Browsing Tag

Jeff Buckley

Emotions Crescendo in Nocebo’s Introspective Indie Debut, Miles Away

Posted on 6 July 2024

Inspired by his icons of evocative introspection, Jeff Buckley, Fabrizio De Andrè and Thom York, singer-songwriter, Mario Ciardiello, traced the reflectively candid echoes of his idols through the debut single, Miles Away, from his newly initiated solo project. Under the moniker, Nocebo, Mario is carrying the legacy of intimate songwriting on his guitar strings.

In the production of his debut, raw unfiltered emotion rushes to the surface of the soul-bearing sonic escapade, which ensues from a stripped-back indie folk acoustic performance before a subtly striking Radiohead-esque crescendo delivers a rush of momentum and visceral emotion, visualising how affections ebb and flow through us, culminating in explosions of rumination.

The versing of abstract consolation to an enigmatically tortured protagonist seeking sanctuary grips you through its compassionate intensity; even if you can’t find a piece of yourself within the narrative, you’ll find yourself in awe of Nocebo’s proficiency in hitting raw nerves with his arrestingly unique sonic signature.

Miles Away is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Greg Tripure – Calling Out (Stars): An Expansively Raw Rock Release for the Era of Disconnection

Posted on 10 June 2024

Greg Tripure’s standout single, Calling Out (Stars), from his debut solo LP, Stranger in This World, lands like a meteor shower; it’s an anthemic cry into the void of despondency that sears its way into the soul. He may wear his Buckley influences on his vocal cords, but the rest of the track’s anatomy is entirely Tripure’s own viscerally wild creation.

For the past 20 years, Tripure has been the unsung hero in the indie touring scene,  but as the world slowed down in 2018 and Covid pushed pause on live music, Tripure retreated into the depths of his creative well and emerged with a cache of songs crafted for his own voice; Calling Out (Stars) is the fiery result of that introspection.

Recorded at 4:10 Studios in Corydon, IN, with the deft touch of Jordan Bailey, the single is a masterclass in balancing anthemics and intimacy. The production is thunderous enough to paralyse, yet the lead guitar work and Tripure’s raw, evocative vocals keep you grounded in the emotional reality of the track. Tripure sings like a man possessed, each note a plea, a whisper, a roar, pulling you into his orbit, inviting you to be equally as open with your emotions in painfully honest reflection.

Calling Out (Stars) is for the outliers, the dreamers, the ones lost in the vast landscape of modern life, searching for connection. If you’ve ever felt that ache, that yearning, prepare to feel whole when you press play.

Fans of City and Colour, Neil Young, and Jeff Buckley, take note: Greg Tripure has arrived, and with Calling Out (Stars), he’s making sure you’ll never forget it. 

The Stranger in This World LP is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Spotlight Feature: Reverberations of Longing Linger in the Affecting Agony of Pinwheel Valley’s Single Reverie

Posted on 10 April 2024

Pinwheel Valley’s latest eclectically alt-indie single, Reverie, echoes a poignant symphony of emotional turmoil and tender confession. The bittersweet draught of love is the lead single from their eagerly anticipated Reverie EP, which heralds a significant evolution for the Canadian artist, steering the ship of Pinwheel Valley through the waters of the indie music scene from their Mediterranean home base.

The melancholic mosaic of poetry, agony and rhythmic intuition is the first signal to be distributed via Levantine Music, it stands as a testament to how honed the artist’s sound has become in the absence of lyrical inhibition. Qais Khoury’s vocal delivery and melodic structuring evoke the spectrally affecting beauty of Jeff Buckley as Reverie traverses the complex emotional landscape with soul-stirring urgency and timeless poignancy.

The guitars, warm and overdriven, act as the perfect counterpoint to the raw lyrics, as the progressions journey through the valleys of longing and the peaks of despair. Pinwheel Valley masterfully conjures a world where every note and every word is steeped in emotional significance. The result is a track that does more than just resonate with the listener; it pierces the soul, leaving an indelible mark.

Khoury’s influences, ranging from Thom Yorke to Ben Howard, shimmer through in the song’s intricate fabric, but Reverie is unmistakably Pinwheel Valley’s own. As the band starts this new chapter, writing through their inexplicably alchemic signature, it is clear they have the potential to write the future of alt-indie.

Reverie is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Follow Pinwheel Valley on Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The troubadour of die-hard romanticism, Andy Smythe, struck aural gold once again with ‘Out of My Mind’

Posted on 3 February 2024

Andy Smythe teased the aurally amplified eloquence caged in his forthcoming album, Poetry in Exile, by unveiling the standout single, Out of My Mind, which captures the toil of finding ‘the one’ in a sprawling metropolis.

The psychedelic and sporadically spacy pop hit, which oscillates in the middle ground between the Beatles, Bowie, and Buckley, brings brand-new meaning to an endeavour being a labour of love while allowing you to fall head over heels for the London-based troubadour of die-hard romanticism.

The kaleidoscopic melodies vortex around the horn stabs, which bring an infectious and enrapturing bluesy stridency to the release, ensuring that Out of My Mind will never be far from your own psyche after you have succumbed to the rhythmic magnetism. The stunningly rendered release is the ultimate testament to Andy Smythe’s talents in prising sentiments from his soul and visualising them through his tenor harmonies and lush arrangements that will effortlessly become your new crush.

The official music video for Out of My Mind was officially released on January 26. Stream it on YouTube and follow Andy Smythe on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date with the launch of his upcoming LP, which is poised for a March 1st release.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Behold Andy Smythe’s Orchestrally Lush Vignette of a Homeward Bound Beatnik, Prodigal Son

Posted on 23 June 2023
https://soundcloud.com/smytheandy/prodigal-son/s-PSNv058J9tC?si=e47bea85f2ea48afa369111846732d67&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

‘Prodigal Son’ is the latest baroque folk-rock single from the psychedelically captivating singer-songwriter, producer and arranger, Andy Smythe, who transcended the Bowie and Beatles assimilators with his orchestrally lush vignette of a homeward-bound beatnik after a soul-seeking journey.

Anyone who has ever searched for tangible evidence of an entity or philosophy which contextualises reality while grasping and affirming inner essence will feel the force of a fist full of resonance while Prodigal Son is narratively unfolding under the duress of the London-based singer-songwriter’s magnetic with soul vocal lines.

There’s no overstating the sharpness of the songwriting chops or the compelling Buckley-esque 4-octave warmth in Andy Smythe’s vocal lines. After cutting his teeth for the past 20 years as a songsmith, Smythe could give Nosferatu a run for his money with his quintessentially quirky sonic signature which has garnered rave reviews on both sides of the pond.

Prodigal Son will hit the airwaves on June 23. Hear it first on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

John Dhali took feel-good indie-folk to stratospheric new heights with his latest single, Taste

Posted on 20 March 2022

With caressing crescendos and swells of soul by the smorgasbord, the indie-folk singer-songwriter, John Dhali’s latest release, Taste, definitely isn’t an acquired one.

What starts as a gentle and euphonic offering of indie art-pop bliss transcends into a rock-licked all-consuming aural entity as you’re left to face the untamed passion in the lyrics and vocals and the equally as robust production.

When Taste reaches its anthemic peak, it is enough to rival Mr November by The National. Yet, I’m not sure The National could get away with the sweet and lofty ukulele melodies that John Dhali uses to amplify the high vibe soul. When he says his sound marries the feelgood accessibility of George Ezra with the evocative depth of Buckley, he more than backs it up with his viscerally euphoric discography.

It comes as no surprise that the Northwest, UK-born, London-based artist has already garnered attention from BBC Radio 1 and 2 and won regional awards for the best solo artist. We can’t wait to see his career blow up after the launch of his forthcoming album.

Check out John Dhali’s latest single, Taste, on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Leon Seti delivered the ‘Antidote’ with their latest compassionate pop single

Posted on 16 March 2021

With his authentic sound, Leon Seti has graced the iTunes Electronica Chart in Italy and caught the attention of BBC Introducing in the UK. Usually, he’s a one-man-melodic-machine, taking charge of writing, performing and production, but for his latest single, ‘Antidote’, he utilised the arpeggio guitars of guitarist, Francis. It’s safe to say that the collaborative chemistry melancholically blossomed.

Antidote is a stripped-back affair instrumentally, but with Leon Seti’s vocals atop of the minimalist acoustic folk-pop guitars, the single has enough gravity and gravitas to pull you in. Even though there is plenty of reminiscence in the single to Tracy Chapman’s Fast Car, the distinction lies within the realism. It oozes affection yet, Leon Seti kept the lyrics grounded within realism, making it infinitely more resonant than your average pop hit paying ode to an unattainable Hollywood-style romance.

Since making his debut in 2015, the Italy and London-based artist has moved from strength to strength and amassed plenty of type along the way. They may have diverged from their usual sound with Antidote, but this timely release was an all too welcome introduction to Seti’s softer side that will allow the listener to feel braver about baring their own.

Antidote is now available to stream via Spotify.

You can find out more about Leon Seti via his website and Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

It’s Never Too Late for Jakob Kupferberg

Posted on 5 October 2020
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=Qr1fgpNrJ0E&list=OLAK5uy_mRxGG1fbELmL04oJsPo90umve0bKPaJFA

Folky strummed guitar, strident violin, and a pushing, driving bassline offset Jakob Kupferberg’s new single ‘Never Too Late For Love’, an assured, mature folk-rock song that showcases Kupferberg’s vocal styling and guitar skills.

Vulnerable and emotional and yet strong and powerful, Danish-born Kupferberg references artists as diverse as Zach De La Rocha and Jeff Buckley, and this comes across in his music, the track switching easily from comfortable, familiar chord progressions to mildly startling, divergent codas and back again, intriguing and challenging but never, ever discordant.

Kupferberg’s debut EP, ‘Sweet Surrender’, is out on October 9th; ‘It’s Never Too Late For Love’ is on Spotify now.

Review by Alex Holmes

Lake Folks – The Old Man and The Lake: Sonorous Simplistic Sound at Its Finest.

Posted on 7 November 2017

This one’s for the Indie Folk lovers. Lake Folks is a solo act from a visionary talent revelling in his talent which is allowing him to dominate the folk scene.  To describe his new debut track ‘The Old Man and The Lake’ as a serendipitous wonder would be an understatement.

The solo artists sound is a unique, intoxicating blend of pop & a tranquil taste of indie folk. It’s impossible not to get caught up in the lucid angelic melodies which invoke a serene melodic transcendence. The music is teaming with plaintive inspiration which they find in their dulcet home town of Aix -les-Bains and notable acts such as Bon Iver, Paul Simon and Jeff Buckley. The Old Man and The Lake is steeped in sincerity, entwined with acoustic splendour.

There’s some elemental darkness to Lake Folks tracks, their latest track in particular, which makes their latest hit a true testament to the harrowing times that the world is lingering in. The lyrics are steeped in bittersweet sorrow, their music is delectably easy to swallow thanks to the angelic upbeat jingle of the guitar combined with the inventive use of instruments.

Check out their latest track on the link below

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4IYXfzK9vE&feature=youtu.be

You’ll find a plethora of twee, euphoric covers from the Lake Folks on their Youtube Channel. So if you want to hear a sweet acoustic folk style version of Taylor Swift and Daft Punk be sure to check out he videos!

Follow the Lake Folks on their social media links below!

-Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lakefolks/
-Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/lakefolks
-Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAzttJsAeTbf1zLsMcQY1Iw/

A&R Factory Present: Luke De-Sciscio

Posted on 30 January 2017

Home movies show him at three years old singing ‘boo-boo-bah-loo’ over Louis Armstrong records under the nurturing watch of his grandfather, John.

Himself, a music junkie and keen guitarist, it was to emulate John and follow in those loving steps that Luke De-Sciscio took to music and hungered to learn guitar. Those early years, playing the blues with his grandfather, sank their teeth deep into Luke’s soul. The seed was sewn.

He had dabbled in bands throughout school; exploring Funk, Rock and Blues though it wasn’t until spending several years living on a boat in the English countryside that he began to find his own voice – stripped back, unguarded and delicate.

Debut LP “Gossamer Rose” was recorded live over the course of one evening with a few good friends over a few bad beers – its raw honesty invites the listener into that night to share in the stories told.

Universally personal and cutting with truth, ‘Gossamer Rose’ has been praised for its intricate guitar work and described as “a haunting example of the beauty of the folk genre.”