Penetrate (Walter Ego Remix) is taken from Stubborn Heart’s new 4-track 12” & DL single ‘Penetrate’ out on 30th September.
Premiered on BBC Radio 1Xtra during Walter Ego DailyDose Mix last night.
Stubborn Heart announce their biggest set of UK & European shows to date:
19th July Latitude Festival Suffolk (UK)
25th July Circolo Magnolia, Milan (Italy)
21st August Exit07 Luxembourg (Luxembourg)
5th September Dimensions Festival Pula (Croatia)
13th September Sneaky Petes Edinburgh (UK)
28th September Marsatac Festival/ DOCK DES SUDS Marseille (France)
For this music profile I am bringing you a band I really think are brilliant: The Tomas Doncker Band, they have a great soulful vibe and make stunning music. They sound like proper old soul music with a modern touch and you can now catch their new album: “Power of the Trinity…A Slight Return”
Fresh on the heels of his June 2013 release “Howlin Wolf EP”, which The Huffington Post said “definitely conveys the original emotion of dark brooding — the raw elements and power of the bluesman”, The Tomas Doncker Band are back with a new release entitled “Power of the Trinity…A Slight Return” (The GLOBAL SOUL Mixtape Volume 1), to be released through Doncker’s own True Groove Records.
“Power of the Trinity…A Slight Return”, Tomás’s latest release, is a Global-Soul meditation on the legacy of Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie. It features contributions from legendary bassist/producer Bill Laswell, Ethiopian singers Ejigayehu “Gigi” Shibabaw and Mahmoud Ahmed, legendary Ethiopian guitar hero Selam Woldemariam (who also served as production consultant for the project), saxophonist Peter Apfelbaum, trumpet and horn arrangements by Steven Bernstein, international Avant-Funk Super star Joseph Bowie, and a host of New York’s finest jazz, funk and rock musicians.
Doncker’s describes his definition of global soul as “The sound of our collective conscience. The unified rhythm of heart beats creating a positive, spiritually uplifting force for good. Musically speaking it is not genre specific, but in fact genre inclusive. It is the best of what we have to offer to each other, from Brooklyn to Ethiopia, and everywhere in between.”
The EP is being released in support of The Studio Samuel Foundation’s 1Hundred Girls Impact Plan (www.studiosamuel.org), a charity that supports young women in Ethopia.
“We must become members of a new race, overcoming petty prejudice, owing our ultimate allegiance not to nations, but to our fellow men within the human community.”
H.I.M. Haile Selassie I
Artist: Tomas Doncker Band Location: Brooklyn, NY Styles: Global Soul/Roots/Fusion/Funk/Blues/Psychedelic Rock/World Similar to: Taj Mahal, Seal, Fela Kuti, The Souljazz Orchestra, Cody Chessnutt, Gary Clark Jr. CD: Power of the Trinity…A Slight Return Accolades:
Interviewed on CNN, 11 feature performances for N.Y.C. Summer Stage(2013), 2010 Shanghai Folk Festival, 2010 World Expo (also in Shanghai), 2012 Milwaukee Summer Fest, 2012 N.Y.C. Summer Stage (6 shows-including Central park), Performed at 2012 Artist of the year (Conversations Magazine), Performed at U.N.Global Peace day event (Linzhou, China-11), Opening act for Ethiopian mega-star Teddy Afro at B.B. King’s N.Y.C(2/22/13), Featured on Howlinwolf.com.
Similar to: Toadies, Nirvana, Black Sabbath, The Stooges, The Melvins, The Vines
CD: Better Days
If you still believe the code of the D.I.Y. musician is to destroy – and rebuild – every single pillar of rock ‘n’ roll; if you believe that it’s not just a privilege, but a duty to be loud, impassioned, dangerous and not just follow the scene’s flashing lights, you owe it to yourself to immediately check out New Jersey’s Black Clouds.
Comprising of guitarists/vocalists Dan Matthews and Rob Blake, bassist Gary Moses and drummer Cory King, The Black Clouds have returned leaner and louder with their new 2012 release, “Better Days.” Produced, recorded, and funded entirely by the band, “Better Days” was recorded over the period of one
month and mixed by alternative rock legend, John Agnello (Dinosaur Jr., Sonic Youth, Hold Steady). The album abides by three driving principles: Play loud. Play hard. Leave every post-modern music trend quivering in the dust. And it scores with a bullet.
The Black Clouds have maintained a D.I.Y. stance since their formation in late 2004. Also self-produced, recorded and funded, the band’s debut LP “Wishing Well” (2008) was mixed and mastered by yet another legendary rock producer, Seattle’s Jack Endino (Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney).
The Black Clouds played Bamboozle in 2008, and followed with a self-funded, self-booked US tour in 2009, which saw them hitting 25 shows in 30 days. Another short tour – again funded and booked entirely by the band – followed in 2010, when the they hit the road for SXSW and back.
The Black Clouds’ grueling commitment to touring has paid off, as the band plays every live show like it’s their last one standing. And “Better Days” pulls off the near-impossible feat of ensnaring the band’s blood-and-spit stage fury in a way few modern bands could even strive for, let alone achieve.
Accolades:
The Bamboozle Festival 2008, Opened For the Toadies twice (Once in 2009 and
again in 2010), Opened for Tantric in 2008, Headlined the Stone Pony
in Asbury Park numerous times, Headlined at Mercury Lounge in NYC, Played CMJ in 2008, Played at SXSW in 2010, Did a 25 show US tour around the entire country (in 30 days) in mid-2009 (self-booked and funded), Nominated for top rock band in 2008, 2009 and 2010 in the Asbury Music Awards, Nominated for best album in 2008 in the Asbury Music Awards
Members/Instruments: Dan Matthews – Guitar/Vocals, Rob Blake – Guitar/Vocals, Gary Moses – Bass, Cory King – Drums
Production: Written, produced and recorded by The Black Clouds (except “Blue Blocker” written by Lonnnie Rutledge), Mixed by John Agnello (Known
for his work with Dinosaur Jr., Sonic Youth, The Hold Steady and Dead Confederate), Mastered by Scott Hull.
Another music profile from Frost Magazine. Let us know what you think.
Band: Beijing
Location: New Haven, CT USA
Styles: Indie Rock, Alt Rock, Garage Rock
Similar to: Sunny Day Real Estate, Silversun Pickups, Smashing Pumpkins, Jimmy Eat World, The Breeders, Jeff Buckley
CD: Night (May 7, 2013)
Members/Instruments:
Bill Pruchnicki – drums
Eric Thornberg – vocals, guitar
Jack Hoppingarner – bass, vocals
Thom Smith – guitar, synth, vocals
Bio:
Beijing is an American alternative rock band from New Haven, CT. The band is comprised of Eric Thornberg (vocals/guitar), Thom Smith (guitar/synths), Bill Pruchnicki (drums) and Jack Hoopingarner (bass). Their style has elements of a dark, melancholy, alternative rock sound made famous in the 90’s by bands like Sunny Day Real Estate and Smashing Pumpkins, fused with big choruses and spacey guitar reminiscent of modern bands like Jimmy Eat World and Kings of Leon.
The band formed in the Spring of 2011 and released their debut EP, ‘It’s Not So Simple’. The four song EP consisted of simple and unique grunge rock inspired pop songs characterized by Thornberg’s unique vocal style set to a soundtrack of layered fuzz and amplifier feedback. The EP quickly catapulted Beijing to a national level with countless bloggers reporting on the EP and culminating the year by being named the underground band of the year by Beatcrave.com.
After spending most of late 2011 and early 2012 maturing together as a band and writing a massive amount of new material, Beijing headed into the studio to record their full length debut, ‘Night’. The album was released on May 7th, 2013. Inspired by feelings of love, loss and hope, ‘Night’ showcases the sound that Beijing has become. Dark and spacey melodies collide with huge distorted guitars, provoking emotion and thought inside of a dark and dense, yet beautiful atmosphere.
Beijing is currently supporting ‘Night’ and have begun writing a follow-up album to be released in early 2014.
The year 2013 has so far shaped up to be a busy and successful year for Australian Alternative Rock band the Monks of Mellonwah. After 3 EP’s since 2009, the band has recently departed with their 3rd release, ‘Sky And The Dark Night’ and is now celebrating their new partnership with company A&R Worldwide (Muse, Coldplay) with the release of single ‘Ghost Stories’. Ghost Stories features the single ‘Ghost Stories’ and two new tracks fast-tracked from their debut album ‘Turn The People’, which is set for release in late 2013.
The band has been described as the ‘birth child’ of bands such as Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin, noted as their primary influences. Their music includes hard-hitting Alternative Rock combined with elements of space and electronica, and their forthcoming releases are a testament to this. Their most recent EP, ‘Sky And Dark Night’ explores elements of classism and film music, noting Hans Zimmer as their primary inspiration for it. The three track EP takes the listener on an epic journey of discovery and musically marks the continued evolution of the band into a darker, more intense exploration of their combined talents and influences.
The Sky And The Dark Night Trilogy was released in March and has since been reviewed by over 50 blogs worldwide, being described as “nothing less than symphonic artistry in its purest and rawest form? (Limerence Magazine 2012). The 8-minute long Trilogy has also enjoyed significant airplay in its entirety across a number of radio stations in Australia and NSW, and to celebrate it’s success, the band has just released the Trilogy on limited edition 10” vinyl.
The ‘Ghost Stories’ release coincides with the bands’ recent selection to play at Singapore?s acclaimed Music Matters Festival, as well as their involvement with A&R Worldwide. Having won respective awards for ‘Best International Rock Band’ and ‘Best Indie Rock Band’ at the LA Music Awards and AIM Music Awards in 2012, and following an East & West Coast tour of the US, the recent deal with A&R Worldwide marks the bands continual push at breaking into US and International Markets. The release of a full-length album in late 2013 will also see the band doing further touring both nationally and internationally.
The Monks of Mellonwah are a four-piece alternative/indie rock band based in Sydney, Australia. The band has toured nationally and traveled to the United States twice, winning awards for Best Indie Rock Band (2012 AIM Awards) and Best International Act (2012 LA Music Awards). Their two EP’s and subsequent music videos have gained them worldwide critical acclaim, airplay on MTV’s network and extensive radio play.
Strongly influenced by rock artists such as Led Zeppelin, Muse, Pink Floyd and the Chili Peppers, the Monks’s music displays a masterful and unique blend of intense space, driving riffs and sharp metaphors. As their sound evolved, so did their love for both classic rock and modern progression/experimentation.
Their first EP, “Stars Are Out” found the Monks receiving significant radio play across Australia on community radio. The band released their first music video “Swamp Groove” in April 2011 and enjoyed airplay on ABC’s music program RAGE. “Swamp Groove” also claimed first prize at a music video night at “Harold’s Shorts” short film festival, receiving great reviews and the award from legendary music historian and personality Glenn A Baker.
The Monks released their second EP “Neurogenesis” in May, 2012, along with a new video for “Neverending Spirit”, to an overwhelming response. In addition to international and national radio play, College Radio in the US and Canada, “Neurogenesis” received hundreds of reviews and features worldwide, including coverage on MTV, Big Takeover Magazine, CMJ, Kings of A&R, Noise 11 and Tonedeaf. The media attention earned them licensing spots through a number of production companies in the US including Discovery Networks and Bunim Murray. The video for “Neverending Spirit” also received high profile exposure in the US including MTV Networks. The College Music Journal (CMJ) featured the track on their MixTape for May along with a feature of the band in their magazine.
The Monks successfully toured for “Neurogenesis” throughout Australia in Summer 2012 working with Tone Deaf, and continued their outreach with a United States tour organized by President Entertainment.
Their debut full-length is currently in production, partly with legendary producer Keith Olsen and partly self-produced. The Monks have also signed a development deal with A&R Worldwide (Adele, Muse, Coldplay). Intensive touring plans are in the works for both Australia and the United States in 2013.
On April 1, 2013, the band released the progressive and experimental EP/single “Sky and the Dark Night”, an emotionally charged, heavy offering showcasing the band’s new direction that was hinted at with “Neurogenesis”. It was released on limited edition vinyl and digital only.
Now the Monks have taken a turn again with “Ghost Stories”, truly showcasing the bold new sound they’ve developed over the past year of touring, writing and studio work. Rock, electronic, and strong pop sensibility infuse this offering, meant as a preview of their forthcoming full-length.
AUSTRALIAN TOUR DATES (Queensland and other dates will be announced shortly. The tour will be 16 stops.):
29th June – Live @ The Brewhouse, Kings Street Wharf, Sydney, NSW
2nd July – Revolver Upstairs – Prahan, Melbourne, VIC
3rd July – Noise 11 – Live acoustic performance + interview, Melbourne, VIC
3rd July – Grace Darling Melbourne, VIC
4th July – Tote – Melbourne, VIC
12th July – The Fitzroy, Windor, NSW
3rd August -The Annandale, Sydney, NSW
14th August – Yours & Owls – Woolongong, NSW
15th August – The Australian Brewery, Rouse Hill, NSW
Production: Produced, Recorded and Programmed by Joseph de la Hoyde at Aston Villa Studios 2012/13, Track 2 drums recorded at Studio At The Palms, Las Vegas, by Keith Olsen and Rob Katz and Assisted by Kevin Luu 2012
Band: Slim Loris Location: Stockholm, Sweden Styles: Indie pop/rock/americana Similar to: Mumford & Sons, Arcade Fire, The Avett Brothers, The Band CD: Future Echoes and Past Replays
Members/Instruments: Mattias Cederstam: Vocals, bass, piano, Robert: Guitars (live also Jonas Ellenberg: Drums and Leon Lindström: guitars and vocals) Production: Slim Loris
Slim Loris, from Stockholm, Sweden, blends Indie Pop/Rock with Americana and a pinch of Swedish melancholy. The band formed in 2009 from the remnants of two indie acts, and released a collection of demos entitled “Amateur Night at the Asylum” the year after.
In 2011, Slim Loris’s debut album “Down To Earth” was released, led by the 1st single “Low”, showing the band’s fine-tuned song writing skills and classic rock sense of melody. Neufutur.com says “Slim Loris cuts nothing less than a shambling masterpiece” and gave the album an 8.7/10 score. Billboard Discoveries says of the release. What Slim Loris have accomplished on their full-length, “Down to Earth” is a sombre turn to the usually poppy sound of the 60’s British invasion”.
Two songs from Slim Loris were also featured in the Swedish film “Var kommer mjolken ifran”.
The follow up release entitled “Future Echoes and Past Replays”, a mature, emotionally charged album showing progression in the band’s song-writing and production, is due to be released on May 19th.
Band: My Woshin Mashin Location: Russia/Germany Styles: Eclectic Electronic, Crossover, Rock, Dance, Punk Similar to: The Knife, Moby, The Prodigy, Bloodhound Gang, KMFDM CD: EVIL MUST DIE Record Label: Tame Corbie Records
My Woshin Mashin (that’s right – My Woshin Mashin) was created by 3 friends from Russia and Germany. It happened in 2010 when Bibi Tulin and Hugo Simons left their previous bands and decided to make something new and different. Together with Wolfgang Scherman (their German friend who lives in Berlin and wears a crocodile mask) they gave a strange name to the project – My Woshin Mashin.
Later, under the influence of German dance tunes, Mike Patton’s work, English metal bands and old school music these three released their first demo-tape “Amazing Demo”, extended play “We Came in Peace” and their first long-play “Mawama” which was called “amazing (9/10)” in Brutal Resonance E-Zine, “funkelnden Kitsch” in Zillo Magazine and “better than amphetamine” in Russian Billboard.
Musically, My Woshin Mashin is eclectic and intense, but not without humor. Visually, the group’s music videos have earned them recognition on MTV, in art schools (their “Twenty One” video has been shown in multiple art schools as an example), and even surrealistic trash movies such as “The Smell Of Love”, which sold out on DVD.
My Woshin Mashin’s new full-length album is appropriately titled “EVIL MUST DIE”, and out now.
Of the new album, the band says “Our first album was about the characters we love (leutenant Columbo, Robocop, Godzilla etc). Hard beats, funny lyrics, dance tunes…you know, a very funny album. But when we were working on “Evil Must Die” we decided to concentrate on things from the “real” world – degradation of the television, money as a modern god, animal rights, really bad people we know and their behaviour, the loneliness of true heroes etc. By this album we’re trying to say that people must be more intelligent and simple, they must to try to change themselves into a better way and try to find the real values of life. It’s not about the money, a good job, democracy, power, expensive stuff, social networks or television. But it’s about the inner God who can be described simply – Love.”
NYC ARTIST MARLA MASE ANNOUNCES SUMMERSTAGE APPEARANCE
New York rock/crossover artist Marla Mase has confirmed that she and guitarist Tomás Doncker will be bringing her “Speak” show to Summerstage 2013, joining a lineup that includes The Zombies, Django Django, Dead Prez, Lianne la Havas and Rakim. The CD “Speak Deluxe” found Marla touring both China and Europe, being honored by Friends of the UN, and receiving top reviews from publications such as The Huffington Post, who said “her feisty message of peace will perhaps wake up the beast in all of us”.
“Speak” is a multi-media concert and dance piece inspired by the songs of Marla Mase’s acclaimed 2013 album, “Speak Deluxe”. Combining live music, spoken word, dance and visual imagery, Marla has teamed up with choreographer Adrienne Hurd, filmmaker James Jankiewicz, and director/producer Sara Berg (who directed A Brief Night Out, Marla’s rock opera about a women going through a mid-life rock-n-roll crisis in 2012) for one of a kind show. “Speak” presents a powerful portrayal of “the universal woman’s” confinement, sexuality, body image, trauma, oppression and freedom, celebrating the raw reality of the human condition as expressed through the eyes, bodies, and voices of women. Through the expressive movements of a troupe of seven dancers, each of whom has a distinct voice and tale in the mini-stories, the dancers will explore the archetypes that make up the idea of what it means to be a modern woman.
The music, co-written by Marla Mase and Tomás Doncker is an integral part of “Speak” and features elements of Rock-n-Roll with World Beat, Punk, Funk, Electronica, Reggae and Soul and will be performed live at each performance with both Mase and The Tomás Doncker Band.
Marla Mase’s “Speak” performance takes place on June 15th, 2013 in Herbert Von King Park and August 17 at The East River Park. Both performances are free to the public. Event information can be found here.
Artist: Marla Mase (backed by Tomás Doncker Band) Location: New York, New York Styles: rock (alternative/classic), punk, spoken word, global soul, funk, reggae, experimental Similar to: Patti Smith, David Byrne, Frank Zappa, Iggy Pop, Ian Dury, GTO’s, Jim Morrison, Henry Rollins CD: SPEAK DELUXE
Marla Mase is a writer/performer/producer/singer/songwriter from New York City. She writes songs, plays, monologues, short stories, erotica, blogs, and poems. Marla is known for her provocative, raw performance style and intelligent lyrics and is regarded by her peers as being a true musical pioneer of our time. She is backed by the Tomás Doncker Band. Just off her first tour in China where she was invited by the Friends of the UN to perform for UN GLOBAL PEACE DAY in Linzhou City, Marla was given an honorary Messenger of Peace award for her visionary work as a songwriter and performing artist. Her fans span the globe.
Marla is about to release the DELUXE Edition of her album SPEAK (on Feb 28, 2013) which will include the 10 songs on the original 2010 album plus 6 new tracks including Piece of Peace, AnnaRexia (a reggae track featuring
Garrison Hawk from Bill Laswell?s Method of Defiance), and Bill Laswell?s dubmix version of AnnaRexia. AnnaRexia is spearheading the StayImperfect Project or Love Your Butt Campaign, which Marla created to empower women to not only accept but love themselves and their bodies. Proceeds from AnnaRexia as well as emerging artist, Lael Summer?s track, The Good Fight (whose EP Marla co-produced with Doncker) will go towards theprojectheal.org, a non-profit organization founded by two teenage eating disorder survivors, that raises scholarship money for girls whose families cannot afford to send them to treatment.
Mase is currently developing THE SPEAK SHOW, a multi-media concert/performance piece using music (from SPEAK DELUXE), spoken word, dance and visual imagery to explore the themes of confinement, sexuality, body image, trauma, oppression (internal/external) and freedom as a means of celebrating the raw reality of our human condition as expressed through the eyes, bodies, voices of women. It was recently booked for NYC Summerstage 2013.
Her debut album, the rock opera, A Brief Night Out (BNO), tells the story of a woman, having an affair, breaking-down, obsessing on war and re-assessing her life. It is also the soundtrack to a theatrical version of the same story that has been performed in New York City with Broadway Veteran Martin Vidnovic playing all the male roles and also as a one-woman show directed by Sara Berg.
Marla’s play, The Canarsie Line directed by Kathryn Rossetter, ran at The Bank Street Theatre to sold out audiences in 2002. Her play Man/Woman was work-shopped at the Abingdon Theatre in 2004.
Marla has her MA in writing and performance from NYU and is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society.
Most importantly Marla is the mother to two beautiful souls.
Members/Instruments:
Marla Mase – Lead Vocals
Tomás Doncker: guitars, vocals
Josh David : bass, vocals
James Dellatacoma: guitars, computer (sounds, etc)
Damon DueWhite: drums
Alan Grubner: violin
Heather Powell: back-up vocals
Manu Koch: keyboards
Daniel Sadownick: percussion
Production:
Produced by Tomás Doncker and James Dellatacoma
Engineered by James Dellatacoma of Orange Studios
Mastered by Michael Fossenkemper of Turtletone Studios
19th July Latitude Festival Suffolk (UK)
