Plastic Fish | 5 releases to look out for in June
Louis La Roche ‘Just Like You’
Synth Pop and general funky business all the way from Norwich (UK)! Louis La Roche aka Brett Ewels drops a new single which should be available on 1st June 2015.
Alpine ‘Come On’
‘Come On’ is taken from Alpine’s forthcoming album Yuck. The Indie/Pop outfit from Melbourne, Australia are due to release Yuck on the 12th June 2015.
Misun – Justice
‘Justice’ is part of the Misun ‘Feel Better’ EP which is due to drop May 29, 2015. We know its not quite June, but we love it that much we just had to share!
Kid Wave ‘Wonderlust’
After seeing a great performance from these guys at Live at Leeds, we are rather excited for their album ‘Wonderlust’ to drop. Its due to be released 1 June 2015 via Heavenly Recordings.
Wolf Alice ‘My Love Is Cool’
‘My Love Is Cool’ which includes the infectious single ‘Bros’, is due to be released on 22nd June 2015 via one of our favourite Labels Dirty Hit.
Wednesday track of the day | Jimi Charles Moody ‘Blue honey’
Jimi Charles Moody dropped a new track yesterday, and what a track it is. ‘Blue Honey’ is delightfully familiar, its not that it mimics things that have come before, it just simply sounds like a ‘hit’ from the 1st piano chord to the last.
The song seems intimate and personal from the outset, it draws you in and keeps you hooked. This is our song of the day for Wednesday 29.04.15, hope you enjoy it as much as we have.
#JimiCharlesMoody #Trackoftheday #Wednesday #Piano
#NewMusic
Free Download | The Derevolutions ‘Another Day In Paradise (Phil Collins Cover)’
The embodiment of Indie Pop, The Derevolutions sprinkle a whole lot of sunshine over Phil Collins ‘Another Day In Paradise.’ The Boston based group are always our first point of call when we need to listen to something gleeful and carefree.
In all honesty, I have never been keen on the original. But its hard not to enjoy this cover, even if you are feeling despondent or slightly ill-tempered. Have a listen to the rest of their back catalogue here : https://soundcloud.com/the-derevolutions
#TheDerevolutions #IndiePop #Cover #PhilCollins #Free
#Download
Tuesday track of the day | Rainy Day Women ‘Are You Coming Home ?’
Our track of the day for tuesday comes from Australian Band ‘Rainy Day Women.’ Based in Perth (Western Australia) the band comprises of Dylan Ollivierre and Carmen Pepper, labelling themselves as Indie/Pop.
Their most recent track ‘Are You Coming Home’ comprises of a hypnotic vocal line which is offset by interesting musical interludes, keeping your ears on their toes. Its perfectly described as ‘dream pop’ and we would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a bit of escapism.
#RainyDayWomen #DreamPop #Escapism #Trackoftheday
#Indie/Pop
Plastic Fish Records Does Live At Leeds
With Live At Leeds only a week away we have decided to share with you some of our favourite artists. So heres the Plastic Fish guide to Live At Leeds 2015
.12:00 – Colour of Spring – Brudenell Social Club DIY stage
“Colour Of Spring” Are a Yorkshire based lo-fi/ shoegaze four piece consisting of Shane Hunter, Robin Chamberlain, Tom Gregory and Bryce Gibson. Formed from their mutual taste in music they perfectly blend the sounds of My Bloody Valentine and The Cure with a darker twist. With a clear background in the DIY music scene, their raw yet personal sound has seen them perform with the likes of TEEN, Soft Walls and Autobahn.
.13:00 – White – A Nation of Shopkeepers
WHITE are a hurtling juggernaut of synth stabs, razor-sharp guitars and even sharper attire. A cacophony of pink noise, huge drums, infectious hooks & an explosive frontman channelling Jacques Brel & Nick Cave. The Glasgow five-piece are turning heads with debut song “Living Fiction”, the NME calling it “the kind of full-blown space wig-out Bowie would be proud of”. Unpredictable and thrilling. – http://www.liveatleeds.com/artists/white/
.16:00 – Jakil – A Nation of Shopkeepers
Jakil are an Edinburgh born five-piece band who relocated to London together in 2010 to write and produce their music under the same roof. Jakil released debut single ‘Look Like Gold’ which received numerous plaudits from the likes of tastemaker BBC Radio 1 as well as XFM Scotland’s Jim Gellatly who hailed the single “…a total gem!”
.15:00 – Oscar – A Nation of Shopkeepers
23 year old Oscar Scheller, AKA Oscar, has cut a dash through indie music press in the UK and the US with his bedroom–recorded laptop pop over the past year, so much so that in January he announced he had signed to legendary British indie Wichita.
A record collector and reluctant art school grad, he was literally reaching for the piano keys as a 6 year old on his Mum’s knee, growing up in a North London house where both parents where musicians that filled the air with the sound of Nirvana, Blondie, Kraftwerk, The Slits, Bach and lots of Blur.
.16:30 – Bruising – Leeds Beckett Dr Martens Stage
Bruising formed late last year after singer and guitarist Naomi Baguley spotted Ben Lewis wearing a Perfect Pussy t-shirt in a Leeds nightclub. Bonding over a mutual love of all things fuzzy, they began messaging voice memos from their phones back and forth until, finally, they got together in the same room and started writing some songs. Since then their infectious, ear worm, fuzz pop has gained them acclaim from the NME, DIY and even Radio 1’s Huw Stephens, as well as being described by GoldFlakePaint as ’The best new guitar band in the country’. With releases on hot tape label Beach Coma and the acclaimed Art Is Hard Records coming in the next few months, 2015 is set to be very exciting for Bruising.
.17:00 – Broncho – Brudenell Social Club DIY stage
Formed in 2010 in Norman, Oklahoma, roughneck pop-punk quartet BRONCHO were started by guitarist/vocalist Ryan Lindsey, guitarist Ben King, bassist Jonathan Ford, and drummer Nathan Price.
The project began as a loose recording session where Lindsey quickly sketched out a few ideas before sending them around to some friends for advice and ideas. Before long the careless demos became the basis of a full-on band, with Ford going so far as booking the group a show without consulting the other collaborators on the project. Taking inspiration from early punk acts like the Ramones and the Stooges, and applying liberal amounts of ’80s college rock grit, BRONCHO were born.
.17:45 – Oceaan – HIFI Club
.18:00 – Black Honey – Brudenell Social Club DIY stage
Starting out shrouded in mystery Black Honey let the music do the talking, there were no photos, only their TV themed artwork to accompany each track they released.
After dreamy opener ‘Sleep Forever’, 60’s psychedelic ‘Teenager’ and grunge rock ‘The Taste’ the band revealed their debut EP with their final hook laden track ‘Bloodlust’ and the first photo of themselves. To celebrate the band played a packed out secret show in their hometown of Brighton. Initially only being known as ’the sweet taste of darkness’ Black Honey have gone on to become an unstoppable force.
.18:30 – Genghar – Leeds Beckett Dr Martens Stage
Gengahr is a four piece band from North London formed in October 2013. A breakthrough 2014 saw them establish themselves as one of the most exciting new groups around today with debut single ‘Powder’/‘Bathed In Light’ earning support from the likes of Huw Stephens and the NME; whilst both tracks were playlisted at BBC 6Music and XFM, as well as hitting the blog-aggregating Hype Machine charts. It was a year that also found the band taking on festival stages across the globe, with Glastonbury, Latitude and MIDI among those subject to their performances. Subsequent tours with fellow underground heroes Wolf Alice and Superfood slotted perfectly alongside the larger stages they shared with Dry The River, Jungle and The Maccabees; sculpting their sound to a perfect point. Last year’s signing to Transgressive and the upcoming release of their debut album ‘A Dream Outside’ in May are just the start.
.18:45 – Honne – HIFI Club
Honne are a soulful electronic duo from Somerset and Wiltshire. Singer Andy met producer James on their first day of University, where they immediately hit it off. Slowly they set about developing their sound and production skills.
Warm, sensual but full of groove, Honne’s first track, ‘Warm On A Cold Night’, feels inspired by the intricate productions of Frank Ocean, the smooth R&B of Inc., and more vocal-led, classic Soul artists such as Bill Withers. It’s a beguiling and romantic mix, lyrically tracing the journey of two people running away together, and giving everything to one another.
Further contributing to the night-time atmospherics, Honne wrote the song in the dark, in under two hours, and between jobs teaching music in schools (James would frequently write chord progressions whilst waiting for students to show up). The results are evocative and escapist, in stark contrast to Honne’s more DIY, homespun productions (the sample of the American DJ in the opener is in fact the pair’s housemate, who made him up).
.19:15 – Hootin Tennis Club – Leeds Uni Mine
Hooton Tennis Club formed when good friends Khal, Haz, J. Dean, and Uncle Ry spent a few days recording some songs in a bedroom.
If you’re wondering what the band sounds like, below is a string of adjectives other people have used to describe them so far:
“Sloppy, Shiny, Melodic, Fuzzy, Sweet, Glum, Surprising, Sexy, Incoherent, Bright, Nice, Eager, Drippy, Clumsy, Glorious (NME, 2014), Effortless, Awkward, Loud, Floppy, Energetic, Romantic, Musical, Clean, Delicious, Cringing, Incredible, Consistent, Bright, Rubbish, Magical, Quiet, Concise.”
.21:00 – Spring King – Brudenell Social Club DIY stage
Spring King are a garage-rock five-piece who hail from in and around Liverpool and Manchester, helmed by polymath, Tarek Musa. A native of the latter city and producer to some of the North-West’s hottest emerging acts, Tarek is proving something of a go-to-guy for that raw aesthetic so highly sought after by the young and achingly cool with production credits on records by dream-pop kids Châteaux and psych-eccentrics Stealing Sheep amongst others.
.21:00 – Kid Wave – Leeds Beckett ‘The Stage 2’
Kid Wave craft slacker indie rock and transcendental dream-laden pop of a distinctly early 90s bent – music to lose yourself in and give your life to. A truly international band, Kid Wave is made up of 22 year old singer/songwriter Lea Emmery and guitarist Mattias Bhatt hail from the south-east coast of Sweden, Serra Petale, from Perth and Harry Deacon from the UK.
Featuring chiming fuzzed-up pop riffs, ‘Wonderlust’ is the eponymous first single to be released from Kid Wave’s debut album. The international two girl/two boy quartet’s debut album is a crafted set of pop songs that bathe in the golden, restorative rays more commonly associated with life on the Californian coast rather than London, where Kid Wave reside. This is music that’s delivered with an uplifting sense of youthful wild abandon and imbued throughout with blissful surges of musical serotonin but with clear undercurrents of a wistful sense of melancholy too. Occasionally dark clouds obscure their sonic sunshine and there’s a nagging sense that no summer lasts forever.
.21:45 – George The Poet – HIFI club
He is the hippest poet in Britain. You may have seen him on BBC or Channel 4 or Sky TV, heard him on Radio 1 or attended one of his performances, blending poetry and rap to hypnotic effect. You might be one of the half a million people who have watched him on YouTube. Some of his poems have up to 35,000 hits – twice as many as the Poet Laureate.
23 year-old George Mpanga, who performs as George the Poet, has brought poetry to a new generation. He has changed the stereotyped image of the poet, showing that it can be relevant outside the classroom,it can be exciting, it can be moving, it can be funny,it can be visual, it can be a gig. Wit, alliteration, an infectious rhythm all permeate George’s poetry, but there is always a political consciousness, a questioning of the status quo, and a continual urging for the inner city young to reach beyond crime and escape from grinding poverty.
George grew up in a gritty part of north-west London where many of his friends turned to crime. His performances caught the eye of senior broadcasting executives and the results were immediate and impressive. George has performed at numerous events including the BITC awards (backed and attended by Prince Charles), the Euro Finance conference in Monaco, Race Opportunity Awards, and Virgin pioneers event. He has been nominated for BRIT award and is currently number 5 in the BBC sound of 2015 list.
.22:15 – Childhood – Leeds Uni Mine
When frontman Ben Romans-Hopcroft met fellow founder & guitarist Leo Dobsen at Nottingham University, the band were quickly joined by Dan Salamons on bass and their first single ‘Blue Velvet’ erupted onto the scene, an impressive debut and an exciting sign of what was to come. With the addition of Jonny Williams on drums, the band followed up with their second single “Solemn Skies” and cemented themselves as a certified hot ticket.
Lush, sonically-infused, scarily melodic, boisterous and brimming with a dreamy wanderlust that set them apart from the rest of the new bands on the scene, it set the tone for what was to follow; their fantastic debut album, ‘Lacuna’, recorded with legendary South London producer Dan Carey. Exhibiting the band’s undeniably varied influences and tastes, it highlights what can only be described as a super exciting new talent, prepared to explore and experiment, all the while managing to carve out their individuality. Resist them at your peril.
for tickets and more info visit http://www.liveatleeds.com
#colourofspring #white #jakil #oscar #bruising #broncho
#oceaan #blackhoney #genghar #honne #hootintennisclub #springking #kidwave #georgethepoet #childhood
Moi je – Respire
Whilst here in the UK we have been blessed with our annual 3 days of sunshine, “Respire” seemed to pop up at the perfect time. It has been on repeat around the office all day.
Favourite Five From Record Store Day 2015
1. Label TK Disco released Todd Terjes edits of KC and the sunshine band today, with the originals on the A-Side and Edits on the B-Side. Below you can hear Todd Terjes version of ‘Im Your Boogie Man.’
2. The 2 Bears – Bears In Space. This is another record store day exclusive, track listing below.
12″
A: Mary Mary (Seahawks Deep Love For All Mankind Remix)
B: Run Run Run (Wrong Island’s Cosmic Plughole Remix).
CD
1. The Night Is Slow
2. Run Run Run (Wrong Island’s Cosmic Plughole Remix)
3. (Space) Money Man
4. Part Sweet Steve
5. Church (Darkstarr Electric Dub Mix)
6. Increase Your Faith (Daniel Avery Remix)
7. Mary Mary (Seahawks Deep Love For All Mankind Remix).
3. The Maccabees debut album ‘Colour It In’ gets a ‘1st time on vinyl issue’ for Record Store Day.
4. Shura – Indecision (Jungle Remix). Limited edition 12″ of Jungles Remix, plus the original version on the B-Side.
5. ESG – Moody E.P. An exclusive 12″ for Record Store Day of how the Moody E.P was meant to be.
#RecordStoreDay #ToddTerje #TheMaccabees #ESG #Shura #Jungle #The2Bears
Panda People – American Queen
Free Friday…I have been listening to the track for a while, so much that it is actually our track of the week here at the office.
The introduction of the track is what initially draws you in. Familiar sounds comfort you making you feel relaxed, giving you a hint of where things are about to go. The familiar dream pop sounds are enhanced with a driving bass and intimate vocals. Big riffs fill the chorus whilst the instrumentation is stripped back in the verse, allowing the bass and vocals to become the focal point. This track feels like a personal soundtrack for everyone, you very own best bits, your very own montage, you very own ‘A year in the life of….’.
To accompany the track there is a amazing video, definitely got that ‘Artsy’ feel but in this case i think it really works. A amazing free download to start you weekend with.
Betty The Nun – At The Window
It may be a cold, wet early january but Betty The Nun set the scene for Sun, Shorts, Tan Lines and long sweaty days of doing fuck all. Lucas, Benjamin, Guilherm and Maxence are the four lads who make up Betty The Nun. They are self described as ‘Indie Blue Rock’ but I would add a sprinkle of ‘indie surf pop’ into the mix.
The song title ‘At The Window’ is a perfect description of what you’ll be doing when spending some quality time with this track. Looking out of a window you can switch of for the duration of the track, ignoring the grey skies and wind swept scenery. allowing yourself to switch off, for just a moment.
The four lads from Rennes, France are ones to watch. With a constant stream of good indie music and some quality free downloads!
The Plastic Fish
Check out the awesome video too….https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFIcqE8ckYM
Psychologist – Worlds Away
Self described as Pop musics evil twin and you can see why. With a dirty distorted bass and a sliced vocal introduction this track is intriguing from the start. This song sticks a middle finger up to the generic ‘shit factor’ pop that is usually shoved down our throats this time of year.
‘Above all else, it is about leaving a mark that I existed: I was here. I was hungry. I was defeated. I was happy. I was sad. I was in love. I was afraid. I was hopeful. I had an idea and I had a good purpose, and that’s why I made works of art’ – Felix Gonzalez Torres
This is our weekend anthem.
Aldrinson – Why Do You Love A Fool
Aldrinson Why Do You Love A Fool? Aldrinson is a project created by Sébastien Fleury,with the support of his brother David Fleury(drums) and Alexis Mahal(vocals). Apart from being a great name ‘Why Do You Love A Fool’ is a rhythmically powerful track. With a driving bass and shiny harmonic over lays. This song gives you the get up and go. Its our Free Download of the Week, Enjoy.
The Plastic Fish
Betty The Nun – Blue Troubles
There seems to be a great new wave / indie pop / indie surf sound coming out of France at the moment, with bands like Beach Youth and now Betty The Nun. ‘Blue Troubles’ is one of the tracks of their self released E.P ‘Sick Desire,’ which has that un polished sound, DIY sound I think every true music fan loves. Have a look around the internet and download the E.P of band camp, it is a real gem
Highs – Mango
In July of 2013, HIGHS released their “monstrously upbeat” debut, self-titled EP. The 5-track EP was recorded over six months at Verge Music Lab with Steve Major, who acted as both engineer and co-producer for the album. Influenced by time spent in Tanzania, the EP is a collection of songs that reflect on growing up, the concept of home, and spirituality.
Alternative – Pop / Afro – Pop / Indie – Pop, whatever you want to call it is truly irritable to the ears. Mango along with the rest of the E.P shall be gracing my headphones throughout the winter, already gearing me up for the sun in 2015
The Yetis – Warm California
Warm California is the new single from American Band The Yetis. Coming from Allentown, Pennsylvania this is there 2nd single release, following on from the wonderful ‘Little Surfer Girl.’
Theres something familiar and comforting in the sound of ‘Warm California.’ Theres nothing specifically clever about this track, its not breaking any new ground but that for me is part of its charm. I love music that you can enjoy without thinking and this does exactly that. Any time, any place or any weathered old bus stop you may find yourself at.
The Coast – Weekend
We would like to introduce a very late offering for the UK summer, or even a early offering for the next one? Weekend is the 1st track on The Coasts’ debut E.P ‘All This Time,’ The South African Band state that ‘All This Time’ is reference to all the time they have put in to recording the E.P, which really comes across. The catchy chorus line and of beat guitars are enough to keep the bobble hats off, for now. This track is indie pop, done at its best.