Horizon Ignited – Dark And Punchy
Relentless Finnish sextet Horizon Ignited strike again, with another new single from their upcoming album ‘Towards The Dying Lands‘, which is due out on July 1st via Nuclear Blast.
The track ‘Beyond Your Reach‘ is an anthem, filled with captivating, melodic guitars, driving you onto a huge chorus. It comes accompanied by a music video, filmed in Ylöjärvi, Finland, under the direction of Tuomas Kurikka and Patrik Nuorteva of Riivata visuals.
Frontman Okko Solanterä commented on the single:
“Beyond Your Reach is about unity. Coming together to bring down tyranny and oppression. A slightly different subject for our lyrics, but they fit the song very well!
The song itself is very energetic and empowering with its catchy melodies, so what did we do to bring a bit more darkness and punchiness to it? We made a breakdown. The first of its kind for this band, but definitely not the last! This is an anthem that we cannot wait to play live.”
Horizon Ignited is:
Okko Solanterä – Vocals
Johannes Mäkinen – Guitar
Vili Vottonen – Guitar
Miska Ek – Keyboards
Jukka Haarala – Bass
Jiri Vanhatalo – Drums
Listen to the single here: https://bfan.link/beyond-your-reach
Pre-order the album here: https://bfan.link/HorizonIgnitedTTDL
Horizon Ignited are stoked to have been chosen as a support act for the legendary Hypocrisy, on their extensive autumn European tour.
See all the tour dates below:
Hypocrisy – Worship European Tour 2022
w/ Horizon Ignited, SepticFlesh, The Agonist
30/09/2022 DE Bochum Matrix
01/10/2022 NL Enschede Metropool
02/10/2022 NL Eindhoven Dynamo
04/10/2022 BE Antwerp Kavka – Zappa
05/10/2022 UK London Islington Assembly Hall
06/10/2022 UK Birmingham Institute 2
07/10/2022 UK Manchester Academy 2
08/10/2022 FR Lille Le Splendid
09/10/2022 FR Paris La Machine du Moulin Rouge
10/10/2022 FR Rennes L’Etage
12/10/2022 PT Porto Hard Club
13/10/2022 PT Lisbon Lisboa ao Vivo
14/10/2022 ES Madrid Story Live
15/10/2022 ES Barcelona Apolo 2
16/10/2022 FR Lyon Ninkasi Gerland / Kao
18/10/2022 IT Paderno Dugnano Slaughter Club
19/10/2022 IT Rome Orion Club
21/10/2022 GR Athens Fuzz Live Music Club
22/10/2022 GR Thessaloniki Principal Club Theater
23/10/2022 BG Sofia Hristo Botev Hall
25/10/2022 RO Bucharest Quantic Club
26/10/2022 RO Cluj-Napoca /Form Space
27/10/2022 HU Budapest Dürer Kert
28/10/2022 AT Vienna Simm City
29/10/2022 DE Ingolstadt Eventhalle Westpark
30/10/2022 DE Hamburg Gruenspan
01/11/2022 CH Lausanne Les Docks
02/11/2022 CH Luzern Schüür
03/11/2022 DE Aschaffenburg Colos-Saal
04/11/2022 DE Stuttgart LKA – Longhorn
05/11/2022 CZ Prague MeetFactory
06/11/2022 PL Kraków Kwadrat
07/11/2022 PL Warsaw Proxima
08/11/2022 PL Gdańsk B90
10/11/2022 LU Esch/Alzette Kulturfabrik
11/11/2022 DE Leipzig Hellraiser
12/11/2022 DE Berlin Orwo Haus
Founded back in 2017 by guitarists Johannes Mäkinen and Vili Vottonen, the debut album After the Storm was unleashed when the northern winds choked Horizon Ignited‘s hometown of Kouvola in early 2019. The completely self-published album received very positive feedback and the band have continued to make their mark since then. Horizon Ignited are a diverse act − captivating and guitar-driven melodic death metal flavoured with catchy metalcore elements, among others.
MEXICAN DOGS – A Glittering Sex Beat
Thundering through a riotous blend of fuzzy reverb, vintage-tinted guitar lines, heady instrumentals and booming vocals, “When It’s Gone” is the latest offering from rambunctious Liverpool trio Mexican Dogs
Plucked from the band’s eponymous debut EP (out today), the track puts a deft Mexican Dogs spin on a cavorting canon of ‘70s glam-rock influences. Touching on slightly heavier territory than earlier releases “Run, Run, Run” and “She Cries Blues”, “When It’s Gone” is a playful slice of live-ready classic rock with a rugged contemporary feel.
Grappling with the hindsight that comes with losing everything you have, frontman Gaz Wilcox explains of the track:
“”When It’s Gone” is about when you think you don’t have enough in life, but then you lose what you had and realise you actually had everything you needed. The track shows a heavier, more alternative side to the band, and this gusty sound goes down well at our live shows. As a band we do try to make each song different from the next — it’s important to us as it keeps things fresh and makes writing music exciting.”
Affirming their aptitude for creating retro, roof-down riffs, “When It’s Gone” is plucked from Mexican Dogs’ self-titled EP, out now via Fretstore Records.
Produced by Andy Fernihough and recorded at Liverpool’s 3rd Planet Studios, the trio’s debut EP celebrates the frenzied energy and electric charisma of a new band excited to unleash their sound to the world.
Of the new extended release, Gaz says:
“We are extremely proud to release our very first EP. What a year it has been for us — having been a band for less than two years, we are happy to make our mark on the music industry. This EP captures what a new band is all about, and the excitement and enthusiasm really cuts through on the record we think. Big love for the support so far and enjoy the EP!”
With earlier singles “Run, Run, Run” and “She Cries Blues” amping up the rock’n’roll spirits of yesteryear with a raucous range of newfangled sounds, the band have surpassed 50k streams on Spotify and amassed over 100k streams and 25k monthly listeners, with features in both Apple Music’s ‘New in Rock UK’ and YouTube’s ‘New Rock’ playlists.
Mexican Dogs will also be bringing their rip-roaring new material to the stage later this year, with a series of live shows planned in the wake of their recent packed-out, wall-to-wall gigs in Liverpool and London. Dates and details as follows..
MEXICAN DOGS – LIVE DATES 2022
30th April – LIVERPOOL – Handymans Stage @ Smithdown Road Festival – Free entry
27th May – PRESTON – New Continental – Donation on the door
2nd July – LIVERPOOL – Arts Club Theatre – Tickets here
19th November – 100 Club Soho, London – supporting Deaf School here
25th November – LIVERPOOL – Arts Club Theatre (supporting Deaf School) – Tickets here
26th November – LIVERPOOL – Arts Club Theatre (supporting Deaf School) – Tickets here
Living Room – A Fresh Perspective
We’re just a few weeks away from the release of Living Room’s brilliant new album New Years.
The Brooklyn based post-rock outfit have put out two stellar singles with “Petrol Head” and “Mauve Frame” and now we’re getting one more titled “Flood.” Each single has been accompanied by a music video directed by Brendan McKnight and you can see what they have cooked up for “Flood” which is premiering now at Chorus.FM. “It’s about the ways we can deceive ourselves when we try to escape or hide from our reality.” says guitarist and vocalist John Nicholls.
So go ahead and step outside of your hiding place and check out the music video for “Flood” now at Chorus.FM. Living Room has released thoughtful and precise music that blends emo, shoegaze, and post-punk. Their upcoming album, New Years, is a culmination of years of playing together and the comfort that comes with that. “Flood” will be available on digital platforms on Friday, May 27th and New Years will be released by Brooklyn indie label, Fear Icon Records, on June 10th, 2022. Digital preorders are available now.
Living Room is a quartet from Brooklyn, NY that is anchored by a decade-long friendship between their members. Influenced by late ’90s and early aught acts, Living Room injects a distinctly fresh perspective, heaviness, and mysticism to their brand of music. Their discography displays their evolving and precise musicianship with lyrics that reflect the complexity, vicissitude, and euphoria of life.
Album Credits:
Scott Fitzpatrick – Guitar/Vocals
John Nicholls – Guitar/Vocals
Kevin Dobbins – Bass
Fred Trumpy – Drums
Produced & mixed by Gary Cioni at Sound Acres Studios
Mastered by Mike Kalajian at Rogue Planet Mastering
Album Cover:
Jon Murphy & Kendall Garrett
FEBUEDER – A Reflection On Loss
Unconventional and yet completely irresistible, “Bootchie” rattles around like a toolbox in the back of a pick-up truck; its scattered instrumentation unearthing hypnotic rhythms in the most unexpected of places.
With its shuffling percussion to the languid piano motifs, its jazzy inflections and brassy sunspots, the track recalls the off-kilter and obliquely-danceable productions of contemporaries like Gold Panda or Animal Collective, but hallmarked with Febueder’s understated sense of adventure.
While its title may be a knowing play on the word “boujee” (NB slang for something that is “Luxurious in lifestyle yet humble in character” and a wry nod towards the dressy town of Ascot in which the band formed), the track itself is in actuality a tender reflection on loss, grief and acceptance.
“The song has been described to me as a ballad. But a ballad with rolling delayed metallic percussion looping through it….” says frontman Samuel Keysell. “The song is about loss. Accepting a loss with reluctance.”
Through a haze of obfuscated vocals, Keysell builds a mantra of melancholic expression, “Bootchie”’s emergent lyrics as introspective as they are affecting. “You were broken, well I should know that, with you I had it, well now you know it, when I’m open, you’re always open, now you show me, I’m taking you home” he lulls with a gentle forlornness here.
The track arrives with a fittingly left-field official video courtesy of director and frequent collaborator Timothy Jacob Elledge, who the band first worked with back in 2017. Following the day in the life of an ageing chauffeur at the end of his tether, with plenty of surrealist twists enroute. Speaking about the video, Elledge says:
“The seed of the video concept was planted during the first lockdown. I was smoking a cigarette outside my Brooklyn apartment when an old white limousine pulled up to the traffic light at the end of my block. These were peak quarantine days, mind you. The streets in New York were like ghost towns– anyone who stayed behind can attest to this. I quickly wondered one hundred questions about the driver: Where was he going? What did he do all day? Who needs a limousine? The car pulled off. I finished my cigarette and quickly forgot about the man... Months later ‘Bootchie’ arrived in my inbox. When I heard the opening seconds of the song the first image that came to mind was that of cans dragging down the street on lines of string. Cans on a limousine. The lonely limo driver. I allowed myself to daydream about what that man had been doing that day and what sort of odd errands he may have been running.”
STREAM HERE
“Bootchie” arrives as the band’s first new music of 2022, and their first release since the ‘Re-Etched’ remix album of 2020 and the band’s acclaimed debut: ‘Tomalin Has Etched In’ (2020).
An avant-indie duo hailing from the UK, Febueder (pronounced Fe-byou-der) is made up of vocalist/ multi-instrumentalist Kieran Godfrey and percussionist/ multi-instrumentalist/ vocalist Samuel Keysell. Since the band’s inception, their anomalous take on indie rock, electronica, jazz and pop, has earned acclaim from publications including NME, Complex, The Line of Best Fit, Wonderland, Indie Shuffle, CLASH, DIY and Record of the Day. Earmilk even named their 2020 debut ‘Tomalin Has Etched In’ as one of the best albums of the year.
With the promise of new material on the horizon, Febueder will be hitting the road once again this Spring – plotting a small run of shows in Bristol, Manchester, and London. Full dates and details can be found below.
FEBUEDER – LIVE DATES
May 19 – Rough Trade (Bristol)
May 20 – Gullivers (Manchester)
May 21 – Moth Club (London)
Tickets on sale now.
Neighbourhood Festival – Everything And More
Manchester’s best and biggest multi-venue festival is back! Neighbourhood Festival will be taking over Manchester city centre on October 1st, with tickets on sale at 10am on Thursday 26th May from www.gigsandtours.com.
The event will be headlined by indie titans The Snuts, local heroes Everything Everything and alternative quartet Sundara Karma.
They will be joined by a host of emerging talent, including fast-rising newcomers Alfie Templeman, Baby Queen, Rachel Chinnouriri, Dylan, Royston Club, Louis Dunford, Lauran Hibberd and STONE, with many more acts still to be announced.
Launching in 2016, Neighbourhood Festival quickly established itself as the place to discover the next big thing. In the past, BRIT Award winners Sam Fender, Mabel and Holly Humberstone and established live favourites Yungblud, Declan McKenna, Mahalia and The Lathums have all performed.
Taking place across Manchester’s finest venues, all based within the city centre, Neighbourhood Festival returns to the Albert Hall, Gorilla, O2 Ritz and many more much-loved stages this October, with Bunny Jackson’s also joining the party for the first time.
Tim Dugger – Magic Of The South
MCC/Curb Records recording artist Tim Dugger has shared the music video for his current radio single, ‘Heart Of A Small Town‘, following a digital premiere with popular U.S. brand Bass Pro Shops on 18/5, and a broadcast premiere with CMT Australia earlier in the month.
“I’m excited for the ‘Heart Of A Small Town’ video to be out – I think it helps complement the song and help tell the story of small town living,” shared Dugger. “I’m proud of how it turned out and I sure hope people enjoy seeing it!”
The Alabama native recalls his hometown roots on ‘Heart of a Small Town’, which is currently gaining airplay worldwide. The descriptive song, which he wrote with Brandon Hood and Tim Nichols, depicts Small Town USA down to its one stop light and lone church steeple. Dugger even pays tribute to Joe Diffie with a nod to “John Deere Green.” Like lighting bugs in a mason jar, he captures the red, white and blue magic of the South with a richly textured track full of guitars, drums and fiddles, produced by Hood.
‘Heart of a Small Town’ is Dugger’s first taste of new music following his MCC/Curb Records debut, Signs Of A Good Time.
Official Site | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
STACEY PIERRE – A Journey Of Faith
London’s Alternative-soul singer-songwriter STACEY PIERRE takes us on a roller coaster of emotions with forthcoming single titled ‘Motion’, coming out on 4th June.
Oozing soothingly atmospheric soundscapes which intertwines with the young songstress’ alluringly soulful vocals, ‘Motions’ forms part of Stacey’s second solo EP, ‘Origin Unknown’ slated for release in July.
Written, arranged, recorded and mixed by Stacey, the four-track EP is set to take us through some of the ups and downs within her journey of faith. ‘Motion’ represents the value we place on other’s perceptions of us and how that value interacts with our self-worth.
Since the release of her debut self-written/produced EP ‘Eden’ back in 2018, which was met with raving reviews, Stacey is carving a name for herself in London’s music scene as a full-time musician, regularly performing at opulent venues, The Londoner Hotel, The Dorchester Hotel (through Molto Music Group) and The Ned. Stacey also graced her intensely compelling stage presence at various events across the capital including St. Felix Place, Gigi’s Bar, Café 1001 and East London’s 93 Feet East.
As she continues to flourish as a musician, Stacey has ventured out to experiment with various genres through collaborations with British-Congolese musician Jordan Mackampa on his EP ‘Come Around’, recorded his Live Abbey Road session. Stacey was also one of two backing vocalists to appear in Jordan’s music video, for single ‘Under’.
Stacey also has a burgeoning partnership with multi genre producer Obsidian Cane, producing UKG club fillers ‘Body Talk’ and ‘Secret Place’ which was also met with critical acclaim and were supported by UKG connoisseur DJ EZ on BBC1xtra. The pair is set to release more dancefloor staples later in the year.
Until then, Stacey gets ready to present her single, ‘Motion’ which showcases her undeniable skill to instantly draw in the prospective listener into her world.
‘Motion’ is out on the 4th June across various music platforms.
BLOOD RED SHOES – Embrace The Strange
BLOOD RED SHOES are preparing for a run of live dates across the UK this June. The tour comes in celebration of the band’s sixth album ‘Ghosts on Tape’, released earlier this year via Velveteen Records, and will see stops in Bristol, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Glasgow, London, Brighton and Birmingham. Support for the entire headline tour comes from CIEL.
The shows swiftly follow a brand new piano version of “Morbid Fascination” — a haunting cut of floaty key taps and visceral vocals that sees the ‘Ghosts on Tape’ track transformed from a buzzing cut of alt-rock into an emotive ballad.
New album ‘Ghosts on Tape’ marks a huge jump forwards for the band, one that develops their sound almost beyond recognition, while capturing Blood Red Shoes at their most musically and emotionally mature.
As Steven explains:
“We’ve always been outsiders right from the very beginning… We have made an entire career out of being told what we are “not”, of being rejected, of not fitting in, and this album is us deliberately pushing into all of our strangeness, emphasising all of the things that make us different”.
Obsessed by true crime and murder podcasts, many songs on the record are told in character and explore the dark psyche of those at the pinnacle of outsiderdom: serial killers. ‘Ghosts on Tape’ paints a picture of a dark and unsettling world. It is the sound of a unified and confident duo who know exactly who they are, even if the wider world doesn’t really get it. The sound of two people who have spent their entire adult lives making music together and who, more than ever, are finding new pathways for their creativity.
BLOOD RED SHOES
“Ultimately this album is an invitation”, adds Steven. “It’s us saying, this is our world, these are our darkest thoughts and feelings - our ghosts - caught on tape. You are welcome to join us. Come and embrace the strange”.
In the wake of the album’s release, the band also unveiled a 15-minute short film of the same name sound-tracked by songs from the album. Premiered to a packed audience at London’s Everyman Cinema, the film was written and directed by Craig Murray and unfolds as an unsettling, brooding and psychological horror story, featuring the band plus their future ghosts, and a blue-hooded death cult reminiscent of Eyes Wide Shut.
After years spent living on opposite sides of the Atlantic, world events saw Laura May Carter and Steven Ansell back together into what has become the most fruitful era of their 17 years together.
“It’s been a looooong time since we both lived in the same city,” says Steven. “I mean we actually wrote the album in LA at Laura’s place, then came to the UK to record it… and then everything went nuts.”
Realising very quickly that they wouldn’t be able to release the album or tour until the world returned to some kind of normality, the band found their energies quickly spilled over into other projects. Laura-Mary started a podcast, Never Meet Your Idols, with her best friend in LA, interviewing everyone from Zack Snyder to Mark Lanegan to CHVRCHES. It is now about to start its third season. Steven started applying his love of electronic music by writing and producing other alternative artists like Circe, ARXX, Aiko and XCerts, racking up millions of streams in the process.
Having worked together on Laura–Mary’s debut solo mini-album ‘Town Called Nothing’ and restless from the lack of touring, the duo started jamming out in rehearsal rooms. The results of these sessions led to the light-speed writing, recording and release of the impossibly-titled ‘Ø’ EP in the summer of 2021, followed by their sixth full-length studio outing ‘Ghosts on Tape’ at the beginning of 2022.
With touring back on the table, Blood Red Shoes are ready to bring their complex, imaginative and gothic-tinged new set of tracks to audiences across the UK at a series of Summer shows. Full dates and details as follows:
BLOOD RED SHOES – 2022 UK LIVE DATES
JUNE
6 – TT The Races, Isle of Man
8 – The Fleece, Bristol*
9 – Brudenell Social Club, Leeds*
10 – Academy 3, Manchester*
11 – Think Tank, Newcastle Upon Tyne*
12 – King Tuts, Glasgow*
14 – The Garage, London*
15 – Chalk, Brighton*
16 – The Rainbow, Birmingham*
JULY
29 – Y Not Festival, Newhaven
*w/ support from CIEL
Tickets on sale now here:
https://www.bloodredshoes.co.uk
TX2 – A DIY Masterpiece
Rising out of the shadows of a small town known for music, Fort Collins. TX2 brings an unmatchable intensity in his music through powerful raw lyrics and his explosive performances.
After building a loyal fanbase in his hometown, TX2 moved to Miami, Florida, to pursue his dreams of singing and songwriting and start a hip hop program at the University of Miami.
After struggling for so many years as an artist, TX2 used his struggles as fuel and found his sound. As a result, his music went viral on Tik Tok and he now has 335K+ followers on the platform. TX2 has since begun a movement known among his fans known as the “X Movement”, which is all about bringing awareness to mental health and creating a safe space for those in need to talk. The movement currently has 1.4K+ members and is growing everyday, providing a platform to speak about mental health, vent and supporting one another. TX2 wants everyone to know they are not alone in their struggles.
TX2’s newest release “Vampire By Rumor” was written alongside Josh Strock (writer of ‘Sid and Nancy” on MGK’s Mainstream Sellout) and his mentor Joey Barba. The track brings back a familiar emo-rock feel that is catchy and relatable.
After a small tease of the song on Tik Tok, TX2 garnered over 5,000 pre-saves on his song before the release, and currently has 400+ people who have already used the sound. The track has already been streamed over 4,800 times on Spotify alone since dropping early this morning.
Of the single TX2 says, “This song is about how I have been chasing after a dream pushing my limits to a point where I genuinely feel empty inside and like I sold my soul for a dream. I'm using the metaphor of being a "vampire" to describe the emptiness I've been experiencing lately. For the video, my friend and popular Youtuber 'Wyatt Stav' flew out to support the production and play drums in it. The entire production was intense, as we were trying to make a feature project on little to no budget. Thanks to my friend Christian (Stop The Tapes!) who directed this production, we were able to make a DIY masterpiece.”
Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tx2official
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tx2official/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TX2OFFICIAL
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tx2official
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1QQ0zBYrjIUnXvHf5iiV5H?si=ORm92PHHTwa2XIKghT7B9A
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/tx-2