Something For The Weekend?
OUT NOW: ‘Studio 54,’ a dance floor filler paying homage to the glory days of disco by new band SōMuch, produced by Ralph Rolle, legendary drummer of Chic.
SōMuch fuse the classic vibe of 70s and 80s disco music with modern production, bringing their ‘retro nūvō sound’ to the dancefloors. Infectious Chic-esque guitar lines, funky grooves and epic vocal hooks are the ingredients that create an altogether new kind of disco music.
In November 2017 vocalist Roby Creazzo came across an Instagram ad for one-to-one drum lessons with none other than Ralph Rolle, the drummer for Nile Rodgers and Chic. It was the perfect Christmas gift for Francesco Carli, the band’s drummer.
The following month the pair flew to Manchester, England, where they met Rolle and quickly became friends.
Having heard some earlier demos, Rolle eventually decided to fly to Italy to produce ‘Studio 54’ and the first two singles were completed just as the 2020 global pandemic hit.
Various lockdowns later, Rolle was able to put the finishing touches to the EP which was then sent to New York City to be mixed and mastered.
‘Studio 54’ was finally released this month and was premiered by Chris Hawkins on BBC Radio 6.
SōMuch’s mission is simple: to make music that spreads love and happiness to the world and they are currently working on a new single due for release early 2022, and a five-track EP scheduled for Spring.
Studio 54 is self-published by SōMuch and Ralph Rolle Entertainment and is available now on all streaming platforms.
www.somuchband.com
Band Members:
Valentina Salvi: vocals
Andrea Giovannini: guitar
Francesco Carli: drums
Roby Creazzo: vocals
Andrea Belloni: bass
Songwriters:
Andrea Giovanni
Roby Creazzo
Ralph Rolle
TWO
FANS of Nick Cave, David Bowie and The Waterboys should take notice of LUSITANIAN GHOSTS recently released album, ‘Exotic Quixotic,’ now available everywhere digitally, and directly via the artist via Bandcamp.
The Portuguese-Canadian-Swedish collective shed use of guitars for this new alternative pop-rock offering, played entirely with traditional instruments, primarily violas, hand-drums, and ancient Portuguese chordophones. This is a brilliant taste of the sonic prism through which the Lusitanian Ghosts present ancient sounds in the 21st Century.
Founded in 2015, Lusitanian Ghosts are Neil Leyton, Mikael Lundin (a.k.a. Micke Ghost), João Sousa, Omiri, O Gajo, Abel Beja, Janne Olson and other artists that come and go.
Writing from a socio-political perspective about a better world, they create songs from, and for, the heart and mind. Their compositions mix indie song writing with traditional Portuguese instruments like the Beiroa, Campaniça, Braguesa, Terceirense and Amarantina guitars, each with its own string arrangements and tunings.
“This is the first record ever made that gathers these regional chordophones as the main protagonists, all on the same record,” said Neil Leyton. “Whereas on the first Lusitanian Ghosts, we still used 6-string acoustic guitars and electric guitars, on this one we have abandoned them entirely in favour of just the chordophones.”
“It’s a record about life, love and death, but not featuring your usual reflections on those topics. We have songs about murder – we are against it unless it’s a really bad guy – songs about euthanasia, in favour of, songs about love and commitment from afar, songs about how selfish people are, songs that will probably be misinterpreted the way that, say ‘Born in the USA’ or ‘A Design for Life’ were. And also, a song about a dog that passed away. As for the title track, it’s about being a creative, humanist human being, rather than destroying and doing harm to other people and this world.”
The group were also active during lockdown and produced the stunning, ‘All the Sounds (Lockdown Home Video)’
ALBUM CREDITS
Neil Leyton: Lead vocals
Mikael Lundin: viola Amarantina, backing vocals, bass, Mellotron, viola Campaniça. Lead vocals on ‘Exotic Quixotic’ and ‘Hometown’
João “Johnny” Sousa: drums and Adufe
Vasco Ribeiro Casais: viola Braguesa
Abel Beja: viola Terceira
Jan-Eric Olsson: bass and viola Campaniça
All songs by Neil Leyton and Mikael Lundin aka Micke Ghost
Published by Lusitanian Music Publishing
Recorded at Clouds Hill Studios, Hamburg
Engineered and Mixed by Sebastian Muxfeldt
Produced by Neil Leyton and Mikael Lundin
Mastered at Soundgarden by Florian Siller
Cover Illustration by Johan Lindberg Brusewitz
TRACK LIST
01. Soul Deranium
02. Never Less Than Lonely
03. All the Sounds
04. Exotic Quixotic
05. Older and Colder
06. Living One Life (Just Ain’t Enough These Days)
07. For the Wicked
08. Lisbon Calling
09. She Couldn’t Jump
10. Live the Flea
Keep up with Lusitanian Ghosts
Website | Bandcamp | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Spotify | Apple Music
THREE
WITH an appreciative nod towards Imagine Dragons and 30 Seconds To Mars, Galway-based band ROFI JAMES today release their new single, ‘Berlin Wall.’
Following the success of previous single ‘Sorry,’ Rofi James return with a song written during Ireland’s initial Covid19 lockdown.
In the band’s own words, “Berlin Wall is about getting away from it all, longing for a break from the daily routine that one experiences when one is locked up, the familiar surroundings and the daily routine of living in a pandemic to escape in the hope of catching another glimpse of normalcy.”
Written by Ronan Flaherty, Jamie Murray and Joseph Flaherty, mixed and produced by Dave Skelton, the new song was mastered by Fergal Davis (Muse, Republic of Loose, The Divine Comedy.)
With the band nearing the completion of next year’s debut album, ‘Berlin Wall’ is the first of many singles planned for the coming months.
‘Berlin Wall’ is now available on all digital platforms. For further information, visit: https://www.rofijames.com/.
SOCIAL MEDIA:
Instagram // Facebook // Spotify //SoundCloud // Twitter // YouTube
FOUR
BRITISH synthpop duo SPRAY today release their new album, ‘Ambiguous Poems About Death.’
Spray is music-addict siblings Jenny McLaren (vocals, guitars) and Ricardo Autobahn (synths), who have managed to build an enviable following of devotees to their brand of danceable and subversive indie disco pop since debut EP ‘Living In Neon,’ in 2002.
And they are ready to entertain once more with their new songs.
“In early 2020 we bought a Behringer TD-3, one of the company’s excellent Roland TB-303 knockoffs,” explains Ricardo Autobahn. “We had an idea of putting out a quick acid house-style album in the summer, something short, spiky and electropunk. This did not come to fruition as, like many, Spray found themselves locked down in separate locations, in their case on either side of Lancashire.
“This album evolved into something a lot more elaborate as the pandemic went on. We tried not to write songs about the global situation because we figured everybody would be doing that, but the outside world couldn’t help seeping in.”
Packed full of acerbic wit with tongue firmly in cheek when needed for maximum effect, ‘Ambiguous Poems About Death’ is sure to delight fans new and old. The long player is now available both digitally and on CD, the latter format featuring separate blue cover artwork.
It can be ordered at http://snd.click/poems.
ALBUM CREDITS
Composed, performed and produced by Spray
Performed by Jenny McLaren and Ricardo Autobahn
Music engineered at Spray Studio 1 (Lancashire)
Vocals engineered at Spray Studio 2 (Liverpool)
Additional vocals by Terri McDonald and Phil Fletcher
Mixed by Morgan Lorentz
Published by Copyright Control/23rd Precinct Music Ltd
Keep up with Spray
Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Twitter | Instagram | Soundcloud | YouTube | Spotify | Apple Music
FIVE
FROM Cork via Hong Kong, ‘MY TWISTED HEART’ today release ‘idon’tneedyou’ the first single from the upcoming debut EP, ‘Heart Leak.’
My Twisted Heart (AKA MT Heart) is a singer/songwriter and member of the creative collective ‘Outsiders Entertainment.’ Born and raised in Hong Kong, My Twisted Heart’s music was originally inspired by Asian music genres, namely Canton-Pop, J-Rock and K-Pop.
Later during his College years in Ireland, he was introduced to Western music genres such as Hip-Hop, Electronic and R&B. Marrying Eastern and Western genres has become the DNA of his sound with his music often dealing with themes of heartbreak, loneliness, and regret as these allow him to explore some of the deeper and darker emotions he has experienced.
“On the surface this song is about an individual who feels trapped in a relationship and wants breathing space,” says My Twisted Heart – the moniker of Po Ki Ching. “But it has another meaning to me. It reflects my feeling towards Hong Kong where I grew up, and where injustice was and is still happening.”
Follow My Twisted Heart:
Instagram // Facebook // Spotify //SoundCloud // Twitter // YouTube
