Black Tail is an indie rock band from Rome and Latina (Italy): Cristiano Pizzuti (Voice, Guitar, Synths), Simone Sicamanna (Guitar), Cristina Marcelli (Bass) and Roberto Bonfanti (Drums). The idea, and the name of the project, came out of a walk in the woods right outside Boston in 2013. A close encounter with a black-tailed deer, and a bunch of songs written while traveling. One of the songs is a demo recorded with a small portable device in Back Bay, dedicated to Elliott Smith, and presented during a short acoustic set on national radio station Radio Rai1. Three records (Springtime, 2015, One Day We Drove Out Of Town, 2017 and You Can Dream It In Reverse, 2020) released for the indie labels Mia Cameretta and Lady Sometimes, filled with indie-americana, jangle textures, and dreamy guitar arpeggios. The soundscape interlaces and changes, from sunny ballads to a shadowy restlessness. The musical vocabulary is influenced by Wilco, Sparklehorse, Teenage Fanclub, Yo La Tengo, Elliott Smith, all mixed up in an eclectic ecosystem made of handmade drawings and indie rock songs, slight folk roots and a rather lo-fi slackerish attitude. A personal narration of secluded worlds and introspective gazes. Wide Awake on Beds of Golden Dreams, which was recorded at VDSS Recording Studio by Filippo Passamonti between Dec 2022 and Sept 2023, is the band’s fourth full length and will be out on February 23rd (MiaCameretta Records).

The Fauns were formed in 2007 in Bristol and consists of Alison Garner (vocals), Will Slater (guitar), Michael Savage (bass) and Guy Rhys-Davies (drums). Their their eponymous debut album was released in 2009, followed by the 2013 release of Lights. These two works garnered warm acclaim from both critics and fervent shoegaze-loving fanbase alike – arriving into an atmosphere rekindled by the return of My Bloody Valentine.
Throughout the 2010s, the band toured relentlessly across Europe, sharing the stage with Creation label act The Telescopes for a number of shows. A European support tour with French doomgazers Alcest broadened The Fauns’ reach, and during this period they recorded sessions for BBC Radio 6 Music and XFM, even winning Steve Lamacq’s coveted rebel playlist accolade. The creation of their third album How Lost unfolded gradually over the subsequent years, led by three original members: Michael Savage, Alison Garner, and Guy Rhys Davies. In 2019, accomplished soundtrack composer Will Slater joined the band, catalyzing an intensified period of songwriting. The push and pull between Savage and Slater’s recording styles producing interesting and unique results. This latest album bridges The Fauns’ transformation from their earlier incarnation to their current evolution. The tracks traverse a spectrum of styles, ranging from intricate, guitar-driven sci-fi fantasies to industrial-tinged new wave compositions. The hallmark shoegaze elements are now stretched over gritty pulsating electro beats.