‘January’ by The Century Band featuring Marc Delgado was released on 20^th January.

Following up on their ode to NYC, ‘New York Song,’ Room Sound Records artist and Brooklyn’s own The Century Band return with their second release.  ‘January’, features Woodstock, NY based singer/songwriter, Marc Delgado.

‘January’ is a song about getting older. It’s a song about life and loss and coming to terms with the natural world around you. It’s a song about feeling lost on your own journey through the inevitable but learning how to accept the wonder.

Marc brought a demo of the tune to his collaborator and producer, Justin Tracy in Woodstock. The two of them then reworked the song to its final version you hear today. With the help of Todd Adelman, the band got together at Todd’s studio The Woods in Woodstock, NY. With session players Todd Nelson and James Roland Kirk they recorded the song in one sunny afternoon. Justin Tracy does the heavy lifting for this project, playing the role of songwriter, producer, drummer, guitarist and mixing engineer.

The final version of the song is one that speaks from a mature and curious perspective, having context as to what life has to offer but not having all the answers, and always turning to the world for guidance.

‘January’ is on YouTube.

 

Braidwood have recently released ‘Quiet Girl’.

Like ‘By Wednesday’, which we heard a few weeks ago (Week 70, October 2022), ‘Quiet Girl’ is from Braidwood’s third album, ‘Obstacle Illusion’.

Based in the Greater Vancouver area of beautiful British Columbia, Braidwood crafts songs in the classic pop rock idiom. But with this most recent offering, Braidwood takes a little sidestep into more synth-dominated pop.

As well as ‘By Wednesday, we’ve previously heard a number of tracks from Braidwood (‘Nothing Could Make Up For You’ (Week 60, August 2022), ‘Sunshineland’ (Week 51, June 2022) and ‘Down Along The Road’ (Week 37, March 2022)). With ‘Quiet Girl’ Braidwood show they will be as busy in 2023 as they were last year.

Braidwood has a website at braidwoodsongs.com.

 

 ‘Still Life’ is the title track from Oil Sheen’s new album.

Recorded at The Nest Studios Brighton before, between and after lockdowns with some of the final songs being penned at the height of the COVID epidemic; Spleen brought together his strongest collaborators of the last few years to create his final statement on life and death.

The album’s themes express global concerns, depicting the balancing forces of nature, the environment, displaced people, fears around climate change and mass extinction of species. Other themes are more personal, ranging from our own mortality, terminal illness, the grief of losing a parent or seeing a loved one slip away from us, and the general anxieties of life in these unpredictable times.

Oil Spleen are on Facebook.

 

Satellite Train released ‘Shameless’ on 20^th January.

Satellite Train was originally conceived as a fun side project between friends. Musicians from various Australian and American bands make up the band, including Michael Paynter of Icehouse, John Watson of James Reyne, John McCall of The Black Sorrows, Randy Jacobs and Shane O’Mara of Paul Kelly, Pasquale Monea of Stephen Cummings, Jamie Muhoberac of John Mayer and Chris Chaney of Jane’s Addiction. As the band releases its début material, Icehouse’s Michael Paynter leads the way with some of his finest vocal performances. Despite the fact that all of the songs have a signature sound, they take you through a variety of musical styles.

You can learn more about Satellite Train’s journey in their Blogs, and discover more about the band members on their website. To access their music on streaming services and all their social media pages, vist their linkt.ee page.

 

Apostles released ‘Take It All’ on January 20^th.

Relishing in a rich vein of North West indie heritage, indie rock five-piece Apostles formed in Wigan in 2019. Though a strong start for the quintet set the wheels in motion, like most bands, the pandemic and its subsequent effect on Manchester’s and indeed the UK’s live scene took its toll. Thankfully time has passed, and Apostles are back, stronger than ever, thanks to a handful of well-received singles such as last year’s ‘Sixteen’. Not a band to rest on their laurels however, the five-piece have released a new single ‘Take It All’.

Four minutes of sheer soaring Manchurian anthemia, it’s a cathartic slice of exactly what makes Manchester great, there’s echoes of the city’s royalty of course, Oasis and Ian Brown most noticeably, however it feels as fresh as it does familiar and showcases exactly why Apostles are one of Manchester’s most exciting bands.

Apostles are on Facebook, Insta and Twitter.

 

‘Tiny Shadow of Love’ is from Tom Hingley & Gordon Mackay’s album, ‘Decades’.

‘Decades’ is a six-track, mini album featuring Gordon Mackay on guitar and Tom Hingley on vocals. It’s the first recording that the pair have made together in 38 years.

Gordon and Tom were glass collecting staff at the Hacienda in the mid 80s. There they formed the Manchester Indie band, Too Much Texas. After a few years of supporting various bands, Tom jumped ship. Gordon continued on to record with new singer Lee Severin.

Spring forward to post pandemic 2021, Tom met up with Gordon and suggested marking his friends 60th birthday in January 2023 by recording a memorial album. That is exactly what we have here in ‘Decades’. One song for each of the decades of Gordon’s life.

‘Decades’ features two kinds of songs:

The plaintive memorials of ‘Ian’, dedicated to Gordon’s father who became deaf on a National Service rifle range as an instructor, but retained a tolerance to the challenges of both his children and grandchildren throughout his life. ‘Angela’ is a meditation on the passing of Gordon’s sister, an artist who, coincidently, Tom was in a class with at Larkmead School, as a teenager.
The other songs are more mischievous: ‘Document 6’ is a deceptively happy sounding song which really describes a serial killer incarnating his human prey; the chorus warning that “it’s Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter outside“, ‘Tiny Shadow of Love’ is a song about an imaginary love triangle. ‘Killing Kittens’ is a song about esotericism – as a listener you will either know what the song is referring to, or have to find out.

The closer is ‘When Ali Came to Abingdon’ a pub singalong folk song detailing various events that did, might or definitely didn’t happen when Muhammad Ali visited Abingdon Gordon’s Hometown in 1972 and 1987. ‘Decades’ was launched at Gordon Mackay’s 60th birthday celebrations on Friday 20th of January 2023. It will be promoted at a string of Tom Hingley solo shows throughout 2023:

10.2.2023 Wrexham Parish, 21 Town Hill Wrexham LL13 8NA
3.3.2023 with the Lovers, AATMA, 1st Floor 14-16 Faraday Street Manchester M11BE
4.3.2023 with the Lovers, 100 Club Century House, 100 Oxford Street London W1D1LL
27.3.2023 Hanbury Arms, Banbury OX16 1ER

Tom Hingley is on Facebook.

 

Aidan Bishop is releasing ‘Burn Out’ on 26^th January.

Aidan Bishop is a singer songwriter from the UK. He’s released two EPs and an album, along with a couple of singles since he started making music back in 2020.

Aidan says, “Currently I’m working on a new set of songs for a project I’m developing.” As part of that, he’s releasing ‘Burn Out’

Aidan is on SoundCloud and Insta and says, “My name across social media is Aidan Bishop”.

 

Mike Ross has released his new single, ‘The Preacher’.

‘The Preacher’ is Mike Ross’ first single from his forthcoming, brand-new 12-track album. He’ll be releasing ‘Third Eye Open’ in Spring 2023. The album’s début single, ‘The Preacher’ starts the ball rolling. It has much grit, gusto and impact, and was released on Friday 20th January.

“‘Third Eye Open’ is a real bone-shaker of a record,” says Mike, of his new solo album, “the fattest, nastiest, chunkiest thing I’ve ever done! There’s definitely been a feeling of coming ‘full circle’ on this album, bringing all of my influences and material bang up to date and the final 12 track behemoth of a record is hands down the biggest, most cohesive and meaningful thing I’ve ever put out.”

The first single to be released from ‘Third Eye Open’, ‘The Preacher’, draws upon Mike’s rich archive of material for its riffs and licks. As Mike notes, “the main riffs for songs like ‘The Preacher’ were things I’d had for years but hadn’t ever found a use for.”

Mike Ross has a website, at mikerossmusic.co.uk, and is on Facebook, Twitter, Insta, Spotify, YouTube and AppleMusic.

 

Mary Middlefield will release her single, ‘Two Thousand One’ on 27^th January.

Rising singer/songwriter Mary Middlefield is from Switzerland. She is releasing her emotive single, ‘Two Thousand One’. Following a complicated and toxic breakup, the foundations of the track were born. Mary wrote the song in the comfort of her bed with her Mum by her side. She offers full transparency on the ongoing emotional abuse she received throughout the relationship. The title of the song holds a significant meaning to Mary that is much more than meets the eye. Building the track around her initial chords, ‘Two Thousand One’ was further developed with a synth and drum arrangement to complete a folk-inspired sonic driven by Mary’s rich vocals.

Mary says, “The process of finishing the track happened so quickly, it was recorded two weeks after it was written, but it’s definitely one of my favourites to date. I love how the song offers emotions from the head and heart which people often get during difficult moments within a relationship. It’s a fun, sad, folk song.”

Mary is on Insta and Twitter.

 

Jaffa Moore is releasing ‘You and I’.

‘You and I’ is from Jaffa Moore’s new album, ‘Photograph’, which will be released on January 27th. The track features Naya Rivera as well as Nile Rodgers on guitar.

Jaffa is better known as Geoffrey Moore, son of the legendary actor Roger Moore. Geoffrey recorded the single with the late singer and actor, Naya Rivera. The accompanying music video includes guest appearances from a host of stars all in tribute to Roger Moore.

Geoffrey Moore is on Insta, Twitter and Facebook

 

‘Soul Notes’ is from Duncan Moss’ new album, ‘Mnemonics Part One’.

Duncan Moss is a musician and non-conformist, who’s enjoying his journey as performance, not a dress rehearsal. With a compelling belief that the possibilities are endless, Duncan carves his art outside the confines of genre. Guided by passion and instinct and crafting every piece from the heart Duncan finds inner peace from music. A state that he believes signifies success far more than a monetary measure. He is convinced the answers are available for everyone even if they haven’t found them yet.

‘Mnemonics Part One’ is an album of solo piano pieces – a labour of love, encapsulating Duncan’s memories, and life experiences. The result is eleven, intensely moving tracks, each sincere, powerful, and breathtakingly beautiful. But it’s been taken some time to arrive. So why is the time right now to step out of the shadows and release Mnemonics? Duncan says, “I really couldn’t find a credible reason not to focus my complete energies on music and composition which go to the very core of who I am. I don’t regret this, but given the feedback I’ve had to date, I do feel that I should probably have done it earlier. I’ve worked it out, finally, that being an artist seems to have two diametrically opposed conditions, insecurity, and supreme self-belief. Now I know this, it really is much easier.”

‘Mnemonics Part One’ is out now. ‘Mnemonics Part Two’ will be released later this year. It features fully orchestrated versions of all the tracks. The album was recorded at London’s famous Air Studios. They used a 60-piece live orchestra, conducted and arranged by Grammy award winning, Steve Sidwell.

Duncan Moss has a website, at duncanmossmusic.com.

 

A recording of the show is available at MixCloud.

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