July Fusion: Playlist
We buck the trend of festival season by presenting you playlist comprised of tracks for the armchair listening. Here is a handful of artists we think you should hear regardless of where you are and what you’re doing – in your car, in the bath, cooking or hanging upside down in your cave. Today’s playlist jumps around the planet with offerings spanning from Italy to the USA and then up to Canada. Feast your ears!
Kristin Hersh – Bright
Legendary indie queen Kristin Hersh has done it all – recognized author, dozens of releases to her name as a solo artist and frontwoman in 4AD cult group Throwing Muses and power trio 50FOOTWAVE. Her latest music video comes from her new double album ‘Wyatt at the Coyote Palace’ and is a stunner. Dublin gets treated to Kristin in concert this Saturday at the National Concert Hall, while Boston gets spoiled this October as she reunites in concert with half-sister and fellow Throwing Muses star (also frontwoman of Belly) for a one-off concert at The City Winery.
Discolor Blind – Black and Grey
Discolor Blind is a dynamic duo from Montreal, shifting in style from track to track on their forthcoming debut EP ‘Long Vivid Dream’. Comprised of instrumentalist/composer Ashkan Malayeri and vocalist Alexis Nadeau, their smorgasboard of soundings is refreshing and diverse with a dark-melancholic tone. Quite the achievement for a novice band. Grammy and Oscar-winning music producer Jeff Bass, best known for his long-term work with Eminem, features elsewhere on the EP.
Labyrinth Lounge – Trouble Won’t Last
Between Oakland and The Big Apple, bandmates of this funky soul collective managed to revive the embers of a separate project, breathing new life into it and bringing us their debut album ‘Porgy’, set for release on August 25.
In the words of vocalist Valerie Troutt, this is “a funky soulful laid back approach to Trump’s America. It’s what our grandmothers said when life gave them lemons. It’s a reminder to keep pushing against all odds until you see the outcome you desire.” Certainly we’ll be looking for more from this group, which is new on our radar.
Parsons Rocket Project – Exit Launch
Parsons Rocket Project is an Atlanta-based collective, who will be releasing their self-titled debut EP next month. Comprised of six tracks, this is a beautiful mixed bag of dream-gaze, indie rock and space rock. ‘Exit Launch’ lies in territory we enjoy very much here – a sweet spot between Bowery Electric, Blonde Redhead and Slowdive – with vocals similar to Mary Margaret O’Hara without the oddness. In brief, this is blissful reverie and a suitable soundtrack for any serious dream-gazer.
“Exit Launch is about the allegorical descent of man through the story of Lucifer’s fall. The imperfection of man and darkness in our hearts that still exists through vanity, pride, materialism (mirrors) and false words of encouragement / deceit of the tongue (sound). ‘Lucky lunar girls, Snowblind in the night’ alludes to the fashion industry and cocaine,” explains frontman Jody Hasty.
My Favourite Things – I Don’t Know
NYC’s My Favourite Things have just released their new album ‘Fly I Will, Because I Can’. While the first single ‘A Little Closer’ offers some serious My Bloody Valentine vibes, this second single sheds some light on the group’s softer side. Both videos represent 2 parts of a trilogy of videos, created in support of this new album by videographer Gi Yong Rhee.
This is the third album from My Favourite Things, founded in Brooklyn by Dorothea Tachler (formerly of Igloo, The Swirlies, Alles Wie Gross). Given her dreampop-shoegaze pedigree and the brilliant sound, this is definitely recommended to fans of Airiel, Lush, Chapterhouse, Beach House and Broadcast.
The Black Watch – Whence
Los Angeles’ The Black Watch, a project centering around John Andrew Fredrick, present us a refreshing track that belongs among a handful of great groups we usually associate with Northern England and Scotland. American exponents of this Northern sound, they will soon be releasing their 15th album in the band’s 30 years of existence. Called ‘The Gospel According to John’ follows up ‘Highs & Lows’ (2015). During eleven months of recording, they worked with the notable Rob Campanella of The Brian Jonestown Massacre on production and with mixing by Scott Campbell (Stevie Nicks, Shelby Lynne, Carina Round).
The Veldt – In A Quiet Room
the veldt – in a quiet room from Toshi Kaneiwa on Vimeo.
The Veldt is a four-piece, centered around twin brothers Danny and Daniel Chavis from Raleigh, North Carolina. Larger than life and a spirit and sound too big to ever be pigeonholed, their music deserves to be heard and easily becomes your pet fave with its layers of reverb, guitar, resonating lush guitar and bass to downbeat drum programming reminiscent of the most chill hiphop. This track is lifted from their new EP ‘The Shocking Fuzz of Your Electric Fur’, out now on Schoolkids Records.
Contemporaries of Cocteau Twins, Slowdive and Lush, they have also collaborated with TV On The Radio, Mos Def and Lady Miss Kier (Deee-Lite), and shared the stage with The Pixies, Throwing Muses, Echo & The Bunnymen, Cocteau Twins, Manic Street Preachers, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Oasis, Chuck D, Living Colour, and Schooly D.
Rachel Mason – Heaven
While not released as a stand-alone single, ‘Heaven’ is our favorite track from Rachel Mason’s latest album ‘Das Ram’ LP. It’s out now via Cleopatra Records, home to other ground-breaking artists such as Ministry, Wolfgang Flür, Christian Death and Iggy Pop, and also on limited edition cassette via Practical Records. Touted as “one of the most creative forces in the world” by Impose Magazine, we’d have to agree with their synopsis – not only is she a fantastic music maker, but also performance artist, sculptor, film and music video director, actress and writer. Now that’s an awesome mouth-full.
Tombstones In Their Eyes – Always There
Los Angeles’ rock outfit Tombstones in Their Eyes have announced their upcoming ‘Fear’ EP, to be released via Send Me Your Head Records. We present the lead track from this five-track release, which is lush and spacey, distant yet warm, melancholic yet uber peaceful.
This EP embraces a wide range of influences, from the stoner rock of Kyuss to the warped neo- psychedelia of the likes of Spacemen 3 to the cavernous and doom-laden sounds of Electric Wizard and beyond. Recorded at L.A.’s Kitten Robot Studio with Paul Roessler (Nina Hagen, The Deadbeats, The Screamers, 45 Grave), this EP follows up their huge sounding ‘Bad Clouds’ EP (2016) and debut album ‘Sleep Forever’ (2014).
Neil – Spleen
Seahorse Recordings presents the sophomore album from Neil, called ‘Black Flowers’. Recorded on the isle of Sicily in southern Italy with renowned producer Paolo Messere (Blessed Child Opera), these 11 tracks showcase songmanship that mix folk with grunge, and vocals that exude the same gruff and reassuring warmth as Gavin Rossdale (especially in early Bush days). Well he certainly caught us off guard because we didn’t expect anything resembling the Seattle sound to emerge from distant Italia, but we are glad it did.
TORCHED MAGAZINE 