Fresh Faves: Batch 69

08 Jul 2013

by VonPip

4 comments

Artists at a glance

ABI WADE
CAJITA
DEBS MCCOY
DOREY THE WISE
GYMNAST
REHEARSED LIVING
RIVER FURY
SWALLOW AND THE WOLF
THE HONEY ANTS
THE KING’S PARADE

ABI WADE – Boxer

I actually first happened across cellist and singer songwriter Abi Wade a few years back via her excellent ‘And Blood And Air EP.’ Her latest tune ‘Boxer’ is a beguiling mix of swirling strings, tribal beats and a wonderful vocal that occasionally sounds like a darker more restrained Florence.

Official | Soundcloud | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube

CAJITA – Broken Glass

Warm, intelligent wistful music with a vocal that at times is slightly reminiscent of Richard Hawley. Cajita is the work of songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jay Chakravorty and Broken Glass is from his debut album Tiny Ghosts which I’ll now be checking out !

DEBS MCCOY – The Lake

This is one of those pieces of music that requires, nay demands more than one or two listens in order that its full subtle beauty is revealed! Dark, cinematic, and imbued with a miasma of mysterious melancholy, it conjures up moonlight walks and more than a hint of Edgar Allen Poe. 🙂

DOREY THE WISE – Give It All Away

Four piece Indie poppers Dorey The Wise have created the kind of tune you can imagine going down really well at a big music festival. It’s full of passion and energy with the sort of hooky refrain that could certainly induce a mass sing along. The vocal occasionally sounds a bit like The Futureheads sans the “Wey’aye man”

GYMNAST – Away the Sun

Minimalist folktronic beats and a vocal to die for from Manchester based duo Gymnast. Cathy Wilcock and Chris Lyon have previously played together in Edinburgh band Mayhew before they split in 2011. After a musical hiatus the pair began writing together again and actually played their first gig at the Emerging Icons stage at the Olympic Park during London 2012. We hear Wenlock was apparently most impressed.

REHEARSED LIVING – I Will Follow You

From the Human League to Cabaret Voltaire Sheffield’s been a city that’s so often been at the vanguard of electronic music. And electro trio Rehearsed Living obviously have deep appreciation of their city’s musical heritage, which shines through on this sophisticated hypnotic slice of synth led pop.

Soundcloud | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Bandcamp

RIVER FURY – 21st Century Man

This is apparently the bands first single and it’s as catchy as a cold in call centre mixing the Arcade Fire’s driving beats with a bass line that evokes early New Order. Hook laden indie pop of the highest order (no pun intend!)

Soundcloud | Facebook | Twitter | Amazing Tunes | Bandcamp

SWALLOW AND THE WOLF – Charge of The Light Brigade

Swallow and the Wolf are Russell Swallow and Jess Kennedy who produce poetic and heartfelt acoustic songs which tell of “every day passions.” This track has much to recommend it and also contains the immortal line “It’s pornographic how you curl your tongue around a sweet turn of phrase.” It would also take a particular kind of stony hearted curmudgeon to remain unmoved by the closing joyous refrain of “I’m solar powered and the Sun is high.”

Soundcloud | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Songkick

THE HONEY ANTS – Give Me Arms

It would seem wistful acoustic tunes are the big hits on this week’s Fresh Net Faves and The Honey Ants are another band who do it rather well. ‘Give Me Arms’ has a real country twang whilst giving a nod to the likes of Simon and Garfunkel and Bread.

THE KING’S PARADE – Bunched Up Letters

Bluesy soulful vocal which I guess should come as no surprise when the band describe themselves as “a Soul/Pop band with influences from Motown and Blues.” Formed in York in 2009 the band certainly have a sound that is accomplished and commercial enough to reach a far wider audience.

Official | Soundcloud | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube

FROM TOM: if you’ve submitted a track that hasn’t made the Fresh Faves you’re welcome to re-submit it again. But if you have been a Fresh Fave in recent weeks please hold back for 6-8 weeks before sending us another one. After all if you keep sending us great tracks every week it leaves less room for new names who haven’t had a chance yet…

VonPip

In his first flush of youth a cherubic fresh-faced young Andy fell in love with something his parents described as a ‘god awful cacophony of talentless, directionless anger’. Yes he had fallen hook line and safety pin for the musical enema that was Punk, a savage incendiary explosion that effectively flushed away the egotistical histrionics of becaped hippies obsessed with Arthurian legends, who regularly produced spirit crushing self indulgent wankathons known somewhat grandly as ‘rock operas.’ Although too young to experience the first wave of punk it inspired young Andy to form a band, dye his hair various shades of red, blue and yellow and wear a safety pin through his ear. This made his parents VERY proud. His band the little heard, barely talented Distant Echos was built primarily around Andy’s distinctive songwriting style which could be described as “a mesmerising folly of epic proportions”. In 2007 his music blog the Von Pip Musical Express (VPME) was born under the slogan "asking dogs how they feel about lampposts so that you don't have to". Since its inception Andy’s humble musical organ has been voted in the BT Digital Music awards top ten music blogs and nominated in the Record of the Day Journalism and PR music awards, being named as runner up in 2009. Andy was also a member of ‘The BBC’s Sound Of 2010 taste-makers panel’ and has had press accreditation for numerous gigs and festivals including Liverpool Sound City , The Great Escape And Glastonbury. He is also a some time promoter in his home town of Liverpool putting on gigs featuring some of the most exciting up and coming bands about these here parts and beyond. The challenge still remains, to try and give great new bands a platform and to loosen Cowell’s cankerous grip on popular culture. It’s a tall order, but somebody has to try for f**ks sake. Who’s in ?

4 Comments

Debs McCoy

July 8, 2013 at 3:19 pm ·

Thanks very much Andy – also really enjoyed reading the other write ups 😉
Nicely written
Debs x
Richard- Lost Winter

July 8, 2013 at 4:30 pm ·

What an awesome set this is. It’s probably one of the best selection of songs I’ve heard since I first tuned in to Fresh on The Net.

Richard-Lost Winter
River Fury

July 15, 2013 at 7:05 pm ·

Thanks for the review guys!! 🙂
Swallow and the Wolf

July 16, 2013 at 4:22 pm ·

Thanks for featuring us and for the considered review – always a pleasure to waft our music under Tom’s nose, and a pleasure to meet your good self VonPip!

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