over-rated relaxing

Hailing from Pity Me near Durham, vegan straight-edge pop group MARTHA have just signed to Fortuna POP! and will be releasing their new album ‘Courting Strong’ at the end of May. Providing energetic, impassioned pop punk, Martha are informed by 90s indie rock and Scandinavian anarcho noir. The album, produced by MJ from Hookworms, is laden with harmonies and interchangeable vocals whilst still retaining the energy and excitement of the band’s live shows. 

Formed in 2011 by siblings Naomi (bass, vocals) and Nathan Griffin (drums, vocals) with J. Cairns (guitar, vocals) and Daniel Ellis (guitar, vocals), Martha have fast become a staple of the UK DIY pop scene. There are many competing stories as to the origin of their band name but it’s a fact that the very last passenger pigeon on earth was called Martha. When she died, the whole species became extinct.

Decamping from the North East to record the album at Suburban Home Studios, Leeds, the band enjoyed the freedom of being in the studio and experimenting with MJ’s equipment to produce unexpected sounds. The process saw them opening up to new ideas and, feeling more confident in their own abilities, allowing a wider range of dynamics.

Taken from a line in the song Gin and Listerine, the album title “Courting Strong” is an expression that was used to describe couples who were getting really serious. There’s the old cliché that when you’re young you think you’re invincible and that everything will last forever - the album is about looking back and reflecting on past moments in your life, past friendships and relationships, accepting the uncertainty and fragility of those things and moving forward positively.

The overarching theme of the album is ‘growing up weird’. It’s a semi-autobiographical story about growing up in a small town, with a sense of not fitting in but on the way finding people who share that feeling and forming really strong bonds. It’s about clinging to a sense of belonging and about being proud of who you are and where you are from, as well as the community of which you are a part. It’s an album for the people who stayed in their hometown, and for the people who still go back and visit.

Martha’s melodic punk pop celebrates being an outsider whilst being part of a community. The album touches on uncertainty, fear and loneliness whilst exuding an effervescent sense of excitement and joy. There’s darkness beneath the pop surface - but there are also songs about teenage antics, drinking, courting and having your heart broken – everything a good indie record should have.

 “Martha have mastered that neat Buzzcocks trick of riding those gloriously glowing guitars with sweet, comfortingly-fey voices singing in irresistible harmony. In short, they’re pretty darn great” Clash Magazine 

“Top notch buzzsaw indiepop with enough melodic punk in their DNA to make them stand out. Definitely worth keeping an eye on” Narc Magazine

Martha - 1997, Passing In The Hallway

Prog-influenced Nottingham quintet The Chemistry Experiment are set to release their second album, the intriguingly titled “Gongs Played By Voice”, through Fortuna POP! in January, some ten years after the release of their debut album “The Melancholy Death Of…”.  Housed in beautiful artwork by the Bulgarian artist Gyukov, a set designer in communist Bulgaria, the new album sees the band conclude the transition from their indie roots with nine beautifully arranged and recorded songs that encompass such influences as Will Oldham / Bonnie Prince Billy, Tindersticks, King Crimson and Soft Machine.

You can listen to standout track “Channel Light Vessel” here, which songwriter Steven J. Kirk describes as the best song he ever wrote and says, “This is about the sea, and sailors, and a boy I read about on BBC news who impaled himself on a fence trying to pick conkers."

The Chemistry Experiment - Channel Light Vessel

"When I Was Your Age" is the first single to be taken from "Hide and Seek", the debut album from Mammoth Penguins, the new band fronted by Emma Kupa (formerly of Standard Fare). The song is gloriously messy and loud, about feeling inadequate about one’s achievements. As Emma explains, "It started off with a birthday card from my granddad saying that he was married with kids at 28 and then I started thinking about what my parents, grandparents and family members had achieved by the time they were my age".

"Hide and Seek" is the debut album from Mammoth Penguins, the new band fronted by Emma Kupa, formerly of BBC 6 Music favourites Standard Fare. Due out on 6 July via Fortuna POP!, the album is an exhilarating collection of indie anthems, with Emma's candid songwriting and heartfelt vocals at the fore. Chugging away like the greatest Weezer record you’ve never heard, the songs are bold, loud and outrageously catchy, with lyrics that hit just the right chord, exploring the burgeoning responsibilities of being in your late 20s/early 30s.

Mammoth Penguins - When I Was Your Age

"Propped Up" is the first single to be taken from the debut album Hide and Seek from Mammoth Penguins, the new band fronted by Emma Kupa, formerly of BBC 6 Music favourites Standard Fare.  With a stirring chorus that makes you want to pump your fist and a call-and-response section that begs you to join in (“regrets, mistakes,…”), the rip roaring “Propped Up” talks about how we're all dependent on others to distract us from negative thoughts.
 
The album Hide and Seek is due out on 10 July via Fortuna POP!, the album is an exhilarating collection of indie anthems, with Emma's candid songwriting and heartfelt vocals at the fore. Chugging away like a great lost Weezer record, the songs are bold, loud and outrageously catchy, with lyrics that hit just the right chord, exploring the burgeoning responsibilities of being in your late 20s/early 30s.
 
When the much-loved Standard Fare called it a day after nine years and two albums, Emma Kupa upped sticks and moved from Sheffield to Cambridge, where she recruited Mark Boxall (bass) and Tom Barden (drums). Previously the bassist and lead singer in Standard Fare, Emma relished the switch to guitar in Mammoth Penguins, allowing her the space to deliver her trademark soaring vocals and to indulge in the occasional mean guitar solo. With Tom’s driving energy and Mark’s bouncy pop bass they quickly developed their riff-tastic powerpop sound.

Recorded at Sickroom Studios in Norfolk by producer Owen Turner (Magoo, Factory Floor), Hide and Seek captures the band at the age they're at right now, reflecting on different aspects of being in their late twenties. With Hide and Seek, Mammoth Penguins have produced a wonderfully varied record, each song a story, nuggets of joy, despair and hope. Already onto her second great band, feeling inadequate isn't something that Emma Kupa needs to do.

Mammoth Penguins - Propped Up

Cardiff noise pop group Joanna Gruesome will be touring the UK in support of their recently released second album Peanut Butter, out now on Fortuna POP! (UK) and Slumberland (US).

The upcoming tour marks the first outing of the band's new lineup, which features Kate of feminist/queer punks Pennycress on melodic vocals/shouting/screaming and Roxy of Two White Cranes, Grubs, Trust Fund and TOWEL on melodic vocals/keyboard.

Speaking confidentially, an official has confirmed that the single "I Don't Wanna Relax" is “Yet another hook-filled smash hit.”
 
UK TOUR DATES:

18 Sep - Islington Mill, Manchester UK
19 Sep - Head Of Steam, Newcastle UK
20 Sep - Brudenell Social Club, Leeds UK
22 Sep - Scala, London UK
23 Sep - Summerhall, Edinburgh UK
24 Sep - Glad Cafe, Glasgow UK
25 Sep - Trades Club, Hebden Bridge UK
26 Sep - Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff UK 
29 Sep - The Haunt, Brighton UK

Joanna Gruesome - I Don't Wanna Relax

THE PRISSTEENS "THE HOUND" LP
https://girlsville.bandcamp.com/album/the-prissteens-the-hound-lp

THE PRISSTEENS - HOW DOES IT FEEL (CREATION COVER)

Dream Chimney exclusive 'Mix of the Week' #106 from mikeBurns, "Naija Party Jams"

Follow / ID request @mikeburns
on Facebook: www.facebook.com/themikeburns

Also check out mike's previous MOTW #59 and #4

https://soundcloud.com/the-dream-chimney/mix-of-the-week-59-mikeburns-the-electric-move

https://soundcloud.com/the-dream-chimney/mix-of-the-week-mikeburns


Mix of the Week #106: mikeBurns - Naija Party Jams

Originally done by Adam and Eve - a sort of German Sonny and Cher - in 1968, this exclusive Halloween mix is taken from The Primitives' new album of obscure sixties girl covers coming soon on Elefant Records

The Primitives - The Witch (Halloween mix)

here's a remix of my favorite Run-DMC song

Run-DMC - Sucker MC's [Interdimensional Groove]

The Sisters of Suave

Strychnine

Jackie Chan Does Kung Fu

Free 4 track EP on Scripted Realities via Bandcamp - contains a new version of the title track of Ulrich's most recent album, an unreleased piece and 2 remixes
https://ulrichschnauss.bandcamp.com

For Nothing EP

03_Water Under The Bridge

DC Promo Tracks #73: Jean-Luc Ponty "Dance Of The Spirits (Peter Croce Re-Edit)"  

Follow: @petercroce @motorcitywine @rocksteadydisco

VA - MotorCity Wine Recordings #1

Order Now https://rocksteadydisco.bandcamp.com/album/mcwr001-motorcity-wine-recordings-1

A1. Andy Compton feat. Celestine - Creation
A2. Jean-Luc Ponty - Dance Of The Spirits (Peter Croce Re-Edit)
B1. Alton Miller - For You
B2. Lafleur - Latin Groove

www.motorcitywine.com
peter@motorcitywine.com

MCRW001 - MotorCity Wine Recordings #1

Buy Now

DC Promo Tracks #73: Jean-Luc Ponty "Dance Of The Spirits" (Peter Croce Re-Edit)

I'm starting a little infrequent mix series; I get so much great music that I don't get the chance to feature half of it. So I've decided to put some mixes out, hopefully each one will be different from the next. Who knows how often they'll be, but for now enjoy volume one. This one has a bit of a 'dream house' vibe going on...

Thanks for listening x

Joe Morris l Shades of Sound Vol.1

Mix of the Week #179 is "Fusion Classics 1976-2015" by Chmmr 
"60 Minutes of Smooth Chord Progressions" ID requests @chmmr
Debut album out now https://soundcloud.com/chmmr/auto

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Dream Chimney 'Mix of the Week'

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Mix of the Week #179: Chmmr - Fusion Classics 1976-2015

From deep in the easy listening bins.

More Dream Chimney dubs https://soundcloud.com/the-dream-chimney/sets/dubs

over-rated relaxing

muddy mike