D’AMBROSIA‘s upbeat single ‘Sweet Maybe, ‘ chronicles love in limbo.
“‘Sweet Maybe’ is meant to convey the experience of a reluctance to commit, in our current culture of dating apps, casual hook-ups and on-again off-again relationships,” said vocalist Kim D’Ambrogi (she/her). “This song is from the perspective of the recipient of that ‘sweet maybe,’ with the tenuous balance between the hope and frustration of what that word represents. It can be enough to keep us holding on but not enough to feel fulfilled.”
Sporting a rocky edge with a tongue-and-cheek, yet vulnerable narrative, the single alludes to the experience of floating between a ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ by that fateful little hook of a word, ‘Maybe.’ Have a listen to ‘Sweet Maybe’ below…
Welsh Alternative Psych Rock band HOLY COVES have released their brand new music video for single ‘Grey’ via their ever growing new YouTube channel. ‘Grey’ is the third in a series of five music videos created by award winning Ukrainian Filmmaker ‘Taras Merenkov’. Merenkov’s hazy cinematic style of direction really emphasises the music and makes a formidable visual. ‘Grey’ is taken from the band’s acclaimed new album ‘Druids and Bards’ which is out now via Welsh label Yr Wyddfa Records.
2022 has been quite a year for Holy Coves. The quartet were championed by Gary Crowley on BBC Radio London, Steve Lamacq on BBC 6 Music, with BBC Radio Wales support from Huw Stephens and Adam Walton.
RLYBLONDE– the project of Brooklyn-based multidisciplinary artist Carina Allen – is making her musical debut with the release of her first single, ‘Fantasy,’ out on all streaming platforms today.
While this may be her debut as a singer-songwriter, rlyblonde is no stranger to the music industry. The New York-based twenty-something has long been the go-to photographer, videographer and creative director for numerous musicians. After years of supporting other artists and friends’ visions, she decided to put down the camera and pick up the guitar for a change.
rlyblonde’s well-established visual world is given new dimension with the launch of her music project. In addition to handling all of the songwriting and creative planning, she has also overseen the conception, production and direction of the music video (out February 17th), and collaborated with friends to plan out and shoot her own artwork and imagery.
Her introductory single, ‘Fantasy,’ flickers between gritty alt-rock and serene, melodic pop. Lyrically, the song echoes the familiar themes of heartbreak, identity and growth that can also be seen in her past self-portraiture and personal photography work.
“‘Fantasy’ is really about being frustrated with dating culture and the performances that women (especially women dating men) have to put on, almost out of necessity, until it hits a point where it all becomes too draining,” she explains. “At the same time, it’s also a song about the power of women, the power of illusion and seduction, the power of confidence, and the power of being anonymous.”
rlyblonde will be unveiling the ‘Fantasy’ music video at her debut performance at Heaven Can Wait in New York on 17th February…but for now, have a listen to the single below…
With a mission to bring together talented musicians from all around the world, HARMONY DREAMERS is a unique musical endeavor led by Byron Lee Scott. With their latest album, featuring a roster of diverse musicians from different fields of expertise, the band raced to the top of the UK iTunes and airplay charts with two singles. ‘I Come From Earth’ currently sits at #2 on the UK Talk Radio airplay chart, while the “Nashville Jam mix” of the song reached #12 on the country sales chart. Now, Harmony Dreamers share an emotional new single, ‘Without You,’ which is an ode to people who will be celebrating the 2022 holiday season without a loved one. The emotional single aims to infuse listeners with hope, while also letting them know that someone out there is going through the same situation.
Scott says, “The more I listen to this song, ‘Without You,’ with the upcoming holidays, it just tears me up, the timing. Two people very close to me, my older brother and my adopted son, just broke up with long time live-in partners, just within weeks. When I worked on the cruise ships, it was not uncommon during the holidays for people to be grieving and trying to find peace.”
He further added, “There were certain healing songs I played for them that they still message me about years later, even though I only knew them for 15 minutes.”
Swedish new wave punkster MANUELA IWANSSON‘s debut album ‘Dark Tracks’, out now via Lack of Sleep Records, is a long-awaited effort that is the result of almost four years of work after unveiling her self-released EP ‘Dream Lover’ in 2018. Highlighted by the 80s-esque, gritty synth-pop anthem that is focus track ‘Strangers on a Train’, the album flaunts a musical journey that takes from the callous rock stylings of the late 70s and mixes them with the new wave evolution characteristic of the Blondie era, all serving to present an alluringly dystopian listening experience that lingers on the beauty of impermanence.
‘Dark Tracks’ is unrelentingly self-explorative. Iwansson wears her heart on her sleeve for anyone to see as she belts across the ten tracks, familiarizing listeners with a darkness stemming from unmet desire and lovers lost. The album plays like a jukebox with every song standing on its own as a vintage and vigorous tour de force.
Iwansson had this to say about the fabric of the project: “The album is basically a portfolio of me. It is very much a debut album – a little rough around the edges at times, but made with a lot of heart. I put a lot of thoughts into the lyrics, and a lot of emotion into the melodies. At times I play around with words a lot, and I constantly want to improve my writing … The whole project is about 80s aesthetics with 70s punk vibes; grit, rain, cities at night, neon lights, trains, and cars, and movement; leather and lace and rock ‘n’ roll. Nothing ever looks as good as a photo booth photo in black and white.”
The Stockholm-based artist once toured the world with punk outfit Terrible Feelings but now looks at her solo career as an opportunity to make timeless new wave hits, boasting a sound inspired by influences such as Pat Benatar and Suzi Quatro yet entirely her own. With ‘Dark Tracks’, makes a point of crafting earworm hooks and choruses that work in the middle of a rowdy yet heart-wrenching punk aesthetic.
Following the release of her EP ‘Dream Lover’, Iwansson served as an opener for Orville Peck on a full European tour in 2019, simultaneously releasing a series of singles and chipping away at her debut LP over the next couple years. While hard at work in preparation for its release, she has still found her way on stage this year, opening for Viagra Boys, Molly Nilsson and Current Joys this spring.
‘Strangers on a Train’ + ‘Dark Tracks’ are now available on all streaming platforms. Have a listen below…
Must Listens: Strangers on the Train,Loving Is Easy, Dead Weight
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