The Declining Winter – Really Early, Really Late (single premiere)

The Declining Winter is the band led by Richard Adams, the co-founder of the group Hood. Their sound is a unique blend of influences from lo-fi, electronica and post rock with a strong visual aesthetic inspired by the countryside of Yorkshire. Their debut single was The Future Sound of Hip Hop Parts 1 & 2 on Misplaced Music fifteen years ago. This was followed up by the debut album Goodbye Minnesota released by Rusted Rail in 2008 and, in 2009, by the mini album Haunt the Upper Hallways on Home Assembly Music. After a long period of silence, the band (now consisting solely of Richard Adams with various guests) returned in 2013 and 2014 with a couple of eps and a new album, Home For Lost Souls, in 2015, again on Home Assembly Music. Belmont Slope arrived three year later and, in 2021The Definition Glance 7″ appeared on Spanish indie label Acuarela followed by another single I Remember – the lead track featuring the words of poet Thomas Hood.

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Lake Michigan – While J is Asleep (single premiere)

Lake Michigan is the solo project of English singer songwriter Chris Marks, born in York, where he grew up, then moved to London in his early 20s. He lived and worked in Rome for many years and now living in Mexico City. Making “Late night music” since 2010, Lake Michigan has seven albums and many singles and ep under his belt and is one half of Permanent Vacation with vocalist and writer Juliette Rapp.
His latest record, Headspace, out in 2021 on ZTapes, was about “love, change, Rome and a pelican“.
His new album Thin Veil will be out in March, releases on cassette and digitally through Chord Organ Tapes and will see a really different approach to composing and playing music for Lake Michigan.
The first single from the album, While J Is Asleep, will be out tomorrow and you can listen to it here right now for the first time.

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Permanent Vacation – And So It Goes (Video Premiere)

Permanent Vacation is vocalist and writer Juliette Rapp and songwriter Chris Marks (who is also known for his solo project Lake Michigan). They formed in Rome in early 2020, subsequently releasing two albums on cassette and digitally through Z Tapes. The first one, A Love Song For Everyone, was out in March 2021, while Hymn From The Backseat was out in November, same year. Their third record, titled Shelf Life, is due for release on December 2nd 2022 with New York label Totally Real Records. 

Their sound can be found in an off the highway motel, somewhere between indie folk, bedroom pop, and lo-fi late night shoegaze. You’re there in that dimly lit room with them, witness to the pair crooning together in that moment. You can even hear the 1950s sci-fi movie playing at low volume on the T.V. in the background. It’s that immersive.

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fhae – love you (Premiere)

fhae is a Meanjin-based experimental DIY solo project created by Ellena Ramsay, in which they combine ambient acoustic guitar and gut wrenching vocals. The project was first established in early 2021 and their first EP Fruits and Vegies quickly followed that same year. Ellena uses creative bedroom production paired with abstract household and DIY recording equipment. 
Layered vocals and melancholic harmonies are employed to devastating effect as they venture through various concepts and delivery methods, as with their “gibberish album” — ehu ofepr which doesn’t adhere to any language guidelines.

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Mimi Parker: Amazing Grace

Francesco Amoroso per TRISTE©

It’s so easy to laugh/ it’ so easy to “It’s so easy to laugh
It’s so easy to hate
It takes guts to be gentle and kind

Oggi non c’è spazio per parlare delle novità discografiche, per esaltare le ultime uscite o per raccontare di qualche canzone o album che mi appassiona o mi ha appassionato.
Oggi, nel mio cuore, c’è spazio solo per Mimi (e per Alan e per i loro figli).
Per Mimi Parker che era nata cinquantacinque anni fa in Minnesota e che, da allora, con il suo modo di essere schivo e gentile, è riuscita ad arrivare dritta al centro delle nostre anime, che ora si scoprono straziate, non senza un po’ di pudore e imbarazzo.
Pudore e imbarazzo perché nessuno di noi conosceva davvero Mimi Parker e sentirci in diritto di essere tristi, distrutti, devastati, sembra un’arroganza, un’invasione della privacy e un’offesa al dolore altrui.
Eppure non poss(iam)o che esserlo.
Distrutti. Devastati. Con un buco al centro del petto, con un senso di vuoto che non sarà facile colmare tanto in fretta.

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