Wednesday, 2 April 2025

The Bones of J.R. Jones - North Mississippi Allstars

Photo - Christian Harder
The Bones of J.R. Jones - Shameless.

New York-based artist The Bones of J.R. Jones releases his new single “Shameless,” the latest offering from his sixth studio album Radio Waves, due out June 20 via Tone Tree Music. The brooding new song arrives with a neo-noir-inspired music video, produced by Blackhorse Lowe (Reservation Dogs) and Bryan Norvelle with Anora Cinematographer Drew Daniels as Director of Photography, and tells the story of a lover's betrayal. Holler praised the track and its cinematic visual, saying, “Falling somewhere between the widescreen Americana of Roy Orbison and the spare, clean-limbed moody alt-rock of The National, the song sounds like the soundtrack to a late night drive through a neon light desert town.”

“‘Shameless’ is taking the long way home to retread your past,” says The Bones of J.R. Jones (aka Jonathon Linaberry). “The inevitable inner conflict and perhaps guilt that rise up from past decisions, that were maybe made in haste and in passion. I think we all struggle with the ‘what could have been’ question. What arrogant fool can’t look back and wonder? I am just trying to recognize that in this song.”

On the music video: “I have always been drawn to an unsatisfying ambiguous ending. Endings that are never explained, nor make sense in the straight line of a narrative. I think because much of life feels this way. We never get to make sense of so many things. Human nature isn't logical … it just doesn't work that way. It's chaos and we do our best to control it. Sometimes we succeed, sometimes we fail. It's this recognition that makes the noir genre so appealing and that's what we tried to create here in three short minutes.”

"The inspiration for ‘Shameless’ came from an idea based on the all tracks provided by J.R.,” says Producers Blackhorse Lowe and Bryan Norvelle. “We thought of the throughline to a story being told from the perspective of the character for each one of the tracks, and landed on this neo-noir mish-mash, somewhat in the vain of Lost Highway and No Country for Old Men. We wanted to write a story that could fit the emotional tone of the track — like a soundtrack; reflecting visually but not necessarily verbatim with the lyrics.”


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Photo - Michael Emanuele
North Mississippi Allstars - Still Shakin’.

North Mississippi Allstars return with Still Shakin’ on June 6, 2025 via New West Records. The 11-track album was produced by Luther & Cody Dickinson. Still Shakin’ follows their acclaimed 2022 album Set Sail, which No Depression said was “their most soulful, funky creation to date.”
 
To make their twelfth album, the North Mississippi Allstars went back to the beginning—namely, their 2000 debut, Shake Hands with Shorty. Luther Dickinson says, “Still Shakin’ is a celebration of our life-changing first album, which we released 25 years ago, and a love letter of appreciation to everyone who supported us and kept us in the game all these years. Touring this album cycle into 2026 will mark thirty years since we started North Mississippi Allstars, and we couldn’t resist commemorating those anniversaries with a new record. In the spirit of our debut, we recorded Mississippi classics that despite inspiring us to start the band in 1996, we have yet to record.  

We also wanted to feature our fantastic band mates Joey Williams and Rayfield “Ray Ray” Hollman who inspire us to no end. Their contributions elevate NMA to new heights.” Still Shakin’ is a daringly inventive expansion of that album, showing how much the Dickinson Brothers have grown in the last 25 years. The point wasn’t to re-create the sound of Shake Hands with Shorty, but to recapture that spirit of invention and excitement. Back in the day, the Allstars came up with the phrase Modern Mississippi Music to describe their collision of styles and attitudes: an obsession with Mississippi Hill Country and Sacred Steel cross-bred with their stoner/punk/psychedelic jams. Still Shakin’ embodies that idea with every note and incorporates wild explorations, weird experiments, and unexpected influences into their sound.

Today the album’s title track is released, which was shot at the family’s beloved Zebra Ranch Studio, Willie Mitchell’s Royal Studio, at the Boulder Theater, and features footage supplied by North Mississippi Allstars fans. Of the song, Luther Dickinson said “Still Shakin’” is a testament to our chemistry and collaboration with bandmates, Joey and Ray Ray. The music came together easily, improvising in the studio and I began recording the lyrics as they came to me, day after day, out on the road, in hotel rooms, using my kid’s plastic karaoke mic. The song is filled with inside jokes from the last 30 years and gratitude to our fans for keeping us in the game.”


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Tuesday, 1 April 2025

Night Swimming - Palindrones

Photo - Rosie Risdale
Night Swimming - In The Real World.

Bathed in the ethereal glow of dream-pop, Night Swimming's new single 'In The Real World' captures the ache of youthful detachment. The band's new single is released today alongside news of their debut UK headline tour this autumn, alongside dates supporting Miki Berenyi this May.

'In The Real World' follows the success of the Bath/Bristol outfit's 2024 debut EP, 'No Place To Land,' which drew support from well-respected tastemakers including NME, The Line of Best Fit, Dork Magazine, CLASH Magazine, Under The Radar Magazine, Rough Trade, Notion, along with keen airplay from BBC 6 Music and Radio X.

Night Swimming now return with a track that further showcases their ability to craft immersive sonic landscapes. Produced by trusted collaborator Peter Miles (TORRES, Orla Gartland) and mastered by Simon Scott of Slowdive, 'In The Real World' delves into the perspective of a young person trapped, both emotionally and geographically - capturing the sensation of the world existing just beyond reach.

Deeply rooted in the rural landscapes of Shropshire, where vocalist and lyricist Meg Jones spent her teenage years, she commented on the song's inspiration: "In The Real World is written from the perspective of a young person who feels physically and emotionally isolated. It expresses a longing to be part of something bigger, but not feeling sure what that might look like."


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Palindrones - Chapter Two The Slender Blade (Album).

UK darkwave duo, Palindrones have announced the release of their latest full-length album, Chapter Two: The Slender Blade. The album is preceded by the single "Animus" which was released in February.

Chapter Two: The Slender Blade is the next part of the story which began in 2023 with the album, Chapter One: With Fearful Velocity, a mythical science fiction tale centered around humankind’s first contact with extraterrestrial life.

The Slender Blade’s story picks up in humankind’s dark forest of the soul, evolving into archetypal themes of hope, redemption, transcendence, universal consciousness and human connection. It’s a story of existence, exploration and discovery. It’s the haunted echoes of a lost civilization on a doomed planet, a fear of the unknown and the irrepressible euphoria of the human bond,

The Slender Blade is an enduring celebration of the redeeming power of unity; “The Two Become The Many Become The One”. With The Slender Blade, PALINDRONES have built upon their signature hybrid of entrancing, beat-driven, industrial synthpop and infectious melodies, incorporating elements of EBM, darkwave and melodic techno to create a rich tapestry of emotive, cathartic euphony.

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Monday, 31 March 2025

Marketplace - Dubblestandarts - Dad Of The Year

Photo - Rob Irish

Marketplace - Contact Sports.

Hartlepool rising 5-piece Marketplace announce the upcoming EP Marketplace Mean Business (June 6th) and share the radiant new single Contact Sports. Produced by Chad Rodgers (Benjamin Francis Leftwich, Cape Cub), ‘Contact Sports’ is a high-energy ode to the exhilarating uncertainty of new romantic escapades. The track blends a dynamic alt-pop-indie-rock aesthetic with vibrantly catchy melodies and an infectious guitar led backdrop to create a track which is colourful, bright and euphoric.

Vocalist Evie Rhodes explains: "‘Contact Sports’ is about budding romances, where everything is touch and go, and where you know you really like someone but you’re still trying to convince yourself it’s not that serious.

We took a lot of inspiration for this song from bands like The Beths and their style of scrappy love songs that are just so unapologetically sincere without being too serious. The song kind of reads like I’m just crashing out and riding through a train of thought, so I think that balance of lighthearted sincerity was something we tried to capture.”

Drawing influences from a wide range of artists, including Alvvays, Declan McKenna, Pulp, and Talking Heads, the band—consisting of Evie Rhodes (vocals/guitar), Joel O’Beirne (vocals/bass), Jack Purcell (guitar), Matthew Short (synth/vocals), and Ross Dixon (drums)—brings their own individual tastes to the table to create the signature Marketplace sound.


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Dubblestandarts - Bass 4 A Nervous Planet (Album).

And here we find ourselves in today’s shaken world. Bass 4 A Nervous Planet, Dubblestandarts 16th full length album, aims to balance the vibes.12 new tracks with a focus on filtered impressions from the world around Vienna, homebase of the team. Dub music’s philosophical side: “The Bottom Half”,  “Chomsky Dub”, “ Dub Mentalny Fitness” or “People From Western Europe”: Audible reasonings for the fellow listeners. This is music in hi-definition, thoughtful and energetic.

Black Cherries & Burnt Bridges feature Bristol based Arta Ardens unique voice and thoughtful lyrics on 2 downtempo/triphop tracks, leaving the dub genre for very inspiring up to the time reasons! Then there is Evil Empire 2025, Dubblestandarts take on the current POTUS, a reenvisioned version originally featured on Dubblestandarts legendary 2005 release “Heavy Heavy Monster Dub”. Questioning the status quo.

“Bass 4 A Nervous Planet” also includes a dubby remake of the legendary Third Man movies’ famous Harry Lime theme. Shot in Vienna 1947, Carol Reeds iconic film, features Orson Welles & Joseph Cotton. Post war atmospheres of undercover diplomacy and underground businesses, still present in many ways in today’s Vienna.

“In dub we trust”, a legendary line from Echo Beach’s founder Nicolai Beverungen, leads the way: This is music you can listen, dance and contemplate to. While Dub is still considered very much to exist inside the Reggae Music niche, the reality is quite different. What once was developed by the grand old fathers of dub reggae music, Lee Scratch Perry or King Tubby, has made its way around the world into today’s universe of contemporary dub producers. Incorporating sonic inspirations from 5 continents. Dubblestandarts Eurotopian sound does exactly that. Here is new music for 2025 for conscious people, inspired to make our world a peaceful sustainable place to live.

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Dad Of The Year - There's No Rule.

Change Underground had the following to say about Dad Of The Year's There’s No Rule (and that's all we could find out about this amazing track & remix so please give them a visit).  Following the delicate and textured debut EP by Landhouse, D.O.T.Y. Records continues its journey into downtempo and cinematic electronica with Dad of the Year at the controls. There’s No Rule is a warm, slow-burning piece where organic percussion meets ethereal pads, combining subtle grooves with introspective melodies.

The remix by Thea & Schtu elevates the track into more hypnotic territory, emphasizing intricate rhythms and adding a touch of playful tension. This second release cements the label’s commitment to organic and emotive club music. (change-underground.com).

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Sunday, 30 March 2025

The Tisburys - Kacimi & Wendy Martinez - Brye - better joy

Photo - Olivia Kirchner
The Tisburys - A Still Life Without You.

The Tisburys share new single “A Still Life Without You” from upcoming album A Still Life Revisited out April 25 on Double Helix Records and SofaBurn Records.

“A Still Life Without You” leans back into the band’s alt-country roots with twangy instrumentation, a folk story style of songwriting, and a guest appearance by Philadelphia lap steel legend Mike Brenner (of Marah, Songs: Ohia, & Wild Pink).

”I wanted to write a story song for this record”, says singer-songwriter Tyler Asay. “It’s about two people finding each other after a series of disastrous relationships & the appearances of fate”. The music video uses archival footage shot while the band was recording the album and was edited by Asay’s wife, Kathleen.

While their last album (2022’s Exile On Main Street) channeled '90s radio rock such as Gin Blossoms and The Replacements, A Still Life Revisited pushes into the aughts with the rustic bombast of millennial indie such as Frightened Rabbit and The Hold Steady. With themes that tackle memory & chosen family, A Still Life Revisited overflows with songs that find home in both packed dive bars and stadiums. It’s about looking back at your life, the choices and decisions you’ve made, and celebrating where you ended up today. The album was mixed by Phil Joly (The Strokes, Daft Punk, Lana Del Rey), mastered by Ryan Schwabe (Beach Bunny, Slaughter Beach Dog, Hop Along). A Still Life Revisited by The Tisburys is out Friday, April 25 on Double Helix Records and SofaBurn Records.


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Kacimi & Wendy Martinez - Lune Noire.

Recorded by François Serin at Le Gatillon (Haute-Savoie) during a marathon session with La Mécréance as the backing band, Kacimi presents a series of collaborations with various artists. After working with Joel Virgel and Nick Wheeldon, Kacimi invited Lyon-based singer Wendy Martinez (Gloria) to lend her voice to a garage- and fuzz-infused track.

A sort of repetitive rock’n’roll trance, where Wendy Martinez delivers her prose in the psychedelic tradition of French icons Brigitte Fontaine and Catherine Ribeiro. “Lune Noire” was mixed by Léo Persoz (Le Roi Angus, Magic & Naked) in Geneva and is published by Tweny.

If you're a fan of 60's inspired music and pop psychedelic proposition, don't miss this beautiful collaboration!

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Brye - Body Back.

Indie pop singer-songwriter and producer Brye releases the anticipated new single "Body Back," her first new music since her debut full-length RECOVER and 2024's follow-up EP Growing Through It. Written, recorded and produced entirely on her own, Brye's deeply personal and vulnerable confessional reflects the experience of coercion in a relationship and what it means to reclaim your autonomy. She shared a snippet of the song on TikTok at the end of last year, garnering millions of views and empowering fans to share their own stories.

"'Body Back' was born from a deeply personal moment of anger and rawness," explains Brye. "At the time, I didn’t expect it to resonate with so many people—it was a reflection of my own experience, not something meant for an audience. But as I’ve seen how many people relate to its themes of reclaiming autonomy, it’s become clear that this song matters, and it deserves to be heard."

She continues, "I wrote, produced, and recorded 'Body Back' entirely on my own, pouring every bit of vulnerability into it. The song explores the power of saying 'no' and what it means to finally put words to something so nuanced. This track isn’t just about personal healing—it’s a reminder that we’re not alone in our experiences. That’s why I’m releasing it: to offer the same comfort and validation it gave me while writing it.


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better joy - heading into blue (EP).

After teasing her debut body of work with a series of singles, Manchester-based Bria Keely, better known as better joy, has today shared her first EP ‘heading into blue’ alongside focus track ‘couldn’t run forever’.
 
Debut EP ‘heading into blue’ was produced by Mike Hedges (The Cure, U2, Manic Street Preachers) and the 6-track collection features previous singles ‘waiting on time’, ‘carnival’, ‘what a day’ and ‘quiet thing’, as well as two brand-new tracks, the brooding ‘couldn’t run forever’ and the stripped-back ‘can I land the plane?’. A frank and deeply personal set of songs that focus on themes of self-love and self-belief, the EP is Bria’s true self-expression of herself, with the title ‘heading into blue’ referencing the colour blue being the exact shade of self-expression.  As the first full-length project, it is both a perfect introduction to better joy’s alt-pop sound and an exciting taster of more to come this year. Thoughtful lead track ‘couldn’t run forever’ balances both lightness and darkness in true better joy style, as a melodic and upbeat pop song, backed by a gritty edge with fuzzy guitars and reflective, wide-open lyrics.
 
Bria says, “At its core, ‘couldn’t run forever’ is about running away from things and the notion that you can’t run away from those things forever. I find it fascinating that tiny decisions can steer your life in weird and wonderful ways, but also sometimes there’s that feeling of well “what if” it went that other way? And sometimes these feelings are hard to run away from. In the same breath, I do believe life steers you in ways that are meant for you which is also something you shouldn’t be running from. It’s one big contradiction!”
 
When better joy launched in late 2023, her vivid songs brought comparisons to The Cure, The Smiths and Phoebe Bridgers. A solo project led by Bria Keely and backed up by her band, Bria has an upfront and centre voice as colourful as Debbie Harry and a knack for effortless storytelling. Ringing, complex riffs winding around Bria's vocals, dancing bass lines, characterful drumming and vulnerable lyrics: this is the sound of better joy.

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The Bones of J.R. Jones - North Mississippi Allstars

Photo - Christian Harder The Bones of J.R. Jones - Shameless. New York-based artist The Bones of J.R. Jones releases his new single “Shamel...