July 2023 – Page 2 – 1st 3 MAGAZINE

PRETTY AWKWARD – Breathe, Relax, and Chill

25th July 2023

Seattle Alt.Pop band PRETTY AWKWARD sings about Friends With Benefits in their new single “Woozy”, available now.

The groovy, funky track tells a story of the irresistible pull of reconnecting with an ex to fulfill a mutual need when under the influence – even though the relationship can be toxic.

The band’s Austin Held says “Lyrically, ‘Woozy’ was inspired by poking fun at the kind of relationships that one can have when they’re a young, misguided adult. When you initially vibe with someone it can seem like innocent young love. But over time it can evolve into an unhealthy and intoxicating “situationship”. It’s one that our main character can’t help but keep returning to over and over again – because it feels so good in the moment”

The video for ‘Woozy’ was directed by the band’s Nicholas Wiggins and was filmed in various locations around Seattle. Held says “The storyline revolves around the misadventures of a character named Mr. Woozy and is a perfect example of how the darkest nights can lead to the brightest of dawns. We put a lot of time and energy into this and we’re really proud of the way it turned out as it’s the first music video we’ve released that’s completely DIY. We’ve had this idea of following this character (Mr Woozy) through a crazy night out on the town for a while and it’s awesome to finally see the idea brought to life. We want to thank local Seattle residents for allowing us to blast our music through the streets and thanks for clapping, we’re so grateful for your support and stoked that you enjoyed what you saw”.

The band is set to release its first full length album “Get Weird” on September 1^st. They are rolling out the releases with tour dates in the Northwest, with a full tour set to launch in early 2024.

PRETTY AWKWARD – Tour Dates:

Thursday, July 27^th – The Charleston – Bremerton, WA

Friday, July 28^th – Real Art Tacoma – Tacoma, WA

Friday, August 4^th – Mano Oculta – Portland, OR

Friday, September 1^st (Album Release Show) – Madame Lou’s – Seattle, WA

https://www.prettyawkwardband.com/

Fanny Lumsden (Live Review) – From Glasto’ To The Green Note

24th July 2023

Country News, Music Reviews

Sometimes, it takes a moment of standstill and a one-off event that causes us to fall in love with our everyday existence again.

Sometimes, we need reminding to halt- to digest our surroundings and think about those things we take for granted but are lucky to have in this life, where we seem to be continually hunting for different elements such as success, time, happiness , money…

Tonight, on the tiny, wooden stage in the corner of surely the sweetest of London music venues, the gorgeousness that is Fanny Lumsden – with her stories of adventure and retrospection and her songs in the most optimistic of key signatures and with the most beautiful of harmonies – begins her simply stellar set. Moments previously, we had had the chance to meet and chat to Fanny, so we already knew what a special evening we were going to have. She is completely divine.

Fanny: tiny, pretty, her beauty inside exuding from every pore, is as warm as the Aussie sunshine and as refreshing as a cool splash of milk in your coffee. In her flares, cute red jumper and with her long curly dark hair tied up in a ribbon, she is the epitome of all that is good and wholesome, and when she starts to sing- well, it’s just heaven.

Sadness is acknowledged but ultimately, hope, gratitude, fun and love is at the heart of everything Fanny."

Fanny, on stage with her band ‘The Prawnstars’, tells us it’s her first gig in London, and without preamble, the music begins with four voices in close and luscious harmonies, singing Fierce. The sound is perfectly balanced, Fanny’s lovely, easy melody and effortless guitar accompaniment beautifully enhanced by Tom, her brother’s singing, her husband Dan on the stick bass and vocals and her cousin Paddy (always out of shot) on the guitar, including a fabulous solo in this song, and mandolin and vocals. Fanny’s broad, inclusive smile connects us and lights everything up.

“I think we’ve peaked already…” says Fanny as she describes playing on the Avalon stage at Glastonbury a few short weeks ago. The contrast between that enormous audience and the bijou and select gathering we are a privilege to be part of tonight is impossible not to remark upon, but Fanny loves to sing and you get the feeling it could be anywhere – that Fanny embraces and accepts everything with a happy, uncomplicated grace and gratitude. We could all use some of that outlook …

She sings Peed in the Pool (because she knows we all have…), a song with swing and sway, reflection and a country backbeat. “I’m learning to be graceful and I’m always chasing calm”- her message in these contemplative words underpinning so much of her style.

Fanny seems to write songs anywhere and everywhere- sometime they just “pour out of me in one go” and occasionally they are written with a muse in mind…She tells us how the next song When I die came to be written- the muse being a big ‘bushy’ man by the name of Brett and a meticulously planned celebration for his own wake; involving a bonfire in a truck, his ashes being fired out of canons on a hillside with an ‘awesome view’, and including asking Fanny how much she would charge to perform at it! Thinking he was joking, she named a huge sum and added a down payment of 2 loads of wood. When a few months later he arrived at her house with the first load of wood, Fanny tells us how the song just took off. This is a lively, feel-good yet poignant song about sticking to your guns and knowing what you really want- in life as well as death. It’s catchy chorus “When I die/I’m gonna shoot my ashes into the sky/Cheer as you watch them fly!” stays with you long after the music is over. An impressive guitar instrumental as the middle 8 gives time for reflection in the beautifully constructed verses and chorus, and ends by saying; “Please don’t cry- Because I/I lived a good life”.

And that is the message that is increasingly conveyed: song by song, story by story- Fanny is the epitome of the good life. Surrounded by her familial band (musicians and children), travelling the world singing her songs of joy with warmth, love and ebullience, while joie de vivre and good fortune buzz around her.

Fanny’s music is about looking a little closer, thinking a little more about life’s glimmers, about feelings and acceptance of these, about life and always, hope.

Her most celebrated album to date, ‘Fallow,’ is a collection of songs, every one of which is a winner. Coming out of the bush fires, written in the valley and recorded in a stone hut, Fanny explains how the fires became part of the story and the trauma became part of the story and the album was very much a part of processing this.

Grown Ups-with its poignant, emotive and hubristic yet funny lyrics touching the hearts of the audience with its own brand of pathos, is a finger-picking, harmony-infused perfection of a song, which is followed by Ugly Flowers– a new song that Fanny announces was just released yesterday (5^th July) from her new album, Hey Dawn. Of all of Fanny’s intensely memorable songs and their stories, this, with its lyrical melody and flawless accompaniment is perhaps the most evocative, because it is about her family; the authenticity of what she sings all around her – physically as well as metaphorically! The vision of a big family party with Grandma at the heart, lots of different birthday cakes on the table to celebrate all the birthdays at that time, is imagery of what Fanny and her music is: a celebration of all things connected, familial, loving, joyous. And we at The Green Note this evening yearn to be part of it- and some of us are inspired to do the same with our families, with our lives; to be more Fanny.

Fanny’s music is about looking a little closer, thinking a little more about life’s glimmers, about feelings and acceptance of these, about life and always, hope. The golden thread that runs throughout the songs is that they are all (except for the fabulously entertaining and cleverly arranged Aussie mash-up before the interval) written by Fanny; the sentiments, stories, ideas and of course, the melodies, harmonies and chords embody the “glorious buzz” that she strives for – Sadness is acknowledged but ultimately, hope, gratitude, fun and love is at the heart of everything Fanny.

https://www.fannylumsden.net

Fanny Lumsden played The Green Note Camden on July 6^th 2023

Interview coming soon

Words and live photography Copyright of 1st 3 Magazine

Not to be reproduced, cropped or altered without prior permission. Social media use only for persons depicted, event organisers and venue.

BLACK LIGHT WHITE LIGHT – An Adventurous Release

24th July 2023

Music News

Emotive Indie Rock band Black Light White Light has released their latest full-length album, The Admirer, via Forward Backwards Recordings.

Black Light White Light has already garnered plenty of support from industry publications. Having aired BBC Radio 6 Music with Lauren Laverne, the band has received spins on Denmark Public Radio broadcaster DR.DK, and Absolute Radio with Frank Skinner and Simon Raymonde, amongst others.

From Malmo, Sweden, Black Light White Light was formed in 2009 by guitarist, singer and songwriter Martin Ejlertsen. From the beginning, Black Light White Light has had an international outlook, seeking inspiration and collaboration over long distances. The band started working on The Admirer in 2019, when Martin Ejlertsen, drummer Viktor Höber and pianist Pontus Örnstrand retired to Viktoria Studio in central Copenhagen, Denmark, where they recorded demos in close collaboration with the Danish musician, friend, and producer Christian Ki.

However, the recording came to an end in the band’s hometown Malmö when the borders between Denmark and Sweden were closed due to the pandemic. And so the band was forced to complete the project at Tambourine Studio in Malmo with the Swedish technician Joar Sylvan. The band share their thoughts on the LP: “I think the album presents the band’s most personal, versatile and certainly most adventurous release to date.”

LISTEN: Black Light White Light – A Mutual Love

‘A Mutual Love’ pulls us back to an era when The Beatles graced the radio and psychedelia was high fashion. Woozy guitar amps sing beneath dampened filters, painting the vintage chords in a bright shade of Black Light White Light

Website – Facebook – Twitter – Soundcloud – Youtube – Instagram – Spotify

THE IDIOTS – A Bit Of Oi

24th July 2023

Music News

German punk metal extremes THE IDIOTS release their tenth studio album, titled “König der Idioten” (engl. King of Idiots), via Massacre Records.

After the band shared a first single, “Downtown Lover”, they have just unleashed a new music video for the album track “Never Give Up”! THE IDIOTS comment: “In the late 70’s we already had a Oi-Punk Rock song called “S04 & the BVB”. Now we felt like we should be doing it again. In the past we had our own soccer team: “Dynamo Doppelkorn”.

Sir Hannes wants to resurrect it. The song is also timeless, just like our first soccer song and thematically just as up-to-date as back then – like many THE IDIOTS songs. It’s about our friends – they are metalheads, punx, oi-skinheads & freaks – going to soccer together or watching the games in a pub and having fun as a team. We are Punk Rock / Metal Hooligans! We have a bit of a tongue-in-cheek situation going on here.””

THE IDIOTS Live:

04.08.2023 DE Dortmund – Idiots Records (unplugged – Album Release Show)

05.08.2023 DE Dortmund – Idiots Records (unplugged – Album Release Show)

29.09.2023 DE Coesfeld – Fabrik (*)

30.09.2023 DE Quedlinburg – KUZ (*)

01.10.2023 DE Frankfurt – Batschkapp (*)

02.10.2023 DE München – Backstage (*)

03.10.2023 AT Wien – Viper Room (*)

04.10.2023 CH Luzern – Sedel (*)

05.10.2023 DE Nürnberg – Hirsch (*)

06.10.2023 DE Leipzig – Hellraiser (*)

07.10.2023 DE Hamburg – Logo (*)

08.10.2023 DE Braunschweig – KUFA (*)

04.11.2023 DE Dortmund – Junkyard (*)

(*) 40 Years Idiots Records Tour 2023 w/ Phantoms Of Future, Kadaverficker + Dr. Death

With “König der Idioten”, THE IDIOTS are screaming for a better world. Lyrically, as musically, this album is certainly the most extreme and heaviest THE IDIOTS album to date.

The explosive mixture of words, music, energy, and anger offers fans and listeners a musical firework of a special kind. It should be liberating, awakening, thought-provoking, but of course also spread power, joy, and energy. On “König der Idioten”, THE IDIOTS embody what they feel, think, and live for! Every note, every word is lived by them, celebrated with devotion and is full of authenticity. Be it helping the homeless, fundraising for flood victims, supporting the Sea Shepherd organization or calls and actions for rescuing and supporting clubs, print media, bands and the whole cultural scene – THE IDIOTS put their heart and soul into it. “We stand and fight for respect, diversity, human rights, nature, and animal welfare! Also, we stand up against oppression and any kind of dictatorships and for minorities.”

“König der Idioten” track listing:
1. Darkness

Terror

Downtown Lover

Ich bin böse

König der Idioten

Never Give Up

Proud To Be An Idiot

Psychopath

Punk Rock Bunny

SchwArz

Neverland (CD Bonus Track)

12. Zeit (CD Bonus Track)

http://www.idiots.de/idiotsband

https://www.facebook.com/idiots.de

https://www.instagram.com/the_idiots_band

https://spoti.fi/3LIDsRs

GODS OF SOMETIMES – Flexing Some Muscle

24th July 2023

Music News

GODS OF SOMETIMES (Fu Manchu/Moab) Release Debut Self-Titled Album.

GODS OF SOMETIMES, the newly formed Southern California alt-indie rock duo consisting of bassist Brad Davis (FU MANCHU) and guitarist/vocalist Andrew Giacumakis (MOAB), has released their eponymous debut album today via Falling Dome Records.

Blending their heavy rock roots with soft melodic influences, the duo has crafted a stunning record for fans of acts like Beatles, David Bowie, Neil Young and The Flaming Lips. The album features stand out singles “In The End” (feat. J. Mascis of Dinosaur Jr.), “Gods Of Sometimes” and “Stilted Low.”

Commenting on the album, the band says:

“Coming from heavy bands, we wanted to make a chill record. Something you could listen to in the morning with your coffee, and not get bummed out by too much aggression. We love heavy music, but we also like mellow melodic music, and we wanted to explore that. There’s still some muscularity on the album but it’s really about melody and vibe.”

“Gods Of Sometimes” Tracklisting:
1. Gods Of Sometimes
2. Dawn Of The Tin Man
3. Stilted Low
4. In The End (Feat. J. Mascis)
5. Hand On The Hide
6. Watching For Satelites
7. Wherewithal
8. You Will
9. Just Another One

Instagram
Bandcamp

Randall King – A Poetic Heart

21st July 2023

Country News

The Texas troubadour, Randall King, will perform in the UK, Germany, Switzerland and Lichtenstein, with support from Reid Haughton

Following Hereford, Texas native Randall King gracing the international stage earlier this year at C2C Festival in London, the country traditionalist hailed by Billboard as a “hardcore country vocalist” will continue his international trek this Autumn, with a new slate of European tour dates and festival appearances.

Known for his road warrior diet of over 150 dates each year touring across the United States, the hustling King will carry the Autumn leg of his tour through eight new cities in 2023, with stops in London, Manchester and Glasgow in the UK, Berlin, Hamburg and Cologne in Germany, Gstaad in Switzerland and Vaduz in Lichtenstein.

“I’m beyond excited to see the world through my Honkytonk dream and to bring the ‘neon overseas’ to so many great countries,” shares King. “It’s going to be a true thrill to see a side of life I’ve never seen and to play so many iconic venues that have held a lot of my heroes. It’ll be a true honor.”

Randall King UK/EU 2023 Tour Dates:

Sept. 8 – Gstaad, Switzerland – Festivalzelt

Sept. 9 – Gstaad, Switzerland – Festivalzelt

Sept. 11 – Glasgow, UK – Oran Mor

Sept. 12 – Manchester, UK – The Deaf Institute (SOLD OUT)

Sept. 13 – London, UK – Bush Hall

Sept. 15 – Cologne, Germany – Club Volta (UPGRADED due to demand)

Sept. 17 – Hamburg, Germany – Bahnhof Pauli (UPGRADED due to demand)

Sept. 18 – Berlin, Germany – Kesselhaus (UPGRADED due to demand)

Sept. 19 – Stuttgart – Im Wizemann (DATE ADDED due to demand)

Sept. 21 – Vaduz, Liechtenstein – Rheinparkstadion

Sept. 23 – Vaduz, Liechtenstein – Rheinparkstadion

King most recently released ‘When My Baby’s In Boots‘, detailing the irresistible toe-tapping power a pair of Luccheses have on his girl. This new song is a continuation of his neon era, ushered in by ‘Green Eyes Blue‘ and viral fan favourite ‘You In A Honky Tonk‘, the latter of which featured on his major label debut album Shot Glass, out now via Warner Music Nashville. Paying homage to the influencers of his neotraditional sound, the crooning “Green Eyes Blue” landed critical appraise, with Billboard stating “it’s the honeyed, distinctive timbre of his voice and the vitality in his songs that hoist his staunchly traditional sound above the plethora of recently released, ‘90s country-tinged song”.

King is one of country’s new crop of modern traditionalists, Warner Music Nashville artist Randall King grew up on the endless plains of West Texas – and his sound is steeped in their timeless beauty with a mix of grit and grace. He grew up singing in the back of a ‘93 Chevy Suburban, mimicking the pure-country vocals of stars like Keith Whitley, George Strait, Alan Jackson and John Anderson and over the years became drawn to the electrifying energy of modern stars like Eric Church, Dierks Bentley and Jason Aldean. After years of hustling and a road-warrior’s diet of 150 shows each year, King produced and released the defiant 2016 EP, Another Bullet, then followed up with a 2018 self-titled album. Now, King is bringing an organic, timeless sound to country’s mainstream with his major label debut album Shot Glass. The 11-song collection, seven of which were co-written by King, centres around a night out at a bar, with each track representing a different point of view of those in the room. The album was named to Whiskey Riff’s Top 40 Country Albums of 2022 and Billboard’s All Genre 50 Best Albums of 2022 (So Far), making him the only male country artist to make the list. With over 200+ million career streams to his name, the 2023 Music Mayhem Magazine and 2022 Pandora and Country Now Country Artist to Watch is looking to the anywhere-and-everywhere future with music that captures the essence of a Western poet who’s never been afraid to be himself.

Jill Andrews – But For The Grace Of God…

21st July 2023

Country News

Nashville singer-songwriter Jill Andrews unveiled her new single ‘Better Life‘ off her forthcoming album Modern Age (out August 18th on Vulture Vulture/Tone Tree).

The nucleus to Modern Age and the song that inspired the record, ‘Better Life’ finds Andrews grieving the loss of a “golden-haired beauty queen” to addiction, wishing there had been another path.

The track also features guest vocals from fellow Nashville favourite Becca Mancari. Holler debuted the track and called it “a delicious slice of soft 70s country pop that brings to mind the sadder moments of Golden Hour or the luscious introspective dream pop of Weyes Blood.”

“I traveled back to my hometown in East Tennessee after hearing the news of a childhood friend who had passed away after a long battle with addiction,” stated Andrews.

“While I was there, I swung by our old neighborhood. I drove by her house and walked to the bus stop where we used to stand on all of those cold, dark mornings together. I had known her since second grade. She was with me at the AMC Theater when I saw Titanic for the first time, crying into the same box of popcorn. She was with me when I smoked my first cigarette (one of her Grandmother’s Benson and Hedge’s 100’s that she had sneakily lifted from some mystery drawer). She was with me the day that I decided to see if the fire extinguisher worked on the school bus and promptly sprayed white foam all over my friend’s and new found enemies’ heads. It turns out it worked very well. Standing there as an adult, at the bus stop, I was struck by how close we had lived to each other. If I turned left, I could see my house, and if I turned right, I could see hers. It was startling how different our lives were, even back then. And how our paths grew further and further apart as we got older. So far apart that we really didn’t recognize each other anymore.”

Standing at the intersection of memory lane and tomorrow, Modern Age is an ode to simpler times, an album that goes beyond nostalgia to veneration of what were to so many, the golden years. It’s a stunning reflection on how far we’ve all come, but one that leaves the listener wondering about the price of “progress.” Produced by Lucas Morton at 4115 Studios, it features ten tracks that range from anthemic, pop dreams with ethereal synths and rich vocals, to intimate acoustic confessions. It’s a meditation on childhood and changing times, growing up and looking back. In moments, the epitome of 90s pop perfection with airy synths and shimmering vocals and in others, pared down and heart-wrenchingly intimate, Modern Age is dripping in reverence for a simpler time, when the world was as big as your high school, when love was waiting by the phone, when we wondered about the future instead of lived in it. With addictive melodies that evoke Susannah Hoffs and Kate Bush, Modern Age is at once a time capsule of and a love letter to the places we all began.

With thoughtful and brilliant performances by an all-star cast of musicians including Tyler Chester (Sara Bareilles, Jackson Brown, Madison Cunningham), Juan Solorzano (Becca Mancari, Mary Gauthier, Michaela Anne), Graham Bechler (Erin Rae, Allen Stone), Anthony Da Costa (Sunny War, Molly Tuttle, Yola), and special guests Ben Cramer (Old Sea Brigade) and Becca Mancari on backing vocals, Modern Age remembers an era where the rhythm of life played slower, when we rewound cassette tapes with our fingertips, and talked on the phone for hours.

“This album for me is about looking back. It’s about all the gains and losses. It’s a juxtaposition of childhood and adulthood. It’s the simplicities and complexities that surround both. And figuring out where I belong within it all.”

Track Listing:

1) 80’s Baby
2) Connection
3) High Fives
4) Better Life
5) Kids
6) Wrong Place, Wrong Time
7) Dark Days
8) Patience (feat. Anthony Da Costa)
9) Sensitive
10) Boundless Love

The Modern Love UK Tour Dates:

27 August – The Long Road Festival, Leicestershire, UK
29 September – St Augustine’s Church, Derry, UK+
30 September – Black Box, Belfast, UK+
2 October – Band on the Wall, Manchester, UK
3 October – Acapela, Cardiff, UK
4 October – Green Note, London, UK
5 October – The 1865, Southampton, UK
6 October – Blue Sky Café, Bangor, UK
7 October – Classic Grand Social Lounge, Glasgow, UK
8 October – Liverpool Philharmonic, Liverpool, UK

+Supporting Matt Deighton

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Chayce Beckham – Blazing From The Darkness

20th July 2023

Country News

Pull up the wagons, Chayce Beckham has released the highly anticipated official music video for his self-written, massive viral hit song “23”.

Originally released during his winning American Idol season, the breakout hit instantly shot to the top of numerous viral charts, including #1 on US iTunes All-Genre and Country charts.

The first to ever win the star-making competition series with an original song, “23” is a deeply personal story about a man’s hardships, written during a particularly dark time in Chayce’s own life before he auditioned for American Idol.

Having become an anthemic staple in Beckham’s live shows, “23” has racked up over 278 million on-demand streams, is RIAA-certified GOLD and is Top 30 and climbing at US country radio.

Currently out on the road with Luke Bryan for his 2023 Country On Tour as well as performing his own headlining shows and at high-profile music festivals such as Faster Horses, Watershed and more, Beckham is quickly readying even more new music to follow his most-recent release of the mesmerising “Till The Day I Die” that he performed on American Idol earlier this year (WATCH HERE), the “heartbreak-induced insomnia” (Country Now) of his smash “Keeping Me Up All Night”, and the incredible success of his debut EP Doin It Right that skyrocketed to No. 1 on the iTunes All Genre and Country charts and received critical acclaim from E! News!, Billboard, People, CMT, PopCulture, Sweety High, American Songwriter and more

Official site | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | Facebook

Icon of Sin – Brazilian Head Bangers

20th July 2023

Mainly Metal

Icon of Sin sophomore album “Legends” comes hot on the heels of the success of the Self-Titled debut album released on Frontiers during 2021.

Icon of Sin is a band centered around the vocal talents of the popular Brazilian YouTube sensation Raphael Mendes together with two other stellar Brazilian musicians, Sergio Mazul (SEMBLANT) and Marcelo Gelbcke (LANDFALL) who work as songwriters and producers.

Raphael Mendes has become a very popular figure in the Youtube world due to his jaw dropping vocal covers. His recognition as one of the hottest new talents in metal started in 2016 when he was invited by guitarist Fabio Lima to record a YouTube video that wound up going viral. Encouraged by the reaction, Mendes launched his own YouTube channel to create more videos for fans to enjoy. As more and more fans around the world started to discover him, he was invited to join other musical projects, including Marius Danielsen’s “Legend Of Valley Doom Part 2”, which also featured Michael Kiske, Vinny Appice, Mark Boals, Michele Luppi, and Diego Valdez, among others. One of the things that made Mendes’ reputation grow considerably earlier in 2020, when a video series called “What if Bruce Dickinson sang in other bands” was launched. With Mendes Dickinson-esque singing style being used to cover songs by Megadeth and more, these versions impressed fans worldwide and word quickly spread in the metal community.

Icon of Sin debut album showed a true emerging star in the work of traditional heavy metal. Sergio Mazul and Marcelo Gelbcke crafted a no-nonsense, straight ahead classic pure heavy metal album which blew fans of Iron Maiden and classic Dio-era Sabbath away! Mendes comes out of it not as a mere imitator of someone else’s vocal style but rather as an artist with something really hot especially for the followers of the new trends in Traditional Heavy Metal revival.

“Legends” tracklisting:
Cimmerian
Night Force
The Scarlet Gospels
In The Mouth Of Madness
Heart Of The Wolf
Bare Knuckle
Wheels Of Vengeance
Clouds Over Gotham Pt.2 – The Arkham Knight
Terror Games
Black Sails And Dark Waters

The new album follows up to the task of brnging forward and forging a true and solid identity for Icon of Sin. Once again the song take inspiration from various sources of traditional Metal sound and stretch Raphael’s vocal capacities without any mercy taking his undeniable talents to the next musical level. Gelbcke (appearing this time also as lead guitarist) and Mazul wrote again an exciting set of tunes which – while taking inspiration from masters like Maiden, Priest, Dio, Saxon – stretches them, offering a head bangingly addictive, one hundred percent infectious, album.

Icon of Sin already made their live debut in Brazil and look for opportunities to bring their music outside their own country.

https://www.facebook.com/IconOfSinMusic/
https://www.instagram.com/iconofsinmusic/

SPEARSIDE -Pumping It Up

19th July 2023

Music News

Irish alt/rock agitators SPEARSIDE are back with the electrifying new single: “Trendsetters”.

Launching a tirade against tiresome notions of cool with a bottle-rocket of fuzzy, frenzied punk-rock thrills; the latest from the Trim, Co. Meath trio takes no prisoners during its lightning-bolt 2’15 blitz.

Laced with self-deprecating humour and a slacker charm, “Trendsetters” is both a bile spattered break-up song and a tempestuous takedown of those with holier-than-thou ideologies.

“I wish my friends were all trendsetters, I wish my songs were so much better” quips Spearside frontman Oisín Walsh, tongue firmly in cheek.

Recorded on a Revox tape machine dating back to 1974 and described by the band as a “complete capitulation to the 70s power pop aesthetic”, “Trendsetters” fizzes with the timeless tuneage long synonymous with the genre, while adding a refreshing tenacity all their own. Barreling headfirst through two-minutes of good-time choral hooks and ageless no-frills riffs, it’s a track that nods to the new wave of US garage rock heroes such as Jay Reatard, Ty Segall and Young Guv, while beating with the blood of the Irish underground they are quickly beginning to stake as their own.

Speaking about Spearside’s aims for their latest single, guitarist and singer Oisín Walsh explains:

“[Trendsetters is] a shameless pop song about the breakdown of a relationship, and an attempt to capture the energy the likes of Jay Reatard brought to this type of guitar music when it looked dead and buried. Young Guv is currently leading the resurgence of power pop without falling too heavily into the cheesy stylistic tropes that age like milk.

“As much as we love power pop it’s only one aspect of our sound but I imagine it’s something that will always be part of our band even in subtle ways. It feels like we’ve ticked that box with Trendsetters, from here we can explore an array of different sounds. Who knows what we’ll put out next.”

SPEARSIDE – NEW SINGLE: “TRENDSETTERS”
– OUT 26 JULY, VIA KILL COOL RECORDS

PRE-SAVE HERE

Due to be coupled with a suitably punchy, DIY video by Robert Broaders, standby for its unveiling in the coming weeks….

Rapidly carving out a space for themselves in the colourful world of guitar pop, SPEARSIDE are an Irish indie/rock three-piece comprising brothers Oisín Walsh (vocals/guitar) and Cian Walsh (vocals/bass), along with their friend Dylan Zovich (drums).

Chewing up influences such as The Exploding Hearts, The Toms, Buzzcocks, The Adverts, Spacemen 3, Spiritualized, MC5, Flamin’ Groovies, Matthew Sweet, Jay Reatard, Ty Segall and Brian Jonestown Massacre, while walking to the beat of like-minded contemporaries such as Militarie Gun, Slow Pulp, or Dazy; Spearside at once sound like everything and nothing you’ve heard before.

With a DIY ethic at the heart of what they do, the band proudly produce all of their music from their own home-studio in Trim, Co. Meath and have so far released a succession of equally immediate singles including “Bus Stop“ and “Crack In Your Brain“, and “Not Up To Much” in the short time since their formation.

Making waves at home and away, Spearside have found allies in the likes of Steve Lamacq of BBC 6 Music, BBC Radio Foyle’s Mickey Bradley of The Undertones, BBC Radio 1’s Jack Saunders and Dan Hegarty of RTÉ 2FM, all of whom have spun their output to date. Elsewhere tastemaker titles such Hot Press, Golden Plec and The Irish Times have all shown their support for Spearside, with the latter praising their work “as fine a slice of pop/punk (with ker-azy keyboards) as you’ll hear… Take a bow Spearside”.

Touring their latest single with a smattering of live shows, Spearside will return to London on Sunday 23 July as part of the ‘Pump it Up! Power Pop’ weekender, Finsbury, as well as returning to the scene of their first SOLD OUT show of 2023, Dublin’s Whelans venue, for an unmissable homecoming show on Saturday 29 July. Tickets on sale now.

SPEARSIDE – LIVE DATES IRELAND/U.K. 2023:

Sun 23 July LONDON The Finsbury Pump It Up Power Pop Weekender Details
Sat 29 July DUBLIN Whelan’s (Upstairs) (Headline Show) Tickets

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Monthly Archives: July 2023

PRETTY AWKWARD – Breathe, Relax, and Chill

Seattle Alt.Pop band PRETTY AWKWARD sings about Friends With Benefits in their new single “Woozy”, available now.

Fanny Lumsden (Live Review) – From Glasto’ To The Green Note

Sometimes, it takes a moment of standstill and a one-off event that causes us to fall in love with our everyday existence again.

BLACK LIGHT WHITE LIGHT – An Adventurous Release

Emotive Indie Rock band Black Light White Light has released their latest full-length album, The Admirer, via Forward Backwards Recordings.

THE IDIOTS – A Bit Of Oi

German punk metal extremes THE IDIOTS release their tenth studio album, titled “König der Idioten” (engl. King of Idiots), via Massacre Records.

GODS OF SOMETIMES – Flexing Some Muscle

GODS OF SOMETIMES (Fu Manchu/Moab) Release Debut Self-Titled Album.

Randall King – A Poetic Heart

The Texas troubadour, Randall King, will perform in the UK, Germany, Switzerland and Lichtenstein, with support from Reid Haughton

Jill Andrews – But For The Grace Of God…

Nashville singer-songwriter Jill Andrews unveiled her new single ‘Better Life‘ off her forthcoming album Modern Age (out August 18th on Vulture Vulture/Tone Tree).

Chayce Beckham – Blazing From The Darkness

Pull up the wagons, Chayce Beckham has released the highly anticipated official music video for his self-written, massive viral hit song “23”.

Icon of Sin – Brazilian Head Bangers

Icon of Sin sophomore album “Legends” comes hot on the heels of the success of the Self-Titled debut album released on Frontiers during 2021.

SPEARSIDE -Pumping It Up

Irish alt/rock agitators SPEARSIDE are back with the electrifying new single: “Trendsetters”.

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