Knox Road

Miracle Fortress: “Here’s To Feeling Good All The Time”

One of the best parts of blogging again is getting reacquainted with bands I wrongly left off my radar when I was on hiatus. Miracle Fortress hasn’t really been a part of my life for a while, but with their new single “Here’s To Feeling Good All The Time,” I’m feeling some major regret. It delivers a peppy beat and fun-loving attitude for the similarly feel-good music. Miracle Fortress with a Summer winner (and more singles are on the way!).

Lee

Pretties for You

Pretties for You (oh hey, Alice Cooper) did well in choosing their band name. Their music is exactly what I’d expect, which isn’t a bad thing. Female vocals, abundant energy, in-your-face rock. Intense passion oozes from Martina Forsgren’s voice and the unrefined sounds follow. Another thing going for Pretties for You is that they’re from Sweden. Check plus! The band recently released their debut album We Have Our Reasons via Luxury, and you can find two track below. One a middle-of-the album anthem and the other the final piano-pop ballad.

Lee

Ivory Hours

Ivory Hours is led by brother-sister duo, Luke and Annie Roes. The Roes siblings devastatingly lost their brother a short time ago and decided to take their music together to new heights with a full four-piece band. The sweetness in these songs is underlined by a tinge of sadness, and expectedly so. The sound is delicate and the emotions crackle through the tender voices of the siblings. As Luke says, “Songs can’t change difficult circumstances, but I hope they can help people navigate them.”

This is a band to root for, so you’ll be finding me keeping track of their work. Have a listen to two songs off their upcoming pop-filled EP, Mary.

Jesse

[The Past Presents] The Modern Lovers – The Modern Lovers (1976)

The Past Presents is typically where I take a fresh look at an older album, either because it’s regarded as a classic album and I’d like to see if it still holds up, or because it’s an album I feel is special and it never really got the love it deserves. For me, this column was always about looking at the records that many people feel are essential to every record collection. Moving forward, The Past Presents will still bring you these looks back at some great older records, but in and around those reviews, I’ll be writing about my own experiences with some records that are widely loved but I’ve just never had the time to hear. Oftentimes I’ll read about albums that have been on best-of lists for decades or my friends will tell me how great their favorite records are. Some of these I just have not had the time to hear beyond what a friend has played for me or what’s been curated by commercial radio. Sometimes I want to know if a Steely Dan album is really as bad as the singles I’ve heard. To make an effort to fill in some of these gaps for myself, I’ll be hitting record stores looking for albums I’ve heard about but have never listened to, then writing about my impressions. I’ve made a few rules for myself: I have to listen to the album start to finish three times before I write anything, I cannot research the album or the band in any way prior to listening, I can’t read re-issue liner notes, etc. This has to try and replicate a clean, unbiased first listen as much as possible.

To begin this new experiment I’ve chosen The Modern Lovers self-titled debut.

Continue reading [The Past Presents] The Modern Lovers – The Modern Lovers (1976) →

Lee

New Frightened Rabbit side project: Owl John

This came out of nowhere. Frightened Rabbit’s Scott Hutchison teamed up with fellow FR bandmate Andy Monaghan and friend Simon Liddell to create Owl John. Our first listen comes in the form of a song called “Hate Music” which is a darkly marching intense and brooding tune. Frightened Rabbit has had this kind of passion before, but the music has not been so startlingly deliberate.

Lee

Buffalo Sunn

Six piece Dublin band Buffalo Sunn (formerly Sweet Jane) hit my hears hard today. I would have posted something sooner but Soundcloud was having issues. I’m not a happy person when Soundcloud acts up. Just like a misbehaving child, it disappoints us all. But they’ve rebounded and I’m back grooving to Buffalo Sunn. The music is nothing earth-shattering, but that’s kind of why I like it, especially nowadays. They do simple catchy pop rock, and they do it well. Keep an eye out for their new album By The Ocean, By The Sea, due out later this year via Reekus Records. Hear their new single, “By Your Side,” on YouTube.

Lee

[MP3] Imperial Mammoth: “Little Earthquakes”

I gotta admit something. I couldn’t post anything the last few days not because I was busy, but because I could not find a single new artist or piece of music I wanted to post about. So thank god Imperial Mammoth came my way with some new songs off their upcoming album Gold Confetti. This LA duo is sure to take the indie scene by storm with their melodic pop anthems. Sugary vocals and lush buildups give Imperial Mammoth the new feel-good hit of the Summer with “Little Earthquakes.” Sit back, relax, and enjoy your group rides with the top down and the windows open.

Lee

Eliza Shaddad: “Waters”

Eliza Shaddad, the Sudanese/Scottish songstress, is set to release her debut EP, Waters, June 16 via Beatnik Creative. She is well known to some as a member of EDM chamber group Clean Bandit, but her solo work on Waters is a significant departure and showcases Shaddad’s impressive versatility. “Waters” is slow-building, dark and tribal. Shaddad’s alto captivates as she raises her voice throughout to complement the song’s final emotional bursts. Bonus track below.

Lee

Mannequins on 7th Street

Mannequins on 7th Street, based in London but originally from Belgium, makes perfect rainy day music. Looking for the next Zero 7, but in male form? Well, the Mannequins duo is delivering similar blissed out electronic music and you’d be remiss not to keep track of their promising future.

Lee

Mount Sharp

Mount Sharp, comprised of some of the coolest dudes I know, including one of my What Blog?! partners, Bryan Bruchman, have announced that their first physical release, WEIRD FEARS EP, will be available this summer via yk records. If first single “Crazy Eyes” is indicative of what’s to come, we’re in for a real treat. Killer guitar lines and raw but accessible female vocals take their place on the engaging jam. It’s the kind of summer music I need.