NEW TRACK: Caroline Says – ‘I Tried’

Imaginative, delicate and tainted with sadness, Caroline Says‘ latest single ‘I Tried’ is a somber yet sweet affair. The Austin-via-Alabama songwriter penned the song “from the perspective of a washed up Hollywood actress, remembering her careless youth” and produced it in her “disgusting mildewed basement apartment”.

We’re impressed by her resilience, and her ability to create something beautiful whilst working three jobs, living in the damp, and putting up with noisy neighbours. ‘I Tried’ is taken from Caroline Says new album No Fool Like An Old Fool, which is set to be released on 16th March via Western Vinyl.

Listen to ‘I Tried’ below, and follow her on Facebook for more updates.

Pre-order your copy of No Fool Like An Old Fool here.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: Girl Ray – ‘The Way We Came Back’

Following the success of last year’s debut album Earl Grey, and charming us with their sunny charisma at Green Man Festival, North London’s Girl Ray have since been receiving acclaim from the likes of BBC 6 Music, The Line Of Best Fit and The Guardian, and have now shared an infectious new single.

Written by Poppy Hankin when she was just sixteen, ‘The Way We Came Back’ is the perfect antidote to this bitter weather. Flowing with the band’s trademark smooth, swooning vocals and uptempo, jangly melodies, it oozes a sparkling, uplifting grace. As sweeping, lush harmonies glide alongside delicate refrains, it’s another shimmering slice of gentle garage-rock from the band, cementing their place firmly in our hearts.

Of the track, Sophie Moss explains:

“It’s an early, early – we’re talking pre-Earl Grey here – banger that we wanted to oil up. A plump cow that needed to be milked. It was one of the first songs Poppy wrote when she was 16 which we all found pretty impressive. Sly arrangement, good vibes here”

Watch the new video for ‘The Way We Came Back’ (fittingly filmed in below freezing temperatures on the Isle Of Sheppy) here:

Catch Girl Ray live:

10 April – Bristol, Thekla
11 April – Nottingham, Bodega
12 April – Hebden Bridge, Trades Club
13 April – Glasgow, Art School
15 April – Middlesbrough, Wegarth Social Club
16 April – Sheffield, The Leadmill
17 April – Manchester, Deaf Institute
18 April – London, Heaven
19 April – Brighton, The Haunt
05 May – Leicester, Handmade Festival
06 May – Newcastle, Hit the North
28 July – Derbyshire, Indietracks

Mari Lane
@marimindles

Photo Credit: Nyla Davison

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EP: ARXX – ‘Daughters Of Daughters’

Keeping the spirit of ’90s Riot Grrrl alive and well in the 21st century, ARXX are an exciting, energetic, garage punk duo from Brighton. Although only playing together since March 2017, when singer/guitarist Hannah Pidduck joined forces with drummer Clara Townsend, they have a big sound that packs a definitive punch with heart and soul. Debut EP Daughters Of Daughters showcases an eclectic range of sounds with subject matter ranging from toxic relationships, to cats, feminism, and addiction.

Throughout the EP there is a raw, unapologetic honesty. Opening track ‘Moments At A Time’ kicks off to the pummelling sound of thrashing guitar and drums, channelling female aggression, just because it can and should – “I’ll break your bones before I break the rules, I don’t really need you, I just don’t want to be alone”, whilst ‘Intervention’ explores misogyny – “this world is still a man’s world, and it still ain’t enough for a woman or a girl.”

 

Moments where we hear the full range of emotion and power in Hannah’s vocals occur when the music slows down, as on ‘Stuck on You’ and ‘The Cat Song’ – two searing, heartbreakingly catchy love songs (the cat’s miaow!). Finally, closing tracks ‘Tired of you’ and ‘Masters of Device’ deal with toxic relationships, fusing together energy and anger in an emotional powerhouse that you can thrash out to whatever way you want, in the kitchen or out of it!

Thirty minutes of listening, and a lifetime to love this band.

Daughters Of Daughters, the debut EP from ARXX, is out now. Catch them live (they really are one of the most exciting bands to see!) at the following dates:

8th March – The Prince Albert, Brighton
15th March – The Victoria, London

Fi Ni Aicead
@gotnomoniker

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Track Of The Day: Skating Polly (feat. Exene Cervenka) – ‘Queen For A Day’

Following 2013’s  Lost Wonderfuls, 2016’s The Big Fit, and last year’s New Trick EP, sibling punk-rock trio Skating Polly are now ready to release a brand new album. Marking themselves out as favourites when we caught them a couple of years back, putting on an immense live set at The Lock Tavern, Kelli and Peyton have since recruited Curtis on drums, to create an even bigger, high-octane sound.

Taken from the upcoming album, and featuring guest vocals from Exene Cervenka (from seminal punk band X), ‘Queen For A Day’ builds as honey-sweet melodies develop into a gritty climax of whirring, raging hooks and raw emotion. As scathing vocals are interweaved with lush harmonies, the trio exude their trademark seething energy and understated subtle power. Once again marking themselves out as going against the grain, with ‘Queen For A Day’ Skating Polly deliver an empowering sentiment, uniting anyone who doesn’t want to coincide with the confines of society’s limitations.

Accompanying ‘Queen For A Day’ is a tongue-in-cheek new video, Kelli Mayo explains:

“The lyrics for this song came from a conversation we had backstage with Exene about the old game show ‘Queen For A Day’.. The premise of the show was that women with tragic stories (sick children, dead husbands, poverty, etc) would compete against each other for applause from the audience… Months after this conversation Exene sent me lyrics in a text and we wrote the song around them. She’s singing on the second and third choruses too. We wanted the video to emulate the old show but also look like it was directed by John Waters.”

The Make It All Show, the new album from Skating Polly,, is out 11th May via El Camino Media. And Skating Polly will be supporting The Go! Team on a number of US tour dates (what a line up!).

Mari Lane
@marimindles

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