Belwood Spotlight artist Tom Lumley has unveiled the new video for his song ‘Dream City’, the title track from his debut EP. Beginning in broody black and white with footage of Tom and the band performing, spliced with scenes within the city streets, it catches you offguard with it’s occasional kaleidoscopic explosions of colour. Blending together indie and alternative rock, the track boasts a great interplay between uplifting lead lines and heavier rhythm riffs, with some superb bass lurking just beneath the surface. ‘Dream City’ is built around its memorable melodies, and its anthemic chorus is perfect for fans of Catfish and the Bottlemen. Tom has been going from strength to strength this year, and ‘Dream City’ is a great indication of the kind of festival ready hits that he is capable of.
top tracks
Top Tracks: TJ Stafford – Crazy
Having performed in various bands over the years, and with his music being featured on such iconic shows as The Walking Dead, Sons of Anarchy and True Blood, LA based songwriter TJ Stafford has struck out on his own with his debut single. ‘Crazy’, taken from his upcoming debut album All My Bad Habits Have Prepared Me For This out 30th June, is a dark and brooding track, a slow burning fuse of volatile alternative rock. With an inescapable air of tension the song drifts along its mesmeric rhythm, the haze pierced only by occasional cathartic bursts of aggression. Like a sleepwalk through a minefield, the contrast at work here is quite striking. TJ has started strong with his solo career and his debut seems sure to have more surprises in store.
Top Tracks: The Afghan Whigs – Arabian Heights
Cult 90s legends The Afghan Whigs are back, with the latest cut from their forthcoming album In Spades, out 5th May. ‘Arabian Heights’ is nothing short of a rock masterclass; with a riff reminiscent of Led Zeppelin’s ‘The Rover’, a myriad of mystifying effects that could have come straight from Rush’s ‘Clockwork Angels’ and a stellar rhythm section that sounds like The Stone Roses possessed by the devil incarnate. There’s simply so much going on here; otherworldly elements, exotic expression and all the classic alt rock sounds in a way you’ve not heard before. ‘Arabian Heights’ takes every interesting aspect of every rock album you’re likely to hear this year and fuses them into something simply spectacular. If the rest of In Spades can match this then we may have an absolute classic on our hands.
Top Tracks: Duncan Lloyd – Heads Of The Bastille
Lead guitarist and primary songwriter for Maximo Park, Duncan Lloyd, has shared his latest single ‘Heads Of The Bastille’. The first single from his upcoming solo album I O U O M E, released 26th May, it juxtaposes a sad tale of waning love in a failing relationship with gloriously bright and cheerful indie melodies. The track gives the impression of a “C’est La Vie” attitude, trying not to get bogged down in life’s pitfalls and simply acknowledging that they are a part of the journey. Lloyd’s pensive and personal, albeit glass-half-full, songwriting on this track is delightfully refreshing. Music is meant to speak to people, and sometimes we all need to hear that when things get tough, we just need to accept the world as it is and try to look towards the future. This warm and honest song is the reassuring voice of reason you need.
Top Tracks: Naomi Wachira – Beautifully Human
There are many memorable lyrics that stay with us, but one of the most powerful to my mind is “war is not the answer, only love can conquer hate” from Marvin Gaye’s ‘What’s Going On’. It’s a message that all too often gets forgotten in today’s divided world, but has been captured perfectly in the latest single from Kenyan born singer/songwriter Naomi Wachira. ‘Beautifully Human’, taken from her upcoming album Song of Lament, speaks out about human equality and celebrating our differences rather than fearing them. Combining folky acoustic guitar, warm reggae rhythms and soulful, uplifting vocals, the track plays as a bright anthem of hope, but deep down within lies a firm resolve not to give in to the darkness that surrounds us. This a ray of sun to be cherished in this bleak landscape.
Top Tracks: Julian Fulton – Howl
The old ways never really disappear, but sometimes they warp and change into new forms. The style-shifting new single from Julian Fulton contains bits and pieces of a range of genres, but at it’s centre beats a blues heart. ‘Howl’, taken from his upcoming EP Battered Receptions out 12th May, starts with a straightforward blues intro before taking you on a wild ride. Weaving its way from Jack White-esque vocals and a crisp indie guitar interlude, to wandering bass lines and mystical, atmospheric synths straight out of Rainbow’s Rising. Each surprising turn it takes builds the song up into something greater, and it grows even further with each new listen. Julian has seamlessly blended a range of styles into this intriguing little number, and his new EP promises to bring more of the same.
Top Tracks: Levy & The Oaks – Out Of The Blue
New Jersey based indie folk outfit Levy & The Oaks are back with their new single. ‘Out Of The Blue’, the title track of their upcoming EP out 19th May, shares a message of giving both yourself and others a bit of love, patience and understanding when times get tough. Starting out with a sparse folk arrangement, the band then bring an anthemic indie pop chorus into play, the kind that stays with you for days at a time, before catching you off-guard in the closing moments of the track with a hearty dose of electropop synths. Levy & The Oaks refuse to be pigeonholed with this latest track that seems equally at home as a festival anthem, or as a fireside sing-a-long for those long summer nights. It’s the kind of song that will end up being important to many different people, all for very different reasons.
Top Tracks: Simon Baum – Bridges
I think we can all agree that the world is a pretty scary place right now. It’s in these dark and uncertain times that we most need a voice of reassurance and solidarity. London-based singer/songwriter Simon Baum provides just that with his new single ‘Bridges’. It shares a message of how we need to embrace the things we have in common rather than shower scorn on our differences; that the only way you can fight the hate in this world is through love. As the saying goes, ‘speak up even if your voice shakes’, and somehow the sparse folky arrangement and Simon’s fragile and vulnerable vocals give so much more meaning to the song. Equally a personal message of hope, and a plea to all of humanity to change, it is a lullaby to a scarred and divided world.
Top Tracks: Marquis Malanga – Active Naive
Belwood Music is proud to premiere the new video from Swiss band Marquis Malanga. Formerly known as Kamikaze, ‘Active Naive’ is the band’s latest single under their new moniker. Combining tasteful electronica, futuristic soul and plenty of early 80s era David Bowie, the track is perfect for fans of Jungle, Algiers, Alabama Shakes and the new Childish Gambino. The trippy accompanying music video, from director Tatum Rush, is the perfect match for the funky bass and slick guitar tones. It’s rare to find a song so well suited for both chilling out, and getting the party atmosphere going. This track is just such a refreshing collection of sounds that refuses to be pinned down by labels and appeals to a wide selection of musical desires within your mind.
Top Tracks: Joe Innes & The Cavalcade – Moscow
When we look back at some of the most memorable and moving music, it is often something very raw and personal, or it carries a deeper message about the world we live in. It’s rare however to find an artist that can bring both aspects together. Singer/songwriter Joe Innes, and his lovingly curated band The Cavalcade, fits perfectly in the centre of that Venn diagram with his own unique brand of ‘Post-Brexit Indie’. His music interweaves his own life experiences with observations of the current state of the world. ‘Moscow’, taken from the upcoming album Foreign Domestic Policy out 26th May, juxtaposes a tale of lost love with the West’s uneasy relationship with Russia, with a sound that is equal parts indie rocker and folk troubadour.
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