Keeping It Real (ft. Electric High, Liars Teeth, Beth Macari and Ask Carol)
Welcome to a brand new month! Can you believe it’s already June? Today we’re sharing some fantastic new music from amazing artists from Beth Macari and Ask Carol to Liars Teeth and Electric High, our feature shows that there is nothing better than a melting pot of music. Welcome to our latest Keeping It Real!
ELECTRIC HIGH – ‘WAITING WITH A GUN’
Influenced greatly by Black Sabbath, Aerosmith and Van Halen, Electric High is a hard rock quartet from Bergen, Norway. PV Staff (vocals), Olav Iversen (vocals), Marius Mørch (guitar), Einride Torvik (bass) and Tor Bjarne Bjelland (drums) recently released their third single ‘Waiting With A Gun’. Inspired by Torvik’s drunk uncle who kept telling them to shut up and threatened the group with a rifle, ‘Waiting With A Gun’ goes for the jugular. Pure power, Electric High is made for stadiums with a truly anthemic sound. Listening to them is like being on an electric high!
“We are two lead singers in this band, practically two wired up maniacs fighting for attention. This song gives a true picture of just how it is; we’re both screaming our lungs out, one louder than the other.” – Electric High on ‘Waiting With A Gun’
FANTØMEX – ‘CONSENT AGENDA’
Hailing from the mountains of Western North Carolina, Fantømex is a female-fronted punk rock foursome. After making the conscious decision to move from playing in other bands to form their own group, Edwin Mericle (drums) and Isaac Crouch (guitar) founded Fantømex. Vocalist Abigail Taylor soon joined them with thought-provoking lyrics and a compelling voice. Not long after, Max Miller (bass) rounded off the quartet with a punchy bassline and imaginative songwriting skills. Fantømex released their debut album Consent Agenda this year.
A combination of L7, Courtney Love and At The Drive-In, Fantømex has a sound that can blast you out of your seat. Aggressive and lively, Taylor’s throaty vocals blend well with the instrumentation – it’s easy to see why they are so popular as a live band. Amidst all the energy, Fantømex are lyrically insightful and reflective. Consent Agenda examines issues such as mental health, religion, female empowerment, climate change, Trump and much more.
NEON DREAMS – ‘SICK OF FEELING USELESS’
If All Time Low and Gym Class Heroes were to have a lovechild, Neon Dreams would be it! Known for their exhilarating high-energy sound, Frank Kadillac and Adrian Morris seek to invoke positivity in their music. From their inception in 2013, Neon Dreams have seen much success including a performance at the Juno Awards, winning the Best New Group or Solo Artist at the 2017 Canadian Radio Music Awards, and gaining a spot on Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Spotify playlist! The latest release from Neon Dreams is ‘Sick of Feeling Useless’.
‘Sick of Feeling Useless’ is an empowering track with a toe-tapping upbeat sound. Reminiscent of Patrick Stump, Kadillac’s vocals harmonise well with drums and guitar. A song written for live gigs, ‘Sick of Feeling Useless’ is a single representing the attitude of most people today. With its compelling melody and powerful lyrics, ‘Sick of Feeling Useless’ is one to keep on repeat!
“Before every session, we try to talk about how we’re feeling. At this point, before the song was made, we were discussing with our good friend and collaborator Nathaniel Motte from the band 3OH3! about how it’s easy to feel helpless…like nothing we do matters that much. Nat said ‘ya know…I think everyone is just sick of feeling useless.’ It hit so hard with me because I felt that way my whole life growing up. I felt useless until I broke out of my shell. If my fans are different versions of me this is the biggest thing that connects us on this island of misfit toys. People that feel like they don’t matter in this world and are constantly searching for a place to belong, a place that makes them feel like a kid again.” – Frank Kadillac on ‘Sick of Feeling Useless’
KARIMA FRANCIS – ‘ORANGE ROSE’
A fully acclaimed musician (even appearing on Later…With Jools Holland), Karima Francis is an indie-folk singer hailing from London. Known for her ability to combine haunting melodies with honest vocals, Francis has received spectacular reviews from Clash, Forbes, Earmilk and many more publications. Entering her thirties, Francis found a new style to capture what life is like living on the West Coast of America. Her latest single is ‘Orange Rose’. Despite being about mental health and difficult relationships, ‘Orange Rose’ is one of the most soulful and calming tracks to come across my virtual desk.
“’Orange Rose’ is a romantic song which touches on the subject of mental health and how people’s mental health can impact personal relationships. In a world where we sometimes feel we can’t speak out, we tend to take it the worst out on people closest to us. – Karima Francis on ‘Orange Rose’
THE ROADSIDE BANDITS PROJECT – ‘SOMBRE CIRCUS (FT. NELL BRYDEN)’
The brainchild of Santi Arribas, The Roadside Bandits Project is a blues/rock band from London. Influenced greatly by BB King, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Robert Johnson, The Roadside Bandits Project is a combination of several seasoned artists including drummer Steve Barney and guitarist Mark Neary. The group is set to release their debut album later in 2020, but have put out ‘Sombre Circus’ as a taster track featuring US-born vocalist Nell Bryden.
Lyrically, ‘Sombre Circus’ reflects on the current state of the world from a social and geopolitical perspective. Looking at Brexit and Trump’s wall, Bryden and company examine anything representing the closure of borders. Reminding me strongly of Eric Clapton, The Roadside Bandits Project offers a complex, compelling and somewhat heartwrenching sound to their listeners.
” ‘Sombre Circus was initially meant to be an instrumental track, inspired by Trump’s anti-immigration policies and by music coming from the US/Mexican border. The word ‘circus’ was floating in my head from the very beginning as I saw what was happening there, particularly with regards to the confinement of illegal immigrants and how children were separated from their families. Later, it felt that it needed a female voice to tell the story and my first call was Nell Bryden. We’d work together several times and I knew her voice would be the perfect fit for the track.” – The Roadside Bandits Project on ‘Sombre Circus’
JANOS – ‘TIGER KING (ISOLATION)’
Somewhere in the realm between Bruno Mars and The 1975, JANOS is a Swedish artist with an upbeat, toe-tapping sound. Formerly based in London, JANOS is bringing a unique blend of alternative pop, punk and RnB to the world. Writing songs about personal experiences, his latest track is the punchy track ‘Tiger King (Isolation)’. After all summer and spring gigs were postponed due to Covid-19, JANOS got together with his band and pushed out an incredibly relatable track.
“It’s a personal song in the sense that it’s about trying to work out what to do for the rest of the year. Also, it’s about being bored at home, Netflix and boredom.” – JANOS on ‘Tiger King (Isolation)’
LIARS TEETH – ‘DISORDER’
Described by I Dream of Vinyl as moody atmospheric rock, Liars Teeth is an alternative rock foursome from London. Born in a dingy warehouse somewhere in East London, the group’s sound straddles the line between ambient experimentation and catchy rock. A relatively new band, Liars Teeth released their debut EP at the end of 2019. Combining elements from Interpol, Pixies and Soundgarden, Disorder is an emotional and expressive journey from start to end.
“There is an underlying theme that’s based around its title. Struggling with addiction, mental health and coping with anxiety and death all seem to underpin the overall feel and lyrics. We recorded the EP ourselves in an East London studio. Russell (the drummer) mixed and recorded it himself so we do hold this first close to our hearts.” – Liars Teeth on ‘Disorder’
MIGHTY BROTHER – ‘SUMMER ROAD’
Hailing from New Orleans, Mighty Brother is an Americana/folk-rock quartet walking on the cusp of Radiohead, Bob Dylan and Fleet Foxes. With two albums and several singles under their belt, Ari Carter, Nick Huster, Quinn Sternberg and Jonah Tarver are about to release their third album The Rabbit. The Owl. on June 29th. ‘Summer Road’ is the second single from the upcoming double album, along with its very own music video. The music video follows the band on an open road tour (before the Covid-19 pandemic, of course).
Encapsulating those numerous hours of reflection when gazing out of the car window on a long drive, ‘Summer Road’ is an insightful and intriguing track. Combining upbeat funk elements with contemporary folk, Mighty Brother is a juxtaposition between sunny summer sounds and sentimental solemnity.
BETH MACARI – ‘YOU MADE MY BABY CRY’
Using her soulful vocals, Beth Macari is a songstress who can easily place you under a spell. Hailing from Newcastle, Macari has received attention from across the globe with her debut single ‘Clone’ receiving one million radio plays in the USA. In the UK, she has had premieres and airtime by BBC London and BBC Radio 2. Her latest release is ‘You Made My Baby Cry’. An enchanting track, Macari shows her ability to fuse funk and soul and look good doing it!
“YMMBC is about not putting up with negative, nasty people to be frank. You can only give someone some many chances. This single is the second chapter in a series of 5 which are all honest and carry the themes of self-love and acceptance.” – Beth Macari on ‘You Made My Baby Cry’
POST ROME – ‘WANT TO BELIEVE’
From childhood friends to rising indie-rock stars in the UK’s North East, Post Rome are flying high and taking everyone with them. Founded in 2017, Jasper Watson (vocals and bass), Ben Goodfellow (guitar) and Jamie Martin (drums) are building a reputation for being energetic, compelling and dynamic. As of now, 2020 has seen Post Rome releasing two singles with more lined up. The latest release is ‘Want To Believe’. A little more indie than their early tracks ‘Tide’ and ‘Six Feet’, ‘Want To Believe’ is moody, meaningful and melodic.
“Lyrically, this song tackles quite a few personal issues whilst focusing on the main theme of feeling uncomfortable or overly comfortable in relationships.” – Jamie Martin on ‘What To Believe’
ASK CAROL – ‘RUN WITH YOU’
Formed in Norway in 2016, Ask Carol is a female-fronted alt-pop band. Despite being a relatively new band, Ask Carol has seen much success on a global basis. In 2018, the duo performed as support for The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Anna Burch, Magna Carta Cartel and more. The latest release from Ask Carol is ‘Run With You’. The tune sits somewhere between Jack White, Twenty One Pilots and Lana Del Rey. The fuzzy guitar synths combined with Karoline’s throaty vocals make ‘Run With You’ a boundary-pushing track incorporating grunge, rock and pop.
“Ask Carol’s first single of 2020 is a catchy disco-pop alt-pop tune with a retro vibe. Intimate vocals and grungy guitars set the mood with a dreamy background and pulsating beat. The feeling of wanting to just get away, run from your sorrows, secrets, your life before it’s too late.” – Ask Carol on ‘Run With You’
All the music in this article can be accessed on our SPOTIFY and DEEZER
