Tag Archives: Hypnotic

Ocean Calling ‘Quiet Magic’

Ocean Calling aka Sophie Wilkie was formed at the end of 2013, in a little town called Bellingham in Washington State. Originally from Moseley in the UK, Sophie started making/programming music herself whilst living in the very top corner of the USA. As a musician Sophie is a competent pianist and vocalist, writing lyrics that in isolation could undoubtedly stand on their own as poetry, and as a photographer her work is represented in the USA across various platforms. Almost all of her songs are motivated by and about movement, and discuss, amongst other things, the various travels she has undertaken during the course of the past three years. Wilkie is releasing her album ‘Quiet Magic’ this week. It is bold and adventurous for her first work, soaring effortlessly within various electronic soundscapes, all while maintaining a light dreamy swirl of blissful euphoria blended with hints of dark undertones.

‘Mist and Pine’ introduces Ocean Calling’s 10 track experience. With sweet delicate vocals and aerial atmospheres it is picturesque and beautiful. With elegant piano and rapid spongy beat we instantly get an earthy image of beautiful spring and twinkling mist glistening and fragile.The backing vocals lull and blend calming the mind sweeping the listener up in Wilkies gentle delightful world.Its refreshing tones and echo vocals display fantastic imagery you can almost feel the breeze along with the poetic lyrics its like you are being whispered a secret in the form of honeyed melodies and swirling gentle instrumentation. The album continues this journey with track after track leading you deeper and deeper into a hypnosis of enchanting dreamy melodies daintily flowing and interweaving playfully together. Tracks such as ‘Silhouettes’ adapts a more electronic persona with darker tones surfacing to the top of the mixture every once and a while like subtle glimpses of shadowy tones in a swirling blend of colours. ‘Desert Sky Scarlet’ rushes the mind with a soft rapid sticky rolling beat that gives a feeling of freedom or searching for freedom. A refreshing breezy vibe teamed with bright hazy tones, its a vitalising track that leaves you feeling refreshed. ‘Quiet Magic’ gives us a slow song Ocean Calling style. It has a tender melody that is portrayed with a sensitivity that can draw a tear from your eye. Wilkie’s vocals are heavenly and gentle yet soothing and reassuring. ‘Spun Gold’ surprises with an edgy shadow soaked electronic sound. Deepened eerie vocals and a gooey beat hints trouble bubbling. The track releases tension with an expression of brighter tones like an explosion of a sparkle bomb. ‘Girl and the Road’ takes us to the end of our enchanting journey into Ocean Calling’s world of fascination and wonder. Displaying that daydream airy vibe and her beautifully poetic lyric, this track concludes the album with the sprinkling of enchanting magic and the enthralling yearning will to dream and experience the wonders of life.
Watch the video for ‘Black Sand’ below

Worth A Listen

Our Worth A Listen Track This Week Comes From Hidden Charms

London band Hidden Charms have released their new single ‘I Just Wanna Be Left Alone’ ahead of their forthcoming EP ‘Harder From Here’, which is set for release on October 28th, the band consists of members Vincent Davies (singer, guitarist & bassist), Ranald Macdonald (co-singer, keyboardist, guitarist & bassist), Josh Lewis (guitarist & bassist) and Oscar Robertson (drummer). The four piece have scored support slots for the likes of Hanni El Khatib and Yak, a four-week NME Koko residency and radio airtime from Zane Lowe, Annie Mac and Huw Stephens. They have generated a mass of attention from successful slots at Kendal Calling, The Great Escape and the iconic Isle of Wight Festival. We previously featured their single ‘Cannonball’ on Indie Buddie and were extremely excited and eager to hear their new single.
‘I Just Wanna Be Left Alone’ is a hallucinatory rumble of spine chilling neurosis encased and composed in cool strutting swagger. Enduring smooth vocals repeat the chorus, engrossing and consuming you into a maze of intense claustrophobia. The rapid rumbling drums adds a thick gooey humid effect as the spin of psychedelic razor sharp guitar riffs give this track a sultry sensual luring quality while adding an eerie sting. The elastic slap bass gives that strutting prance, stride and groove keeping an upbeat charm and flaunt. Its an infectiously hypnotic and catchy track that creeps up behind and seeps into your brain replaying when you least expect it.
Stream ‘I Just Wanna Be Left Alone’ below

Ghost Robots Album Review

Five piece Ghost Robots are an alternative rock band from Waterford. Band members Michael Doyle (Vocals), Dael O’Brien (Drums), Evan Hayes (Bass), David Hearne (Rhythm Guitar) and David Rudden (Lead Guitar) will be releasing their self titled album early next year and we had a little listen to it. As expected Ghost Robots sucker punch you into their unique sticky indie rock with flashes of epileptic psychedelia. This high intensity album is jam packed with catchy melodies and body pounding instrumentation that will have you completely immersed and engulfed in their darkened entrancing sound.
The album kicks things off with ‘Bad Habit’ this gritty riff ear worm is the perfect track to reel you in with pounding drums and dynamic soaring vocals. Strident blazes of guitar and blissful pop melodies make it a fiery anthem ablaze with motivational fist pump attitude and spirit. ‘Hollow Thoughts’ is a hungry razor sharp composition of nimble acute guitar and a snappy forceful beat. It is gravelly rough and ready frenzy, coated in swirling psychedelia and mind bending aggression. ‘Invader’ is an attack of euphoric rock. The edgy shrill of earsplitting guitars on top of hard pummelling drums give the sound of headbangingly good rock. Its a hyped intense track exuding aggressive swagger and a forceful characteristic. It is a “tour de force” with mesmerising electric power driven vocals. ‘Louder Louder’ , ‘Lights Out’ and ‘Richer Than Kings’ continue the five pieces’s unique, energetic whip lash rock with sizzling riffs and flexible rhythms all while maintaining a smooth refreshing cool tone. ‘Geronimo’ gives us a sensual almost strut- like punchy swagger. With fuzzed steamy guitar and sticky beat this track oozes stuffy attitude and gluey textures. ‘Razor Blades and Ashtrays’ is a rush of hair raising eerie tones and mystery. With an infectious piercing guitar riff and whisper vocals for the bridge its a spooky warning of dangerous occurrences with outburst of frustration. The album concludes with ‘I Am Not Contagious’ a swirling brew of spiralling psychedelia and chilling haunting vocals teamed with a heavy sturdy beat that remains the foundation and a solid to hold on to as the rest of the track swirls and intoxicatingly weaves around pulling you into its deep pit of trance-inducing danger. The coaxing velvety vocals bewitch and charm you into its spellbinding entrapment leaving you dizzy, confused and wanting to hear more.
An incredible album from Ghost Robots these guys have a bright future ahead looking forward to the release next year.
Ghost Robots will be playing at Whelan’s on OCT 15th make sure you check them out they are brilliant live.
While you are waiting for the album release watch the video for ‘Under Fire’ taken from Ghost Robots EP ‘Sell It To Me’ below

Palmas ‘Flowers’.

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Philadelphia’s surf/soul band Palmas have released their new single ‘Flowers’. Band members Eric Camarota ( guitarist) , Matthew Young (guitarist) , Adam Cantiello ( guitarist), Pat Degan (drummer) and Kurt Cain (vocalist) present us with their perfect blend of delicious sweet swirling melodies and experimental array of instrumentation. This Beatles – esque track bursts with luscious psychedelic features adding a euphoric dreamland vibe interweaving with blissful honeyed vocals and lush heavenly harmonies. Its a succulent beautifully delicate track that blossoms and flourishes as Palmas add a complex orchestral arrangement. The twirling trippy 60’s vibe consumes you in a gentle flurry of delightful intoxication as you are wrapped up in a colourful floral blanket of warm cosy tones and rich textures. With aptly placed percussion and the balmy mellow depth of the strings, it is an absolute joy and satisfactory listen. Palmas are budding into a fantastic band these guys deserve to do well.
Stream ‘Flowers’ below

 

Worth A Listen

Our Worth A Listen Track This Week Comes From Alexandra Savior

Portland, Oregon’s mysterious bewitching singer songwriter Alexandra Savior is captivating audiences with her laid back desert rock and sultry crooning vocals. We did a feature on her single ‘Shades’ earlier in the summer and she is back with another addictive dose. ‘M.T.M.E.’ floods us with dark intoxicating tones, smouldering sultry vocals that lull and coax the listener with the sharp sting of guitar adding a sizzling and scorching sun effect. The bubbling beat consumes the listener in a muggy yet comfortable hypnotic enclosure. The added scream gives a shock to the system and adds danger to the shadowy tone. The scorching guitar solo teamed with menacing keys to finish adds a frightening eerie end.
Put it on repeat and become engrossed by this enthralling mesmerising track.
Stream ‘M.T.M.E.’ below

Fauna Twin ‘Water on Mars’

Fauna Twin are Parisian singer-songwriter Claire Jacquemard Ginsberg (leader of Hippies Vs Ghosts) and North Wales’ Owain Ginsberg (We Are Animal). The duo have recently signed to Crammed Discs Records and they released their new single ‘Water on Mars’ taken from their debut ‘The HYDRA EP’, which will be released in October followed by a string of shows around Europe.
‘Water on Mars’ is a dark intoxicating swirling concoction of alternative synth pop. The track lures you into its bewitching atmosphere from the very start with meandering instrumentation that draws you into a psychedelic labyrinth of complexity and confusion while enticing and coaxing you into its rich interweaving textures. Jacquemard’s vocals are haunting and gently coo and soothe the listener while giving a mysterious eerie tone to the track. The guitar adds grit and gives that final pull, drawing the listener in and trapping them in an enthralling brooding atmosphere. The track is coated in mesmerising rhythm and shadowy hints of tribal beats that give this track a fantastic bounce and multi texture.
Put ‘Water on Mars’ on repeat and let yourself become consumed and enraptured by this fantastic dark enchanting track.
Watch ‘Water on Mars’ below

Mucklo ‘Double Dealing’

Hailing from Frankfort, Indiana, the man behind Mucklo, Michael J. Hall, started writing music at a young age. In High School, Michael played many punk rock shows as the guitarist and vocalist for a progressive, genre-clashing four piece psych rock band called, Split Lips and Lemons. After departing from Split Lips and Lemons, Michael began meeting a lot of phenomenal local musicians and commenced to playing bass for both an original blues rock band, The Down Low Kickers, and a Grateful Dead cover band, The Graciously Departed (formally known as Band And Dave). Hall has taken his experience and has been perfecting the lyrics and sound of the project he now calls Mucklo. The name Mucklo stems from a bolt-making artist who worked out of the same local factory Hall and his family worked at for a time. Hall fully composes, writes and produces his music. He has a passion for home recording and a knack for instruments, Hall can play the guitar, mandolin, drums, harmonica and autoharp, to name a few.
Mucklo released the track ‘Double Dealing’ earlier this year. It is an alluring and enticing song with entrancing shadowy tones that lure you into the darkest depths of the track. Mucklo traps you in this intoxicating atmosphere while seducing you with his bass- driven bobbing groove. The track develops into a sticky gooey head bopping trip with bouncy guitars and a soft pop punch beat. The shredding guitar solo freshes up the track and adds to the psychedelic trip while the vocals are dismal and draw the listener in giving a narcotic hypnotic effect that is eerie yet soothing.
Stream ‘Double Dealing’ below

The Only Ocean ‘CUL-DE-SAC’

Lompoc, California born four-piece, The Only Ocean, bring a fresh new edge to indie rock. Band members Wesley Hill (Vocals, Guitar), Dustin Whalen (Guitar), Alex Burdess (Bass) and Shae Kakos-(Drums) are childhood friends who have pulled together a wide range of sub-genres from Psych-Pop and Post-Punk to Acid Rock to create their unique sound.
‘CUL-DE-SAC’ is the first single off  their soon to be released EP, ‘TOO’ which was produced by Graham Ginsburg and Rick Mabery of The Barn Music Studio, and Jonathan DeBaun (The Mars Volta, Le Butcherettes, Antemasque). The track begins with a dark aggressive tone blasting us with heavy flashing vigorous guitars and a psychedelic delirious vibe. The verse cools things down with light beats and cool sedated vocals. The track is drenched in reverb adding to the psychedelic vibe. With swirling melodies that hypnotise and pull you into the intensity of the track teamed with cynical snarky lyrics that adequately portray that this track is an “anthem for anyone who has ever tasted the sweet angst in desolation”. The churning surge of instrumentation is enticing and leads the listener into the acid trip explosive crescendo.
‘CUL-DE-SAC’ is a well written and crafted track full of dark tones and confusing mystery that is perfectly conveyed through a blend of Psych/Acid Rock.
Stream ‘CUL-DE-SAC’ below

Money For My Teeth ‘Komodo’

money for my teeth

Money For My Teeth is an alternative rock, indie pop British/American Songwriter. He released his debut track ‘Komodo’ this summer which introduces us to a blissful psychedelic indie trip glowing in sunny vibes and cool tones. ‘Komodo’ is a dreamy, summer-scented track with soft swooning melody and delicate harmony in backing vocals teamed with soft spongy beats and tightly marshalled bursts of guitar which adds a refreshing edge to the track. The vocals are dreamy and give a heat-filled haze to the song resulting in  a delirious heat-stroke feel that is disrupted by the refreshing drench of zesty guitar. ‘Komodo’ is a dazzling track soaked in psychedelic vibes. We are looking forward to hearing more from Money For My Teeth.
Stream ‘Komodo’ below

https://soundcloud.com/moneyformyteeth/komodo

Live Music Review Of New Valley Wolves supported by Ghost Robots

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As a music venue Cork’s Crane Lane has a lot to offer, its fantastic decor and laid back atmosphere has everything you need to enjoy a night out with live music. We made our way through the crowds to the room set towards the back of the lane where New Valley Wolves were due to perform with Ghost Robots as support. One look at the bustling cheery crowd tells you that they are rockers which puts me at ease as I find rock crowds are the best to get along with, they are there for the music and to enjoy themselves.

Ghost Robots begin with their utterly absorbing set full of catchy riffs, flexible rhythms and smooth vocals. The alternative rock band from Waterford lead you gently through their psych trip setlist starting with ‘Richer Than kings’ they pull you in to a mysterious20160730_215234_001 swirl, driven by punchy drums and dynamic guitars while Doyle’s vocals keep things fresh and edgy. Ghost Robots keep the tracks flowing fluently as they belt out tune after tune oiling up the rusty hips of the crowd as they sway and mosh to each track. Drummer Dael O’Brien is especially enthusiastic and stands out with his energetic mesmerising drumming. They ease us into their insanely catchy ‘Under Fire’ which recently featured as one of our Worth A Listen tracks. This luring song goes down well with the entranced crowd as they move to the beat while the tracks effortless cool tone has a dazed effect while still packing a punch. Ghost Robots finish on ‘Bad Habbit‘ leaving the stunned crowd wanting more.

New Valley Wolves take the stage and spark pandemonium and chaos with their opening track ‘Shake Your Bones’ as they blast us with track after track of brawl-like powerful drums and gritty kick ass riffs. With instrumental tracks like ‘Acid Ocean’ showcasing their20160730_223558 monstrous frenzy-causing sound that will rock you to your core and persuade even the most timid person to rebel and headbang. New Valley Wolves as promised give us an energetic and memorable show as they dominate Crane Lane with the forceful and staggering ‘This Bad City’ and ‘Shark’. They exude swagger and fiery attitude in ‘Athens’ as they give us a smooth sensual almost funky track that builds into a moshing riot. The rock duo confirm they are a force to be reckoned with, when they pull out the masterstroke that is new soon to be released single ‘Silver Tongue’ knocking us back and demanding the attention that these guys deserve. Lucey coaxes the crowd forward and they begin a frenzy of moshing to the powerful bluesy ‘Eyes On Me’. Members of the crowd shout out the fast passed rap-like swagger-filled lyrics accompanied by the slick fiery riffs teamed with pounding soul shaking drums. They finish strong with ‘Fire In The Blood’ followed by new single ‘Trouble’ two hefty, mean tracks bursting with attitude. While ‘Fire In The Blood’ had a rapid tempo that raced through the crowd causing a chaotic mix of moshing and  hopping,  ‘Trouble’ took on a destructive persona keeping the crowd headbanging and going crazy in its high energy body pounding sound leaving the crowd thirsty for more.

New Valley Wolves are getting bigger and better, a force of nature coming into their prime.

Watch Our Interview With New Valley Wolves below