Ticko 
Moth To A Flame 
South Carolina 
 
With a new album out right now, South Carolina’s Ticko is expanding her repertoire with a more than subtle shift in direction. Originally working on a folk and Americana sound, her songwriting has taken a swing over to the alt-rock side. She’s finding her soul in more than one place and Jessica Ticko is bringing her leagues with her for the ride. Although she’s somewhat new to the circuit and has enjoyed a quick run of successes with each new production, the quality exceeds her years and seems to have a foothold in the bright future she’s sure to reach. Moth To A Flame is the title track from the album and it’s a perfect start to getting to know this exciting and highly skilled musician. 
 
The title track opens with a cantering rhythm that strides through the realms of introspection and groove. Ticko enters with a swinging voice that carries an air of sultry class. Like a jazz rendition, the slow-moving chug through vibrant blues chords and minor key melodies sinks deep into the relaxing mood that captivates the song. A thick guitar and bass hums in richness of tone as Ticko tells the story with delicate dramatics and emotionally manicured swagger.  
 
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No Guidance 
Constitution 
Germany 
 
These guys are all about the social equation and the musical mirror that holds up the world’s most intense scenarios. With a Newtonian appreciation for equal and opposite reactions, and the witness to triggered and untied people making statements and changing rules to suit their delusions of grandeur and exclusivity, things seem to be following on just as the Universe decrees. Maybe someone should wet the powder before it’s too late, or maybe making art that dissects and divulges can help stomp the fuse. This upbeat and angry number is the prelude to the album Late To The Party, due in September, and will stick around in your head with its savoury hooks and memorable energy.  
 
A runaway static leads into a huge shouting verse riff that pulses with vibrant punk chords. A cracking rhythm breaks open a lead guitar riff that soars overhead before a quick-fire lyric section continues the ascent of musical energy. Breezy blues sections leap between a crushing wave of nu-metal style drumming that keeps the double-time motion completely airborne. With a relentless surge of continuous anger and channelled emotion the ruckus continues until the music culminates in a generous dose of melody and feel that leaves us blown away. 

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Boulder Fields 
Wipe Out The Stars 
With All The Other Ghosts 
 
It was only in 2022 when Boulder Fields became a thing, with a festival date as their first ever show. It’s clear that this group are more than another new idea. It turns out that the frontman and lead member Cam Fraser is The Cam Fraser who was part of the 80s punk rock phenomenon The Cateran. They went all the way to supporting Nirvana in the glory days when they made it past the post. He’s also the guy from Borrowed Books, who took fans into slightly different and new angles with a continuation of the energy, albeit with a different flavour. The debut album from Boulder Fields carries the weight of two smashing singles, Wipe Out The Stars and Measures. Mixed by Jamie Watson, who’s worked with The Vaselines and Snow Patrol, and featuring the music of Suzy Cargill on drums and vocals plus Aly Bar on bass and vocals too, the experience, skill, and effort culminate in a great quality set of songs that will make the summer make sense for many.  
 
A bouncy atmosphere shines immediately as a great combination of evocative chords jostle together with familiar vibes. A beautiful harmonisation shimmers within the folk-rock flow of acoustic guitar with rattle and roll drums. Cam Fraser begins to sing, his homely, traditional, and punk tinged voice begins to express. The pure feeling and dream conjuring that his well-trained vocal can manifest is a testament to his veteran skills. A set of poetic lyrics hide behind the mesmerism of folk chord changes and steady rhythms that we sail away into like hedonistic boats. 
 
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Nervous Eaters 
Rock N Roll Your Heart Away 
Wicked Cool Records 
 
Taken from the upcoming album of the same name, this new Nervous Eaters track is out now on all the regular platforms. A succinct groove and some sprinkles of human soul bring together a blues rock sound that will rock everything from a chair to a cruise liner. Written by founding member and vocalist Steve Cataldo, the title track prepares the ground for the onset of the full-length record out on Wicked Cool Records in late August. A good ten weeks of runway surely gives ample lift between the band, the fans, and the new people hearing their songs for the first time. Whichever one you happen to be, let us know in the comments what you think of the song. 
 
A run of snare drum holds a tension with a bar of staggered roll before drums and guitar launch the music into place. A honkytonk style piano merges with vibrato organ to fill the atmospheric space between the rock n roll groove. As the lyrics begin, the gravelly voice swings to the blues tempo with emotive melodies and easy to listen to words we can remember within a few listens. A semblance of inspirations can be heard within the flow, everything from Meatloaf to Dire Straits with a bit of Bryan Adams, too, the fun and lively spirit of the music grabs your attention and puts you in the driving seat of a good time.  

​You can find out more on The Nervous Eaters' website

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The Shadow Majlis
Swallowed By The Sky
Toronto
 
Astonishing the post-punk attitudes of at least two generations of fans, The Shadow Majlis achieve escape velocity with their latest single, Swallowed By The Sky. The full throttle thrust from a tank full of pure rocket fuel brings the music to sharp modern edges with rounded tones that sit neatly and bright in the traditional cabinet. Laying on the Eastern influence, musical maestro Ali Jafri works with bassist David J of Bauhaus and Love & Rockets plus drummer Rakesh Tewari to gel the swings of emotion with a soundtrack from beyond the casual borders. Like the wind, music pays no attention to geography, willingly taking refuge in the heart and mind if you consent. If it sounds good then I really don’t see a problem, do you? Taken from the forthcoming new album, The Departure, Swallowed By The Sky has been produced and mixed by David Bottrill, known for work with names like Peter Gabriel, Tool, Muse, Smashing Pumpkins, and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.
 
A spectral bass spans like avenues in the snow into a glimmering cosmos of sound and emotion with melodic tones and building rhythms that frame the picture. Vocals begin, enticing lyrics draw us in as Robert Smith from the Cure resonates in the style. Melancholy poetry with a spoken-word lyricism effortlessly clings to the melody in abstract harmony to the glowing rendition of our inner worlds. Spooky relevances to true to life sensations in the guise of chord changes with just a few words sprinkled over gives a sense of otherworldly magic that seems to hide in plain site with this brilliant artist.
 
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Stumbleine
Catastrophette
Monotreme Records
 
A last blast of the trumpeter to hail in the new album due out in just a few days, Catastrophette, the latest Stumbleine single, hits home with the familiar vibe of ambience and intrigue. The proficiency we have learned to expect from music producer Peter Cooper, AKA Stumbleine, extends further than ever with the reach of the so-far released material from Deleted Scene. The 8th full-length album, released by Monotreme Records on the 14th of June, contains the enchanting opener I Can Stop Any Time I Like plus the masterful Ursa Minor Sleeps Forever, fusing a swaggering lo-fi RnB groove with spine-tingling ambience and retro flavoured brightly crafted sounds. A background in post-rock and sweeping semblances of harmonious distortion, a stunning leap into clearer waters has given Stumbleine the edge he wanted to stand out with his own creative spark.
 
A warm vinyl drift elevates a tone of sombre keys and harmony as gentle rhythms meander onward through the bright chill. Gorgeous vocals echo with nostalgic allure as the percussion ripples against bass and vibe. A dive of emotion plunges into memorable playfulness and carefree relaxation as the sonic weather cradles us in the eternity of now. A sense of bliss climbs like roses over last generation’s trellis as the occasional prickly thorn manifests in the aromatic headspace. Catastrophette from Stumbleine sounds like an abstract dream-ballad for a young lady who is acutely aware of the pitfalls while oozing stoic resilience. Perhaps I’m wrong, it wouldn't be a catastrophe. 

You can find music by Stumbleine on Bandcamp

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