Unplugged

Tamar Berk

Nadka B

Something Russian On SoundCloud

Any artist is welcome to send us a track via freshonthenet.co.uk anytime between Monday lunchtime and Wednesday evening (or when we receive 200 submissions, whichever is sooner) - and all our moderators, including Tom Robinson, will listen to every track. This is our full inbox from the week beginning Mon DATE 27th January 2025: from Friday afternoon you'll be able to hear our shortlist and pick your favourites on this week's Listening Post which will appear at freshonthenet.co.uk/batch556

If a track you submitted does not appear in this list, it’s probably because another of your tracks appeared in our Fresh Faves or on the BBC Music Introducing Mixtape during the last three months — we ask that artists featured on either wait three months before resubmitting to give others a chance. 

We also don’t accept short previews or SoundCloud Go tracks that can only be heard as 30 second previews, and tracks made private after submission, which cannot be included in playlists. You will be able to resubmit the track in future. Tracks (and remixes of tracks) that have been previously submitted, and tracks from banned artists will also be removed.

Full Inbox: Batch 556

This set also included Newfoundland & Labrador artists:

Luke Cox ~ There’s A Party Going On 

Bonny Skiffington - That Easy So Good Feeling 

Dale Hamel  ~  O Mama

Unsigned Radio Hour #27

The Road to Retrospection

Right Now

Here we feature grungy melodic electric guitar, replete with buzz and hum, set off by a clear, full vocal lyricising on striving.

"Nothing Could Keep Me Away plays out like a deconstructed Laurel Canyon ballad, the center scooped out completely to let the vocal float above the faint pulse of a rhythm. " 
J Edward Keyes 
Bandcamp Editorial Director

I drove non-stop
Through a night of rain and thunder
In a rattling old ute
That belonged to my old man

Nothing could keep me away from you

A mother takes the handlebars
Smallest wheels and rider
No control
Brother says look mum
See how I ride
I’m on a downhill run
And it’s all mine

Young blood with a word to make
Passes a ball on the bitumen 
Dreaming one day 
See me on the big screen
Like the girls we cheered along
Can it be mine

Nothing could keep me away from you
Nothing could keep me away 
Another ramble where time’s connection’s lost
But the striving
It’s a constant
And winning you back
Fills my mind

Nothing could take me away from you 
I drove non-stop through a night
Of rain and thunder
Nothing could keep me away 
From you

Nothing could take me away

“Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” by JTSunrise: 
🌧️ Step right up, ladies and gentlemen! 🌧️
🌟 The Backstory 🌟 In the twilight glow, our troubadour gazes upon those blue eyes, shimmering like raindrops. But wait, is this a love lost or a farewell to a departed soul? Buckle up, because we’re diving into the lyrical abyss!
🎶 Verse 1: The Echo of Love 🎶 "In the twilight glow I see her,
Blue eyes crying in the rain."
Ah, the bittersweet ache of memories—the moments shared, the kisses stolen, and the parting whispers. Our protagonist reflects on love’s fragility, like dew-kissed petals awaiting dawn.
🌙 Chorus: The Cosmic Reunion 🌙 "Some day when we meet up yonder,
We’ll stroll hand-in-hand again."
Hold your breath! In the afterlife’s celestial ballroom, our star-crossed lovers reunite. But beware—the dance may be colder than anticipated. 🌠
🌿 Verse 2: Regrets and Silver Strands 🌿 "Now my hair has turned to silver,
All my life I’ve loved in vain."
The sands of time slip through gnarled fingers. Regrets nestle like fallen leaves, and love’s embers flicker. Our troubadour, an old man, ponders choices made—each note a tear in the fabric of existence.
🎵 Bridge: Raindrops as Tears 🎵 "I can see her star in heaven,
Blue eyes crying in the rain."
Rain, the cosmic weeper, mirrors our sorrows. Each droplet whispers secrets, painting constellations in the sky. Those blue eyes—now celestial orbs—shed tears, etching their story across the firmament.
🎩 The Grand Finale 🎩 And there you have it, dear listeners! “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain”—a symphony of longing, regret, and cosmic reunion. Whether you’re sipping moonlit tea or pondering life’s mysteries, let JTSunrise serenade your soul.
🎶 Available now on SoundCloud! 🎶
Remember, folks, life’s melodies are fleeting, but the echoes linger. So grab your umbrella of emotions and step into the rain-soaked balladry of JTSunrise. 🌧️🎵✨
Listen here and let your heart weep harmoniously! 🎶

Songwriter and Early Recordings:
The song was written by songwriter Fred Rose in 1945
It was first recorded by Elton Britt in 1946
Roy Acuff recorded a version of the song in 1947, which helped popularize it further
Hank Williams Sr. also recorded his rendition of the song in 1951
Willie Nelson’s Iconic Version:
However, it was Willie Nelson’s recording that truly made the song a classic
Nelson included it as part of his 1975 album “Red Headed Stranger” 
The album itself was a concept album about a fugitive preacher on the run from the law after killing his wife
Nelson’s version of “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” was praised for its clean, uncluttered country music style and a sparse arrangement reminiscent of the 1940s
Rolling Stone described it as the “beating heart” of the entire album
Chart Success and Revival:
Before this song, Willie Nelson had primarily found success as a songwriter (with hits like “Crazy” for Patsy Cline)
As a performer, he had only reached the top 10 of the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart twice before
In October 1975, “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” became Nelson’s first No. 1 hit as a singer
By the end of the year, it was the third-biggest song of 1975 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart

[Intro]
| A7 | A7 | D | D |
 
[Verse 1]
D
In the twilight glow I see her
A7                      D
Blue eyes cryin' in the rain
D
As we kissed goodbye and parted
  A7                    D      D7
I knew we'd never meet again
 
[Verse 2]
G
Love is like a dyin' ember
      D               A7
Where only memories remain
D
Through the ages I'll remember
A7                      D
Blue eyes cryin' in the rain 
 
[Verse 3]
D
Now my hair has turned to silver
A7                        D
All my life I've loved in vain
D
I can see her star in heaven
A7                      D      D7
Blue eyes crying in the rain
 
[Verse 4]
G
Some day when we meet up yonder
D                          A7
We'll stroll hand in hand again
D
In a land that knows no partin'
A7                      D
Blue eyes cryin' in the rain

Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain

Blue Eyes Cryin' in the Rain (Trigger meets Electric Warrior)

Lyrics:
There was a halo around her head but now it's too exposed
When she's ignoring who she knows
The chemical feeds what does not belong to me
You'll take what you need, abrasion of reality
Tangled up like a puppet on a string
Please remember an angel should never lose her wings

The snow falls so slowly on the floor
But when it stops the angel starts to thaw
mmm mmm mmm mmm

Floating fast like a dark cloud in the sky
Wait for the rain for when you get too high
Thunder shakes your body and your mind
Lightening strikes another chance to shine
I miss you, I miss you
I know what you've been going through
Your trapped under your own skin
Under the surface I know what lies within

There is a halo around her head and now it's time to go
The halo is now yours to grow

The ending on this version is slightly different from the track on the album.  Full version with trumpet solo available on most streaming platforms including spotify, Deezer, Apple, Amazon, Shazam and Boomplay. Vinyl albums available really soon. All links in my bio. Please follow me on spotify and YouTube if you like what you hear. Thankyou :-)
Written in 2006
Lyrics, vocals and guitar by Nicola Thomas (Animist)
Drums, electric guitar, bass and keyboards - Dai Simpson
Produced by Dai Simpson @langlandrecords

Halo Raw version without the epic long trumpet solo from the album "Thankful"

Between the lines, a lover's sigh
Earth's body turning, beneath a starlit sky
Ancient rhythms beating, a primal tie
Deserts bloom, where oceans lie

Cycles spinning, a sweet surrender
Earth's embrace, a tender
Hold me close, let me feel

Not for mass extinction's call
But for life, for one and all
Protecting balance, standing tall
Nature’s truth, the primal law

Cycles spinning, a sweet surrender
Earth's embrace, a tender
Hold me close, let me feel

Let no hand, change what's true
Truth is found, in me and you
Follow heart, instincts through
Fade with hum, forever new

Cycles spinning, a sweet surrender
Earth's embrace, a tender
Hold me close, let me feel

Let no hand, change what's true
Truth is found, in me and you
Follow heart, instincts through
Truth is now in me and you

Extinction

Good Times for a Change

Book of Change

A song about being lucky enough to be with someone that can get the best out of you and vice versa.
If you have the right person or people in your life then it doesn't matter where you are.

Watch the time away and think about just where we want to be, 
Every day we always think about the things we want to see,
Doesn’t matter anything whatever something we believe,
And here we and you are smoking your last cigarette with me,

There is nowhere,
We need to be,
Just stay with me, 

I’ve become a better man,
Cos you helped me out, and helped me understand, 
And we’ve been all over this, 
Just take me by the hand,
I’ve become a better man, 

Watch more time away just thinking of the things we might achieve,
Could be anywhere, we talked about a place beside the sea,
Doesn’t matter where we are, as long as we are free,
And here we are again just smoking your last cigarette with me, 

There is still nowhere,
I’d rather be,
Stick with me,

I’ve become a better man,
When you helped me out, and helped me understand, 
And I’m still in love with you, 
Since you took me by the hand,
And I became a better man

Better

Song idea with harmony experiment. Garageband with built-in mic. Hope our SC friends enjoy.

There are times I cannot hold on
But you come and steady me
In my dreams and in my darkness
Just as when you were with me

When I come to my last horizon 
I will walk to the light I see
And I will find you there beside me
We will both rest be in peace

Until then, I will remember
To live high and worry free
In my dreams and in my darkness
Just as when you were with me

When I come to my last horizon 
I will walk to the light I see
And I will find you there beside me
We will both rest be in peace

Art from: by "quickshooting" at https://stock.adobe.com/search/images?k=universe&asset_id=404819985

Last Horizon (Demo)

It's a special honor that my dear friend Michele Ansani asked me if I would like to work on a song he wrote years ago called 'Alla Fine della Fine delle Fini' (To the end of the end of the ends) which is a great track. When I listened to it I said to Michele that I thought the song is already finished and asked what I supposedly could do with it. He said, that he wasn't going to publish it and wanted me to work on the root idea of the song to create something new.  Thank you so much Michele for being so generous to leave the basic song idea to my purposes (all flaws are mine).

Listen to his wonderful music here, you all know him anyway: https://soundcloud.com/michele-ansani

Michele Ansani: Seed idea
Me: Instruments, vocals, lyrics, arrangement.

Photograph from the top of Half Dome, Yosemite NP, CA, USA by A. Besinger  2022

One day I walked the shores of time
Wiping away the footprints left behind

Tossing stones into the sea  
Just to watch the ripples making their way back to me  

What if these dancing rings were just memories
Would they come to life once more to set me free?


Abandoned this place that I called home ￼
and took that boat I was hiding for so long 

Facing the storms, past the sirens song
The love of gods in mind may have led me wrong

Set course to the end of the end of the ends
So when you step off the edge of the world 
Make sure that your wings are spread 

When I stepped through the gates of Plutonion
Caught between Scylla and Charybdis I would be found

Sacrificed the ones to whom I belonged
A wise man would rather be envied than being wronged

Set course to the end of the end of the ends
So when you step off the edge of the world 
Make sure that your wings are spread 

Set course to the end of the end of the ends
So when you step off the edge of the world 
Make sure that your wings are spread

Off the Edge of the World (with Michele Ansani)

A thoughtful "fuck off" to haters everywhere

Bandcamp

Sally Farther

Go-Go Yubari:

The young girl in the schoolgirl uniform is O-Ren's personal bodyguard seventeen year old Go-Go Yubari.  Go-Go maybe young but what she lacks in age, she makes up for in madness.

Dialogue:

The Bride: Go-Go, I know you feel you must protect your mistress, but I beg you, walk away.

Go-Go: Sore o monogoi to iu nodesu ka? Sore yori mo jōzu ni monogoi o suru koto ga dekimasu.

Verse 1:

Yubari, just seventeen, looking for a place to stay,
She's killing time as madness descends, O-Ren Ishii and a guarded display.

Chorus 1:

Shy-girl, you ain't seen nothing yet,
Dead eyes, killing with no regret,
Sad face, looks so innocent,
Yubari by name, from the darkness she's sent.

Middle 16:

Verse 2:

Arrival, the House of Blue Leaves, O-Ren she senses but evil deceives,
Yubari she searches but nothing's found, stay on alert for the triggers of sound.

Chorus 2:

Shy-girl tenses, knows it ain't right,
Dead eyes fixing, intellect bright,
Sad face set, gonna end it all,
Yubari she's ready, and Ishii won't fall.

Verse 3:

A final stand, a nemesis, two girls face each other,
One's a killer, the second a thief, fight to the death cos there ain't no relief.

Chorus 3:

Shy-girl stance, invite her on,
Dead eyes focus, fear is gone,
Sad face shines, life slips away,
Go-Go Yubari, yeah this is your day.

Go-Go Yubari

Level Baseline

Promising

Avenir.

Comme un pauvre  Vagabond 
errant sur les chemins de sa  vie chiffon 
Comme un poète maudit 
Écrit sur le sable mouillé 

Refrain 
Ta  voie  est là, juste un premier pas  suffit pour partir 
laiss’ pas   la peur  te voler ton désir ton avenir

Copie le saltimbanque
qui jongle habile avec ses envies - envie 
La statue immobile
qui voudrait s’envoler  s’en aller


Comme une poussée de sève 
Réveille  ta vie , refleurit le Monde  tu rêve 
C'est dans cette  lumière qu’il te faudra tracer   ta route

Imagine le monde
C'est temps pour toi d’entrer dans la rond(e) tu vois 
C’est ça  C’est ce premier pas 
qui t’a fait saisir ta vie c’est  ça

!--- Translate

Future.

Like a poor Wanderer 
wandering the paths of his rag life 
Like a cursed poet 
Written on wet sand 

Refrain 
Your path is there, just a first step is enough to leave 
Don’t let fear steal your desire, your future

Copy the acrobat
who skillfully juggles with his desires - desire 
The motionless statue
who would like to fly away


Like a rush of sap 
Wake up your life, the world you dream of blooms again 
It is in this light that you will have to trace your path

Imagine the world
It's time for you to enter the circle you see 
This is it, this is the first step 
who made you grab hold of your life, that’s it

Avenir

Keeping the bpms low for another day, here's a track that I'd considered for the recent "Spooky Week"...but I wasn't sure it was as "spooky" as it was "weird."  

The way I've explained this in my head canon is that I was producing music when suddenly the sounds of a faraway radio station started bleeding into my speakers.  Rather than track down the wiring fault, I just went with it...and thus, "Something Strange Is Going On."  

...of course that's not true.  There's nothing wrong with the wiring here at Phantom Laboratories West.  

I chucked nearly everything into this one.  Put a filter on the drums?  Sure.  Put echo reverb on everything?  Absolutely.  Throw in a farfisa organ, a touch of rock guitars, some marching band low brass, and some royalty free Spanish vocals (and if you're Spanish is better than my one semester in grade school Spanish is, and you notice something that I should know about what the vocals are saying...especially anything that would get me canceled, I would appreciate a message to let me know.  I did that "oh so white" thing of using foreign language vocals "for the sound" rather than the meaning.  Mea culpa, it's a fair cop.)...and something strange truly WAS going on in the Labs the night this was recorded.  

I promise something uptempo tomorrow.  :)  

All right, Coach...time to give the team your instructions for today!  
"Play! Listen! Like! Repost! Share! Playlist! Comment!  Follow!"  
Please.  
Thank you!

"Something Strange is Going On" *SoundCloud Exclusive*

Ever come across someone that would stop at nothing just to drag others down to make themselves feel better? I wont be stooping to that level.
This one is for them :) 

What lies within,
You’re always searching for a sin,
To help you win,

It’s just like you, 
Don’t matter what you say or do, 
It’s nothing new,
 
Oh where do we begin, 
I can’t be like you, 
When all the time, 
I always find you look too far within, 
Is now the time?
How am I gonna win?
I won’t let you in

How’s it going to be?
You shoot your arrows right at me, 
And hope I bleed, 

I could aim at you, 
Won’t matter what you say or do?
They won’t get through,

Oh where do I begin, 
I won’t be like you, 
When all the time, 
I always find I look too far within, 
But now’s the time
And I am gonna win
I won’t let you in

Won’t let you in

Won't Let You In (Unplugged)

My set from Machine Learning on Dec 14th, 2024.  Machine Learning is a genre agnostic monthly dance music event in West Seattle.

Bluetech - MachineLearning2 - DJMix

Rise Cobra (in process)

Closer Than Skin

Percussion
Piano
Electric Piano
Spacey Synth
Triangle
Vocals I & 2
Tambourine
Bass Guitar

Lyrics
Your laughter danced like fire
Underneath the stars
Now I'm lost in the shadows
Counting all the scars
Oh, I'm calling out your name
In the whispers of the night
Every heartbeat feels the same
In the memories we fight
Just one more chance to feel  in the night
Echoes of us linger on
But it's you I still long
Its you, that lingers on

Whispers of the Night

This song is based on the feeing that you are in the wrong place or in bad surroundings that don't make you feel good and you finally decide to make some changes and take steps to get closer to where you want to be.

Staring into nothing
Looking around me
It don’t feel right
Its more than I can take 
And not what I needed

Looking out for something
But not where I’m standing 
And I don’t feel nice
Got to change the feeling  
And get me away now tonight

Take me where the wind blows
When nothing’s going right
And it don’t feel kind
Take me where the wind blows
Till something’s turning round tonight 

Staring at the same thing
keeping me blinded
Where I don’t belong
Its less than I deserve
And its not what I wanted

I dream of any something 
Something that needs me
And it feels so right
Take me to the feeling
Take me away now tonight 
 
Take me where the wind blows
When nothing’s going right
And I don’t feel kind
Take me where the wind blows
Till something’s turning round tonight 

Staring into nothing
Looking around me
It don’t feel right
Its more than I can take 
And its not what I needed tonight

Take Me (Unplugged)

Amor not around

Well, here's something very different for me - Here's a light and quirky acoustic #folk / #singersongwriter version of my sad song called 'Promises', with the amazing 3VSound (Ava Suzanne) on vocals.

I wanted the simplest (and hopefully most effective) string arrangement and quirky counterpoint vocals, and I think I got it. :-)
This track is out for a nervous spin to see if anyone likes it.
 
Updated and released in Jan 2025.

I'll Try Till I Die

Promises - feat. 3V3Sound (Acoustic Version)

UNHAPPINESS

Superficially meditative and 'ambient', but conjuring alternating emotions of relaxation and tension, darkness and light.

Paramedic Jukebox Club

The Hierophant In The Room

A Joyful jaunty handpan tune evoking the joy of a sunny May afternoon. This tune bounces through melodic shifts and different time signatures to create a fun little celebration of spring! 

Spring Hope

If you have experienced helping friends or loved ones through tough times or had support from others when you have been struggling to deal with things, then just remember that there is always hope :) 


Hold on
Take what I have and follow me
Stay with me 
Follow my lead 

Its our time
We can be what we want if we want to be
Don’t waste it
Its something we need

Why is it hard to carry on?
Why do we find it hard
Righting any wrong
Why can’t we see what’s going on
And take it slowly 

In a new light  
You can look back in time and think differently
Stay with me  
I’ll help you to breathe

Move on
We can leave things behind that we don’t want to see
I’ll be with you
If you want me to be
 
Why is it hard to carry on?
Why do we find it hard
Righting any wrong
Why can’t we see what’s going on
And take it slowly

Why is it hard staying strong?
Why do we find it hard
When its easy being wrong
Why can’t we see what’s going on
And take it slowly

Just hold on
Take what I have and follow me
Stay with me 
Follow my lead

Hold On

Some of us may like to think that we try to get along with everyone in this world.
There are however some folks that simply have no intention of trying.....

Just stop with your carry on
Laying blame on me
We’re not gonna get along
Just fantasy

Don’t make sense to anyone
You’ll never get your way
You made your bed of hate
Just lay

Maybe I don’t get along with you
Maybe we don’t get along with you
Maybe they don’t get along with you
Maybe you don’t get along with you 

Looking down on everyone
Deranged and insane
Was the grass any greener
You left a stain

Suck the life out of everyone
Things I can’t believe
Take yourself from here 
And leave

Maybe I don’t get along with you
Maybe we don’t get along with you
Maybe they don’t get along with you
Maybe you don’t get along with you 

Just stop with your carry on
We’re not gonna get along

Don't Get Along (Unplugged)

..as observed at a nightclub once upon a time....the whistle is as he walks away...hands in pockets...feigning nonchalance. :)

Time to Time

Outside

Somewhere77’ is a London based self-taught solo artist, delivering more of a traditional song writing style with rock, acoustic, folk, country and blues influences.
2024 saw the release of the debut acoustic album “Whipped, Stripped & Almost Unplugged” which is a combination of new songs and acoustic versions of his own original rock songs. 
Further releases of "Take Me" and "Won't Let You In" followed although expect more amplified and acoustic tunes to be coming from Somewhere77' in the near future.
Whilst he is aware that his vocals can be an acquired taste 😂, he hopes you at least enjoy the musical side of things!
With occasional assistance from long time friend and collaborator ©️CrackerJack on various tracks, both artists are proud to produce and share this music with you and hope that you can find your song among what they have created.
Much Love