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May Dispatch: Music on Repeat vol. 7

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We’ve always been and always will be a good hub for music of all sorts. But, most of all, we’re a safe harbour for new and independent bands and musicians – and there’s plenty of lesser-known great stuff out there for us to explore in this Dispatch. Hold on to your hats, here we go!

Alongside cool and hot stuff that was released in the last three months, we still bring you a summary of what else the team over here has been listening to.

Also, many of you reached out to check on the bee situation mentioned in our February Dispatch (thank you for that) – we can safely say the bees are fine, now our friends.

Music, right.

Candi Carpenter – Everybody Goes to Hell

While we’re still working on our review of Candi Carpenter’s Demonology, the actual official album that started as an EP, we can at least throw our review of ‘Everybody Goes to Hell’ your way. It’d be a crime not to, the newsroom believes.

It’s a song that packs an unusual amount of emotion, and honesty. It completely wrecks our emotional state of mind every time someone plays it out loud.

Candi Carpenter – ‘Everybody Goes To Hell’ (Visualizer).

Rachel Chinouriri – It Is What It Is

Rachel Chinouriri‘s new album is also in the review pipeline and we’ll get to it eventually. So, in the meantime, you can check out the review of ‘It Is What It Is’.

The team over here doesn’t agree on many things when it comes to music but going to Rachel’s gig is what we all agree on and we’re going to one. Rachel is currently touring the US but should be back playing gigs in November according to the tour schedule. If you’re within marathon distance of a place on the list, don’t hesitate a second, it’ll be a blast.

It is what it is.

Rachel Chinouriri – ‘It Is What It Is’ (Official Visualiser).

Holly Humberstone – Into Your Room 

We reviewed Holly Humberstone’s EP, Work in Progress, a few months ago and still truly enjoy it.

It doesn’t happen often that an artist releases good music back to back, but Holly is a shining example of it happening. Be it gentle ‘Work in Progress’ or punchier ‘Down Swinging’, the EP doesn’t disappoint for a second.

Not a day goes by without someone praising, e.g., ‘Into Your Room’, so go and have a listen.

If you want to hear it live, you’re in luck since Humberstone is also touring the world, currently in the US, later in Europe, and playing Victorious Festival at the end of August.

Holly Humberstone – ‘Into Your Room’ (Official Video).

Northern Gloom – Mantra

When Northern Gloom released ‘Mantra’, it went straight on the playlist. However, that’s not the only reason it’s been on repeat. It’s a song that you find yourself singing at random moments.

The song has six lines, plus a huge ‘woo-ooo-ooo’ howl that just pops out when you’re supposed to be acting like a normal member of society.

As a special treat, here’s a live version of the song.

Northern Gloom – ‘Mantra’ (Live at the Upside).

Puma Theory – Hit & Run

Puma Theory, a Reading-based duo, was brought to my attention a few months ago and while they don’t have much music to listen to yet (correct me if I’m wrong), I think there’s solid potential. ‘Hit & Run’ hits a good spot & runs with it.

I love the sound and vocals, and when a song kicks off with a verse like this, you spidey-sense good vibes:

Bridges burn like wildfire
Holding hands with barbed wire
On and on they go

Is good old British music tradition making it back to the stage?

Their Bandcamp page claims, they ‘combine stirring melodies with heavy riffs, exploring the darker side of indie rock’, and I agree. Since their website doesn’t provide much information, you can try their social media or YouTube channel. If you hit the link, you’ll also find out their next gigs.

I’m hoping more good music is coming because we want to see the band around. And if they stick around and give us more music, we’d be happy to interview them.

Puma Theory – ‘Hit & Run’ (Lyric Video).

Lastelle – Breathe Me In

You can trust Lastelle to create an intense atmosphere and ‘Breathe Me In’ is exhibit ‘A’ in my evidence for this. It’s a song about falling out of love, which made us fall in love (with Lastelle).

The band has also demonstrated the breadth of their creativity by putting together their own music video. Talented indeed.

This song, though!

Lastelle – ‘Breathe Me In’ (Official Video).

Okubi – Shattered Tides

The first surprise of the last three months is an artist with a mysteriously sounding name Ōkubi (or Okubi, seems to go by both). At first, we thought he must be from Japan but you can’t imagine how wrong we were…

The Brighton-based musician caught our ear with his somewhat unique approach to the synthesiser. There’s something to the patterns that makes the music appealing even to those who don’t particularly appreciate electronic sound.

The music draws inspiration from Jean Michelle Jarre and a few others. While good influences are not a seal of approval, you can rely on it here 

Okubi released two new singles in April so if this genre floats your boat, you have our blessing, give the guy a try.

Shattered Tides – ‘Ōkubi & NARA’ (Zwobot Visualiser).

Salem – Fall Out of Love

Seasoned members of our crew have known Salem for ages, I had to be told about their existence because I only recently started listening to Creeper. Nevertheless, ‘Fall Out of Love’ is a banger so we had to include it this time.

The lyrics are just way too good:

Like an apparition appeared in the kitchen
I am overpowered
Hungover and beautiful
Threw myself a funeral
So you’d have to bring me flowers

Will Gould, the frontman, is a romantic.

Salem – ‘Fall Out of Love’ (Official Audio).

Cartographer – One More Night

When ‘One More Night’ dropped, Cartographer stunned us with this dark twisty song. It has many of their signature elements, but has stormy undertones that reflect the darkness of being hooked on a bad relationship.

This is a band who create a complex sound and we love it.

Cartographer – ‘One More Night’ (Lyric Video).

Sapphire Trouts – I’m All Flat

The second interesting discovery we made was a band called Sapphire Trouts.

All we know about them is that they’re Czech.

The song’s genre is somewhere around the ambient territory; it heavily relies on atmosphere and much less on lyrics, which isn’t an issue at all. The sound is great, the vocals are positioned low, making the music do most of the talking:

Why be exceptional
The game is unwinnable
Wise men say
This is not
All to grasp

Take no blame
For thinking the same
Blood flows on
For no ransom
Paid… just given

Since it looks like their first attempt to get out there and share their music with the world, they have our thumbs up.

We’ll keep an eye on them for you but if you want to do it yourself, we only know about their YouTube channel, not about any website yet.

Sapphire Trouts – ‘I’m All Flat’.

English Teacher – Albatross

Delicately made and a perfect flourish for the end of the dispatch, English Teacher gifted us the wonderous ‘Albatross’. This is a perfect Bowie-esque indie track.

The song features razor-sharp lyrics, intricate and smart, to make this song that extra bit special.

English Teacher – ‘Albatross’ (Official Audio).

You Can Also Check Out Previous Dispatches

Written by Vinklarek on

Petr 'Pete' Vinklárek writes mainly about music. Prior to entering the digital industry, he taught Translation Studies & British and American Cinema at a university. In his spare time, he hikes, listens to podcasts, watches films, and writes poetry. Petr studied the English Language and Literature at The University of Ostrava; his master’s thesis covered some aspects of Warren Zevon's work.
Petr

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