Real Life Buildings – Racing the Sun
Nice Apple – Are You Still There?
V.V. Lightbody – Babe, Honestly
Nico Hedley – Late Bloomer
Gracie Gray – Morphine
Spencer Radcliffe & Everyone Else – Bloodletting
Pleasure Systems – Heirloom
Ana Roxanne – Slowness
Kin Hana – Fog
Rainwater – Pink Flowers
Christelle Bofale – U Ouchea
Prudence – Smile & Nod
Operators – Faithless
Belaver – Driver
Mr Husband – Friends
Rose Hotel – Running Behind
Jeremy Squires – Somersault
Bad Books – Lake House
Yammerer – Poisonous Reptilian Colleague’s & Co
Britt – Trial Period
Wild Yawp – Femme Girl
Forest Management – Blue Leaves
Robert Stillman – Ritual
Everyone is Dirty – Hit-Girl
Merin – Coral Island
Lavender Bones – Over Again
Luke De-Sciscio – R.O.B.Y.N.
Anna Wiebe – Fortune
Young Elk – Gossip Magazines
Emma Frank – I Thought
Eamon McGrath – GUTS
Jacob Faurholt – The Dark Isn’t Right

Like what you hear? Catch up with the rest of our Monthly Mixes.

The post May 2019 Roundup Mix appeared first on Various Small Flames.

Spencer Radcliffe & Everyone Else – Hot Spring

Joined by Ben Austin (cello), Grant Engstrom (lead guitar), Pat Lyons (pedal steel),
Tina Scarpello (vocals) and Jack Schemenauer (percussion)—AKA Everyone Else—Spencer Radcliffe has made a new record to be released this month on Run For Cover Records. Adopting something of a country vibe, the release of Hot Spring is timed perfectly, the record concerned with transitions and seasonal change. The title track finds snow once more, winter clinging on or returning unannounced, while second single ‘Bloodletting’ finds something of a reprieve. “Spring is done, the battle’s been won,” Radcliffe sings. “Everyone survived the unloading of guns.” The order of the tracks is flipped on the album itself, lending a new weight to a line in the former: ” You know it’s best not to believe in everything you’re told.”

Christelle Bofale – U Ouchea

Based in Austin, Texas, Christelle Bofale combines soul, dream pop and jazz to form a distinctive sound, drawing upon her Congolese roots to further add to the personal nature of her music. Thematically, the record is one of conflict, from the juxtaposition of gentleness and ferocity in the sound to the lyrical explorations of bravery, honesty and doubt—coalescing into an evocative meditation on the contemporary black experience. Single ‘U Ouchea’ is a worthy introduction, its cyclical nature unfurling slowly across the seven-minute run time, yet underpinned by an oblique tension, some inner force running against the ethereal style.

Emma Frank – I Thought

There’s no one genre tag that will adequately describe the music of Emma Frank. With the pursuit of a number of styles, often within the same song, the New York artist has created a uniquely shifting sound that is never satisfied with remaining in any one place. Be it folk, pop, jazz or R&B, Frank dips into any number of stylistic influences, though the sound is tied together by the honeyed warmth of her vocals.

Having signed with Justin Time Records/Nettwerk, Frank has recently released a brand new single, ‘I Thought.’ The track confronts the impulsive and drastic, the people who change their lives on the whim of tenuous crushes, burning bridges with all that came before in the blinkered blur of the moment. Frank considers herself a member of this group, but the track is a reminder of the value of a slower kind of living—the meaning of things cultivated over time, weathering fleeting fancies to achieve a more substantial weight.

Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater
Don’t burn the bridge that you’re walking over
But I lay the first brick down in the wall between us
I kept the first secret
I kept the first secret

There’s never a limit to how much we change
And I thought we’d finished
I thought I was to blame

Check out a video from the visual artist Ayo Tsalithaba below:

Keep an eye on the Emma Frank website for news of more releases.

Operators – Faithless

Montreal-based project Operators sees Dan Boeckner (Wolf Parade, Handsome Furs), Devojka and Sam Brown (Divine Fits, New Bomb Turks) combine their talents to form an urgently electronic sound. The project feels like the sonic progression of Handsome Furs, synths and beats weaving a pressing sound somewhere between Cold War and sci-fi, Boeckner’s familiar vocal style only adding to the insistent motion.

Ahead of new record Radiant Dawn, Operators have released the single ‘Faithless’. With its rigid beat and cold synths, the song opens as a kind of brutalist pop song, though eventually takes on a variety of other elements so as to form an almost transcendental crescendo.

Radiant Dawn is out on the 17th May via Last Gang Records.

Bad Books – Lake House

Bad Books is a collaborative project between Kevin Devine and Andy Hull and Robert McDowell of Manchester Orchestra. Their first album in seven years, III will be released this summer on Loma Vista Records, and sees Devine and Hull alternate writing duties. The first single, ‘Lake House’ is Hull’s creation, leaning closer to his Right Away, Great Captain! sound than Manchester Orchestra, his distinctive brand of morose hope feeling as striking as ever. “‘Lake House’ is quite a personal song to me, Hull explains. “We tried to place it in a sonic environment that felt three dimensional. Instead of just hearing the song left and right, we wanted to have the sounds feel forward, backwards, above and below.”

III will be released digitally on the 14th June, and physically on the 21st June via Loma Vista Recordings.

Robert Stillman – Reality

Hailing from the northeast United States but now based in the UK, Robert Stillman composes experimental music that incorporates features of classical, jazz, minimalism, electronic and folk, pairing the futuristic digital sounds with a more traditional American style. His latest record, Reality, intends to, as Stillman puts it, “draw attention to, and unconditionally praise, the directly experienced world,” something achieved through an intense attention to detail that conjures a sense of intricacy and wonder. With an intuitive, spontaneous style, the album possess an organic, living spirit, each track its own ecosystem within which the various elements interact and converse.

Rose Hotel – Running Behind

Marking a change from the lo-fi intimacy of debut EP, Always A Good Reason, the forthcoming Rose Hotel (AKA Jordan Reynolds) album embraces a full-band sound. But the record promises to retain the earnest tone that made the debut so special. As such, while I Will Only Come When It’s A Yes displays a variety of influences, from shoegaze to retro girl group, Reynold’s burning spirit acts as the through line. ‘Running Behind’ attests, the track’s upbeat country rock distorted in a kind of Neutral Milk Hotel manner, Reynold’s vocals soaring and swooping within the clamour.

Check out the video directed by Reynolds and filmed/edited by Casey Doran:

I Will Only Come When It’s A Yes is out on the 31st May and you can pre-order it now.

Yammerer – Poisonous Reptilian Colleague’s & Co

One of Liverpool’s best kept secrets, Yammerer eschew promotion and social media presence in favour of old fashioned hype, developing a psych-tinged brand of post-punk that’s only as odd as the world from which is emerged. Take new single ‘Poisonous Reptilian Colleague’s & Co’, which combines the dark prophecies of Nick Cave with The Fall’s caustic charm and creates a sonic beast of many heads—each snarling and sneering and prone to howls of execration.

‘Poisonous Reptilian Colleague’s & Co’ is out now via Restless Bear Records and you can grab/hear it from all of the usual places.

Anna Wiebe – Fortune

New Behaviour, the 2016 debut record of Guelph songwriter Anna Wiebe, might have utilised relatively simple folk arrangements, but rich harmonies and Wiebe’s offbeat style transformed them into nuanced and genre-challenging songs. Her follow-up record All I Do Is Move, said to be concerned with “cycles, and the mental growth and movement that comes with life’s lessons,” promises to see an embrace of more complex arrangements. Though it is Wiebe’s idiosyncratic eye that will again prove to be its biggest strength. Lead single ‘Fortune’ gives us a glimpse at the evolution, the creeping, snaking vibe grown vivid by a full band, Wiebe’s vocals combining with the instrumentation to form a near-hypnotic rhythm.

Merin – Coral Island

Describing themselves as a “melancholy power pop quartet,” Winnipeg-based band Merin combine the bummed-out vibes of slacker rock with a more hopeful spirit, leading to a sound that’s at once grounded and bright. The title track of their latest EP, Coral Island, is perhaps the perfect example. “As I get older and fatter,” sings lead Cole Neusteaeder in the opening line, “I try my best not to just get sadder,” imagining an escape to a tropical island as though warmer climes might stave off the concerns. Only this is the twenty-first century—the coral reefs are dying and the pacific islands are being reclaimed by the sea. At least at the end of the world, we no longer have to worry about growing old and fat.

Check out the literal garage rock video below:

Coral Island is out now and you can get it from the Merin Bandcamp page.

Wild Yawp – Femme Girl

New York’s Wild Yawp is perhaps best described by their own name—WILD (adj): uncontrolled or unrestrained, especially in pursuit of pleasure, YAWP (n): a raucous noise; a cry; a shout. With Emily Bielagus on vocals/guitar, reba hasko drumming and sid solomon providing bass/backup vocals, the band create a boisterous, in-your-face sound that is equal parts fun and aggressive. New single ‘Femme Girl’ being a case in point, taking on the arrogance of Straight White Males with all the energy of a runaway train—combining the caustic wit of The Coathangers with the breakneck snarl of Priests to transform an uncomfortable situation into an affirming one.

Eamon McGrath – GUTS

Eamon McGrath’s prolific career has encompassed a wide range of styles and genres, though his music has always been united by a heartfelt spirit and DIY attitude. Latest single ‘GUTS’ sees an introspective turn, tackling addiction and its accompanying emotions of guilt and sadness with an affirming openness and vulnerability. The tone therefore veers between self-deprecation and a strange kindness, working to acknowledge the frustration of dependence and the poison that brings, while trying to carve out an opening to relieve the pressure in order to start the slow healing process.

The song comes complete with a video by Sheila Roberts and Ryan Brough, with art and performance direction from Michael Bright. Check it out below:

‘GUTS’ is out now and you can get it from the Eamon McGrath Bandcamp page.

If you enjoyed Vol. 24 then be sure to check out all previous Bright Sparks lists, and head on over to our Reviews page for a more in-depth read.

The post Bright Sparks: Vol. 24 appeared first on Various Small Flames.

Today is the turn of Lanny Lieu, the person behind the new(ish) Portland-based PR entity Chill Chill Publicity (who brought Foxall and Mrs. Hopewell to our attention). PR companies are a divisive part of the music industry, at best clogging up our inboxes and at worst governing who and what gets heard in a way major labels can only dream of these days. People like Lanny are important because they show that PR can independent and tailored too, giving voice to artists who otherwise might not get heard without throwing money around or sending a zillion emails. Basically, PR can be done by people in it for the music.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, PR is only one of the musical pies in which Lanny has her fingers. She is also the current Music Director at KPSU (where she hosts her own radio show), and writes for UK blog Drunken Werewolf.

Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s Love in the Time of Cholera
by Lanny Lieu

I first stumbled upon Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s Love in the Time of Cholera in English class when I was 17. It’s probably the only assigned reading I’ve truly enjoyed. Despite it being one of my favorite books, I’ve only read it once (if only you could see my room of untouched books I’ve accumulated over the years…). I, however, still remember the magic that came along with it. I was blown away by Marquez’s vivid imagery, remarkable storytelling skills, and his ability to get inside his characters’ heads and realistically describe their motives and intentions.

I’ve always found Love in the Time of Cholera to be especially intriguing by the way it depicts all sorts of relationships ranging from a halfhearted marriage to lust-filled hookups and everything in between – some darker and more disturbing than others. The playlist I’ve provided as a part of the Quiet, Constant Friends project includes everything from a 1996 Backstreet Boys single to my favorite 2014 lo-fi gems to convey the different aspects of love and heartbreak in this beautifully written novel.

Tracklisting:

You can find Chill Chill Publicity on Twitter and Facebook. The Quiet, Constant Friends compilation is for sale on the Wake The Deaf Bandcamp page.

Cover art by Pamela Guest

The post Lit Links: Lanny Lieu appeared first on Various Small Flames.

Tracklisting:

1. Red Coat – Adeline Hotel (Interview)
   2. S.O.B. – Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats
   3. Daughter of the Sea – House of Wolves (Interview)
   4. Monarchy – Table People
   5. Ruin – Doomking
   6. Lonely Boy – Titus Andronicus
   7. New York Hardcore – talons’
   8. Roar of Nothingness – Sun Organ
   9. Slow Dark Water – Furnsss
   10. You Are Arrived (But You’ve Been Cheated) – The Spirit of the Beehive
   11. It Was Gone – Orchid Mantis
   12. Big Sis – SALES
   13. No Comprende – Low
   14. The Washing Machine – SPORTS
   15. Shark? – Shark? (Everything Is Teeth by Evie Wyld and Joe Sumner)
   16. Christmas in Milwaukee – Advance Base
   17. Only Friend – Valley Maker
   18. My Track ’92 – Pet Cemetery
   19. Dusk; Falling Asleep, Know That You Are Loved – Sabbatical Wilderness
   20. Theremin Demonstration – Leon Theremin (Us Conductors by Sean Michaels)
   21. The Lemon’s Cousin – Boy Scouts
   22. Audrey Horne – Teen Love
   23. Mia – Spencer Radcliffe
   24. Return To The Moon – EL VY
   25. Bug – Alex G
   26. Wild Hearts – Kodiak Deathbeds
   27. Waves – Abby Gundersen
   28. UR = UO – No Touching
   29. Sparrow & Stone – Eva Foote
   30. What Can Be Taken – ÒOR

The post August Roundup – A Mixtape appeared first on Various Small Flames.

Fresh from signing up with Run For Cover Records, Spencer Radcliffe has announced his new album, Looking In. His discography to date has seen a wide variation of sounds and styles, and the latest record promises to see the multi-instrumentalist push his work further in numerous directions. As the press release puts it:

“Traditional songwriting methods come apart naturally elsewhere through tumbling Rhodes piano, modified electronics, and brass in disarray. The one instrument that stitches the album’s atypical patchwork together is Radcliffe’s voice, allowing listeners to draw up their own impressions of his often equivocal work”

Spencer Radcliffe has released ‘Mia’ as a taster of the new record. The songs falls between the Orchid Tapes bedroom pop aesthetic and the garage rock of The Narrator (and even includes familiar introductory dog barks), with Pavement-esque vocals and lyrics which flitter between wit and emo.

Looking In will be released on the 2nd October on Run For Cover Records. You can pre-order it now.

Cover photo by Nathan Dragon

The post A new album from Spencer Radcliffe appeared first on Various Small Flames.

Tracklist:

1. Deserter – Siskiyou
2. Pill – Ought
3. There’s a GIrl In the Corner – The Twilight Sad
4. Kill What You Love – Scotdrakula
5. PS You Still Do This To Me – Kissing Fractures
6. Walls – Two White Cranes
7. Lifetime Warranty – Cyberbully Mom Club
8. The Great Big World – R.L. Kelly
9. Misery Loves Company – Gorgeous Bully
10. Blah Blah Blah – Girlpool
11. My Song – Spencer Radcliffe
12. Summer Lawns – Mike Pace & The Child Actors
13. Crossroads – Sally Fowler
14. Sweet Isolation – Nathan Reich
15. Home At Last – John Statz
16. Our Town – Chalk
17. Mole – The Mountain Goats
18. Easy It Goes – Eric & Magill
19. Slow Thickening – German Error Message
20. Cabin Lights – Lung Cycles
21. The Day is Past and Gone (Variations) – Sarah Louise
22. Holding – Grouper

November 2014 Mix from Wake The Deaf on 8tracks Radio.

The post November 2014 Roundup – A Mixtape appeared first on Various Small Flames.

Radcliffe gets the A-side of the album, opening with the rather ominous line of, “Oh my God I’ve really done it this time” which rather nicely sets the tone (read: young, confused and lonely). It both sounds and feels like the outpouring of someone who has locked themselves in their room (and that isn’t a criticism). It’s raw and pure and honest, full of sincere yearning and wry self-deprecation.

But this isn’t simply the sound of some young guy moping over his acoustic guitar. Radcliffe’s music is nothing if not unpredictable, jam-packed with idiosyncratic elements; xylophone and flute recorder and periods of near-silence, schoolyard chant backing vocals, intimate wordless murmurs and weird unintelligble vocal recordings like answerphone confessions from another dimension. All this is wrapped up in a warm and cozy fuzz, giving the sense that not only are you sitting in Radcliffe’s bedroom with him, but you are sat on his bed wrapped up in a duvet.

The third track, ‘My Song’, is a little different, with an almost hip-hop spoken word delivery which brings to mind Why?. It also possesses Yoni Wolf’s millennial deadpan irony with lines like, “On the phone asking room service where the party’s at.”

‘Brown Horse’, the final of Radcliffe’s tracks, is probably the most upbeat. The lyrics are like a postmodern poetic summary of Cormac McCarthy’s All the Pretty Horses:

“I wanna ride a brown horse somewhere where a horse hasn’t ridden it’s course before
Other horses running around taking in the air feeling hooves on the wet ground
Waiting for the sun to go down
All the horses run towards the big field in the sky”

R.L. Kelly’s side is perhaps more accessible, refreshingly simple after Radcliffe’s experimentation. The highlight is Rachel Levy’s characteristic sweet and bright vocal work. It’s intimate and introspective but not overly morose. In fact there are some pretty positive messages peppered throughout, not least on ‘Wake Up’, which is the sonic equivalent of spelling out ‘KEEP GOING’ in multi-coloured magnetic alphabet letters on the door of your fridge:

“They want to hurt you because they’re hurting too
Don’t let them inside your head they’ll take control”

The final track offers another comforting philosophy, a little pick-me-up for your soul, a reminder that your really little and insignificant and this is far from being a bad thing because it means that all your worries and fears are even smaller and things will carry on as normal and you can too. Or, as Levy puts it in a repeated pseudo-chorus:

“And the great big great big world keeps spinning”

So if you like your music DIY and lo-fi and you find comfort in solidarity with people you’ll never meet, Brown Horse is the album for you.

The cassette release has sold out, but you can still download the album on a name-your-price basis via the Orchid Tapes Bandcamp page.

The post Spencer Radcliffe & R.L. Kelly – Brown Horse appeared first on Various Small Flames.