making a song better — by adding a part or just some riff where you wouldn’t expect it,” Shaun said.

The band is conclusive that recording “Original Motion Picture Soundtrack” was smooth sailing. Kicking Bird has been working on its debut LP since 2020; the band released a five-track EP, “The Covid Tapes,” during summer 2021. Only one song, “238,” appears on both.

The band captured the intensity of their music in a shed in drummer Blair’s backyard — “where we practice and get loud,” Shaun said. It took roughly nine months to record, a process Shayla called “extremely fun.”

“It was the first time I truly heard the intricacies of what everyone is doing during the live show,” she said.

The group intrinsically works well together and feeds off each other with an ease of flow. 

“So anytime Shayla wanted to do eight vocal effects on top of each other, Tom was like, ‘I’ll layer them together,’” Shaun said. “He was cool. Or anytime Greg said, ‘I want to do bongos here,’ it’s like, ‘Alright, let’s do that.’”

They sent the final record to Seattle to be mastered by Frank Mazzeo (Fleet Foxes), who Shaun said exceeded expectations: “Frank really bumped it up to the next level.”

Most of the challenges the band faced came over decisions in aesthetics or promotion — such as the record’s artwork. 

“We all have strong opinions, so agreeing on something subjective like artwork was … interesting,” Cooksley said with a laugh. “But we got there.”

“Original Motion Picture Soundtrack” showcases Cooksley’s daughter swimming in the Atlantic Ocean on Carolina Beach — a photo captured by local photographer and Cooksley’s pal Shane Keenan. 

The tight-knit nature of the band spills over to their families, wherein their kids play with each other while the adults are at band practice.

“It’s going on eight years,” Shaun said, noting they’ve already begun plotting record number two.  

Many news songs have been penned in the last month or so. Though it won’t be a total departure from the vitality of sound Kicking Bird envelops, Shaun said a Brit influence is likely to find more impact on their sound.

“I’m listening to a lot of Belle and Sebastian, Camera Obscura,” he said. “The new stuff is going to still be poppy and snare-snappy forward, but I think there’s going to be a little bit more subtlety.”

The setlist for the “Original Motion Picture Soundtrack” show at Reggie’s (1415 S 42nd St.) Friday night will feature tracks from the band’s new record, older songs, plus some of the new ones that have yet to be played in front of an audience. 

“Everybody’s gonna be dancing and singing along,” Shaun said.

Roughly 100 vinyls have been pressed for “Original Motion Picture Soundtrack,” with the release for sale at the show. It also will be available on Kicking Bird’s Bandcamp page.

Joining the bill will be Pleasure Island and Cool Jerk.

OUT NOW: Kicking Bird 'Original Motion Picture Soundtrack' [12inch LP]

"Everything's a rip off." Kicking Bird states that clearly but without irony or apology on their debut album Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. The twist however is that while stolen chords or melodies are an inevitability in all music, it's impossible to not filter the work of those who came first through our own cracked and unique lenses. This is where the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack shines.

Kicking Bird lives inside the connective tissue that started with the first instruments, voices and drums. Subtly familiar but still completely unique, each song on Original Motion Picture Soundtrack attempts to find a space inside the strings and vibrations to reach that wholly shared experience inside all of us, the need to dance. Their live performances slam back and forth between explosive and intimate, highlighted by the polarity shifts of "Just To Be Here With You" and "All The Smallest Places Turn Into A Dream".

The interplay between three distinct vocalists helps define the sound of Kicking Bird while guitars, keys and drums blast through 1-4-5 chord changes that channel the carefree recklessness of early New York punk and 60s Midwest girl groups. Songs like "Lauren" vibrate with urgency and tension, angular guitar riffs calling back to the early 2000s and bands born out of wild eyed bathroom meetings and poorly lit studio apartments.

Five people brought shared experiences into a shed beside a river in southeast North Carolina. What came from that time together is humble, simple, and undeniably unified. Fictions and truths mixed together into a final story, Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.

LISTEN TO FULL ALBUM // ORDER VINYL RECORD

Lauds 'Imitation Life'

[Repost from Take Effect; by Tom Haugen, May 16, 2023]

Rating: 10 / 10

A North Carolina outfit who sound right at home in England in the early to mid ‘80s, Lauds make the sort of dreamy, punky, shoegazey pop that’s drenched in reverb, is sonically introspective and dark in a noisy sort of way.

“Parallel” opens the listen with a dream-gaze meets post-punk spirit that’s melodic, ethereal and even slightly jangly like your favorites from way back when, and “Somehow” follows with swirling guitars and a lush climate that would sound right at home on a mixed tape with The Smith and New Order.

At the midpoint, “Don’t Mind” offers scrappy musicianship with hazy singing and plenty of warm atmosphere, while “Rust” flows with a dream-pop prettiness that’s got a brooding tone.

Further yet, “Distant Images” is a swift and buzzing display of alt-rock fuzziness that comes with a surf rock solo, and “Misplace A Night” exits with an echoey intimacy and emotive outpouring.

Lauds is made up of Gavin Campbell, Boyce S. Evans, J Holt Evans III, James McKay Glasgow, and Ross Page, which are probably names you don’t know. If you do, however, know the names Robert Smith, Johnny Marr, Siouxie Sioux or Andy Bell, well, Imitation Life just might be your new favorite record.

Travels well with: Too Much Joy- Mistakes Were Made; Desario- Signal And Noise

OUT NOW: MindsOne / RizzyBeats 'The Time Space Continuum Redux' [12inch LP]

The Time Space Continuum Redux is not only RizzyBeats's revival of MindsOne's debut album, but it's his own personal gift for MindsOne to celebrate the two emcees, KON Sci and Tronic, as they both embark on their fourth decade around the sun and embrace the seventeenth anniversary of their first official release. For the Redux, RizzyBeats used the original vocal tracks from 2006's The Time Space Continuum and produced an up-to-date version reflective of the Golden Age of Hip-Hop.

MindsOne has been offering their listeners innovative lyrics, heart pounding instrumentals, precise cuts, and intense live shows since 2002. Their music embodies the spirit of independent hip hop culture and pays homage to those boom bap masters and others who came before. MindsOne have consistently delivered powerful and inspirational music over the years, and have continued to perfect their sound with each project.

RizzyBeats is an American hip-hop producer whose style employs sampled-based production, often direct from vinyl, as a means of conveying his sonic messages. He began making beats at the age of seventeen while in high school. RizzyBeats has released many instrumental projects of his own, as well as produced artists such as Coastal Connection, RYAN ELLiS. Louis., and Sheme OG. In addition, RizzyBeats is a member of Beats & Coffee, a Wilmington, North Carolinas-based hip-hop producer collective.

With The Time Space Continuum Redux, MindsOne and RizzyBeats evoke the sound of hip-hop's golden era, while keeping it fresh for a new generation of fans.

LISTEN TO FULL ALBUM // ORDER VINYL RECORD

[L-R] Tronic + KON Sci of MindsOne; RizzyBeats

Meet Indie Artist Brian Lopez

[Repost from Blood Makes Noise; May 4, 2023]

A lead player in crafting the sound of the Southwest indie scene for the past two decades, Lopez will drop his 4th studio album, TIDAL, in May 2023. According to Popmatters: “TIDAL’s debut single, “3000 Stories,” is indie rock and folk this side of Elliott Smith, finding its mellow vibe in subtle, undulating synths, guitar tones, and soft-sung vocals. It’s a gorgeously crafted, unassuming first single that sets the tone for something special from Lopez in the coming months with TIDAL.” 

Lopez released his first solo album Ultra in 2011 to international acclaim. Rolling Stone Germany described the record as “Psychedelic chamber-pop with the surrealist touch of Dalí.” After touring across Europe and the US as the opening act for KT Tunstall, Giant Sand and Heartless Bastards, he released Static Noise in 2014, followed in 2018 by Prelude, a lo-fi 10-song album written and recorded in his Armory Park bedroom during a two-week period. 

How did the band form?

I started playing guitar when I was 12…so it's been about a million years now. One of these days I might actually sound good.

Previous musical projects? How'd you first get into music?

I’ve been a hired  gun for touring acts like  KT Tunstall, Calexico, Nouvelle Vague, Mexican Institute of Sound, Giant Sand….The first indie rock touring band I started was called Mostly Bears back in 2006. We died in 2009.  I started the psych /cumbia rock project, XIXA, in 2013. We’re still active. And I’ve been putting out solo albums since 2009…I’ll always be doing the solo thing. It’s like brushing my teeth. Just gotta do it.

First concert that you ever went to?

Santana at the Pima County Fairgrounds in Tucson, AZ. I must’ve been 10 years old? Not so coincidentally the first time I smelled weed.

What's your writing process like? 

These days? Typically I don’t start until after 8pm. There’s usually some mezcal involved. Some edibles. And sometimes psilocybin. I demo songs at home on pro tools. Then when they sound fully formed, I take the song(s) to Dust & Stone Studios in Tucson, which my band XIXA owns and operates, and I record them there.

What other artists or songs inspire your music?

I love Peruvian chicha, French Chanson, Brit pop, singer songwriters like Nick Drake and Elliott Smith. I mean I love a whole lot of stuff, depending on the hour of day. But this playlist is mostly chill rainy day songwriter-y stuff.

What's the live experience like and your philosophy on playing live? Do you think the music live should be identical to the recorded version or should it be it's own thing?

There’s a proper time and space to represent the recorded version of a song while on stage. But there is certainly a craft in taking that recorded product and finding a new shape for it – a shape that better accompanies the performative aspect of the song. 

Has the band toured? What has the touring experience been, best shows? worst shows?

Lots. I’m in Cologne, Germany now on tour. I’ve had many great touring experiences. And a handful of really bad ones. One of the first tours I did was with a band called Mostly Bears, which I co-founded when I was 22. We toured across the country several times. One time we were playing a show in Minneapolis, Minnesota…and a local punk band was headlining. They brought approximately ZERO people to the show. And didn’t watch our set. We had a long night drive to Chicago the next day, so as they played their headlining set, we started to pack up our merch and head out. The lead singer, from the stage, started cursing at us for leaving early. And then the stopped their set and followed us outside to the parking lot where  I Had broken a glass beer bottle to fend them off while our sound engineer got the getaway vehicle. There was some yelling back and forth..some threats made…and in the end, we got into the tour band without any incident. But for a second there, I thought we were gonna get jumped by 7 or a 8 local punk rockers. One of them, by the way, was the local promoter haha. On the way out of the parking lot, there was a woman selling roses. I bought a dozen and had the woman distribute them to our new punker friends. The End. 

What's up next for the band?

New solo album, TIDAL, out June 23rd. Then hopefully more touring throughout the summer and fall 2023.

PRE-ORDER VINYL RECORD HERE

Desario: Eclipse

[Repost from Here Comes the Flood; by Hans Werksman, May 4, 2023]

Sacramento, CA based quartet Desario have found a way to mix jabngeling guitars with shoegaze on their new single Eclipse. It is a nice play of light and shade with a main hook that hard to resist. John Conley's vocals could have been turned up a bit louder in the mix. The twin guitars are commandeering the spotlights, but bass player Mike Carr has a found a spot to insert a lick straight out of the Sisters of Mercy playbook.

Desario:
Michael Yoas: guitar, keyboards
John Conley: vocals, guitar
Mike Carr: bass
Kirklyn Cox: drums, percussion

Eclipse is released via Fort Lowell Records.

Springing for singles II

[Repost from Poprock Record; Dennis Pilon, April 28, 2023]

On Kicking Bird’s debut LP Original Motion Picture Soundtrack you hear a band that is having fun, not taking themselves too seriously. There’s a Titus Andronicus shambolic feel to things sometimes (“Hickory River”), but a more measured sixties girl group pacing at others (“Just To Be Here With You”). Personally, I’m taken with the topical, jaunty “Talking to Girls (On the Internet).”

Will's Band of the Week: Lauds

[Repost from Will's Band of the Week; April 30, 2023]

Will and Jason discuss new releases by Lauds, Ulrika Spacek, and Cindy, plus a death of the week and bonus songs.

LISTEN HERE:

Video: Brian Lopez feat. KT Tunstall “Road To Avalon”

[Repost from Americana UK; by Andrew Frolish, April 20, 2023]

Tucson singer-songwriter Brian Lopez once again delivers the sound of the American Southwest in his new single ‘Road to Avalon’.  The song features Scottish singer KT Tunstall, with whom he has toured in the past, and the interplay of their voices is the highlight of the song.  Beginning with the pair’s melodic vocals and moody guitar, before ethereal piano notes and accordion from multi-instrumentalist Gabriel Sullivan drift in, the song is immediately absorbing.  Full of cinematic atmosphere, the song bursts with renewed energy halfway through when the powerful bass and percussion kick in and all those layers create a rich, full sound. The video for ‘Road to Avalon’ is an engrossing animation, directed and created by 10 Years Time (Charlie Elms), whose work can be seen here.  It’s a visual psychedelic trip, a vibrant journey into the imagination that reinforces the song’s themes of mystical escape and companionship.

Lopez says of the song and working in collaboration with Tunstall:  “It was just nice to work together again, especially during the solitude of a pandemic. I really enjoyed the challenge of writing a song that would fit into, not only a storyline of KT and I, but also a song that gave KT some creative license to do what she does best. And she delivered those beautiful vocal arrangements you hear that I would never be able to conceive of on my own.”

Lopez will be familiar to AUK readers as a frontman for XIXA and he has also been a member of Giant Sand and Calexico.  After a few years writing and recording with Calexico and XIXA, Lopez is once again focusing on solo material and ‘Road to Avalon’ is taken from his forthcoming fourth album ‘Tidal’, due for release on 23rd June 2023.  Expect more songs that blend the sound and feel of cosmic psychedelia with the mystery of the Arizona desert.  Enjoy.

Kicking Bird

[Repost from 3Hive; by Todd Simmons, April 17, 2023]

We are stoked to bring you the premier of Wilmington, North Carolina quintet Kicking Bird’s latest single “Just To Be Here With You”; a 4 minute dreamy pop track, packed with infectious guitar melodies and vocal harmonies from Shaylah Paul and her husband Shaun Paul.

Kicking Bird’s debut LP Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is out in May via Fort Lowell Records. Enjoy.

PRE-ORDER NOW: James Sardone 'Colors' [12inch EP]

For more than a generation, James Sardone has put his own unique spin on indie rock. Hailing from the Appalachians, the musical magpie has dabbled in an expanding number of genres on a journey that stretched up the eastern seaboard. What started in the late 80s as the irreverent noise of seminal post-punk trio Brickbat -- who toured with Jawbox, The Jesus Lizard, The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion -- has given way now to electronica-infused, 80s pop-inflected solo work. In between, Sardone honed his craft, evolving in an array of projects from the country-tinged hard rock Burnley Brothers to the rockabilly sensibilities of The Jimmy Nations Combo to Loose Jets’ glammier hard rock. Like music itself, Sardone never rests, never stays in one musical space too long before branching out to his next cacoethes.

Now working as a solo artist, Sardone's EP Colors presents us with an opportunity to witness the Wilmington, North Carolina guitar virtuoso's mastery as a pop songwriter. The titled track "Colors Of Your Brain" is a captivating guitar-driven dance hit layered with an abundant amount of compelling influence that spans four decades of Alternative music. Indie R'n'B duo De La Noche (Robert Rogan, Brian Weeks) contribute two versions of their solid four-on-the-floor remix for "Colors Of Your Brain"; one short edit geared toward radio disc jockeys, and another that clocks in over eleven minutes primed to keep you on the dance floor. To round out the EP, Sardone delivers a captivating rendition of Blondie's "Dreaming" featuring Tracy Shedd on piano, along with "Life of Love" — an upbeat original song chock-full of sophisticated, optimistic hooks.

James Sardone Colors will be release on Friday, July 21, 2023.

CLICK HERE TO PRE-ORDER VINYL

What's In Our Inbox! Brian Lopez ft. KT Tunstall

[Repost from Blood Makes Noise; April 18, 2023]

Band Name:  Brian Lopez (Ft. KT Tunstall)

BMN Score: 9.2/10

What the band says they sound like: Alternative indie-rock artist Brian Lopez (Calexico, XIXA) shares his latest single “Road To Avalon,” with a special guest feature and longtime friend KT Tunstall. Tapping into the memory of shared exploration and experiences between the friends around Glastonbury Festival many moons ago, the waltz-leaning single narrates an escape into the unknown corners of your mind in the name of trust and the procurement of curiosity. It is less a love song and more of one that celebrates the power of companionship as you trek on towards greater unknowns hand in hand with the trust of a friend.

What we say they sound like: It's weird when you mostly review lo-fi stuff to come across something so hi-fi and perfect. It's cinematic in it's approach, a slow build into a very classic sounding song. It reminds me of something written by Burt Bacharach for a 70's cowboy film starring Paul Newman. The guitar lead when the drums kick in give it that whole Sergio Leone feel. What's interesting is I can only think of movie music to compare it to as musically it's in that vein of 70's pop and the full orchestration only helps it to feel like a soundtrack piece. KT Tunstall's vocals are a perfect fit but are hardly a centerpiece. Beautiful video to accompany it as well. It's not often that I lock onto lyrics either but the opening line “night is a savage bird of prey” just shows that all aspects of this song are great. 

Song to add to your playlist: Road To Avalon

OUT NOW: Kicking Bird "Just to Be Here with You" [Digital Single]

The third and final single from Wilmington, North Carolina's own Kicking Bird, titled "Just to Be Here with You", from their debut album Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is available now on all music platforms.

• "A four minute dreamy pop track, packed with infectious guitar melodies and vocal harmonies" ~ 3hive, Todd Simmons
  

LISTEN TO DIGITAL SINGLE // PRE-ORDER VINYL RECORD

OUT NOW: MindsOne / RizzyBeats "Overlord (Thoughts of a Madman)" [Digital Signal]

The second single from the brand new album The Time Space Continuum Redux, by MindsOne / RizzyBeats, titled "Overlord (Thoughts of a Madman)" is available now on all music platforms.

The Time Space Continuum Redux is not only RizzyBeats's revival of MindsOne's debut album, but it's his own personal gift for MindsOne to celebrate the two emcees, KON Sci and Tronic, as they both embark on their fourth decade around the sun and embrace the seventeenth anniversary of their first official release. For the Redux, RizzyBeats used the original vocal tracks from 2006's The Time Space Continuum and produced an up-to-date version reflective of the Golden Age of Hip-Hop.

PS: Happy Birthday, RizzyBeats!

LISTEN TO DIGITAL SINGLE // PRE-ORDER VINYL ALBUM

Premiere: Brian Lopez's new single 'Road to Avalon,' featuring KT Tunstall

[Repost from Arizona Daily Star; by Cathalena Burch, April 4, 2023]

Tucson singer-songwriter Brian Lopez reunites with Scottish singer KT Tunstall on "Road to Avalon," a song he recorded during the pandemic. It's the second single off his forthcoming solo album "Tidal," due out this summer on the Los Angeles-based Cosmic Records. The single is available on most major download platforms on Tuesday, April 4. Lopez, who also is part of the popular Tucson cumbia rock band XIXA, toured North America and the UK with Tunstall in 2013 as part of her "Invisible Empire Crescent Moon" tour. He sang backing vocals on that studio album, which Tunstall recorded at Tucson's WaveLab Studios with Howe Gelb. Lopez said he and Tunstall worked remotely on the single during the COVID-19 pandemic, exchanging digital files as he made the record at home and from his downtown Dust & Stone Recording Studio. 

Single Premiere + interview – Eclipse by Desario (2023) (Fort Lowell Records)

[Repost from Janglepophub; by Darrin Lee, April 3, 2023]

Despite an increasingly age addled grumpiness of personality, regular readers of our blog will know that I can gush like a teenager speaking awkwardly with their first ‘too hot for them’ crush the moment I find myself enamoured with a piece of music.

Thus it was so that I pledged my everlasting love for the Signal and Noise album that Sacramento foursome Desario released back in July 2022 on Sunday Records and Fort Lowell Records).

This double track single is their first release since that glorious album (you see, there I go again !?) and JanglePopHub are absolutely honoured to be asked to Premiere the initial Eclipse track today before both tracks are officially released on 07 April 2023.

If Signal and Noise saw the band jump more concertedly into a more jangle-pop based sound that often frequented previous releases without ever dominating, Eclipse sees a return to their more bruised, burnished and emotionally charged sound that simultaneously cavorts with the dank, industrial jangle-rock of The Wends / RGV aesthetic whilst managing to clutch onto the fringes of mid 80s post-punk oppression and anxiety.

The band were kind enough to grant us a short interview discussing their thoughts around the release.

The “Eclipse” A-Side and Indeed Desario’s aesthetic in general is notoriously hard to pigeon-hole to a genre. Various blogs describe it as shoegaze at one end of the spectrum to jangle-rock at the other end with all manner of indie rock, alternative rock, post-punk terms used in between…how do Desario describe their own sound, why is it so hard to describe and what influences simmer through on “Eclipse”?

John Conley:

That’s a huge compliment, I’m glad our sound is a little difficult to define. We are influenced by all of those genres. I would say this particular song was inspired by 80s post-punk and alternative bands like the Echo and the Bunnymen and The Church.

There is also some early 2000s influence from bands like Editors and maybe British Sea Power. Mike (Yoas) and I both love the BSP album “Open Season”. 

Michael Yoas:

Desario’s sound has always been tough to describe. The four of us have identical and at the same time, very dissimilar musical tastes and influences that we pull from. We are not afraid to wear our influences on our sleeves on any song, the influences just vary greatly from song to song.

Regarding “Eclipse”, I agree with John in that I hear E&TB, BSP as well as early 90’s Brit-Pop…and I don’t know why, but it also reminds me of Fleetwood Mac.

Mike Carr:

Speaking of notorious, Desario takes a notoriously long time between albums. Due to this, we usually have the core ideas that form the basis of the majority of the songs for the next album by the time the current album comes out. But we don’t rush anything.

Some songs start from 1 member’s ideas, but the majority are written and evolve together as a band. The longer we work on them, the more they take shape and mature, and the more each member’s ideas and influences come out. I believe this is what gives our songs their uniqueness and character. And sometimes an idea isn’t quite right for where we currently are as a band. “Eclipse” is no different – I’ve found practice recordings of what eventually would become “:Eclipse” from as far back as the end of 2014!

What was the songwriting and recording process for both tracks on the single? Was anything different to how Desario usually arrives at their music?

JC:

This song was recorded during the “Signal and Noise” sessions. When we were arranging the tracks for the album, we felt at the time it didn’t quite fit with the other songs on the album.

MY:

The recording process was especially interesting for me as this was the first album which I recorded and mixed from start to finish.

I have always had a hand in our previous records, but not the complete process. The end result of the sessions versus what I heard in my head going in was very close for the most of the songs…one of the exceptions being “Eclipse”. It ended up with a different vibe than the rest of Signal and Noise, therefore it made sense to release as a stand-alone single.

What is the lyrical context of both tracks? Are they repeated themes from previous releases?

JC:

We started recording the songs for “Signal and Noise” just before the pandemic. I ended up writing most of the lyrics during the pandemic. I think that had an influence on the lyrical tone, especially both of these songs. I would say an overarching theme is feelings of loss, separation and anxiety.

How did the pairing with Lavender Blush’s Ryan Leisure arise in relation to his “The Things We Left Behind” re-mix?

JC:

I’ve been friends with Ryan (Lescure) for a number of years. I have also designed the album covers for Lavender Blush, along with a 10″ EP and 7″ single. Mike (Yoas) did a remix for a B-side from the first Lavender Blush LP.

When we shared an early version of our album with Ryan, he had expressed some interest in remixing “Things We Left Behind”. What he did with the songs is really cool, it’s more of a reinterpretation. He added some new guitar parts and gave the song a heavier feel.

MY:

For me, it was a completely unexpected, but satisfying reimagination of “Things We Left Behind”. I would definitely love to continue trading remixes with Ryan in the future.

Desario; photo by Owen Carr