Generationals

The two men behind the creation of Generationals - Ted Joyner and Grant Widmer - don’t know what they’ve done. They couldn’t possibly have that sort of clairvoyance to perceive the effect that one of the songs they wrote has had on the few and will have on the many before the year is up.

The song in question - “When They Fight They Fight” - is a HIT recording the likes of which summers cream for, the likes of which makes everyone go a little woozy and a lot bananas. It’s the sunlight accentuated. It’s a pulsing, slow-drip of Motown bass and slinky guitar, melded with plenty of sing-a-long moments and the most perfect set of pop lyrics about fighting and what seems to be unconditional love through the thicks and thins.

But “Con Law,” the debut full-length from this New Orleans-based band doesn’t stop there. It’s a record that’s solid from front to back, serving up songs that are meant for unburdened afternoons meant for strolling, crawfish boils, lengthy and enjoyable conversations with dear friends, never-ending hugs, watermelons being sliced into pieces as thick as four plates and no hint of a sunset.

Joyner and Widmer were formerly of the band The Eames Era, which took its name from the furniture designed by Charles and Ray Eames, known for its sleek and simply beautiful formations. They’ve expanded those principles and that simplicity into their current musical offerings, packing Generationals songs with enough teeth and muscle so that they could never been heard as over-simplified, but giving them all the touch of effortless flight.

Source: lastfm

Song: When they fight they fight

Album: Con Law

Wild Belle

Elliot and Natalie Bergman are two of four children born to musician parents, who brought them up in a house full of music. Elliot, the older sibling, is a multi-instrumentalist studied at theUniversity of Michigan where he started an Afrobeat band called Nomo. His younger sister, Natalie, started performing with Nomo, playing tambourine and singing backing vocals when she was sixteen. Elliott and Natalie decided to branch off with their own project and chose the name, Wild Belle. Wild Belles's debut album, entitled Isles, was released on March 12th of 2013 on iTunes and Amazon digital download, as well as released in stores in online in physical format. Natalie and Elliot Bergman named their album Isles, due to every track resembling its own island, drawing in influences from reggae, soul, and jazz music. Wild Belle has gained recognition through touring with Toro y Moi in the past. Wild Belle will continue with their touring kick by appearing at music festivals across the United States, including Lollapalooza, Coachella, Forecastle Festival, and others.

Source: wikipedia

Song: Backslider

Album: Isles

Nova Heart

Nova Heart is Helen Feng’s 冯海宁 long awaited solo project.

Dubbed as the “Queen of Beijing Rock” or “Blondie of China” Helen, born in Beijng and raised in the US and Canada, has been a staple in the Chinese music scene since she moved back from Los Angeles to Beijing in 2002 when she was hired as VJ for MTV China. In 2004 she founded Ziyo自游 one of Chinas longest running and most popular indie bands (and renamed it Free the Birds in 2010 after changing musical directions) and subsequently became radioshow host of The Rockshow a very influential program at Beijings HIT FM on China Radio International. In 2007 she co-founded the seminal Chinese electronic group Pet Conspiracy. Within the next three years she sang the theme song for Hollywood blockbusterThe Mummy III, won several of the most prestigious Chinese Music Awards (Midi & Chinese Music Awards), hosted the Vice Creators Project, co-found FakeMusicMedia (with her partner Philipp Grefer) and toured Europe three times – a fact that until this day very few, if any, chinese bands have achieved.

Upon culmination of her final whirlwind European tour as front-woman of Pet Conspiracy 宠物同谋 in fall 2010, Helen quit the band and took a few days off in Istanbul to prepare the next steps for Free the Birds自游.

But the powers of the city had different plans and threw her and her partner DJ Metro Tokyointo raucous Raki-fueled nights through dizzying mazes of narrow alleys into the ancient discotheques of Constantinople. One fateful night, a chance encounter with Roman electronic-cowboy Rodion (Gomma Records) gave birth to NOVA HEART. After returning to Beijing, Helen sent her self-produced tracks 3000 miles down the silk road to Rome where Rodion would tap them with his magic disco wand. The outcome is a mix of sexy psychedelic disco with lo-fi ethereal pop vocals. A sinister disco beat buried under haunting soundscapes evoke images of naked ghosts dancing under a slightly run down mirrorball in an old, soon to be demolished Beijing hutong..

After completing the production for Nova Hearts´s debut EP “Beautiful Boys” in Rome (released in China in April 2012 on FakeLoveMusic), Helen recruited Bo Xuan (ex-Hedge Hog bassist), Wang Hui (guitar player of Free the Birds自游) and occasionally Metro Tokyo for Nova Heart´s live line up. Her much talked about, siren-like, stage presence gives the live shows an unpredictable edge.

Until the end of 2011, only half a year into their existence, Nova Heart already played at Chinas most prestigous contemporary art gallery (UCCA), got invited to some of Chinas´ biggest music festivals, was guest at the Zurich Street Parade/Lethargy Festival, part of aMTV China special, and played a sunset spot at the mainstage of Clockenflap festival in Hong Kong, sharing a stage with the likes of Santigold, The Cribs, French Horn Rebellion or Bombay Bicycle Club.

In 2012 everything is moving even faster and Nova Heart is going around the world. Before having any release out, they’ scheduled to go to 4 continents within 6 months having been invited to the Sound Kapital Tour, the first showcase of chinese underground bands in Australia in February, North America in March for SXSW + Canadian Music Week and Europe in June for the c/o pop festival.

While in Adelaide they recorded the first Takeaway Show by a chinese band for La Blogotheque with well known french filmmaker Vincent Moon (Arcade Fire, REM, Tom Jones, Fleet Foxes, Phoenix etc.)

For October / November 2012 the first full European tour is in the works including eight countr.ies and important festivals like MaMA (Paris), Iceland Airwaves (Reikjavik) or Vienna Waves (Vienna).

Source: Nova Heart
Album: Beautiful Boys