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Pictish Trail - an interview in May 2017
interview

Pictish Trail - an interview in May 2017

Yours truly has long been a fan of Pictish Trail – Johnny Lynch with his band, as a duo or solo. Nothing like the longing and wildness in the song “Winter Home Disco”. He presented a shiny, glittering album of ten delicate songs to us recently: “Future Echoes”. Since Johnny now resides on the Isle Of Eigg, one of the Small Islands, part of the Inner Hebrides in Scotland, I even contemplated to take the Road To The Isles…I haven’t do so yet but I still give you Pictish Trail – an interview in May

· Alice Peters-Burns · 11 min Future Echoes Indie
British Sea Power - Interview May 2017
interview

British Sea Power - Interview May 2017

Just as often as we despair about the music industry, especially in this day and age, shaping the tastes of people who in turn then support those artists that would not really be in need of support (yes, I am oversimplifying here) – just as often there is light at the end of the tunnel, there is hope. The bands that lately have given interviews to Offbeat Music Blog have defied the trends, the labelling and the media hype by continuing what they do and do it well. Here is another one that shines

· Alice Peters-Burns · 9 min British Sea Power Indie
Wovenhand interview at Reflektor, Liège, 2017
interview

Wovenhand interview at Reflektor, Liège, 2017

Here’s man who thinks that not many people listen to his music. I have heard otherwise and if all the gigs are like the one I attended, it could not be further from the truth. Have a short recap on Wovenhand and the gig and then read a  Wovenhand interview at Reflektor, Liège, 2017. David Eugene Edwards’ upbringing was one of extremes: After his freedom and biking loving father died, he spent a lot of time with his grandfather, a Nazarene preacher, and joined him on his travelling. The Nazarene

· Alice Peters-Burns · 9 min David Eugene Edwards Glitterhouse Records
Interview with The Wave Pictures, May 2017
interview

Interview with The Wave Pictures, May 2017

Staying true to yourself, no matter how little you earn, no matter how much scorn you face – is that not the true aim of an artist? To do what you love and keep doing it despite the wind blowing cold into your face? The Wave Pictures from Wymeswold in the UK (i.e. Franic and David hail from there) (Jonny Helm (drums), Dave Tattersall (guitar & vocals) and Franic Rozycki (bass)) do just that and do it in heaps and with joy. Find out in this interview with The Wave Pictures, May 2017. Since 1998

· Alice Peters-Burns · 12 min Bamboo Diner In The Rain blues
Interview with The Veils
interview

Interview with The Veils

Interview with The Veils at Muziekgieterij, Maastricht, Netherlands, April 20th 2017 Following the release of their album “Total Depravity” (Network) The Veils are touring. You can be sure to catch them at a place near you and please do as their already rounded and exciting latest album and of course the songs of the four predecessors sound on stage like…an even more grumbling, cathartic, very dark, heart-stopping and heart-touching affair! At the Muziekgieterij The Veils delivered (just like

· Alice Peters-Burns · 14 min Finn Andrews Indie

Elkhorn, Envy The West, Happy Sadness, somesurprises

Music – what would we do without it? As always I am thankful for all those musicians out there who present us with their hard work, their innermost thoughts and the beautiful results. Today I would like to draw your attention to new releases by Elkhorn, Envy The West, Happy Sadness, somesurprises. Elkhorn Jesse Sheppard (12 string acoustic) and Drew Gardner (electric guitar) will release their first album “The Black River” on April 14th as lush 175g vinyl with UV spot gloss sleeve and in dig

· Alice Peters-Burns · 4 min Elkhorn Envy The West

Introducing Lemonade Kid, Oblong, Lusterlit

Three very different artists on the blog with new releases today or rather tonight – but all of them involved in music with the sheer joy and dedication that you would expect from any musicians but would not find so often in the fodder that is fed to us in the charts. Please make yourself acquainted with Lemonade Kid, Oblong and Lusterlit. Lemonade Kid Lemonade Kid hail from gorgeous Shrewsbury in the UK. Fresh from the press is their new EP “Program Electricity” after a busy last year inclu

· Alice Peters-Burns · 2 min Indie Lemonade Kid

The Trouble With Templeton, Richard Osborn & New Apostles

On Offbeat’s turntable in January you’ll find a bit of everything. What the songs have in common is that they provide heart and soul with much needed warmth. Offbeat Music Blog introduces new releases to you: The Trouble With Templeton, Richard Osborn & New Apostles. The Trouble With Templeton – Someday, Buddy (Bella Union) The trouble with The Trouble With Templeton‘s release “Someday, Buddy” (Bella Union) was that it was released pre-Christmas during the usual end of year lull. So it went

· Alice Peters-Burns · 3 min Indie music
Album review: First Tiger - Dedicated
review

Album review: First Tiger - Dedicated

Happy New Year to you all! I know – what is it but a fracture of time that divides the new from the old in some parts of the world only. And yet, the greeting is expected and willingly given by me to all those who are more than deserving of a happy new year and who will contribute to make it one for those surrounding them – which is a great start. As always, music will play a big part in the life of those who read this. So here it comes: The first album review: First Tiger – Dedicated. “Ded

· Alice Peters-Burns · 2 min blog Dedicated
An interview with Bic Runga

An interview with Bic Runga

Regard this as a little holidays present from Offbeat Music Blog: An interview with Bic Runga! The first time I heard one of Bic Runga’s songs was way back on a compilation of the “Other voices” festival in Dingle, Ireland. Subsequently, “Beautiful Collision”, her second album, became a favourite. That was fourteen years ago. In the meantime Bic Runga has released another three albums and just now “Close Your Eyes” (Wild Combinations), out digitally November 18th and in physical format it will b

· Alice Peters-Burns · 14 min Bic Runga Close Your Eyes
Kristin Hersh: Wyatt At The Coyote Palace

Kristin Hersh: Wyatt At The Coyote Palace

This year has seen and heard a lot of brilliant new releases (not to mention the loss of many artists that will leave a hole for generations to come). Amongst these new releases was the return of artists that have been around since my teenagehood and boys oh boys, did they shine and sparkle and sound fresh. Kristin Hersh is one of them. Her latest release is the awesome, all encompassing Kristin Hersh: Wyatt At The Coyote Palace. Even though, Kristin has never been away, maybe just not so much i

· Alice Peters-Burns · 2 min album and book Indie
Steve Gunn & The Outliners Interview November 2016
interview

Steve Gunn & The Outliners Interview November 2016

Dear blog reader, I can almost feel you doubling back in sheer horror at the length of this post. Wait now, something good is coming or would you think that after two nasty viruses hitting the Offbeat household, three concerts and four interviews in a week, day jobs, radio shows and this being absolute Doomsday for mankind and the U.S. specifically, I’d be sitting here, typing until my fingers bleed? Naaaaw, it won’t be just me blathering – Steve Gunn will tell us about himself in his own words

· Alice Peters-Burns · 14 min Eyes On The Lines Indie
Lisa Hannigan Interview November 2016

Lisa Hannigan Interview November 2016

Lisa Hannigan released her third album “At Swim” to much critical acclaim a couple of weeks ago. Currently she presents her new and some old songs on tour in Europe after having played in the US. She will also be supporting Agnes Obel on her tour in Europe. Offbeat had the opportunity to talk to Lisa and presents you a fresh Lisa Hannigan Interview November 2016. Lisa played only a handful of gigs in Germany and so the intimate venue Studio 672 in Cologne was sold out. Heather Woods Broderick

· Alice Peters-Burns · 8 min At Swim Cologne
Minor Victories Interview
interview

Minor Victories Interview

Collaborations you would find many in the music scene. The best are naturally those that were not initiated for commercial reasons but because of the incentive of the musicians themselves. In the case of Minor Victories we were surprised by an initially casual idea for two artists collaborating turning into a whole band releasing a great self-titled album – a treasure trove of diverse and yet distinctive songs. Minor Victories have been taking their songs to the stage since this summer and Offbe

· Alice Peters-Burns · 10 min blog Editors

Red Eye, XAD, Twilight Fields

On this dreary Sunday (let’s not complain – we had an outrageously hot September here so far), it is time to dig into the blog again. I have some fine new three releases for you, covering a wide spectrum of the often unfairly put-into-one-box indie music genre. Red Eye, XAD, Twilight Fields. Let’s get going: Red Eye Just out is a new sigle by Red Eye called “Moroccan fruit”. Red Eye are of the nowadays rare breed of musicians implying that every song should carry a message. What greater

· Alice Peters-Burns · 3 min Indie new releases

Vibrissae, Audiodeluxe, Prana Crafter - listen now!

As you will notice, this blog features interviews with the well-known artists of the music scene (well-known to you, dear reader, if your musical interest lead you to this page) as, shall we say, a by-product of my radio shows. Initially this blog was meant to work the other way round though: New bands, mostly unsigned, that featured in my radio shows, were to be given more deserved exposure here. Which brings us to the wonderful (in no particular order) Vibrissae, Audiodeluxe, Prana Crafter – l

· Alice Peters-Burns · 2 min Audiodeluxe Indie
Kevin Morby Interview And Gig Review - Support: Jess Williamson
interview

Kevin Morby Interview And Gig Review - Support: Jess Williamson

So we are off again to the best venue in the area, Reflektor in Liège, Belgium. I won’t harp about it yet again, trust me, it is the perfect place. Tonight everyone is looking forward to see Kevin Morby play after the release of his third solo album “Singing Saw” (Dead Oceans) that for many already has secured a place in the top records of the year. Having a hectic tour schedule and not much time, I am very grateful that Kevin Morby took some time for an interview which you will find below. Here

· Alice Peters-Burns · 9 min gig review Indie

Indian Summer New Releases

I hope you had a lovely summer so far. Where I am, it was not much of a summer really and we are all waiting for an Indian summer. The nights are already getting quite cool. This is the time to settle down with some nice music (isn’t it always). Time for Indian Summer New Releases. The brilliant thing about this lack of summer was that the usual slack in new releases was also missing. I am trying to work my way through this huge backlog on this blog that is at the very tailend of part-time occ

· Alice Peters-Burns · 5 min Brigid Mae Power Hologram Teen
On The Turntable In Summer

On The Turntable In Summer

As the world is going mad and it never ceases raining here, it seems, I am in dire need of music. I don’t know about you. So, before I flee to rest, enjoy and also discover new music hopefully, I will leave you with some recommendations for the summer months. Now is the time to dig into the music as the flood of new releases subsides. So: On the turntable in summer. 50FOOTWAVE Kristin Hersh first emerged together with Tanya Donelly as Throwing Muses and has since delivered a steady stream

· Alice Peters-Burns · 5 min Dark Narrows Indie
Shearwater Interview
interview

Shearwater Interview

To celebrate the end of one tour, Shearwater from Austin, Texas, started another one. Believe it or not, they graced our wee town with a performance which might have spooked the band a little as the venue is in a WWII shelter bunker that is now a listed building and called the Musikbunker. I turned up already and shrieked my way through the dark bunker, ready or not for a Shearwater Interview. Anyhow, those who in spite of it being a weekday night and the footie being on came, were treated to a

· Alice Peters-Burns · 13 min Indie Jetplane and Oxbow

Helix Pulsar, The CracKers, Maths And The Moon

Time to savour some new music from the neverending well of Offbeat Music Blog. First up I would like to introduce you to Helix Pulsar, a French electro rock synth pop band, they have released their debut EP (with 12 tracks!) “Beyond The Wall”. If any of you readers are old enough to remember Danse Society or Clan Of Xymox (ah, those were the days) or young enough to come across them again, you are not far off Helix Pulsar’s sound, yet contemporary and with more electronic sounds and harmonies

· Alice Peters-Burns · 2 min Helix Pulsar Indie
Marble Sounds & Precious Few Gig Review

Marble Sounds & Precious Few Gig Review

Marble Sounds from Belgium are currently on tour mostly presenting songs from their new album “Tautou”. If you want to know more about the history of Marble Sounds and “the ins and outs” of the band, you can also refer to an interview with Pieter van Dessel, head of the band, here on this blog. And here comes the Marble Sounds & Precious Few Gig Review! Marble Sounds are: Pieter Van Dessel – vox, guitar, keys Gianni Marzo – guitar, vox Frederik Bastiaensen – bass Mattijs Vanderleen – drums Bre

· Alice Peters-Burns · 3 min Belgium gig
Mary Lattimore gig review

Mary Lattimore gig review

Mary Lattimore from Philadelphia travelled our shores with Great Lake Swimmers after the release of her new album “At The Dam” (Ghostly International) that is spinning in the Offbeat household non-stop and was so perfectly prescribed by someone writing in to BBC Radio 6 that I cannot but quote it: “Preparing for a holiday, listening to “At The Dam” which was inspired by her experiences on tour. What could be more perfect?” Mary Lattimore is one busy woman and it is not an easy feat to travel t

· Alice Peters-Burns · 2 min At The Dam gig review
Great Lake Swimmers @Muziekgieterij & interview
interview

Great Lake Swimmers @Muziekgieterij & interview

In one of the past blog posts I had posted an interview that Great Lake Swimmers‘ Tony Dekker kindly gave me and also highly recommended you to go see them on tour. And here comes more: Great Lake Swimmers gig review and interview The three-week tour through Europe with Mary Lattimore has now come to an end and I had the opportunity (thank you Phil Klygo from weewerk!) to see them play and have another short conversation. So, it was Friday, May 6th, one of the first warm days after a very co

· Alice Peters-Burns · 4 min blog. A Forest Of Arms Great Lake Swimmers
Interview with Great Lake Swimmers
interview

Interview with Great Lake Swimmers

Be aware, Great Lake Swimmers might be somewhere near you right now. Offbeat music was kindly granted an interview with Great Lake Swimmers. Please see below and read about and listen to the band a bit before, also about their support act Mary Lattimore and their tour dates together. Great Lake Swimmers from currently Toronto, Canada, have released their sixth album “A Forest Of Arms” to much acclaim spoiling us with 12 songs of sheer beauty with apparent ease. After a foray into a “studio a

· Alice Peters-Burns · 6 min A Forest Of Arms Great Lake Swimmers
The Veldt and Stella Diana - dreaming away

The Veldt and Stella Diana - dreaming away

The Veldt The Veldt are back! Oh, aye, were they ever there in the first place?  Indeed, or were there ever away? No, they were always there, but many even the most dedicated music fans in Europe missed them the first time around. This is not going to happen this time thanks to the changes that the global network brought upon us. Bands can market themselves, fans can find them and even the genre-mixing is not so much of a problem anymore. All of these developments were not given in the 80s a

· Alice Peters-Burns · 4 min Indie Shameless Promotion PR

Ask For Joy, Fallon Cush and This Modern Hope

Ask For Joy, Fallon Cush and This Modern Hope all have great news and music for you this month! Without further ado: Ask For Joy Aaron Rossetto from Austin, Texas is both a multi-instrumentalist and producer. In 2005, he founded Ask For Joy. Ask for Joy is clearly influenced by such wonderful bands as The Jesus And Mary Chain and My Bloody Valentine. With an assured knack for melodies, Ask For Joy release their album New Private Window this month. There can never be a guitar too many with

· Alice Peters-Burns · 2 min Ask For Joy Fallon Cush
Interview with The Maccabees in Cologne
interview

Interview with The Maccabees in Cologne

The Maccabees seem to be engulfed by opposites: London lads who grew up liking The Libertines, starting to make music at an early age and having been musicians ever since. Their fanbase growing up with them but still counting fans much younger than themselves. All this leads to the expectation that we will find a laddish band. On the other hand most boast rather elegant first names, certainly enjoyed quite a privileged upbringing and yet they pull it off in the North of England as well since t

· Alice Peters-Burns · 10 min Cologne gig
And the beat goes on with Marie Danielle

And the beat goes on with Marie Danielle

Happy New Year everyone and I hope that it will be a joyous 2016 for all of you! What’s in a date really – what changes? But there is a light that never goes out and for me as for most of you (else you would not be reading this) it is music. If we concentrate on just the musical side of life, we may say that in retrospect, 2015 has been a good year in music and I would like to thank all artists for giving us the gift of their art and will try to continue to support them as much as I can. W

· Alice Peters-Burns · 2 min Americana Felice Brothers
MAFF (Chile) -Autumn News Part 1

MAFF (Chile) -Autumn News Part 1

Autumn came upon many of us suddenly and heavily. Time to make yourself comfortable and cosy and listen to some good music. Chile would not be the first place on earth where to look for indie music, would it? Be honest! And yet, Ricardo (Richi) Gómez (Vocals/Bass/Guitar) & Nicolás (Nek) Colombres have started bands and currently give us MAFF. They were joined on the way Martin Colombres (Guitar) and Gonzalo (Talo) Correa (Guitar/Bass/Vocals/Synths). Note the plentiful guitars here? Indeed, M

· Alice Peters-Burns · 1 min Chile Indie
Rodney Cromwell

Rodney Cromwell

You know that I am guitar admirer but once in a while I do indulge in a bit of electronica. Is this what it is called? Well, anything that makes you dance and sway and drift away on the basis of abundant use of electronic equipment. I do not have the competence to discuss serious, classical electronic music, neither can I stand the lyrically empty or daft thumping sounds of the dancefloor. Indeed, I miss the great synth bands of the eighties using synths because it allowed them to express them

· Alice Peters-Burns · 9 min Age Of Anxiety Indie
Brigid Power-Ryce

Brigid Power-Ryce

Sorry to have been so quiet lately…been on hols which were fabulous but induced a lot of knee pain which is finally being looked into this week. But enough of that – music was there as usual to lend an ear, to console and to uplift. Of course I will share the music with you. You know this idea that some people breach to you, that you should actually buy books online. Apart from wanting to support my local book shop however, an online book thingie does not really lend itself to browsing. I know

· Alice Peters-Burns · 2 min Brigid Mae Power Brigid Power-Ryce
More music from Glasgow: Yaya Club

More music from Glasgow: Yaya Club

Darren Vincent moved from his native High Lands to Glasgow, venue city, media hotpot, centre of creativity in Scotland. There the singer-songwriter, so he says, can often be found baking banana bread (yummy) and stealing the neighbour’s cat – I hope the two are not connected in any way. He performs under the moniker of Yaya Club. His first release was the EP “Poor Sheesht”, pure American tradition, beautifully rendered. Then followed “Born In The Eighties” featuring a lush band sound. The man

· Alice Peters-Burns · 1 min country Folk
Coastal Tones - New Album by Orphan Boy

Coastal Tones - New Album by Orphan Boy

Avid readers of this blog will have come across Orphan Boy and I have also indulged the dear listeners of my radio shows with Orphan Boy tracks. Hark now, here comes Coastal Tone – new album by Orphan Boy.  To get the ones who missed these opportunities up to date: Orphan Boy are Rob Cross on guitar/vocals, Paul “Smithy” Smith on bass, Chris Day on drums and Sam Carlton on sax/guitar/keys. They call Cleethorpes in Northern England their home and went to Manchester to try their luck. This happe

· Alice Peters-Burns · 4 min beautiful Coastal Tones
Steve Gunn Interview
interview

Steve Gunn Interview

Steve Gunn, master guitar player and singer/songwriter (proven on his very fine and highly acclaimed album “Way Out Weather) has released three albums over the past year, his own “Way Out Weather”, a collaboration with Mike Cooper and a recording with The Black Twig Pickers. Before that he has released numerous solo albums and worked together with many more bands. The man never rests and what he does, he does get obsessed with on top. And now he is on tour, one hell of a tour. There must be a

· Alice Peters-Burns · 13 min Indie radio
Valise

Valise

Do Valise take their name from the French for “suitcase”? Search me, I dunno. I could pack one or two of those though on a dreary, cold, rainy Monday and travel to the US to see that band play. Guys, any chance, you will grace our shores in Europe? Enlighten us, you beg? Certainly. Vince Penick, Jared Travis, Casey Newton, Ricky Johnson hail from Dallas, Texas. They met in school and quickly ditched their studies to make music. They are on tour and their live shows – so I hear – are somethin

· Alice Peters-Burns · 1 min band Indie
Franka De Mille

Franka De Mille

Franka de Mille could make me utterly depressed. How can a woman be so gorgeous, possess such a voice, such talent, such a stage persona and yet be so utterly down-to-earth and friendly. It being that and of course her songs lift me up. The only thing that does depress me then, is why is the woman not at a star in the making at once? Franka De Mille is a London singer, songwriter and composer with THAT voice and very personal lyrics. She has a good knack on melodies which are bordering classic

· Alice Peters-Burns · 1 min Americana Bridge the roads
Twin Oaks

Twin Oaks

Some days I am deeply thankful for the internet…even though it many times contradicts its original purpose which to me is to save time. Gratefulness sets in when a band like Twin Oaks gets in contact with me. Twin Oaks does sonically what an image of twin oaks conjures in me…lightness and strongness, brightness and darkness, feeling cozy and overwhelmed, all at the same time. Lauren Brown and Aaron Domingo set out as a folk duo in Los Angeles. They have, however, expanded to create a grander

· Alice Peters-Burns · 1 min Indie LA
Orphan Boy
live

Orphan Boy

Today in a radio broadcast from the BBC 6 Music Festival, there was a discussion going on about the difficulty of labelling bands and their music. A special mention was made, in how far for instance Newcastle bands have it easier than Manchester bands to break free from the city’s musical history. A story Orphan Boy are only too well acquainted with: Originally from Cleethorpes and then moving to the big shmoke of Manchester, they were pegged as a “lad band” for maybe as little as the clothes

· Alice Peters-Burns · 2 min Coastal Tones Grimsby

Jay Woodward

When I first listened to Jay Woodward’s music it struck  me how well produced his recordings sounded but not overly so – indeed he prefers a classical approach like in the 60s and 70s. He is absolutely not making up with production what is missing in music. The music of Jay Woodward, as someone put it so nicely, renders itself perfectly for a drive through the desert. Now, I am in severe want of desert landscape here, but it works just fine in the woods and moors. Nature features big in Jay Wo

· Alice Peters-Burns · 1 min Howl Indie