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The Big Takeover Issue #94

Dave Franklin

Dave has pretty much worn all the creative hats there are to wear. Musician, promoter, (small) record label boss, festival co-organiser, journalist, reviewer, publicist and everything in between. He now divides his time between writing about music and any number of other subjects from travel to games to social issues. He runs his own new music website and contributes to a number of UK based printed music magazines and a few smaller websites. He has spent the last ten years writing music columns for his regional newspaper though has recently given this up to spend more time with his record collection.

Kallai - Pallisades (self-released)

11 May 2024

Kallai celebrates the sounds of places that never were, and futures that may never be. Reverb-soaked guitars, synthesized haze, melodic bass lines, and flowing rhythms. Kallai was formed in the fall of 2023 by members of Trance to the Sun, Luscious Apparatus & Lost Echoes.

Seasonal Falls - Happy Days (self-released)

11 May 2024

Seasonal Falls is the new recording project of Switzerland based songwriter Roman Gabriel (The Kind Hills, The Dentals), whose indie folk/pop songs are refined by Andrew Pelletier’s emotive vocals (Fur Trader). The heart-warming tracks capture the band’s passion for indie music in general and of the 90s in particular.

The sound of Seasonal Falls is inspired by artists like Elliott Smith, Pavement, Wilco, Sufjan Stevens, The Lucksmiths etc.

Lovelorn Dolls - Deadtime Stories (Alfa Matrix / SPLEEN+)

11 May 2024

Hailing from Brussels, Belgium, Lovelorn Dolls is made up of Kristell Lowagie (lyrics, vocals, arrangements) and Bernard Daubresse (music, programming, guitars, production). With an underbelly of gothic rock, their sound resembles a mix of Theatre of Tragedy, Lacuna Coil and The Birthday Massacre.

Shockpowder - Dreaming From Elsewhere (Viridescent Records)

10 May 2024

Renowned one-man project Shockpowder, a musical endeavour that intricately blends post-metal with a 90s rock vibe, is thrilled to announce the release of its second album, Dreaming from Elsewhere, slated to hit the airwaves and digital platforms in May 2024.

Morningbird - Echoes In The Meadow (self-released)

10 May 2024

MorningBird is an acoustic trio featuring Rob Wheeler (guitar, mandolin, harmonica, stomp box), Jill Burkes (violin, guitar), and Josh Palmi (upright bass, guitar). The trio offer haunting harmonies and eclectic mix of traditional tunes and original music along with powerful string arrangements. Their new album, Echoes in the Meadow, is a result of the magic that happened when the group spent 3 weeks together traveling, writing, and playing gigs across the Western US in the fall of 2023.

Lud Roes - Waiting For B (self-released)

10 May 2024

The band Avery and Ella is now Lud Roes. They have been garnering some turbulence through their electrifying live shows and the release of their new album, Dear IV. Still a very new band, this name change honors the evolution of the trio. This spring they deliver a one-two punch by also dropping a well crafted music video for their song “Waiting for B”, directed by Mitchel Worley

Deep Dive Species - Penultimate (OMNINORM)

10 May 2024

DEEP DIVE SPECIES were formed during (and basically because of) the 2020 lockdown in New York. One part of the duo is Vadim Militsin, an electronic scene veteran who stands behind numerous projects like AUTiSM, Logica Abstracta and Robotov-Millentrop. The other component of this unlikely mixture is Sergey Popovich, a guitarist and vocalist with a string of projects, like Vopli Vodoplyasova, famous in and beyond his native Ukraine, Hey! Lubo!, and the NY-based Goodswan.

Pull of Autumn - Opening/Closing (ft. Kraig Jordon) - RBM Records

8 May 2024

Art-rock indie-pop collective The Pull of Autumn presents their new single ‘Opening / Closing’ featuring Kraig Jordan. Born from the reflective period as the world began to emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic. Crafted by the songwriting duo of Kraig Jordan and Guy Benoit, and recorded at Plan of a Boy studio in Providence, Rhode Island, this track is a poignant exploration of reentry into a transformed society.

Tarantula Bill - Supertramp (Mean World Records)

7 May 2024

Tarantula Bill is a Denver based psych rock band that blends creamy vibes with the tonality of a space wizard jam sesh. Much of the magic comes out live, featuring 2 mops, one corporate sellout, and a guy from craigslist penetrating the ethereal plane with heavy riffs.

Tsunamiz - Os Bravos (self-released)

7 May 2024

The brainchild of musician Bruno Sobral, Tsunamiz brings a genre-defying sound to the masses. Sonically energizing and infectious, his music traipses between rock, electronic and pop creating something unique and entirely Tsunamiz.

Marky Wildtype - Place of Peace (self-released)

7 May 2024

Marky Wildtype is an Edinburgh based songwriter/musician/producer who has been plying his trade and honing his craft under various guises for many years. Most recently, he has been providing the buzzsaw guitar backbone of the vibrant heavy-rock-meets-trad instrumental alt-folk band The Jig Show.

Then Comes Silence - Trickery (Metropolis Records)

7 May 2024

Recorded by Jörgen Wall (Jay-Jay Johanson, The Hellacopters) over three days at Stockholm’s Kapsylen Studio and mixed by Tom van Heesch8 (*Rammstein, Apocalyptica, Backyard Babies), this album was mastered by Svante Forsbäck / Chartmakers (Rammstein, Amaranthe, Ville Valo, The Rasmus, Apocalyptica). Ahead of the album’s release, Then Comes Silence released the singles ‘Like a Hammer’ and ‘Ride or Die’.

Octavian Winters - Nebula/Velveteen (Mark Pistel Remix) (Stratis Capta Records)

7 May 2024

San Francisco post-punk outfit Octavian Winters has teamed up with Mark Pistel (Consolidate, Meat Beat Manifesto8) on their new two-track single. Out April 30 via *Stratis Capta Records, the A-side ‘Nebula’, which underscores the inevitable impermanence of all that is seen and unseen, known and unknown, is complemented by Pistel’s infectious pulsating remix of ‘Velveteen’.

Hangover Square - When You (A Lovely Coincidence)

5 May 2024

Expect the feel of a Wim Wenders film with Bjork popping up to provide musical interludes. From darkness and loss, hangovers were left behind for the peace of sobriety for folktronica duo Victoria Bourne and Chris Harper. In the last year the duo became sober and bounced back from two close friends suicides and Victoria’s own depression. Confronted with so much existential angst. Last year became a springboard for change going back to their roots of electronica and acoustic sounds. “We’re doing what we love best, creating sad, romantic, cinematic music”

The Pulltops - Have You Ever Seen The Rain? (self-released)

4 May 2024

The Pulltops is a Milwaukee based duo delivering a hooky mix of Indie Rock, Power Pop, and Album Rock. Drummer Mark Pierret and guitarist Tom Crowell were both eclectic record collectors, so they immediately clicked when they joined their first band together. While Mark always leaned heavier on old country and soul music, Tom drew stronger influences from the experimental and underground scene.

Colm O'Mahony & the Hot Touches - Damage (Mile 16 Records)

4 May 2024

Emerging Irish Rockers Colm O’Mahony & The Hot Touches present their debut single “Damage”, available now on Spotify and all the major music services, with a companion video on YouTube. The full album is out soon.

King In Yellow - Desire Paths (self-released)

3 May 2024

Life is full of “Desire Paths” and King In Yellow is cutting their desire path straight through the New York underground with every new single they release. Their new single desire paths is rooted in the conventional and the abstract.Twisting and squelching like a screaming fire. Dive in and let it overtake you.

Leah Callahan - Curious Tourist (self-released)

2 May 2024

Leah Callahan made DIY waves in the underground music scene starting as front woman for the bands Turkish Delight US, Betwixt & The Glass Set. She is set to release her 4th album this decade on April 29.

The Silent Era - Matter of Time/Bela Lugosi's Dead (self-released)

2 May 2024

The Silent Era are a London-based, alt.rock four-piece blending industrial, goth rock, shoegaze, and post-punk to create heavy, dreamy soundscapes, woven through with introspective lyrics which explore the darker side of human nature.

Vocalist Bri Macanas (Black Palms, The Midnight Vortex, Silhouettes), guitarist Chris Schwarten (Ghost Wives) and multi-instrumentalist but mostly bassist Nicolas Zappa (also Ghost Wives) started the band during the pandemic. They were later joined by drummer Jo Eiffes (Silhouettes, Perfect Flaws).

MatAre - Perfect Constant (OnCue Records)

2 May 2024

With a little bit of hybrid alternative Americana style, an abundance of emotive passion, and an undeniable level of quality lyricism, MatAre has crash landed to the scene in a new way.

Jekyll - Breathe In (self-released)

2 May 2024

Born and bred in Blackpool, and taking inspiration from a wide and eclectic pool of influences, Jekyll’s music is known for its expansive, melancholic soundscapes, dynamic mood shifts and visceral intensity.

Frenchy and the Punk - Hypnotized (EA Recordings)

2 May 2024

NYC-based post-punk duo Frenchy and the Punk present ‘Hypnotized’, a seductive dance floor romp. This is the first taste of their eighth album Midnight Garden, released via EA Recordings, which follows their critically-acclaimed Zen Ghost album and Siouxsie tribute ‘Cities In Dust’.

Clone - Dividing Line ( Little Cloud Records / 5BC)

1 May 2024

Post-punk outfit Clone – a Brooklyn-based supergroup featuring members of The Veldt, Dead Leaf Echo, Namesake and Pilot to Gunner – announces their debut record CL. 1 and presents the lead track ‘Dividing Line’, a song about how Donald Trump tried to start a class war within the USA.

History of Guns - No Longer Earthbound (Liquid Len Recording Company)

1 May 2024

UK electro-goth post-punk band History Of Guns presents ‘No Longer Earthbound’, previewing their new Half Light album – their eighth record to date – to be released via the Liquid Len Recording Company. Serving up their unique meta-modernist Industrial sound, this song is about leaving the planet (through space travel, virtual reality or death) and about recalibrating our thoughts awayfrom our own problems and looking at a more global and cosmic picture.

The Star Prairie Project - The Shining Ones (One Media iP Ltd)

30 April 2024

The Star Prairie Project’s new album is a concept album dealing with the mysteries of the antediluvian secret priesthood known as The Shining Ones. Named after the priesthood, this is the group’s seventh studio album since they emerged out of nowhere in 2019.

9-Volt Velvet - Hey, Candy (Shore Dive Records)

30 April 2024

Nestled in the fine territory between post-punk and shoegaze with a surf vibe, 9-Volt Velvet is made up of Mark Cross (lead vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards, percussion), Donnie Robertson (drums, percussion, keyboards) and Kevin Robinson (guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals).

Boulder Fields - Measures (Let There Be Numbers)

30 April 2024

Boulder Fields revolves around Scottish singer-songwriter Cam Fraser, formerly of Borrowed Books and 80s punk legends The Cateran8, who joined *Nirvana on the 1989 UK tour that broke the band, as well as touring or sharing the stage with The Proclaimers, Tad and Grant Hart (Husker Du).

Shyfrin Alliance - Whiskey Blues (self-released)

29 April 2024

A thrilling melange of hammond organ, gospel-blues chorus, blues guitar licks, Eduard’ Shyfrin’s distinctive and authoritative bass voice and a driving rhythm, ‘Whiskey Blues’ compels the listener to seize the moment as it captures the need to overcome life’s difficulties.

“We have different days, sometimes difficult, sometimes gloomy. But we should go on! We should continue and overcome and move on. That’s the underlying motive of this song. It’s important,” says its writer.

The Speed of Sound - A Cornucopia: Minerva (Big Stir Records)

29 April 2024

Manchester indie rock psychonauts “The Speed Of Sound” presents their new album A Cornucopia: Minerva, their second album issued via Big Stir Records, along with the video for ‘The Great Acceleration’ – the second single from the album, following up ‘West Wind’.

Federale - Heaven Forgive Me (Jealous Butcher Records)

29 April 2024

Portland-based outfit Federale have announced they will release their new Reverb & Seduction album via Jealous Butcher Records in the summer. Ahead of this, these legendary songcrafters present the lead track ‘Heaven Forgive Me’, which features Alex Maas of The Black Angels on backing vocals.

John Kampouropoulos - Hero and a Crucifix (self-released)

27 April 2024

John Kampouropoulos is a diverse performer and songwriter, telling stories from the present, the past and the future, all wrapped into a shell of different musical colours. Styles range from The Beatles and David Bowie, to Radiohead, Cornell, Travis, from 60’s pop to 2000’s indie.

Telling Tales, a short conversation with Dean Harlem

26 April 2024

From California to Texas to New England, New Jersey native son Dean Harlem has in true troubadour fashion made America his home. Deep-rooted in Americana and classic country sounds, with a picking style that blends Townes Van Zandt and Justin Townes Earle, and with an honest, soulful voice, Harlem has distinguished himself as a young singer-songwriter to watch, with what Seacoast Online predicts, “a long, storied career” ahead of him. His debut release, 2019’s Asbury Park, paid homage to his New Jersey origins, even as it pointed to new songways and highways ahead as evidenced by his 2022 stand-alone single, “World Without Song,” that further cemented his songwriting acumen. Currently, he makes his home in Nashville with his second EP, Red Oak Hill, arriving summer ’24

Michael Isaak - Forever is a Scary Word (Scarab Songs)

25 April 2024

Michael Isaak fuses dreamy indie pop with intimate acoustic folk on his journey through a world that is ever-changing and tragically beautiful. The Los Angeles native draws audiences into his deepest cerebral spaces, showcasing songwriting as a profound tool for healing.

Gramercy Arms - The Making Of The Making Of (Magic Door Record Label)

25 April 2024

With members split between New York and New Jersey, indie pop collective Gramercy Arms presents their fourth album ‘The Making Of The Making Of’, released via Montclair, NJ-based Magic Door Record Label, along with a new video for ‘Never Say Anything (Magic Door Session)’.

Gramercy Arms is a revolving collective of musicians and artists, masterminded by Dave Derby (The Dambuilders, Lloyd Cole) and producer Ray Ketchem (Guided by Voices, Luna, Elk City). Inspired by the artistic heyday of ‘70s and ‘80s New York, Gramercy Arms makes addictive indie pop – exquisite hook-laden melodies filled with lyrics that will have you floating back in time and remembering your favorite mistake.

Tommy Crawford - Mountain Song (Chickadee Records)

24 April 2024

Actor, composer, singer-songwriter, dad. Co-founder of The Lobbyists. My latest release is “Mountain Song”, which I wrote while hiking with my then 9-month-old just after moving to Vermont. I hope it inspires you to go out hiking and to sing along with the chickadees.

Desk Lamps - Shape I'm In (self-released)

24 April 2024

Written, developed and recorded in a home studio in Los Angeles, desk lamps’ unique style of music builds on simple percussive rhythms with organic layers of vibrant guitar, desolate, orchestral synth and measured bass to evoke feelings of tension between anxiety and carefree release.

2 Far Out - Sucker For Heartaches (self-released)

24 April 2024

We are 2 Far Out, your own Swedish lovable douchebags. You can also call us “The Sucker For Heartaches Association”. 
 We’re here to captivate your senses, to make you feel alive, and to remind you that you’re not alone in everything that life throws at you. Our music draws inspiration from the likes of Blink-182, Green Day, and Machine Gun Kelly, The songs tackle themes of love, heartbreak, self-discovery and the ups and downs of youth with authenticity and vulnerability.

Deep Dive Species - Unconditional (OMNINORM)

23 April 2024

DEEP DIVE SPECIES were formed during (and basically because of) the 2020 lockdown in New York. One part of the duo is Vadim Militsin, an electronic scene veteran who stands behind numerous projects like AUTiSM, Logica Abstracta and Robotov-Millentrop. The other component of this unlikely mixture is Sergey Popovich, a guitarist and vocalist with a string of projects, like Vopli Vodoplyasova, famous in and beyond his native Ukraine, Hey! Lubo!, and the NY-based Goodswan.

The Margaret Hooligans - Driver! (Piety Street Publishing)

22 April 2024

We are The Margaret Hooligans: One woman (electric ukulele, lead vocals), one man (drums, teapot, back up vocals), forming one band that incorporates garage rock, funk, and soul to create a swirl of sloppy transcendence.

Dream of a Man in a Top Hat - Wolfcrier (self-released)

22 April 2024

Two thirds of Boston 80’s post-punk band Native Tongue, Lee Leffler and Michael Frackleton comprise the psychedelic/alt rock/post-punk duo Dream of a Man in a Top Hat. After their well received EP and debut album, Dream of a Man in a Top Hat spent 2022 and 2023 releasing a series of singles (many appear on the Buzzy Beans compilation album).

heavy on the heart. - Smokin' All The Weed (Riffsville Records)

22 April 2024

heavy on the heart. is a melodic rock band fueled by the soul & drive of 4 misfits with nothing to lose. heavy on the heart. is Nikki Brady (vocals), Costas Themistocleous (guitar), Nick Kolokathis (drums) & Andrew Nicolae (bass).

Seven and Counting - Tonight (Twenty Twenty Records)

22 April 2024

Seven and Counting is a new, eight-piece band with 1st studio album to be released on March 30, 2024. Their sound is a kind of a mixture of styles and influences each and every one of us picked up “along the road”, from rock to country and blues and whatever falls between.

J.J. Chamberlain - Eyeballs (self-released)

22 April 2024

J.J. Chamberlain, or John Chamberlain is a Singer, Guitarist and Songwriter. He is the main songwriter for the band Box Time and plays lead guitar for Love Barons. Based in York but frequently seen in London. John spent 2023 playing shows in York, London and Liverpool.

Tallulah Rendall - Love Carries Me Home (self-released)

22 April 2024

Having successfully crowdfunded, released, and toured five albums worldwide, including the critically acclaimed Libellus (2009) Tallulah Rendall is poised to release her latest single, “The Heart Sutra (with Choir),” from her latest album, Love Carries Me Home, produced by the acclaimed 3x Grammy Winning & 5 times Nominated Danton Supple, a record that is a testament to her artistic brilliance and showcases Rendall’s unique ability to craft melodies that mend and uplift the human heart.

Natalie K - Dance with Me (self-released)

20 April 2024

Pop singer and songwriter Natalie K releases her eighth single, “Dance With Me,” a vibrant pop anthem meets neo-soul dance groove, inspired by an unforgettable night out in Los Angeles.

Sun Atoms & Little Cloud Records – keeping Portland prominent on the U.S. music map

19 April 2024

Psychedelic gaze-wave outfit Sun Atoms recently released a 7” vinyl featuring the new wave-inspired single ‘Ceiling Tiles’ and a unique fuzzed-out tribute to Leonard Cohen called ‘Tower of Song (in the key of JAMC)’. Mixed by iconic producer Jagz Kooner (Massive Attack, Primal Scream, Oasis, Garbage), it comes via the ever-growing label Little Cloud Records digitally, who are also putting out the band’s sophomore album this summer.

Gramercy Arms - Never Say Anything (Magic Door Record Label)

18 April 2024

With members split between New York and New Jersey, indie pop collective Gramercy Arms presents their fourth album The Making Of The Making Of, released via Montclair, NJ-based Magic Door Record Label, along with a new video for ‘Never Say Anything (Magic Door Session)’.

The Shrubs - Echoes of a Dream (Blossöm Records)

17 April 2024

The Shrubs are a psychedelic rock group.

Colin Woltmann - Saw You In A Dream (self-released)

17 April 2024

Colin Woltmann, a singer-songwriter from Madison, Wisconsin currently living in Alabama, started playing guitar and writing songs almost 20 years before releasing his debut album, Brown Recluse, in 2021. Two years later he and Heath Fogg (of Alabama Shakes) formed Lake Nakoma and released their self-titled album. Woltmann has just released “The In-Betweens”, ahead of his new EP, Case of the Times, set for release in early 2024.

Then Comes Silence on new 'Trickery' album, punk past & road tripping

17 April 2024

Signed to Metropolis Records, Stockholm alternative rock / post-punk trio Then Comes Silence has unleashed their seventh album Trickery. This time around, frontman Alex Svenson, drummer Jonas Fransson and guitarist Hugo Zombie worked with producer Jorgen Wall (Jay-Jay Johanson, The Hellacopters) and mixer Tom Van Heesch (Rammstein, Apocalyptica) – a capable team infusing extraordinary power in a collection of tracks that is ultimately about friendship, unity and a sense of belonging.