Rich Webb Prepares to Release Genre-Defining Album of Australicana – ‘Le Rayon Vert’

Its a rare thing indeed that an aural appreciation for a moment in time captures the romanticism of a state of mind so well. Leading track ‘Let it Rain’ of forthcoming Americana release for Rich Webb, which was recorded in France, takes on much in the way of its native surrounding. The album’s title ‘Le Rayon Vert’, is taken from a concept from Jules Verne’s novel of the same name which transcribes meaning behind ‘The Green Ray’, a naturally occurring phenomenon that occurs as the last rays of sunlight flash upon the horizon – said in this case to grant heightened perception to those who view it as a kind of conductor of true feeling.

The concept behind the band’s fourth release was derived from the 1986 Éric Rohmer film (released as ‘Summer’) in which a beautiful young Parisian girl frantically searches to appease her restless soul. This very much comes across in themes which explore openness, discovery and peer into dark, disquieted areas of a fractured mind. As soon as the track fires up, you can feel momentum gather as the wheels start turning. As the stop start chops of the medley take root, suddenly the swelling surge of a convoy comes into clear view.

As if lifted straight from a soundtrack, it carries it’s almost cinematic quality along for the ride. The overall essence is one of grounded desert county garage-rock, proudly proclaiming a certain swagger but with an understated tenderness that parallels the love story it’s loosely based upon. While working alongside acclaimed sound recordist Howard Bargoff – known for his BAFTA winning and Emmy-nominated work on TV and film – the exotic and rich level of live experience they have under their below has been brought to the fore in the energy and punch that the single forces home.

The overall feeling panders towards something in terms of an elegant charge, invigorating the rain soaked masses into movement as the crowds bustle and swell. Its journey saturates belief as it all comes together in a kind of circular completion, a taste of risen dust on the lips heightening a togetherness and yearning to wash away social division.

Don’t let yourself get caught behind the wheel supping your sandblasted lager-drink.

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/richwebbband

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1g5o3qJezCQmv3OEbYez5V?si=B5i5QFINRnqYHPYuIxBE2w

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/richwebb

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/richwebbband/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/richwebbmusic

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rich_webb_music/

Website: http://rich-webb.com

 

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Alice’s Night Circus Walks the Tightrope between Theatre and Pop

Come forth, and cup your ears! Draped behind the curtains that blur the lines between obscurity and grandeur, you may begin to hear something emanating from the shadows. Stumble further and you may find your soul drawn deeper into the world of the mesmeric and magnificent, as you’re standing in attendance for the matinee of Alice’s Night Circus.

Julia Scott first announced her presence under the Alice pseudonym at the world’s largest and longest running Steampunk festival called The Asylum in Lincoln, where she now resides. From here she looks to flourish and encapsulate all that’s operatic and engaging. Furthermore, she’ll appear as herself and Alice as part of Gary Nicholls’ Imaginarium trilogy – an extravagant photography project centred on all things Steampunk.

Every note has been draped delicately around the show’s undoubted centrepiece, which are the vocals themselves. Having received classical training as child, Alice’s style encompasses all that exceptionally grand in its engaging performance.  Personifying its inspiration for the theatrical, a haunting echo hypnotises your attention towards levels of heightened captivation.

While a crooked waltz rhythm leads your hand down a darker path, it’s easy to draw perverted comparisons with Kate Bush and Florence and the Machine, but, unignorably, only while being handed candyfloss by an upside-down clown.  The traditional circus ambience of the sonic experience is one that is as equally compelling to imagine visually.

One can only assume a suitable accompaniment being a snow cone drizzled in Absinthe and dry ice – a little number to take the edge off.

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/400uDlpep629T3L02HdJtr

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnyOy98XOqXty8L8y49otwA

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alicesnightcircus/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/alicencircus

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/curiousbyalice/

Website:  www.alicesnightcircus.com

Drink Ya Later, Alligator – Strange Things are Going Down in Canada…

Big Dik Blak is very much the kind of band name you might find yourself mentioning in a pub-based conversation after a few cold drinks. It’s not necessarily the kind of act you’d want your grandma introducing on stage but then, we’d have to question that whole stage operation to be honest.

George Swan, BDB’s sole member, has been making music since anyone can remember, including himself. His press releases suggests he was born in a swamp and raised by alligators, information you might ordinarily find outlandish but in this case, almost doesn’t seem weird enough. Having survived the wreckage of the bands The Rash and Patsy Decline, BDB has gone solo, showcasing his skills as a bassist and portentous 70s organ (ironically) player. There’s so much to dig into, it’s difficult to know where to start in terms of recommendations. We’d suggest making a few of these, passing out, waking up terrified and starting the whole process all over again.

https://www.liquor.com/recipes/sex-with-an-alligator/#gs.Yvyhltg

Survival of the Fittest – Survival Code’s Latest Single

Cooking and music – do they go together? Dublin/London duo Survival Code don’t strictly answer the question definitively but we’re hedging our bets with a “no”.

Their latest single, warmly praised by Hot Press (ho-ho) Not Working, is stridently upbeat despite the point the song is making, reflecting the incredibly energetic live shows the pair are well known for.

Although we wouldn’t recommend tomfoolery in the kitchen, there must necessarily be a suitable beverage to which one can enjoy Survival Code’s new track. Avoiding the obvious Guinness, we’ve though long and hard about what fits their melodic yet heavy brew – we found just the thing: malt, coffee, 5.8%. Marvellous!

www.thesurvivalcode.co.uk

www.facebook.com/thesurvivalcode

www.soundcloud.com/thesurvivalcode

www.spotify.com/thesurvivalcode

After Hours Post-Rock with Broken Islands

Broken Islands may be the most heart-breaking listening experience of your year – or maybe the most uplifting, such is the strange brew of raucous guitars and honeyed vocals. Post-rock may have had a somewhat tumultuous hay day, evolving from sheets of amplified power chords to orchestral, if rather directionless, suites of floppy-haired yawning. It was a brave attempt to bring classical techniques to rock and indie music but it failed as bands either misunderstood what they were trying to integrate or took themselves too seriously to an alarming degree. And then there’s Broken Islands.

Broken Islands are the band post-rock should have used as its template for glory. Exceptionally grand and widescreen in scope, this is utterly thrilling, indeed the temptation to wheel out cliched phrases of rapture is almost too much to resist. Listen to the track “Crown” and you risk arrest if not moved to tears. It’s a stunning testament to a band who have only unleashed themselves on the world when they had fully developed as both a band and songwriters. Their album, Wars, has just been released (on red vinyl) and is a potential game-changer.

What to accompany this emotional experience? Well, the band are from Canada so it would be nice to bring that into the mix. Lo’, please enjoy a heart (and body warming brew from those good people at Canada Dry

https://www.canadadry.com/recipes/warm-ginger-apple-rum-punch

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-475951978/sets/wars

Spotify:  https://open.spotify.com/artist/5gpCj0xQj8BwdG3uXPUJRr

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvEJQKLM-qaFjTvMXxUMkWg

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebrokenislands/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/broken_islands

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/_thebrokenislands_/

Website: http://www.thebrokenislands.com/

For Greasy Garage Rock, It Has to be Vulpine Smile…or is that Vulpint?

Though when many people think of sixties music they conjure up sounds of pop and woozy psychedelia, we’re always partial to a slice of garage rock, the true precursor to punk and a style which has never lost its appeal. With exponents such as The Sonics and The Wailers, their unhinged breed of blues-inflected trashy, fuzzed-to-the-gills rock was a breath of fresh air and inspired anyone with a guitar, an amp and forgiving neighbours to kick out the jams and have a go themselves.

Jumping forwards to today and the model of garage rock still hangs heavy over White Stripes and Royal Blood, though their adoption of modern pedals and effects has seen them attract a much wider audience than their ancestors. Enter Vulpine Smile, a Cambridgeshire band who combine the blues progression and scuzzy guitars of yore but combine them with a soaring vocal which is very much in the Jeff Buckley mould. Their single, The Way it Flows, could not be more Booze and Reviews-friendly, both title-wise and content-wise, being intoxicating enough to make you feel half-pissed before you even start on the liquid refreshment. Talking of which, there can only be one tipple to drink along to Vulpine Smile, especially considering their musical heritage…

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vulpinesmileband/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vulpinesmile/

Oceans of Noise but Go Easy on the Booze!

Launching their first campaign outside of their native Turkey, Oceans of Noise are the kind of rock band it’s easy to get along with. Despite having an outrageous amount of success in their home country, Eurovision Song Contest victories and a loyal fan-base, rock fans should have no concerns about language barriers or unusual stylings – this is epic, landscape, quadruple-gatefold scale symphonic rock, with arresting imagery, oodles of musical skill and synths and guitars working in tandem to scramble your brains before you’ve even got to the bar.

Talking of the bar, Oceans of Noise are holding a launch party for their self-titled EP at London’s ultra-fashionable, Omeara Bar under London Bridge. Should you be lucky enough to get an invite, do the right thing and ask the barkeep for a couple of shots of Turkey’s national drink, raki to toast the band and yourself for having such good taste. Tempting as it may be, we wouldn’t recommend oceans, seas or even lakes of the stuff, though we’re fairly certain you’ll find the music intoxicating enough.

Apple Music: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/oceans-of-noise/1296282833

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/21HzqFortyEjD2yOdCZAPY

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/oceansofnoise

Facebook: facebook.com/oceansofnoise

Twitter: twitter.com/oceansofnoise

Instagram: instagram.com/oceansofnoiseband

Website: oceansofnoiseband.com

Anarchy Reigns Call the Shots!

If there’s one thing the Brits are good at it’s complaining and making loud music, and who better to prove this point than heavy rock outfit, Anarchy Reigns. Led by the already iconic Hitch, the band have already got an army of fans before they even released a note of music – their social media campaign which throws down the gauntlet for followers to takes photos of minor examples of anarchy (walking near “don’t walk on the grass” signs and the like) has garnered thousands of followers and zillions of shares. Now embarking on stage two of their bid to conquer the world, they release the video to Liars, Liars, a no-nonsense (or possibly all-nonsense) diatribe against politicians. Not specific politicians but the whole lot of em. In for a penny!

Though with an element of humour which has long enjoyed a tradition in British rock music, the musicianship is top drawer with proper, honest to God riffs and drum pummeling. With a call to arms which is already selling merchandise to their army of fans (hand grenade stress-relievers, anyone?), another single and an album are just around the corner. Join up or look daft.

So, what brew to select to go along with your Anarchy Reigns listening experience? Well, we were sorely tempted to go for copious pints of Trooper, in honour of the mighty Maiden, but it would surely be wrong not to swig back some JD whilst flicking the horns?

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/duncan-hitch-morris

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJTh2uHiEgnw0LoIdrzSWtQ

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anarchyreignscy/

Website: http://www.anarchyreigns.net/

Flying Tonight! Ikkarus Touch Down With 01800

As you might imagine, we strongly oppose drinking and driving at the best of times. To clarify, we have the same view of flying a plane and drinking, not as abstract a comment as you might think, with Ikkarus frontman, Javier, having a secret life as an airline pilot. Ikkarus have elements of contemporary rock, alongside an early 90’s sound, which evokes aural memories of Pearl Jam and Red Hot Chili Peppers. The funk elements is an odd addition to the mix but for the most part works well, cutting through the guitar and vocals and changing the structure of the songs enough that each track has a very definite personality of its own.

Though based in Mexico, Ikkarus have a sound which is typically alt-rock American, with dashes of Linkin Park more than a little liberally scattered through the tracks. Lead single from the album, 01800, showcases the band at their top speed, a punky, vicious track which grabs hold quickly and refuses to let go. It’s a primer for an album which varies from bouncy rock to atmospheric washes of sound which go beyond mere genre sterotypes.

What to drink with Ikkarus? Well, no alcohol, so that’s tequila out – here’s an alcohol-free margarita, livened up with jalepenos!

Ms. Mohammed, rock but with a bit of zing.

Ms. Mohammed’s debut Alibi see’s her bring her feisty side right from the go. A mix of tribalistic dhol drums and a traditional kit give her rocky sound an etherial, exotic edge. Her Alibi EP explores this world music and rock mix to great effect, also dipping into Indie and in the last track on the EP ‘Written in Time’, a samba break down. Give the Alibi video a listen below.

So… Ms. mohammed plays traditional punky, PJ Harvey styled rock music BUT, all importantly, she infuses her music with a splash of the etherial and exotic. This this why I would compare Ms. Mohammed to Deperado’s. Traditional Larger with a tequila twist!

Follow Ms. Mohammed
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/MsMohammedMusic/
Twitter – https://twitter.com/MsMohammedMusic
Website – http://msmohammed.com/