A little taste of what to expect from our first episode of The Sound. We're so vibed to share the show with you this weekend.The festivities kick off this Sunday from 5:30pm on ABC TV + iview: ab.co/TheSoundAU
Posted by The Sound on Thursday, 16 July 2020
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Born 1929 in San Antonio, TX, Martin Huron Solis, Jr. and his family came to Michigan in 1942 as migrant farmworkers and soon settled in the Detroit area. The Solis family was part of a wave of migration during the 1940s that brought thousands of Texas-born Mexican-Americans, along with their culture, north.
Though he played guitar from an early age, Solis eventually fell in love with conjunto music, a South Texas style defined by the combination of accordion and bajo sexto, a Mexican twelve-string bass guitar. He taught himself to play the bajo sexto and joined up with accordionist Manuel Rivera, playing for tips in bars around Southwest Detroit, the heart of Detroit’s Mexican-American community. In the late-1950s, he and his cousin Willy Huron, a saxophonist, formed Conjunto Los Primos (“The Cousins”), at the time one of only a handful of conjuntos in the Midwest. Solis became a favorite in Detroit based on a vast repertoire of songs he compiled by following the latest hits coming up from Texas.
Their musical style was more complex than the conjunto label suggests. The inclusion of Solis’s cousin Willy on saxophone blurs the line between working class conjunto music and the more middle class orquesta tejana, which includes more sophisticated string or horn sections.
Likewise, they played a couple of polcas, the primary song form of the conjunto tradition, but also lean more toward styles like boleros and rancheras, song forms with roots in Cuba and Mexico. Solis’s vocal performance, too, showcases a fuller sound more in line with ranchera singers like Vicente Fernandez and Jorge Negrete than the thinner vocal tradition of conjunto style.
Fast forward to modern day — Solis is now part of this seldom seen echelon of artists who released no records in their lifetime and still was inducted into the Tejano Music Hall of Fame. The power of his live performances and trailblazing creativity in blending styles with educated nuance gave him significant credit among peers and critics alike. This power, coupled with the intrigue of Tejano music thriving so far north of the Rio Grande, has made his 2018 induction into the Tejano ROOTS Hall of Fame—previous inductees of which include pioneers such as Narciso Martinez, El Conjunto Bernal, Beto Villa and Tejano superstars like Selena— that much more special and rare and puts Mr. Solis soundly in a class of his own.
Mr. Solis sadly passed the year after he was inducted into the Hall of Fame, but it was during this time that Solis’s son Frank discovered a grocery bag containing forgotten reel-to-reel tapes of his father’s home-recorded music while helping declutter his attic. Frank took the tapes to his childhood friend (and production manager at Third Man Pressing) Eddie Gillis. Gillis, who was impressed with the recordings and quality of the preserved tapes, shared them with the team at Third Man. It became quickly apparent that this document of music was an historic artifact that needed to be heard. Amazingly, while still with us, Solis was able to finally hear and hold the legacy of his music on vinyl, as his test pressings were delivered for final review.
As a natural fit with Third Man’s broad interest in the preservation of music history (label co-founder Jack White is a board member of the Library of Congress’ National Recording Preservation Foundation), Third Man Records is humbled to release the first ever recordings of Tejano pioneer Martin Solis.
For further information on the life & times of Martin Solis, read local news story/obituary from his passing here.
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Third Man Records was launched by Jack White in Detroit, MI in 2001, and in 2009 opened its current Nashville, TN location, which houses a record store, novelties lounge (featuring the Third Man Record Booth), label offices and distribution center, photo studio, and the world’s only live venue with direct-to-acetate recording capabilities. Third Man Records returned to Detroit in November 2015 with its second physical location, Third Man Records Cass Corridor — record store, novelties lounge, in-store performance stage, record booth, and vinyl record pressing plant, which you can witness in action through viewing windows in the store, pressing the very records available for purchase. Third Man is an innovator in the world of vinyl records and a boundary pusher in the world of recorded music, aiming to bring tangibility and spontaneity back into the record business and issue releases that leave no doubt in the minds of listeners that music is indeed sacred.
Other new & recent Third Man releases include:
The Stooges – Live Goose Lake, August 8, 1970 (out August 7)
Albert Ayler – New Grass (reissue out June 26th)
The Raconteurs (Aka The Saboteurs) – Live At Electric Lady (Spotify Exclusive)
Brendan Benson – Dear Life
Redd Kross – Phaseshifter & Show World (reissues)
Screamin’ Jay Hawkins – What That Is! & Because Is In Your Mind (reissues)
Luke Schneider – Altar of Harmony
The Pathetx – 1981
Boris – LØVE & EVØL, Feedbacker & Akuma No Uta (reissues)
France Gall – 1968, Baby Pop & Poupée de Cire, Poupée de Son (reissues)
MARTIN SOLIS & LOS PRIMOS is out on on Third Man Records
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SUPPORT FOR ‘MINIMAL STUFFING’
“A heaving return firmly rooted in dance music that pushes their sound into new directions, taking their worldly instrumentation and aligning it with a thick dance core that really brings things up a notch.”
– Pilerats (AUS)
QLD Gold Coast-based electronic-dance outfit Tijuana Cartel have just revealed their new single ‘Minimal Stuffing’,the first offering from their forthcoming new album ‘Acid Pony’ – due November 13th.
Taking cues from luminaries Bonobo and Caribou, the band mesh lush instrumentation and World music, with heavy electronic beats. The track creates a dense hypnotic feel, through brooding synth bass intertwining with lighter percussive samples, all complimented by reverberating acoustic guitar riffs. Halfway through the song transitions, expressing stark dynamic range, building a kaleidoscope of colour that builds momentum leading to its rewarding conclusion.
Tijuana Cartel talk about the process behind ‘Minimal Stuffing’:
“We wanted to create something you could lose yourself in headphones to or dance around your living room to. The band now have two studio set ups; one on the Sunshine Coast hinterland and one on the Gold Coast. Carey and Paul work on songs separately and email the tracks back and forth. This was another way the band dealt with making music during social distancing laws. Much of the animated stuff comes out of Carey’s back yard garden. The flora was scanned in using a 3D scanner made out of a hacked record player.”
In the live arena the band have sold out multiple Australian headline tours and played renowned events such as Falls Festival, Bluesfest, Wollombi Music Festival and Subsonic Music Festival. To coincide with the release the band will play three shows across Maroochydore, Sydney and Brisbane, coming off the back of them winning the ‘Live Act of the Year’ award a few months ago at the Gold Coast Music Awards.
Previous releases have been widely embraced by Australian radio stations triple j, Double J, triple j Unearthed, FBi, 3RRR, 4ZZZ, RTR FM, Bay FM, Edge Radio, NOOSA FM and Radio Adelaide. They’ve also seen online coverage from Music Feeds, Beat Mag, The Music, The AU Review and Forte Mag.
‘Minimal Stuffing’ is available worldwide now
SUN 19 JUL | SOL BAR, MAROOCHYDORE QLD
Click to buy tickets
FRI 31 JUL | LIVESTREAM
FRI 14 AUG | MARY’S UNDERGROUND, SYDNEY NSW
Click to buy tickets
SAT 29 AUG | THE ZOO, BRISBANE QLD
FOLLOW TIJUANA CARTEL
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FANGZ
UNLEASH BRAZEN SOPHOMORE EP ‘BUT NO THANKS’
SUPPORT FOR ‘BUT NO THANKS’
“But No Thanks is a bursting explosion of tracks that leaps out of the gates from the get-go.”
– Pilerats (AUS)
“A refined and shining sound that towers over countless outfits utilising a similar recipe and puts But No Thanks on an international level.”
– Wall Of Sound (AUS)
“FANGZ slam this one into overdrive. This band just doesn’t let up.”
– Dave Ruby Howe – triple j (AUS)
Focus track ‘Who Are We Now’ added to Spotify playlists ‘Rock Out.’ and ‘Local Noise’
One of Sydney’s most endearing punk rock party bands, FANGZ, have just unveiled their unapologetically frenetic new EP ‘But No Thanks’ – produced by Stevie Knight (Yours Truly, Stand Atlantic, The Dead Love) and mixed by James Paul Wisner (Hands Like Houses, Underoath).
Taking cues from the likes of post-hardcore luminaries Cancer Bats, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes and The Used, ‘But No Thanks’ features five tracks of raw and relentless emotive post-hardcore punk. While the quartet wear their influences on their sleeves, they still retain a finished product that is inimitably FANGZ.
“I feel like we’ve all grown in such a short time,” explains front man Josh Cottreau. “I had only known the other guys for two months when we recorded the first EP. Now that we actually know each other I could really open up lyrically and express things that I’ve never been able to talk about before, life changing things. This EP covers everything from moving countries, to losing someone close to me and learning to be comfortable with yourself and not caring what people think.” he continues.
‘Drifter’ opens the record with its monstrous rhythmic section and the compelling vocals of front man Josh Cottreau; which soar effortlessly above. The song maintains a roaring consistency, never swaying from its undeniable energy.
The second track ‘Victims’ is another upbeat number that upholds an unmatched vigour, with its mesmerising chorus that draws the listener in with its commanding and infectious hook.
Track three, ‘Falling Out’ begins with a cacophony of studio noise, before rapidly launching into an all-inclusive onslaught of four-on-the-floor menacing drums, dirty bullish guitars, and gritty passionate vocals. The track itself serves up an account of finding hope and opportunities in improbable circumstances.
‘Don’t Forget’ follows and offers a change of pace. Thumping unwavering drums played by Steve Woodward provide the fitting foundation for the deft guitar work of Samuel Sheumack, which is all held together by the steadfast bass lines of Jameel Majam.
The closer ‘Who Are We Now’ begins with searing riffs, which swiftly leads into a thrashy rock-n-roll verse, before launching into an impressive sing-a-long chorus. As the song plays back and forth between its meticulously arranged main parts, it momentarily dips down and finally leads into its anthemic outro, aptly capping off the striking and thrilling record in a fittingly nostalgic manner.
In the live arena, the group have sold out multiple headline shows and supported the likes of Comeback Kid (CAN), Cancer Bats (CAN), Gyroscope, Totally Unicorn and Bare Bones.
Their previously released material has been strongly supported by Spotify, Apple Music, triple j, triple j Unearthed, The Faction, FBi, SYN FM, 4ZZZ, Amazing Radio (UK), Pilerats, Blunt Magazine, Hysteria Magazine, Music Feeds, Wall of Sound, AAA Backstage and The Music.
Once the world opens back up again for live shows, FANGZ will be sure to continue on with their strong touring work ethic, performing shows all around the country and where possible, also abroad.
‘But No Thanks’ is available worldwide now
SAT 1 AUG | FRANKIES PIZZA, SYDNEY NSW
FOLLOW FANGZ
FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | SPOTIFY | APPLE MUSIC
Vintage Culture – Vintage Culture & Friends 3
Vintage Culture’s global presence is growing in line with his surging beats. The synth-led soundscape of his new EP is dark and cinematic, featuring a healthy dose of suspenseful electronic dance drops and a reworking of Radiohead’s ‘Creep.’ Vintage Culture is at his very best on the explosive floor-filler and opening track ‘Colour of My Heart.’
Anna Aarons – Words (video)
London based singer-songwriter Anna Aarons has released the video for her 2019 single ‘Words.’ With shots of Anna performing on stage, the video delivers a polished and artistic aesthetic which complements the sass of the soulful, jazz-infused track. Like all of Anna’s work, this visual showcases her ability to turn sour experiences into sweet art.
GunFight – Battlefield
GunFight is an artist, producer and DJ who is rapidly gaining momentum. New single ‘Battlefield’ embodies this, with an energetic ascent into a synth-filled drop and a pulsating beat forming the driving force of the song. GunFight pairs commercial electro-pop elements with a unique structure that pulls listeners in.
OXP – Want You to Love Me
Producer and multi-instrumentalist duo OXP have collaborated with 90s Motown legend Horace Brown for their new single ‘Want You to Love Me’ from their debut LP ‘Swing Convention.’ Brown’s silver-throated vocals capture the essence of 90s R&B, partnered with modern G-Funk and textured percussion from OXP.
Valencia – Out of Line
British-American pop duo Valencia have released the candid new single ‘Out of Line.’ Driven by an acoustic guitar riff, the song delivers irresistible and masterful melodies. With intimate lyrics, the synergy between the duo’s vocals makes this mid-tempo pop track both tender and powerful simultaneously.
Tuesday Knight – Don’t Hit My Line
Taken from his 2019 album ‘Fys’, Tuesday Knight has released the hip-hop summer anthem ‘Don’t Hit My Line.’ Bluesy guitar locks, a grooving bass riff and spacey keys provide the backdrop to Tuesday Knight’s smooth and melodious vocals, which transition from an agile rap flow to an R&B style hook.
Duke & The Dry Cleaners – ‘Now We’re Cooking’
‘Now We’re Cooking’ follows the band’s debut single ‘I Want To’, created alongside co-producer Arjun Doel and released earlier this year. The song received notable acclaim from blog coverage, and the band have also been praised for their dynamic live performances.
Breon S.Y.N.D.E.L
Brooklyn hip-hop prodigy Breon S.Y.N.D.E.L has dropped the double-release ‘Breakfast For Dinner.’ Recorded during lockdown, Breon’s smooth cadence can be heard alongside the afro-pop leaning rhythms of ‘Staycation’, whilst second track ‘Littly Kitty’ offers a hooky synth line and upbeat vocal flow.
BlindBuyer – Stin Zali
Embracing his Greek heritage, BlindeBuyer’s enchanting vocals deliver lyrics in his native tongue on his latest track ‘Stin Zali.’ Haunting synth pads and a moving beat form the crux of the song, which follows a refreshingly unique structure. The complexities of this dark and dreamy track demonstrate BlindBuyer’s vast potential.
Where are you currently based?
I am currently based in Melbourne (having moved from Geelong as of a few months ago).
How did you first start playing music?
I always enjoyed singing as a child; if anyone has seen the movie ‘Three Amigos’ my family used to call me ‘the singing bush’ as a joke. I didn’t pick up a guitar until I was about 13 or 14. The reason I started playing guitar is actually kind of embarrassing, at the time I was watching an anime called ‘K-On!’ (a play on the Japanese term for ‘light music’) and it’s basically a cute show about a group of high school girl’s who join their school’s light music club and make a band. As a teen I just thought the idea of girls jamming and making music together was the coolest, so I picked up an old guitar my dad had lying around and the rest is history. Since then I have also been learning more piano to help me write songs.
What’s been happening recently?
Pre-COVID I had been playing a bunch of shows with my band (including Queenscliff Music Festival and supporting Cousin Tony’s Brand New Firebird), live music opportunities have obviously dried up recently but I have enjoyed participating in the new live stream projects that people have been creating. As an introvert being in isolation has honestly been a great time for me to recharge, write new songs and reassess what I want to do going forward with clarity (although I am missing playing and seeing live music).
Your single ‘Humans Weep’ will be out in August, what influenced the sound and songwriting for this track?
Sonically, this is a pretty new direction for me. When I started writing this song in 2018 I had begun to listen to more alternative R&B, which was a stark contrast to the folk/jazz influences on my EP (strange combo, I know). From the beginning, I wanted to convey a sense of monotony in the song due to its themes of apathy towards life and I tried to do this by using fewer chords and focusing on the arrangement to drive the song. This purposeful choice was honestly pretty restraining for me as I normally try to embellish songs with chord/key/rhythm changes, so to keep it interesting was a challenge. However, this lets the lyrics shine through which I believe are the strongest part of the song. The monotony of the verse also allows the chorus to really open up. Even then, the main melody in the chorus is sung in a low key, vulnerable and intimate way, which I wanted to keep fairly dry.
Aesthetically, I pictured dusk/dawn landscapes that I wanted to somehow convey through sound. The tension between light and dark. To me the warm yet mellow guitar and electric keys contrasting with the cold sounding violin illustrates this tension. Whether you can hear that imagery or not I can’t say, but I love the result regardless. Additionally, the effects on the second guitar in the background add those spacey-dreamy vibes. The cricket sounds towards the end of the song are the final touch in creating this “dusky aesthetic”. As we all know, cricket sounds are often used to emphasise silence in media (often for comic effect), which I felt further teased at the sarcasm of ‘Humans Weep’ while also implying silence in an intimate way. Overall, the sonic vision for this song is an audible departure from the acoustic nature and intensity on my debut EP.
How did you go about writing Humans Weep?
‘Humans Weep’ is written from the perspective of being overwhelmed to the point of apathy. I wrote this song in what was the aftermath of a pivotal point in my life: I had basically been excommunicated from my immediate family and from this conflict I had begun to reconnect with my mum (who had been diagnosed with cancer in our years apart) as well as my extended family whom I had been estranged from for most – if not all – of my life. I’ve always been an introvert and grew up somewhat isolated, so at the time I truly believed that I could not feel or lose any more than I already had. But the point of the song wasn’t to recount those specific events; they simply put the song into context.
I had very little belongings, no money and no home. My sense of normalcy was totally removed from me and I was trying to rebuild my life while simultaneously feeling like everything could fall out from beneath from my feet (since it had).
I was constantly questioning everything, asking myself things like:
Why, after all of the pain I’ve been through, do I feel so numb?
Why am I working such long and strange hours to not even have the time to properly live in this new home I’ve created for myself?
The love I received from my family was not unconditional, ‘what if I wake up and all my friends are gone’?
Where and when did you record and who with?
I recorded ‘Humans Weep’ late last year in the home studio of Isaac Barter (Didirri, BATTS). It was so relaxing and wholesome to record with such a great listener and well-rounded musician. Working with Isaac was the best recording experience I’ve had to date and I look forward to getting back into the studio with him soon!
What programs/instruments did you use?
The song started out on vocals and guitar, which I brought to the band to add bass and drums. We then slowly started adding keys, violin, extra guitar effects and backing vocals. The song was recorded on Pro Tools.
Who are you listening to at the moment?
Recently I’ve been listening to Cleo Sol, Jorja Smith and Rina Sawayama. Aurora’s new single ‘Exist For Love’ is also super cute, I just ordered the limited edition pink vinyl for it which is in the shape of a clamshell *cries*. Though at the end of the day, I’m always revisiting albums by Bjork, Joanna Newsom and Sufjan Stevens.
What do you like to do away from music?
I’m usually torn between being an Internet girl/gaming/reading manga and being out in nature. Before I became a musician I used to paint a lot, so I also do that from time to time.
Please tell about the Queenscliff Music Festival Emerging Artist Grant that allowed you to record Humans Weep, how did it all come about for you?
I’d known about the grant for a little while but I had never applied for one, so when the opportunity came up as I was planning to record a single I decided to go for it (very last minute). I basically smashed out my application in a weekend, getting quotes from all sorts of people, and they ended up telling me the budget I put together was one of the best they’d seen. When I first got that call I held my breath until I’d been told that I got the grant, then played it cool until I got off the phone. I was absolutely over the moon and still am to this day.
Your new album ‘Anticlimatic Girl’ will be out in 2021, what can we expect?
I’ve written and decided on 6 tracks to be recorded as an EP. Expect what you probably wouldn’t expect from me, likely experimenting with electronic beats, sarcasm with softness and more genre-bending madness.
What’s planned for the remainder 2020?
Once I’ve released the single (and we can go out again), my main priority is to finish the long-delayed music video for ‘Humans Weep’. So keep an eye out for that.
Favourite food and place to hangout?
Wow that is a hard question, but I am definitely a sweet tooth. Does bubble tea count?
When Stage 3 restrictions were lifted I mostly met up with my friends at different botanical gardens (I love to picnic), so I think that’s my answer!
https://www.instagram.com/momokorose/
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IDLES have shared a new song ‘A Hymn’ – the emotional centerpiece off the Bristol band’s forthcoming LP, Ultra Mono, out Friday 25 September via Partisan Records / Liberator Music. The accompanying music video features the band driving with their parents through their hometown streets to the shops, providing a grey window into suburban English life that matches the song’s heavyhearted churn. Listen/watch below.
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Many people who work intimately with the band were interviewed for the series: 32 in total across the USA, UK, Germany and Australia including Josh Teskey (vocals and rhythm guitar), Sam Teskey (lead guitar), Brendon Love (bass guitar) and Liam Gough (drums) who make up The Teskey Brothers. Add to that the voices of Mushroom boss Michael Gudinski, Glassnote Records’ Daniel Glass (US) and humble publican Helen Stamkovski, who gave them their first gig in St Andrews Pub when they were teenagers.
Catch up with music journalist and 180 Grams podcast host Mikey Cahill who narrates the captivating highs and whirlwind lows The Teskey Brothers endured while recording Run Home Slow in their home studio in Warrandyte. Not only a band but mates for over 15 years, become part of Team Teskey as we learn how they overcome the pressures of recording the “very difficult” second album, resolve tensions of conflicting creative ideas and follow the heavy toll it takes on the group physically and mentally. Listen to the first four episodes here.
With the final two episodes set for release Tuesday 21st and 28th July (respectively), jump on tour with The Teskey Brothers as they make their way through a round the world tour… one member short. Tag along for the reunion when they perform a high-stakes set all together again at one of Australia’s most prestigious festivals.
Binge the first four episodes via your preferred streaming service now! Listen here
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BAND’S LATEST SMASH SINGLE “POPULAR MONSTER” HIT NO. 1 ON MULTIPLE ROCK RADIO CHARTS IN THE U.S
Falling In Reverse have shared the not-so-new song “Carry On.” The song was originally recorded during the sessions for 2017’s Coming Home and was previously unreleased. The band revisited the track and decided now was the time to share it with the world.
The band’s latest smash hit single “Popular Monster” enjoyed a multi-week stint as the No. 1 rock radio song in the U.S. The song landed in the top spot on the Mediabase Active Rock Chart, Billboard’s Hot Hard Rock Chart, and the Nielsen Rock Chart. The chart-topping hit marked the first No.1 single of Falling In Reverse’s career. It also follows the recent gold certification of the band’s 2011-released debut album The Drug in Me Is You and a sold-out anniversary tour.
Frontman Ronnie Radke chatted recently with Forbes about the latest phase of his career. Read the exclusive interview here.
ICYMI:
Watch the Stranger Things-inspired video for “Superhero” here.
Watch the epic and atmospheric video for “Coming Home” here.
The “F**k You and All Your Friends” video is viewable here.
Watch the BTS footage from the “F**k You and All Your Friends” video here.
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Ex-Olympian – ‘Voices In My Head’ is out now
via Dot Dash / Remote Control
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