Powder Blue - New Music "Introducing"

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Over the next few months I expect to discover a good number of bands thanks to their announcement in The Great Escape line-up, even as a New Music blog the one thing that is given is the fact there are always more new bands than you can ever listen to. Powder Blue are a Canadian quartet who released a debut six track EP early last year (available on digital / sexy 12" vinyl now via Bandcamp).

I think my favourite is the first "Go On Forever", the track opens with this foreboding, atmosphere-heavy organ before the tide parts to make the way for slow-burning guitars and reverb-heavy vocal harmonies. The mood remains hazy and hypnotic throughout, a sweet and mysterious beauty that takes you on a blissed-out ethereal journey you don't really want to leave.

The following track "Dream in Black" is perhaps closest to the obvious Warpaint comparisons, with its layers of swirling guitar textured, forever elongated, jangly psyche rhythms which soon embed themselves in your brain whilst western plains are the thoughts during the languid "The Haunting" an exotic, dark and gorgeous combination of spaghetti western soundtrack echoes and surf guitar textures. Yes. I like this a lot. See you in Brighton come what May.

EMA #8 - So Blonde

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The second taster to the new EMA album The Future's Void is perhaps even better than the first, "So Blonde" sees Erika reclaim her guitar with typical gender-bending style after the stark industrial squeal of "Satellites". Here slacker riffs and heavy drums beats provide the melody for Erika to hit out at sexism and objectification coupled with a video that reinforces the point with blonde cartoon characters on Venice Beach.

EMA has also announced her UK return with a date at London's Garage on June 3rd (amongst others). The Future's Void is released April 7th via City Slang.

The Bright Smoke - Virginia Et Al.

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Despite the odd moan about the blogs mail inbox it's still an important part of music discovery, sure I am overwhelmed by emails on a daily basis, I receive more than I could ever listen to in full and it's a timely basis just deciding which ones I might like but often treasures are found which might otherwise have never been discovered. One such example why the time eventually pays off is The Bright Smoke, the Brooklyn based project of Mia Wilson.

Her latest EP is my discovery point, the six Virginia Et Al. which came out last December and the track "Wild Again" my starting point, instantly you are seduced by the pitter-patter of restrained percussion and creeping guitar circles and then shortly after Mia's voice hits you, her alluring, slow-burn tones recalling the starker moments of PJ Harvey's Is This Desire?, drenched in a web of exotic, hazy beauty and mysterious intrigue, you are pulled in immediately.

"Pure Light" is similarly darkly hued, both weird and wonderful with subtle ringing guitars and twinkling piano chords emphasising the raw, seductive power of Mia's charismatic delivery whilst "Slow Burn" is the EP's most devastating moment, revealing its meaning slowly before hitting home with equal measure heartbreak and reflection. Quite the introduction.

Virginia Et Al. is available now via Bandcamp.




The Bright Smoke - Slow Down from The Bang Bang Theory® on Vimeo.

Douglas Dare - Nile

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I've featured Douglas Dare here before a couple of times with his previous involvement on backing vocals and keys with Anna Lena & The Orchids, this overdue post though will focus purely on the London based singer-songwriter and his forthcoming debut album Whelm - due for release 12th May via Erased Tapes and is available to pre-order now on CD/deluxe vinyl.

The release of its lead track "Nile" catapults this post, an understated electronic beauty that slowly lures you into its moody, pained world. Douglas' plaintive, haunted vocals allow you to almost touch his emotions and his poetic words blend immaculately around soft, luscious keys and textured atmospheric effects. The result is just beautiful. There's no other word needed.

Douglas spending March in the US before returning to play The Great Escape in May (and other shows no doubt). Listen to "Nile" below.

iamamiwhoami #5 - Hunting For Pearls

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Just last week I took to twitter with a tongue in cheek comment about the six month odd delay in receiving my vinyl copy of iamamiwhoami's Bounty EP, her first release re-released last year but delivered in February 2014. The vinyl, sleeve, labels, everything is plain white, plain. I have no idea what could have delayed it for six months. Multiple incorrect pressings I assume.

Anyway, I'm not here for that, Jonna Lee's extraordinary audio/visual experimental project returns with "Hunting For Pearls", a track which I think recalls some of energy and passion of those early Bounty tracks. After an initial 'chase scene' with typically ambient soundscapes the track's themes play out mainly around/under water where fizzing 80's sounding drums and glittering synths sound almost euphoric. As imaginative and alluring as ever, iamamiwhoami keep finding a mysterious, creative spark and long may it continue.

The track is available to download now via iamamiwhoiami's official website.

Lily & Madeleine #4 - I've Got Freedom

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One of my New Year's Resolutions as far as the blog was concerned was to keep posting about bands after the initial joy of a new single / album announcement has been made (I'm probably failing). It's pretty easy to get filled with hysteria when an act releases a debut track that blows your mind or about the first single from a favourite band returning after three years away but I often neglect to cover that act again until their next album (apart from year-end lists or festival reviews).

Generally the reasons are simple and one I adhered to on my twitter today - time. This is a one-man blog of passion and love around a family and full-time job and an obsessive compulsion to see as many gigs as I can possibly go to. Something has to give.

Anyway, that long-winding paragraph brings me onto one such act, Lily & Madeleine whom I'm covered here a couple of times around the release of last October's debut full length and forgot all about since... Their latest single "I've Got Freedom" gives me chance to amend that (I was probably meant to post this a couple of weeks ago to coincide with a UK tour but Prince kinda got in the way of my life!)...

Much like with earlier singles "Devil You Know" and "Come To Me" there's nothing not to like about the track, as beautiful and enchanting as a track about post relationship liberation can be with the sister's arresting voices and simple, restrained instrumentation creating a melody to fully lose yourself in. Pure, relaxing bliss, what more could ask for on a Tuesday evening.

Lily & Madeleine is out now on Asthmatic Kitty Records