Tomorrow: Kiran Leonard performs new album in London

19 September 2017

Photo: Sebastian Matthes

Young British multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Kiran Leonard is celebrating the release of his new album Derevaun Seraun with a handful of shows, including two performances at London’s St. Pancras Old Church tomorrow evening.

With literary works as the source of inspiration, Derevaun Seraun is in five movements, arranged entirely by Leonard for piano, strings and voice. He explains:

“Derevaun Seraun is a piece I wrote a couple years back in five movements for voice, piano and string trio. Each movement is written about a different piece of literature, exploring the value I see in each work and the impression it has made on me, and there is nothing more to it than that. The pleasure of books – of good verse and stories and ideas – is a very simple thing, and I felt that some lofty unifying theme for the entire piece would be a betrayal of that belief. I think that when a work resonates with you it is an instinctive response to something. You can be taught to understand a challenging book, but not to feel affection for it; I think a lot of conversation around art, especially around literature, sometimes forgets this. In my experience, the art I like the most, irrespective of its ‘difficulty’, is the art I can advocate most directly and plainly, and about which I can say: “I read this piece and now I do not read or think in the same way that I did before”, or: “This is a story that I could not explain to someone; I do not understand it word-for- word, yet I feel like innately I understand the whole, and that the whole spoke to me”. This is a piece about five books that I like and why I like them.”

Take a look at Leonard’s full list of stops here and don’t miss his utterly beautiful and spellbinding songcraft come to life with a string trio. To entice you further, listen to the album’s lead single ‘Living With Your Ailments’ inspired by Albert Camus’ essay The Myth of Sisyphus and opening track ‘Could She Still Draw Back?’ inspired James Joyce’s short story Eyeline.



Derevaun Seraun is out on September 22nd via Moshi Moshi.

Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith shares new single ‘To Feel Your Best’

18 September 2017

Photo: Tim Saccenti

Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith has unveiled a new track from her impending new album The Kid. The record charts the different stages of life and the synth star and composer had already shared a couple of tracks from the album, ‘An Intention’ depicting the first stage of life and ‘To Follow and Lead’, depicting the third one. With less than 2 weeks to go until the album drops, she is offering another taste from it with new single ‘To Feel Your Best’. It represents the last stage of life and as the press release describes, the song is “a bittersweet goodbye, but also a renewal and a reflection on not only of what is lost but also gained; a rebirth.”
Take a listen below and watch out for the album release on 6th October via Western Vinyl.

The Weather Station previews new album with second single ‘Kept It All to Myself’

17 September 2017

The Weather Station‘s eponymous new album is on the way and Tamara Lindeman, the marvellous singer/songwriter, lyricist and multi-instrumentalist behind the project, had already enticed us with the lead single, ‘Thirty‘. With less than a month to go until the album drops, she has shared another single from the album, ‘Kept It All to Myself’. “When I wrote the line ‘I Kept It All to Myself,’ I knew immediately I wanted it to be my entry to the canon of singalong,” explained Lindeman. “It made me laugh, the idea of hearing ‘I Kept It All to Myself’ through loudspeakers, in clubs, through crowds. To sing out loud about privacy. But it’s true, too. I do keep most things to myself, for better or for worse. The song was my tribute to the unkempt acres of the unspoken—everything too crazy, beautiful, or strange to mention.”

‘Kept It All to Myself’ comes with an accompanying video directed by Maya Bankovic. Watch it below.

The Weather Station is out on October 6th via Paradise of Bachelors.

The Souljazz Orchestra premiere video for new single ‘Dog Eat Dog’

14 September 2017

With the release of Under Burning Skies, the imminent new album from Canadian 6-piece The Souljazz Orchestra, now just over a week away, the outfit is teasing it again. Following the infectious first single ‘Lufunki’, the Afro-jazz-funk powerhouse are now offering their first video for new single and opening track ‘Dog Eat Dog’. Check it out below.

Under Burning Skies is out on September 22nd via Do Right! Music in Canada and Strut Records in the rest of the world.

Le Guess Who? unveils final line-up

13 September 2017

If you’ve read our previous posts about its tantalizing line up, boasting incredible curators and artists drawn from all corners of the musical spectrum, you could easily think that Le Guess Who? is all set to be the best festival of 2017 in Europe, if not the world. And we would agree with you. Yet today, the Dutch festival that runs between 9th-12th November in Utrecht, announced its full line-up, adding 60 new performers to this year’s edition, and at the same time proving that Le Guess Who? is in a league entirely of its own.

There is a new addition to Perfume Genius’ curated program with acclaimed avant garde vocalist Mary Margaret O’Hara set to make a rare performance at the festival. Joining the extraordinary Le Guess Who? general line-up are American experimental hip hop group Dälek, the trilling and bold compositions of experimental pop supergroup Aquaserge, bewitching and inventive Argentinian artist Juana Molina with new album Halo under her belt, self-taught violinist and vocalist Sudan Archives’ performing in Europe for the first time, singer and guitarist Avey Tare of Animal Collective, the intricate psych-rock of Moon Duo and Stella Chiweshe known as the Mbira Queen in her native Zimbabwe. Also added to the bill are Thurston Moore Group, the expansive folk rock of Kevin Morby, London based Zimbabwean musician and poet Farai, Iranian-Dutch experimental pop songwriter Sevdaliza and US/Syrian multi-disciplinary artist K Á R Y Y N.

Amidst the new thrilling additions to Le Guess Who?’s line-up is a celebration of Alice Coltrane’s music. Transcendental recordings from her final decades composed at her Sai Anantam Ashram in California were released publicly for the first time earlier this year by Luaka Bop. Entitled World Spirituality Classics 1: The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda and released as a compilation, these recordings will have their European premiere at Le Guess Who? performed by the Sai Anantam Ashram Singers.

In other big news, Le Guess Who? will host the 12-hour drone, a full-on immersive experience featuring several artists performing and experimenting within the realm of drone for 12 continuous hours. Some of the artists featured included brilliant and ingenious violinist and composer Jessica Moss, mighty Montreal trio BIG|BRAVE, Suuns’ Ben Shemie, Lea Bertucci, Thisquietarmy, Swedish composer and sound-artist Ellen Arkbro, sitar player Surajit Das and many more.

Here’s the complete list of performers added to the general line-up:

Thurston Moore Group, Kevin Morby, Sevdaliza, Stella Chiweshe, John Maus, Moon Duo, Black Lips, METZ, Sudan Archives, K Á R Y Y N, Avey Tare, Dälek, Juana Molina , Jesca Hoop, Ibaaku, Luka Productions, Essaie Pas, Farai, Aquaserge, Nicole Beutler presents ‘7: Triple Moon’, Big|Brave. Midnight Sister. Nobody (Willis Earl Beal), Love Theme, Kane Strang, Flohio, Sekou Kouyate, Circuit, Yat-Kha, Vampilia, Violent Magic Orchestra, Madensuyu. Den Sorte Skole, Muddersten, Altin Gün, Insecure Men, Brian Case, H. Hawkline, Steven Warwick, Champagne Superchillin.

With such a colossal line-up featuring over 150 artists at this year’s Le Guess Who?, Utrecht is an unmissable destination for musicians and music lovers this November. For more info and to get tickets, check out leguesswho.com.

Watch Darto’s video for ‘No Self’ off album Human Giving

11 September 2017

Seattle’s four-piece Darto have just released their new album Human Giving through Aagoo Records. An exciting and exhilarating album, it draws from influences and genres aplenty, from rock and Americana to pop and psych. The band had this to say about the record:

“We didn’t play shows or hardly go to shows for a year and a half to write and record the album. The album comes from the places within us where hope and love exist. Where the focus is not on the self, and suddenly everything is possible. Humans giving themselves to other humans. The power of listening on all fronts.”

The excellent and enigmatic album track ‘No Self’ is being offered with a video directed by the band’s own Gordon De Los Santos. Check it out below and listen to their previous single ‘I AM’ straight after.

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