Tuff Slang put out debut track Nothing All The Time

Lenny Gilmore Photography

NEWCOMERS Tuff Slang have put out their first single Nothing All The Time.

The Chicago trio - Aaron Vincel, Cody Messick and Justin Frederick - have set out their mission as trying to create a "hook-driven rock band that walks the line between southern twang, rhythm and soul".

They told RealSoundsOK: "Nothing All The Time is the first track we wrote during our earliest rehearsals. It made us realise the sound that we were chasing together and paved the way for each song written after.

"We've all come from different bands and knew that his effort had to combine something that we each hold close in terms of influence. We drafted up song after song until we hit the mark on what it was that captured each of our personalities in the music."

The trio say their music is meant to get your hips shaking and you whistling along. You can decide for yourselves if they've hit the mark below.

For more info head to facebook.com/tuffslang

Jessie Lee Cates releases Wayward Rose

COUNTRY star Jessie Lee Cates has released her single Wayward Rose.

And she has spoken to RealSoundsOK about her delight with the track, which is very close to her heart.

She said: "I'm really excited about this song because it tells the story of me growing up with my daddy in the woods of East Tennessee and learning a few life lessons along the way.

"The 'heartwork' on the cover for the single was also done by my dad, who was an amazing artist. I've treasured that little sketch ever since he gave it to me as a young girl."

Wayward Rose is already gaining rave reviews around the globe and you can listen for yourselves below.

You can find out more about the artist at jessieleecates.com or check out the Q&A she did with RealSoundsOK last October by clicking here.

Debut track from Jake Thomas Turnbull

SINGER-songwriter Jake Thomas Turnbull has released his debut single One More Day.

He launched the track at his first gig in London since moving to the capital from the North East.

It has already gained traction with Record Of The Day, as well as BBC Introducing Teesside and other radio stations across England and Germany.

You can listen to One More Day below and for more information on Jake visit www.jakethomasturnbull.com

Tomorrow's Midnight Q&A

Your name: 

Jordan Sane (vocals/guitar) & Elena Red (drums).

Where are you from? 

Toronto, Canada.

Name of band: 

Tomorrow's Midnight.

Who else is in your band?

Russell Jackson-Wyatt (lead guitar), Tarun Dawar (bass) & Nikhil Carneiro (keyboards).

How would you describe yourselves and your music?

Modern rock 'n' roll!

Who are your main influences musically?

Black Keys, Social Distortion, July Talk, Foo Fighters, Gutter Twins.

What do you hope to achieve in music? 

Elena: I want to gain a fan base in places around the world that is as significant as in my home town. Putting a band on the road and bringing a great show to as many people as possible is my ultimate goal.

Jordan: I love being on the road so, as Elena said, playing to people and meeting fans in different cities every night is where I draw my most energy and enjoyment from.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?

Jordan: I was fortunate enough to tour with Alice Cooper in a previous band and that was amazing. I learned a lot and just being around that level of artist, those musicians and that crew was inspirational every night and made me want to be a better performer. But the highlight was being asked back by Alice for a second tour leg because that meant that we impressed him and were the kind of people that an artist like that would want to be on the road with. It meant a lot to know that I had accomplished that. 

Elena: The first time I toured Australia. It was the first time I had travelled outside of Canada and music gave me that opportunity. Being in a foreign country and not knowing what was going to happen at each stop was a great experience. I discovered that I loved the touring life and want to continue exploring new places with Tomorrow's Midnight. 

And what’s the moment you want to forget?
Elena: I was playing a show in Toronto opening for an American touring band and had arranged to use their drum kit. It wasn't until sound check that I learned I would be playing their electronic drums. I was in a punk band and until then I'd only ever played those in a music store for fun but I knew I had to play as hard as I normally would. I probably looked like I was trying not to hurt a kitten!
Jordan: I had no memory of ever being in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Not until I read over the tour itinerary months later did I realize I had played there. I'm sure they have lovely people and I probably would have wanted to remember it... if I hadn't already forgotten.

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?
We recorded a three-song EP before ever playing live and we chose those three songs because we felt they best represented our sound and the different styles that we incorporate. If we had to pick one it would probably be The Book Of Your Life. It's actually the first song we wrote for the band and is the lead-off song in our set. It contains the mix of bluesy guitar hooks and self-aware, but positive, lyrics that defines our songwriting.

Where can we listen to it?
Our three-song EP is available for stream and download at www.tomorrowsmidnight.bandcamp.com

Where can we find out more about your music? 

We encourage people to visit our website www.tomorrowsmidnight.ca which contains tour dates, photos and links to our music as well as our Twitter, Instagram and Facebook pages...

Facebook: www.facebook.com/tomorrowsmidnight

Twitter: @tomorrowsmid

Instagram: @tomorrows_midnight

Anything else you’d like to say about your music that I forgot to ask?

First off, thanks for the Q&A! We've talked about some past experiences but we are always looking ahead and those experiences have helped to formulate what we do now and tomorrow. We love making music and sharing it with audiences but we're a live band at heart and the most important thing for us is getting out and playing; meeting with, and sharing moments with, people anywhere, any time. We hope to be sharing our show with audiences in the UK soon!

When Eyes Collide Q&A

Band name:

When Eyes Collide.

Where are you from? 

Long Island, New York.

Who is in your band?

Chris Carlson - Vocals/Guitar

Peter Palminteri - Guitar/Vocals

Mike Ragno - Bass/Vocals

Ian Galgano - Drums

How would you describe yourselves and your music?

We are four guys who all make fun of each other and party a little too much. We like to consider our music as alternative pop punk. We use the dynamic contrast of Chris and Mike's voices, Peter's unique guitar playing, and Ian's solid and technical drumming to create a sound that is all our own.

Who are your main influences musically?

We are influenced by so many great bands but if we had to pick I'd say our greatest influences are Taking Back Sunday, Bayside, Four Year Strong, and Senses Fail.

What do you hope to achieve in music?

We just want people to hear our music and hopefully connect with it as much as we do and make it to a show! 

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?

This entire journey so far has been one great highlight. We love what we do and every second of it has been the best times we've had. We don't plan on stopping any time soon and we're taking this ride as far as we can!

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

Our singer Chris almost missed our set because of a flat tire. Luckily he made it to the show right as we were going on, but we sure cut it close!

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?

We just released our first single Follow Me from our upcoming debut EP This Clarity Isn't Too Clear! You can check it out on Bandcamp and even download it for free!

Where can we listen to it?

https://wheneyescollide.bandcamp.com/releases

Where can we find out more about your music?

We are on all social media sites! 

https://m.facebook.com/wheneyescollide/  

https://www.instagram.com/wheneyescollide/
https://twitter.com/wheneyescollide

http://wheneyescollide.tumblr.com/

Anything else you’d like to say about your music that I forgot to ask?

Our debut EP This Clarity Isn't Too Clear is coming soon! Follow us on all social media sites to stay updated! Thank you! 

Kerosene Stars Q&A

Your name:

Scott Schaafsma.

Where are you from?

Chicago, USA.

Name of band:

Kerosene Stars.

Who else is in your band? 

Jim Adair (drums), Brett Bakshis (acoustic guitar), Yoo Soo Kim (keyboard/viola), Andy Seagram (guitar/backing vocals), Tom Sorich (percussion) and myself (Scott) on lead vocals and bass. 

How would you describe yourselves and your music?

The best description I've heard so far comes from the music section of the Chicago Reader (our arts and entertainment paper) and reads: Smart unpretentious Beatles-loving group with a sure hand for hooks… It’s perfect pop -Noah Berlatsky, Chicago Reader.

Who are your main influences musically?

Largely British groups I listened to in the 90's such as Stone Roses, Blur, The Cure, PJ Harvey, Elvis Costello, The Kinks. I'm also  big fan of the Decemberists, REM, Big Star, The Posies, Spoon - anything that oozes catchy musical phrasing is what I'm in to, so the Beatles clearly fit the bill as well. I think all these groups sort of melt together in my mind and as I write these songs little hints from each come out. 

What do you hope to achieve in music?

Recognition. That's the major goal. Money seems to be a lost cause these days in this business so my main concern after doing this for over 20 years is to get people to notice us and listen to the music and gain an audience who truly has an appreciation for the delicate art of intelligent pop hooks.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?

This year we decided to release three EPs instead of one record and it's been a busy time as I'm doing all of my promotions for radio and press as well as booking, and it's exhausting- but we're getting noticed - especially in the UK, but all over the US as well and elsewhere in the world as various radio stations are playing us sometimes multiple times per day. It's nice to get actual feedback from reviews and radio presenters that they honestly like what we're doing and prove it by playing us and sharing us with their fans via social media. 

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

 Empty rooms. You know, those 1am gigs where even the bartender is missing in action while you're playing... that haunting echo of nothing as you perform to no one. "Haunting echo of nothing" Actually, I kinda like that quote and I think I'll use it for something. hmmm... 

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?

This is tough because I pride myself on being genre-less. Our 2014 record alone starts out in a near Velvet Underground style, weaves in and out of traditional country and closes out with songs that could almost be on a Nick Cave and Queens of the Stone Age record. 

These new EPs try to center around what is most likely considered power pop, but there are areas where we stray from that as well. For example, our January release "Burn the Evidence" has just four songs on it, three are solid pop tunes that rides the lines of jangle pop (Don't Believe in Miracles), to the more danceable title track, to quintessential power pop anthem (Talk Talk). But track two is a Tom Waits cover done with a Latin feel. Sorry, what was the question again?

Where can we listen to you?

http://soundcloud.com/kerosenestars 

Where can we find out more about your music?

http://facebook.com/kerosenestars 

http://twitter.com/kerosenestars 

http://kerosenestars.com 

Anything else you’d like to say about your music that I forgot to ask?

We're making a music video for our single "Talk Talk" from our Burn the Evidence EP. It's going to be a live action part animated hybrid short film and we're really excited about it. here's that link: 

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/467338157/indie-tangle-fest-feat-kss-talk-talk-music-video-r

Jimmy Binks and the Shakehorns Q&A

Your name:

Sam, singer and guitarist.

Where are you from?

We're from the UK, the US, Canada, and Japan, but we all live in Tokyo, Japan!

Name of band:

Jimmy Binks and the Shakehorns.

Who else is in your band?

We are 

Sam – vocals, guitar (Sheffield, UK)

Ju Ju – vocals, guitar (Cambridge, UK)

Yuuki – bass (Kanagawa, Japan)

Erin – trumpet, vocals (Newfoundland, Canada)

Dan – drums (Virginia, USA)

Jonny Barefoot – banjo, mandolin, vocals (ON, Canada)

How would you describe yourselves?

We always struggle with this! We've been variously described as alt-country, Americana, folk, roots, bluegrass, and acoustic rock. Recently little bits of ska and 1920s have been creeping in, too...

Who are your main influences musically?

Classics like Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash. More recently fun stuff like Pokey Lafarge, Lumineers, Milk Carton Kids, Avett Brothers, Tallest Man on Earth. 

What do you hope to achieve in music?

Above all, we like to play live, and among the live show, the festival live show is king. Based in Japan, our number one target would be playing at the Fuji Rock Festival, which is huge. 

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?

We played at the Asagiri Jam festival a few years ago, which is a bit like Fuji Rock's younger cousin. We also played at Happy Farm Music festival up in the mountains of Nagano in Japan. It was a beautiful weekend. We've also been lucky enough to have had our tracks played regularly on BBC radio, and placed in NBC and CNN TV shows, and even in a couple of movies! 

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

Perhaps not a rock n roll answer, but nothing really! Will let you know if something happens in the future! 

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?

I'm going to go with Cabin Fever. Although we have changed a lot over the last few years, at heart we're an alt-country band, and this song sort of shows what we're trying to make: a kind of danceable alt-country. 

Where can we listen to it?

https://soundcloud.com/jimmybinks/jimmy-binks-and-the-shakehorns-cabin-fever

Where can we find out more about your music?

Twitter - @Jimmy_Binks

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/jimmybinksandtheshakehorns

Soundcloud - https://soundcloud.com/jimmybinks

Anything else you’d like to say about your band/music that I forgot to ask?

Nope, but we love meeting new people. If you or any of your readers are ever in Tokyo, get in touch on Facebook or Twitter and we'll show you some great live spots! Cheers for the chat!

Pete Allan Q&A

Your name: 

Pete Allan

Where are you from?

Noosa Heads, Queensland, Australia.

Who is in your backing band?

A lot of the people I play with are in multiple bands, so it really depends on who's available for a particular show. I'm just really lucky that in my area of the world there are so many great musicians who can help out!

How would you describe yourself musically?

I'm not a "genre" fan because everyone is unique, but I'd say it's a mix of surf rock, roots, blues, live looping, and beatbox rhythms delivered in a singer-songwriter style. Music that can make you dance, and at the same time have you thinking about the message within the song.

Who are your main influences musical or otherwise?

Bob Dylan, Lennon, Paul Kelly, Ben Harper, Jack Johnson, John Butler, Dallas Green are just a few.

What do you hope to achieve in music?

Music is how I share my story, or issues I want to talk about, so I'm always grateful to be able to do this. I just want opportunities to continue to do this through live performance and music I release, for as long as I'm able.  

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?

Big crowds always leave an impression, but it's when a lady came up to me while I played at a market one day, tears streaming down from behind her sunglasses, and told me that a song I had just played had really touched her, because it related to her life at that moment. It's those one on one moments that make it for me, as much as a big crowd would.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

I haven't had one yet thankfully.

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?

I recently released Treading Water as a taste of the new EP coming soon. It's a funky tune, but still shares a message within, and that's what I'm all about with my music. 

Where can we listen to it? 

https://soundcloud.com/peteallanmusic/treading-water-mastered-final

Where can we find out more about your music?

www.peteallan.com

www.facebook.com/peteallanmusic

www.youtube.com/peteallanmusic

www.soundcloud.com/peteallanmusic

www.instagram.com/peteallanmusic

https://itunes.apple.com/au/artist/pete-allan/id572735969

Anything else you’d like to say about your band/music that I forgot to ask?

I'd like to thank every person who supports original music, by coming to shows, purchasing music and mercy, and referring me to friends, it's you who make the all possible! Stay tuned for the new EP coming really soon!

The Foreign Films' LP grows to six sides

PSYCHEDELIC pop artist The Foreign Films has released Side 4 of his triple LP for free.

Bill Majoros, the man behind the music, says The Record Collector is a homage to the sense of wonder gained from listening to music growing up.

He told RealSoundsOK: "Growing up, my record player was a window into a universe of music.

"I fell in love with its magical, mysterious sounds; its ability to illuminate the imagination with songs from the past, present and even foreshadow the future.

"The Record Collector is the platform I've been using to share my experiments in songwriting. I've been releasing one "side" at a time from this multi-vinyl Collection, like scenes from a film that will eventually come together to complete the cinematic/sonic adventure."

Never one to do things by halves, the Hamilton, Ontario, artist has decided to expand the project with two more sides, now making this a triple vinyl offering of six sides.

Side 4 explores songwriting influenced by the golden era 70s' soul and art rock, while incorporating all of Bill's influences such as 60s' British, French and West Coast Pop.

You can listen to Side 4 at theforeignfilms.com where it is available at Name Your Price. You can also read more about Bill and his love for vinyl at The Vinyl District.

Thomas James Q&A

Your name:

Tom Parrish.

Where are you from?

Manly, Sydney, Australia.

Artist name:

Thomas James.

How would you describe you and your music?

Indie-inspired, alternatively produced folk singer/songwriter. Or alternative indie folk.

Who are your main influences musically?

Matt Corby, James Vincent Mcmorrow, Dry the River.

What do you hope to achieve in music?

I haven’t set myself an ultimate goal. As if I get there, the euphoria will expire and I will set myself another goal for the future and will always aspire to be more. And if I don’t get there then I will deem myself a disappointment and curse myself for trying, so rather I am happy with how things are going, and hope for good things to follow.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?

Playing at Glastonbury 14 with Freddie Vernon and Co was amazing. As far as my solo career goes it would have to be headlining The Fleece in Bristol.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

Hmm, that’s a tough question. Embarrassment never killed anyone so I don’t cringe at my past embarrassing moments too much. Most things in the past are best left in the past, otherwise we forget about the task at hand. Though there are things I wish I could un-see, like Hong Kong market place practises.

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?

Probably Crimson Charcoal which hasn’t been released yet. It has delicate instrumentals and a heavy hitting chorus with a message that means a lot to me, and is probably the most real topic of all my songs. The song just came together both when I was writing it and recording it really nicely and how I hoped.

Where can we listen to it? 

www.soundcloud.com/thomas-james-83

The EP is out now and available for listening to on Soundcloud so you can follow me there, or on Facebook.

Where can we find out more about your music?

Facebook: www.facebook.com/thomasjamesmusic1

Website: www.thomas-james-music.com

Soundcloud: www.soundcloud.com/thomas-james-83

ITunes: https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/spare-time-single/id1084631950

Spotify: https://play.spotify.com/album/2s6jskJDezjwGstSB2aP8k?play=true&utm_source=open.spotify.com&utm_medium=open

Unearthed: https://www.triplejunearthed.com/artist/thomas-james

Anything else you’d like to say about your music that I forgot to ask?

Please do listen it, I’m quite proud of it and would love to share it with you. It has been an exciting and eventful year bringing this EP together so it really means a lot to me when people take the time to listen. 

Omnis Q&A

Your name: 

Ethan Baker.

Where are you from?

We are all from South Orange County, CA. 

Name of band: 

Omnis.

Who else is in your band? 

There is AJ (Drummer), Kyle (Guitarist), Dan (Bassist), and Dalton (Vocalist). I am the other guitar player. 

How would you describe yourselves and your music?

Our foundation is death metal, but we experiment a lot with other styles and genres. When you combine all of our music tastes, we damn near cover everything. We love metal, but from the beginning we have always tried to fuse other styles with metal. And when we do switch on the fly into another style the look on people's surprised faces is always priceless.  

Who are your main influences musically?

We listen to so many different kinds of music that when we write anything can happen. But I would have to say Between The Buried And Me is a big one. Some others that you might hear in our music include Born of Osiris, Scale The Summit, Dream Theater, and The Black Dahlia Murder. Of course, this is just the metal side of things.  

What do you hope to achieve in music?

We just want to create great music that people can enjoy. If we can one day do this full time, then great. If not, then we are just going to keep putting music out there and play live whenever we can. 

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?

Finishing our full length CD Accumulation. We recorded it all at Kyle's studio ourselves. It was a lot of work, and I don't think we had any idea how much goes into a CD when we started. But it was a great learning experience. Most bands do EPs, but we had, and still have, so much music that we went for the full length. We didn't want these songs to go unused. So we went for it. At least now when we go back into the studio to record another, we will know how to handle the process more efficiently. 

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

Probably the time we had to pull out of a show. Its very unprofessional to do this as a band, but there was no benefit of playing. We were paying to play in front of no one really. And it just wasn't worth it. The booker was not too happy, but at the end of the day, you need to do what makes sense. Especially when you are paying to play. 

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?

Dehumanize. It has a killer jazz/groove opener with a clean guitar solo. It transitions straight into djenty heavy riffs, followed by a bass solo, then two guitar solos. And Dalton's vocals sound wicked on that song. All around, it represents the sound we have started moving towards. 

Where can we listen to it?

You can download our full length CD on Bandcamp. We gave you the option to Name Your Price. So you can get it for a penny, ten bucks, or for free! It is completely up to you. Here is the link: omnismusic.bandcamp.com  

Where can we find out more about your music?

facebook.com/Omnis1

You can find us on Twitter and Instagram @OmnisBand

And if you want to hear the album in its entirety before you purchase it, you can find it under the BandPage tab on our Facebook page, on our SoundCloud, or the YouTube album stream we have up. All we ask is that if you like it, share it with your friends! Here are the links: 

soundcloud.com/Omnis1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjN7zBjjrGo

Anything else you’d like to say about your music that I forgot to ask?

I don't think one song on the CD sounds like another. So give each one a shot. You might be surprised what you come across. We are working on a few singles we are going to release later this year. So start following us and stay tuned! 

Fialta Q&A

Your name:

Mike Leibovich.

Where are you from?

San Luis Obispo, California.

Name of band:

Fialta. 

Who is in your band?

All four Fialta members are multi-instrumentalists and vocalists and regularly swap roles during our live set.

Beth Clements - Vocals, Piano, Percussion, Glockenspiel, Synth

David Provenzano - Vocals, Guitar, Ukulele, Percussion

Michael Leibovich - Vocals, Drums, Synth Bass, Keyboards

Sarah Shotwell - Vocals, Piano, Synth, Glockenspiel

How would you describe yourselves and your music?

Fialta is a dual-couple quartet from California specializing in ornate indie pop rich with multi-harmonies, keyboards, ukulele, and electronic elements.

-or-

Synth-laced, harmony-driven indie pop delivering incisive lyrical observations with sun-drenched, melodic fervor and a touch of irony - qualities that have earned us comparisons to bands like Vampire Weekend, Stars, and Best Coast.

Who are your main influences musically?

Paul Simon, Vampire Weekend, Stars, Foster the People, Jr. Jr.

What do you hope to achieve in music?

We hope to put out records for years to come. And getting to perform on Jools Holland or Jimmy Fallon would be pretty amazing. 

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?

We've had some exciting moments! Hearing our song Sleepy Time featured in a Chipotle commercial was pretty surreal. Touring up and down the West Coast has been so much fun. And surpassing one million plays between Soundcloud and Spotify was something we never thought we'd achieve! 

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

Questioning whether we ever wanted to start this band in the first place! 

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?

Our latest song, Do The Best We Can.

Where can we listen to it?

soundcloud.com/fialtamusic/do-the-best-we-can

Where can we find out more about your music?

Website: www.fialtamusic.com

Kickstarter: www.fialtamusic.com/preorder

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/fialtamusic

Spotify: https://play.spotify.com/artist/4Qdj2Ya6CSEZa3C6oCW8pL

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fialtamusic/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fialta

Twitter: https://twitter.com/fialta

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/fialtamusic

Anything else you’d like to say about your music that I forgot to ask?

We have a new album coming out this summer, called Shadow of a Drought. The album is a hooky, wry, pop meditation on life in the 21st Century. The album title’s pun was pulled from a line from our forthcoming single, “Do the Best We Can,” a soaring, harmonic, millennial anthem inspired by the dangerous drought conditions faced by California. The rest of the album follows suit thematically, wrestling with the implications of drought of all kinds: environmental, spiritual, creative, and relational. We have a preorder up via Kickstarter through April 30th: www.fialtamusic.com/preorder and every album will be bundled with an additional 5-song EP to arrive just in time for the holidays!