“Black Coffee” by Lachlan Bryan and The Wildes

Lachlan Bryan’s heart is steeped in the drama and imagery of country, roots, and Americana music. An Australia-based songwriter with true authenticity, Bryan’s songs are draped with dark characters, back stories, and sub plots flavored with dustbowl balladry, old school country, and nu-folk undertones. Together with his band The Wildes, Bryan has built a genre-defying catalog beginning with 2009’s Ballad of a Young Married Man. The new album, Black Coffee, has garnered glowing reviews, packed houses, and a slew of awards and nominations in Bryan’s homeland this year. It was awarded this year’s Golden Guitar for Best Alternative Country Album at the 2014 Country Music Awards of Australia.

Black Coffee transcends expectations and sets the new standard in roots and Americana music in Australia. We knew it was going to be good, but this is an exceptional album.” ~ Adam Simon, Rolling Stone

You may view videos for the album’s first single and its title track, “Black Coffee” and its new single “You Me and the Blues” via YouTube. Black Coffee features the full band plus special guests Melody Pool and Bill Chambers.

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“Black Coffee” by Lachlan Bryan and The Wildes

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Image and mp3 courtesy of Alex Steininger of In Music We Trust

“Wallflower” by Peacock Affect

The music of George Holman is released under the moniker, Peacock Affect. Holman’s songs are strikingly beautiful and emotionally touching. In January of 2014, Holman released a self-titled album, which included the song “Friend.”

Influenced by Elliott Smith and The Smiths, Holman’s music stems from melodies that he picks on the guitar and lyrics that flow from his feelings. Both tracks on his latest double A-side single “The Heaven Smiles” and “Wallflower” see Holman’s vocals float over intricate acoustic guitars. The single will be released on January 12.

Have a listen to “Wallflower” below.

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“Wallflower” by Peacock Affect

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Image and mp3 courtesy of Andrea Lynch of Blue Soap Music PR & Plugging

“Pillar Of Salt” by I Am Love

The folk-gypsy-rock band, I Am Love, originally began as a singer-songwriter project in the countryside just outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. According to founding member, Joshua Christopher, the area is deeply rooted in the earliest days of American culture.

This is where many of our founding fathers lived when they birthed this great nation,” Christopher explains. “The countryside has a strong influence on our style of living, as well as our music. I sing a lot about overcoming difficult times, but with an overall sense of hopefulness. I want to make music that will generate good feelings.”

Base player, William Whitmore and Christopher together fine-tuned songs which would become the first EP, Starting Over, released in January of 2012. They then went into the studio with seven other musicians who played various instruments that could help Christopher achieve the kind of music that he wanted to represent I Am Love.

The band was whittled down to three members which included Christopher, Whitmire, and the addition of Kris Jackson (percussion, keys, vocals). The three moved their base of operations to Orlando, Florida. They released an album in the beginning of 2014, and have been touring throughout the year which included SXSW and the Brandywine Folk Festival.

From the forthcoming January 20, 2015 release of their self-titled album, have a listen to the single “Pillar Of Salt” below. Plus, check out their music video for “Ghost in the Hallway.”

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“Pillar Of Salt” by I Am Love

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Image and mp3 courtesy of Matt Bacon, Intern, Independent Music Promotions

“Sundown” by Aubergine MACHINE

Electronica-pop, downtempo outfit, Aubergine MACHINE, released the single “Sundown” in October via Muzik Liberated. Aubergine MACHINE is a collaboration between world renowned multi-platinum selling producer Ian Carey and new-comer to the scene Shanti Ellis. They formed the band in late 2012 after realizing their unique capability to create genre-blending electronic music with mainstream pop appeal.

Having both travelled the world in their own right while picking up many influences along the way, their mental catalog of music includes everything from pre-EDM to the uber-current sounds of post-dubstep and future garage. Carey, who is very established in the international House Music scene, sites influences ranging from Fleetwood Mac, Black Flag and DJ Premier, while Ellis sites influences such as Santigold, Vampire Weekend, and No Doubt. Carey’s production combines with Ellis’s brand of indie-pop laced vocals to build a foundation of melodies that range from youthful to emotive and haunting.

Watch the video for their cover of The Stroke’s “Call it Fate, Call it Karma” on YouTube.

Have a listen to “Sundown” below.

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“Sundown” by Aubergine MACHINE

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Image and mp3 courtesy of Matt Bacon, Intern, Independent Music Promotions

“Come On And Shoot” by Teenage Wildlife

Multi-instrumentalist and producer John Wright devised Teenage Wildlife as a project via which he could write, produce and release his own compositions. All tracks are available for free.

Wright has written and arranged scores for Fashion brands such as DIOR and JAN ALGHREN. He has produced exclusive music for films for British GQ and others. Wright is also known for his photography and film-making.

Have a listen to the latest 2015 single “Come On And Shoot” below.

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“Come On And Shoot” by Teenage Wildlife

Come On And Shoot

Image and mp3 courtesy of Blue Soap Music PR and Plugging

“The Drover” by Morelands and “Water” by Jonathon Trevillien

Jonathon Trevillien is an Australia-based singer-songwriter and guitarist. His latest release is a collection of recordings made from December 2010 to June 2013 on the Blackall Range — a mountain range in South East Queensland, Australia — and in Brisbane City. The collection is titled Nature is Drone, Drone is Nature. Additionally, his band Morelands released several singles in 2012.

Trevillien produces a beautifully balanced feel and tone with his Sadowsky Jim Hall model archtop guitar with flat wound strings. He says it sort of plays like a piano, if that makes any sense. He believes guitars are tools and a good tool with good intonation is the right one for the job. Trevillien was 12 when he started playing — “I played metal pretty well when I was 17, but I’d be rubbish at it now.”

Piano was his first instrument. It gave him a much deeper understanding of western music in the long run than if he had started off on the guitar. In order of appearance, the following guitarists were most influential in Trevellien’s playing: David Gilmour, Neil Young, Johnny Greenwood, Jim Hall, Bill Frisell, Peter Bernstein, Jack Rose, Aidan Baker, Ryan Francesconi, Mick Turner, Mississippi Fred McDowell.

Have a listen below to “The Drover” by Morelands and “Water” by Jonathon Trevillien below.

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“The Drover” by Morelands

Morelands

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“Water” by Jonathon Trevillien

Nature is Drone, Drone is Nature Album Art

Images and mp3s courtesy of Morelands‘ bandcamp and Jonathon Trevillien‘s bandcamp via Brian John Mitchell of silber records

“Looking Back Towards The Sea” by Yellow6

Jon Attwood started Yellow6 as a solo guitar project, initially inspired by space-post-rock, electronica and reverb soundscapes. Yellow6 has released nine official albums, a myriad of singles, and several compilations and remixes. There have been over 60 live shows in Europe and North America since 2001.

English post-rock band, Bark Psychosis, got Attwood interested in sounds rather than riffs and introduced a whole new way to play guitar. From there came experiments in drone guitar, cavernous reverbs and discovery of the still young world of post-rock. Attwood was at that time relatively unaware of the shoegaze roots of post-rock: Slowdive and Seefeel and Slint and Cocteau Twins, so he followed his own path slowly discovering others along the way, like Tortoise and Mogwai.

In October, Yellow6 released Closer To The Sea Without Moving. Have a listen to the track “Looking Back Towards The Sea” below.

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“Looking Back Towards The Sea” by Yellow6

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Image and mp3 courtesy of Brian John Mitchell of silber records