Mighty Joe Belson finds beauty in gratitude on ‘Ten Roses’
‘Ten Roses’ is a gentle piece, but there’s nothing casual about the way Mighty Joe Belson arrives at that gentleness. Throughout, the California-based composer and bassist places the bowed upright bass at the centre of the track, using it not for weight or drama, but for something softer and moreContinue Reading
Suzy’s Field celebrate Halloween with a slick funk throwback on ‘Where Do You Go?’
‘Where Do You Go?’ finds Suzy’s Field having fun with atmosphere without letting the concept overwhelm the song. Here, the Cork City band lean into a distinctly 70s-inspired strain of funk, pairing smooth vocal harmonies with crisp rhythmic guitar and just enough seasonal unease to justify the Halloween release. TheContinue Reading
Joseph Turner reflects on loss and change in ‘Missouri’
‘Missouri’ is a song shaped as much by time as by grief. As one of Joseph Turner’s earliest compositions, it returns with a perspective that has changed alongside its writer. What began as a personal response to loss has taken on new meaning as his own understanding of life, deathContinue Reading
‘I Wish’ reaches new audiences through music, charity and live events
Ken Freirich’s Random Acts of Kindness project is continuing to build support around “I Wish”, a song created around themes of peace, dignity and social connection. The African Children’s Choir version has now passed 33 million YouTube views after being recorded and filmed in Uganda earlier this year. The song hasContinue Reading
Legends of the Seven Golden Vampires take a major step forward on ‘The Pumphouse of Broken Dreams’
A band can become more focused without becoming less interesting, and The Pumphouse of Broken Dreams proves it. Legends of the Seven Golden Vampires built much of their early reputation around eclecticism. Their debut moved freely through psychedelic rock, funk, trip-hop and electronic music, often with a deliberate disregard for conventionalContinue Reading
January Blue finds the fun in being over it on ‘Sha La La’
January Blue’s ‘Sha La La’ takes the familiar post-breakup fantasy of the ex coming back just as you’ve finally moved on, and turns it into something light, playful and almost impossibly sunny. Following directly from previous single ‘Boys Club’, the track revisits the same relationship from a very different emotionalContinue Reading
Eric Angelo Bessel explores memory and landscape on ‘Illusion of an Inland Ocean’
Illusion of an Inland Ocean is an expansive ambient record built around memory, landscape and gradual change. Across eighteen interconnected pieces, Portland-based composer Eric Angelo Bessel works with Mellotrons, guitars and analogue processing to create a collection that favours atmosphere over narrative. Throughout, the album develops through recurring textures, subtle shiftsContinue Reading
TMYS put melody and restlessness at the centre of ‘I Wanna Get High’
‘I Wanna Get High’ is a strong opening statement from TMYS because it immediately establishes the project’s priorities of melody, movement and emotional ambiguity. The Paris-based project draws heavily from the spirit of British indie music, but their debut single avoids feeling like simple nostalgia. Here, it uses the familiarContinue Reading
Beyond Music Offers Recording Awards for Twelve Cross-Cultural Collaborations
Eleven artist teams will receive cash awards and professional audio finishing, while a twelfth will record with Ibrahim Maalouf in Miami, under the selection plan for Beyond Music’s next album. The Beyond Music Vol.5 open call is free to enter and welcomes professional musicians across genres. Beyond Music is invitingContinue Reading
Someone Actually Made a Song About Halloween’s Unofficial License to Slut
There are certain things we’ve collectively agreed to accept about Halloween. Pumpkin-flavored everything. Adults spending hundreds of dollars on costumes they’ll wear once. People insisting their outfits are clever when they’re clearly just wearing a bedsheet. And, of course, the annual transformation of perfectly ordinary people into sexy nurses, sexyContinue Reading