Dutch indie pop duo Ciao Lucifer label themselves proudly as feel-good musicians, but the lyrics dig a little deeper. Their new single Do Do Do is about a guy who has taken the empathy thing a bit too far, shouldering other people's burdens, while the involved party could be better off trying to deal with it and find a solution that will actually solve the problem. Note the use of a bespoke 10-string guitar, which can handle the bass part as well.
Welsh synth duo Martyrs have made a video for Twist The Cap, a track from their Church Street EP: "It may seem that Michael Hall and Jon Howells are making it up as they go along - synth driven 80s inspired dance is not associated with meaningful lyrics, so superimposing their easy-on-the-ears music with challenging words feels a bit awkward at first. Having the best of both worlds is no mean feat, and it made the completion of this collection of songs a cumbersome process. Thankfully they persisted."
HCTF review of the Church Street EP
Liverpool based indie rock quartet DBA! turned up the bass for their new single Little Rivers and threw in a Pixies-esque guitar for good measure. The boredom of going through the motions in converations they could not care less about - "How's the wife, how's the kids" - is almost palpable. They are on the way up, while the other hopefuls in the music scene they dedicate this song to got proper jobs and maybe already mortgaged up their lifes. video was directed by Dylan Cubbin.
Boston indie singer Leah Callahan hits the ground running on her new album Our Lady of the Sad Adventure with the sprawling opener Fall in Love with your Mind, mixing shoegaze and psychedelic rock, a musical love baby conceived by the 60s and 80s. Callahan shuns the sign-posted main roads. As a long serving member of the Boston underground in bands like Turkish Delight and Betwixt before flying solo, she does not have to prove anything.
Her legacy is intact, but by adding more albums on a regular basis, she is still growing and challenging herself. The hirsute main riff of New Punk almost drowns out her vocals, but she raises to the occasion. Title track Our Lady of the Sad Adventure is smooth, but not schmaltzy, making yacht rock cool for a change by adding gnarly sounding synths as a counterpoint for the tight rhythm section./p>
French synth New Wave trio Vacance made a video for Satellite, a track from their new album Après la pluie: "A colourful band-aid for dealing with the undeniable fact that they are getting older. Ideals have taken a beating from disillusions, and every day hassles have gotten in the way. Yes, they are looking back at times when life seemed less complicated, with the upbeat 17 ans as the prime example, but they also have an open mind about what lies ahead at this stage of their lifes."
HCTF review of Après la pluie
