Month: June 2021

Categories
Creators Monthly Indie/Indie Rock Punk/Rock

Creators Monthly: June

As the world starts to feel a bit more normal again, we’re slowly but surely getting a peek at some of the fantastic music that’s been written over the past year. With an influx of new artists, debut records and video premiers, it’s got us excited for all the fabulous live music to come.

It’s been another phenomenal month yet again for music submitted to us by our readers, so hit that play button and discover some of the most sensational tunes we’ve found.

Witch Fever

As a new era of superlative British punk-rock beckons, with the arrival of bands such as Savages, IDLES and Dream Wife onto the scene, comes the next bullet out of the gun. WITCH FEVER are Manchester’s very own screaming sensations and most definitely a force to be reckoned with. With their explosive attitude and dirty, Black-Sabbath-style licks, Witch Fever could be well on their way to seeing some of Europe’s biggest crowds come to witness.

The band have released tour dates across Europe starting early next year playing alongside IDLES, where you can be sure the unmissable lineup of Amy, Alisha, Alex and Annabelle will be kicking it where it hurts. One thing’s for sure, Witch Fever have enough attitude, talent and fetish-wear between them to make even Sid and Nancy blush.

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dwi

Are you Freak N Out yet? We are at the first tantalizing single from dwi. When not playing bass with Canadian Rock band The Zolas, Vancouver-based dwi (Dwight Abell) is creating magnificent psychedelic tunes of his own for you to melt away into this summer. This new single is just the first enticing peek into what lies in store from dwi’s upcoming EP ‘Mild Fantasy Violence,’ set for release this coming September and promises even more fantastically warped and wonderful soundscapes along with otherworldly synth sounds.

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Dany Laj and the Looks

The second track from their third official album, Dany Laj and the Looks take the best elements of rock, country, and pop and serve up a fruit cocktail of delectable sounds. Their quirky new single You & Me is matched equally in peculiarity by its excellent video and is a track sure to make all music fans wonder, ‘What was in that last rum punch?’ It is, in our opinion, the perfect form of introduction to the wild and wacky world of Dany Laj and the Looks. So, why not stick around and see what sonic delights the band is cooking up in their brand new album ‘Ten Easy Pieces?’

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Hot Plastic Poets

Back on our list once again, and one band who has certainly become our go-to on a hot sunny day, Hot Plastic Poets from North Carolina are essential listening. The band are back with another brilliant melt-in-your-mouth single. So grab your trunks, your towels, and your sandals, because every day spent listening to this new track is like a day at the beach. Hot Plastic Poets are helping us feel the sun on our backs, even here in rainy London.

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Palace Cats

The talent behind the wonderfully enchanting Palace Cats, Joe Doris and James Bowden, are two friends who have seen their fair share of challenges this past year with the pressures of the pandemic. Fortunately, it’s nothing the two musicians haven’t been able to transform into their beautifully dreamy soundscapes, which have won over listeners from around the world. Silky and self-produced, Sea Island Cotton features an array of soothing sounds tied together with a fabulous TR-808 groove, sure to bring a nostalgic feel wherever it goes. So, take a trip down the rabbit hole of Palace Cats, filled with friends, lovers, and polaroid pictures.

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Paris Youth Foundation

You didn’t think we could let you leave without mentioning that the astonishing Paris Youth Foundation are releasing their debut album on the 9th of July, did you? Save the date! ‘How To Ruin Your Life’ is an unmissable ensemble of hits from Liverpool’s most exciting new Indie group. The album surely delivers on all of the bits we’ve come to love about the band’s sound and more. Oh boy – you’re in for a real treat.

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That’s all we’ve got time for now, folks. Be sure to check back next month and follow our Instagram so you never miss a beat.

In a band yourself? Write music? Send us your tracks to be featured.

If you can’t wait for more, be sure to check out even more great artists in last months edition.

Stay safe out there x

Categories
Indie/Indie Rock Punk/Rock Uncategorized Why We Love

Why We Love: Press Club

Spotify’s Discover Weekly is a wonderfully exciting place where you can unearth artists specifically tailored to your tastes and it is what led me to a band that has been described as “one of the most exciting young prospects in rock music.” Hailing from Melbourne, Australia, Press Club’s gritty garage-punk sound first blessed the ears of Bandcamp listeners in 2017 with the release of their single Headwreck, a hazy two and half minute anthem clearly expressing the band’s true unadulterated passion and determination that has continued to shine throughout their two subsequent albums, Late Teens and Wasted Energy.

Influenced by bands like Brand New and Hüsker Dü, the energetic and chaotic sound of their music can often be seen to juxtapose the peaceful and laid back vibe that their narrative music videos exude, an effect that is especially evident in the video accompanying Suburbia, a personal favourite of mine and their most streamed track on Spotify. The calm everyday visuals of the video create an anticipatory tension throughout that reflects the angsty nostalgia of old relationships and moving on, a feeling that I am sure many can relate to. Lead singer Natalie Foster introduces dream-like vocals that explode into punk fervour, a technique common in Press Club’s discography, in Crash and Same Mistakes for example, and gives the band that irresistible indie edge and attracts an audience atypical to the punk genre.

The band tends to embody a kind of “go with the flow” attitude, creating music with ambiguity allowing the listener to interpret the meaning in a way unique to themselves and, as Foster revealed, deciding upon song titles and even their band name by throwing ideas around and seeing what felt right. Many of Press Club’s songs do, however, deal with quite heavy topics enabling an emotional connection to form between the band and the listener over similar shared experiences. Twenty-Three, the concluding track to their Wasted Energy album, for example, discusses topics such as drugs and how you can’t hide from your actions.

As a band notorious among its fans for delivering loud, atmospheric gigs and tirelessly touring around Australia, Europe, and the UK, racking up a huge number of shows in the last few years, Press Club should 100% be at the top of your “bands to see live” list. They will not disappoint.

Photo by: Ian Laidlaw

Listen to Press Club on Spotify now.

Categories
Indie/Indie Rock New Wave Pop/Indie Pop Uncategorized

Why We Love: Will Orchard

Will Orchard is one of the most astonishing musicians of recent years. Originally hailing from the state of Rhode Island, he began making music in 2014 under the strange and immediately eye catching moniker “LittleBoyBigHeadOnBike.” 

Armed with nothing but an acoustic guitar, he released his self-titled EP on December 30th, 2014. However, he did not even come close to slowing down there, proceeding to release an EP every week from December 30th, 2014 up until 2016. To date, he has amassed over 100 releases under his belt. 

Most of these EPs contain sparse, plaintive songs featuring Will and his acoustic guitar. However, other EPs feature instruments such as bowed guitar and keyboard, as well as guest vocalists. 

As he put out more and more music, Will also began to cultivate a following by playing live frequently. Although he started out hovering around Rhode Island and Massachusetts, by the middle of 2017, he was venturing out to states such as North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. 

Around this time, he began to update and remodel the music that he released, recruiting other musicians to help him round out his ideas. His official debut album, God Damn Wonderland, came out on June 23rd, 2017, and contains some of the most beautiful and unique music to date. While the sounds and styles of his previous works still dwell in the undertones of the album, they have been augmented with atmospheric yet personal production, as well as a wide variety of instruments including banjo and clarinet. The album truly catapulted Will into a league of his own as a musician, displaying his knack for crafting intricate melodies and nostalgic lyrics that emit an almost childlike sense of wonder. 

The touring became even more constant as Will and his band canvassed the country multiple times every year. What makes this even more shocking is that Will did all of this independently; there was no record label backing him. Even more mind blowing is the fact that during this time, Will joined another band, The Brazen Youth, as their touring bass player, meaning that he then went on even more tours. The Brazen Youth have also done well for themselves, even playing a coveted set on Audiotree. 

Following the release of his debut album, Will continued to release self-recorded EPs as well as two other albums, 2018’s Big Blue Butterflies and 2020’s Old Friends On The Mountain, the latter of which was the first album released under his own name rather than LittleBoyBigHeadOnBike. Both of these albums were very well received by numerous indie publications as well as his audience. 

Despite the pandemic, Will has stayed productive: he has played on numerous live stream concerts, signed a record deal with Better Company Records, and released a new album, I Reached My Hand Out, on May 7th, 2021. 

Will Orchard live at Askew in Providence, Rhode Island on November 9th, 2019.
Photo by Jack Downey

Listen to Will Orchard on Spotify now.

Categories
Indie/Indie Rock Punk/Rock

notes from the trenches: a sonic experiment

Do you want the good news or the bad news first?

The good news is that Tuareg rock n’ roller MDOU MOCTAR’s magnum opus Afrique Victime debuted at the end of May, and my God! I’ve been absorbing it like a thirsty sponge. Rock n’ roll is alive and well—but, contrary to popular belief, it’s not inhabiting the form of Maneskin. It’s in the form of Mdou Moctar. 

Mdou Moctar and his band performing tracks off of their recent album, “Afrique Victime.”

The bad news: I spent the past week conducting a sonic experiment that pretty much blew up in my face. In an attempt to learn to like some of the light, cloying varieties of pop music currently saturating radio airplay these long summer days (and nights), I bought myself a copy of Lou Reed’s Metal Machine Music. It’s a record belonging to the “noise/drone” genre, sandwiched in the musical history books in between the engineering mess Bowie made of the Stooges Raw Power and the first Dead Boys album.

But, the roaring, keening, banshee shriek of machines must have been the balm of Gilead my troubled soul needed, because my plans to turn my musical taste away from Funhouse-era Stooges and towards Ariana Grande backfired. I think…I think I’ve fallen in love with Metal Machine Music. What was basically an attempt to be a better friend (you can only moan so much about your friends’ party playlists before they stop inviting you to the aforesaid parties) absolutely backfired. I now have even less tolerance for Ari than I did before. Merzbow, here I come. 

Anyway, in other Very Important News, last month L.A.-based punk band the Linda-Lindas signed to Epitaph Records. The band (an all-girl, Asian American and Latinx quartet composed of sisters, cousins and friends–the oldest member of which is 16, and the youngest, 10) recently caused a stir in the alt scene with their righteously angry single “Racist, Sexist Boy” (drummer Mila de la Garza explains the song’s origins in the video linked below.)

The Linda-Lindas, live at the L.A. Public Library.

HINDS are embarking on a tour of the USA this September. It’s 22 glorious days with Future Islands and Modest Mouse, and if any of my American cousins are reading this, go bless yourself with tickets. For those stuck on this side of the pond, Hinds are making the trek from sunny Spain to the constant drizzling rain of this angry little island in 2022. I’m sure tickets will go with the speed of a cheetah taking down an antelope after a weeklong juice cleanse, so be sure to snap them up as soon as they go on presale. 

Ana Perrote of Hinds shot by @neelastica.

Squid (a band originally hailing from Brighton, but currently working from London) released their full-length debut, Bright Green Field, last month. It’s received a deluge of worthy praises, and I’m more than willing to add to them. Some have described the band’s style of playing as punk-funk, and others say it’s post-punk.

(I don’t know why they say post-punk, because Squid’s signature sound is very much rooted in the present. And aren’t we all? Unless, like Billy Pilgrim, some of you lucky stiffs have become “unstuck in time,” we’re all here in 2021, in the midst of a pandemic, passengers on an increasingly hotter spaceship Earth and members of an increasingly unhinged so-called society.)

But we have music, and good music is a balm for suffering in a way that alcohol and therapy can never hope to touch. So thank you for the new albums—to Mdou Moctar, the Linda-Lindas, Squid and all the other musicians slogging it out on the battlefield of expression for their art.

Yours in solidarity and Bandcamp Fridays,

xxx

Annie

Categories
Uncategorized

UPGRADE YOUR PLAYLISTS 2

We’re back. You want more music and we wanna share it. Get ready to pick your crème de la crème and upgrade your playlists with the tunes we can’t stop thinking about.

American Beauty – Biig Piig

Biig Piig’s latest EP takes a much more rounded and softer approach in the textures of her music, but closer track American Beauty brings the noise up like the alternative rock bands from the 00’s, showing her versatility and talent yet again.

Energy – Pa Salieu FT. Mahalia

Meet Pa Salieu, the winner of BBC Sound of 2021. Redefining and keeping the wheel turning, this is one rapper who you absolutely must keep your ears and eyes open.

Duo – Sam Gellaitry

I discovered Sam Gellaitry on TikTok by pure chance and haven’t turned by back since, I recommend you do the same.

Peace And Quiet – FEET

Can you really go wrong with FEET?

SUPERNORMAL – Everything Everything

Once again the alternative electronic ecstasy of Everything Everything is unmatched, and their track SUPERNORMAL is sure to keep your chests beating.

Method To The Madness – The Wombats

A new venture for the iconic marsupials we all know and love, but make no mistake. This almost lo-fi-based track from The Wombats packs a punch that you don’t want to be in front of when it kicks off.

Mirror – Sigrid

Sigrid is BACK, baby, and better than ever. Everything great about her last album is dialed up to 11 on Mirror and we’re all here for it.

Citizen Erased – Muse (OoS RemiXX)

A classic but remixed.. remastered..? Well, whatever Muse have been re-doing to the tracks from their 2nd album’s 10th anniversary edition, it’s working and makes revisiting this classic album all the more enchanting.

Futureproof – Nothing But Thieves

I’ve only just come down after the high that was Moral Panic, and now NBT deliver this? Bathe me in the leather silk that is Futureproof and don’t come get me unless there’s an Emergency. Not even kidding, leave me be. This track sends me.

Meateater – ALASKALASKA

My partner showed me an ALASKALASKA song a little while back and as the months have gone by I’ve really found myself just hooked and for good reason. Just get a taste of this.

How Not To Drown – CHVRCHES AND ROBERT SMITH

To top it all off with an absolute banger, you can never go wrong with a bit of CHVRCHES. But slap on a side of Robert Smith? That’s a classic before it’s even had time to tour the world.

Categories
Creators Monthly Uncategorized

Creators Monthly: May

Welcome back to that wonderful time again where here at Totally Wired Mag, we like to celebrate the rising stars, the artists big or small, whose music and talent deserve a place on your playlists. So without further ado, let’s dive right in – hit play and discover your next favourite tune.

Darity

Singer/songwriter Linsley Hartenstein, the artist known as Darity is back with yet another phenomenal single which, just like all of her tunes, will carry you away to another dimension. ‘Out of it’ is a song made from luscious synthesiser soundscapes, woven together with the same earnest and enchanting voice which has made us at Totally Wired Mag some of Darities top fans – yes we’ll fight you for the title. A songwriter who started out over nine years ago, Linsley has truly honed in her craft of putting the unexplainable bits of life into beautiful words and spectacular melodies. While every single one of her tracks is a treat for the ears, ‘Out of it’ is Darity at the most remarkable we’ve seen her yet.

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Haleluya Hailu

‘Breakfast’ is the first track from the upcoming debut EP by singer/songwriter Haleluya Hailu. The tune is a tease at what is set to be a fantastically ‘80s fueled concoction of teen angst, honest emotions and real experiences. In Haleluya’s own words, ‘Breakfast’ is the epitome of ‘Heartbreak, parties… and pasta’. So grab your bowl of warm comfort food and let this track entice your excitement for the brilliant things to come in the upcoming EP.

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Tobisonics

Speaking of sonic concoctions to tantalize your eardrums, the new collaborative single ‘All The Little Things’ by band Tobisonics and their poetic partner in art, Chris Ingram, AKA Wee Scots Poet, is a tune that radio DJ’s around the world haven’t been able to leave alone. A feel-good tune for an upcoming summer of sun, it’s a reminder of a hopeful future as we leave the hard times behind us. Tobisonics and Wee Scots Poet are a partnership full of life, so dance your way into June with this phenomenal track at the very top of your playlists.

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Max Swan

Featured on one of our very first Creators Monthly lists, Max Swan from Philadelphia entered the world of jazz at a young age, an important beginning that has since influenced his musical style as he began to navigate other genres, stretching the boundaries of pop, rock and soul. From his highly diverse mix of influences came his distinctive ‘electrosoul’ style. Max’s new single Leanin’ is the latest in his so far incredible discography. The tune is a fantastical blend of R&B and hip hop, married with elements of jazz and soul. As an artist who is constantly evolving, Max Swan is never afraid to dip his hands into new experimental sounds. His musical journey has gone from strength to strength, easy to see in each of his fantastic tunes.

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Merpire

The new indie-pop single ‘Village’ from singer/songwriter Merpire is a tune written straight from the heart, putting all of her feelings about self-doubt into one superb song. The single comes with the announcement of her debut album ‘Simulation Ride’ to be released this coming July under Warner’s ADA label. The album’s theme is about looking for those patches of clear blue sky when your mind is clouded by anxiety. Just as growth comes with facing your problems head-on, Merpire’s new single is just as much about her own personal growth since releasing her very first single performed live from her bedroom back in 2018.

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Hotel Decor

Canadian artist Hotel Decor returns with a brand new single, ‘Could It Take Me Any Longer’, the title track from a highly anticipated upcoming EP. Like everything we’ve seen from Hotel Decor in the past, we’ve been gifted yet another deliciously lo-fi tune filled with life and soul. This is what we’ll be jamming out to this summer.

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Sacramento

Speaking of silky slick lo-fi grooves, Italian artist Steve Fileti, known to us as Sacramento, just released the second single ‘MAMA’ from his upcoming album ‘Latte – The Italian Breakfast’. It’s a tune that will leave you dreaming of drives through the countryside, sunshine and ice cream. ‘Latte – The Italian Breakfast’ is out on the 11th of June, save the date!

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That’s all for this month folks! Be sure to check back next month for an all-new list of artists you’ll love.

Make sure to sign up to our mailing list below and never miss an update.

In a band? Write music yourself? Send us your music to be featured!

Remember you can catch even more great artists in last months edition.

Big love as always,

The TWM Team x