News – Page 60 – RCRD LBL

April 26, 2021

April 26, 2021April 26, 2021 Mike change

Music producers Marcus James & RYYZN release acoustic edition of latest EP

Image Credit: Eric Beckstead

Previously featured on RCRD LBL (read feature) with song ‘Night Light’, acclaimed producer Marcus James and the reputable duo RYYZN released their Warning Sign(Stripped) EP via Physical Presents on Friday, and we are still hooked. RYYZN are a Vancouver-based duo comprised of David York and Jessie Elias who come from Calgary and Saskatoon respectively. Born based and currently living in Vancouver, Marcus James is well known for collaborating with other local talent, and ultimately producing music that will leave you captivated from the first few seconds of listening to it.

Stream/Download ‘Warning Sign’ (Stripped) EP

We waited in anticipation to hear what RYYZN and Marcus James were releasing next, after watching their breathtaking acoustic take on their single ‘Night Light’ . The Warning Sign (Stripped) EP definitely lives up to the hype of its predecessor. The acoustic edition of Warning Sign features a combination of noteworthy quirks, like it’s honeyed alternative vocal range from duo RYYZN that has captured you from the beginning. Along with this, is the unforgettable instrumental compositions from Marcus James – leaves you wanting more.

Marcus James shares the importance of the new version of the EP:

This Stripped EP is our way of coming full circle for the final chapter of the Warning Sign project and releasing all four songs in the acoustic form that they were first written and recorded. It was important to us from a songwriting standpoint to make sure these songs worked “stripped-down” before we turned them into the productions released on the original EP. I guess somewhere along the line we figured if these songs work in their original form, why not let people hear them in that way?

Follow Marcus James:

Facebook – Twitter – Soundcloud – Youtube – Instagram – Spotify

Follow RYYZN:

Website – Facebook – Twitter – Soundcloud – Youtube – Instagram – Spotify

Follow Physical Presents:

Facebook – Twitter – Instagram – Spotify

April 26, 2021

April 26, 2021April 26, 2021 Mike change

Alt-pop singer Maria Kelly sings about being twenty with new music video

Maria Kelly premiered the video for her current single, ‘Martha’, on her YouTube channel. Directed by Tim Shearwood, who has worked on projects with the likes of Le Boom, Ae Mak and HAVVK, the video sees Maria playful in an empty room – a visual take on the song’s theme. ‘Martha’ was released on Maria’s label, VETA Music, and heralds her long-awaited debut album later this year.

Since its release just under a fortnight ago, on the 7th of April, the Westport alt-folk singer’s new single has surpassed 30,000 streams on Spotify, been played on Irish radio over 60 times, has been named Track of the Week on 2fm, been added to the coveted RTÉ Radio 1 Recommends list and received high praise from music journalists across the country.

Of the video, Maria says: “‘Martha’ is all about feeling stuck in that part of your early twenties, where you’re not who you were and not quite who you’ll be yet. And it’s about dealing with all of the change, restlessness, and confusion that comes with that. There are so many difficult parts of that process, but I wanted this video to explore the fun that still exists in that period of time – feeling stuck and unsure, but finding ways to make yourself laugh anyway.”

Maria Kelly’s world of delicately woven alt-folk is laced with a sincerity that cuts to the bone. Finding comfort in the confessional styles of artists like Regina Spektor, Daughter, and Lucy Rose, she soon transferred her own introspections to music, developing a sound that is as delicate as it is disarmingly frank.

A number of critically acclaimed releases on Veta Records have been accompanied by shows across Europe supporting the likes of James Vincent McMorrow, KT Tunstall, and Paul Noonan (Bell X1). Maria quickly became known for her heart-wrenching live performances, unassuming humour, and a ‘pin-drop’ vocal that is impossible to ignore. Maria’s work has continued to gain momentum internationally, rallying support from Mahogany, Consequence of Sound, and The Line Of Best Fit along the way.

After laying a foundation in the Irish music scene, Maria relocated to Berlin in 2018, a life-changing move that inspired her four-track EP, ‘notes to self’. Her stint in Germany saw her join All The Luck In The World on a month-long European tour, followed by her debut TV appearance on Other Voices Ballina. Maria finished up the year with two sold-out shows supporting Villagers.

2019 saw the release of ‘i leave early’ – a captivating track that showcases Maria’s continued development as an artist and one which quickly garnered more than a million streams on Spotify.

With the world at a standstill, 2020 saw Maria retreating to a small cottage on the south coast of Ireland. During this quiet in-between, Maria has found space to write and record her eagerly anticipated debut album – a blank canvas and an open sea with which to take stock and reflect on her 20s so far.

Follow Maria Kelly:

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Youtube / Spotify

April 23, 2021

April 23, 2021April 23, 2021 Mike change

Electro-pop singer Hanne Mjøen breaks new ground with latest song

Image credit: Fabian Fjeldvik

Breaking new ground from the mainstream qualities of her flirty pop princess appeal, singer Hanne Mjøen starts off on a different foot with latest single ‘Hell With You’ via Physical Presents. The singer spent the last few months evaluating her sound and has gravitated towards ground-breaking musical influences like Robyn, Flume and Lorde.

Stream/Download ‘Hell With You’

The songstress recently shared her feelings about releasing this track, and how her sound has changed in the last few months on socials recently: “Hi friends I wrote Hell With You in March 2019 with one of my favorite co-writers Karl Zine – and it’s been in the back of my mind ever since then. This song is very special to me, cause at the time I wrote it I had lost the drive to do my own artist project, and it inspired me to focus on writing songs for me again. Produced by the best Sondre Mjåland”

Still maintaining the electro pop quirks of her former self, ‘Hell With You’s production style takes a more jagged approach and we are not complaining one bit. The single breaks from the naive pop sweetheart complex of Hanne’s previous hits, and instead brings forward a lady that is fully aware of the weight of her decisions that she makes. Not a cautious or lighthearted track, this track focuses on the societal pressure and somewhat unwritten standards of being a female even in a more diverse and politically correct society.

Follow Hanne Mjøen:

Website – Facebook – Twitter – Soundcloud – Youtube – Instagram – Spotify

Follow Physical Presents:

Facebook – Twitter – Instagram – Spotify

April 21, 2021

April 21, 2021April 21, 2021 Mike change

Soul musician Dallas Tamaira share relatable music video, ‘Spider’

Image credit: Nick Paulsen

Vocalist, musician, producer, illustrator and actor, Dallas Tamaira shares soulful new single Spider– Stream ‘Spider’ here. Watch ‘Spider’ video here

Spider follows on last year’s lockdown single ‘No Flowers’ which marked Dallas Tamaira‘s return to his roots as a solo artist after Fat Freddy’s Drop, of which Dallas is the founder member and vocalist, had a two month UK/European tour ground to a halt during the first COVID lockdown in March 2020. The acclaimed Kiwi band was forced to cancel the 14 sold out arena shows and return home facing a largely uncertain future. Dallas turned the potentially negative experience of self-isolation into a positive and productive time.

The brand new single ‘Spider’ represents the peaceful, slower pace of life Tamaira fell in love with during his confinement at home. Produced with friend, musician and producer Devin Abrams (Pacific Heights/Drax Project), the single late-night summer vibes, dark guitar and heavy bass contrasted with large sweeping layers of vocals are brought together with soulful piano flourishes. The result is smooth, lush, low-fi slow soul, delivered by arguably one of the world’s most gifted soul vocalists.

Talking about the track Dallas says; the underlying message in the lyrics is that life can be hard sometimes and that’s ok. For some people it’s more important to see the world for how it is rather than maintaining a constant positive outlook. We are all built differently and that’s a beautiful thing. Whether you choose to be present in the now or escape reality completely, do it on your own terms and don’t let anyone else tell you how to live your life.

Under the moniker of Joe Dukie Dallas rose to international acclaim as the velvet smooth vocalist for Fat Freddy’s Drop, a band considered one of the finest live draws worldwide. Dallas is of Ngati Tuwharetoa and Pakeha descent, born in Ōtautahi / Christchurch and raised in the small coastal town of Kaikoura. Music is in the blood, his Freddy’s stage name is inspired by his father singer-songwriter Joe and paternal grandfather, a musician nicknamed Dukie after Duke Ellington.

Dallas has fronted Fat Freddy’ s Drop powerhouse from the early underground days in Wellington to headlining sell out shows across Europe, UK, Australia and back home in Aotearoa New Zealand. In 2005 Dallas was awarded Best Vocalist at the bNet NZ Music Awards, and he also illustrated Freddy’s iconic cartoon characters for HOPE and B.O.A.T.S albums.

As a guest vocalist Dallas worked and recorded tracks for international acts such as The Nextmen, Gentlemen’s Dub Club, Eva Be, Recloose and Boozoo Bajou and New Zealand artists including Pacific Heights, Tubbs and Shapeshifter.