Our latest podcast highlights the last eight Blowtorch releases since January 2022
Episode 32 of the Blowtorch Records podcast was the latest in a series where we round up our recent releases. This edition features tracks from Some Remain, Check Please!, Ash Red, Nixer, WAXX, Paper Tigers and Liana Forte.
Television is one of the earlier songs Some Remain wrote but they have taken their time in producing it, to get a point where they were all happy with it. It kicks off with a bass like Fontaines DC's Big on speed, then a two chord verse carries you along to a chorus which you can so easily hear being belted back at the band by a buoyant crowd. "I need some energy to get me through the day" sings Jamie who we reckon has the perfect indie-punk voice - attitude and snarl comes as standard. Well just listen to this - it's like drinking three cans of Red Bull. It has a slightly rough, live feel which suits the track brilliantly. What more do you need for a track which simply details the enervating effects of watching too much television?
Houston's Marissa Dai, the progenitor of Check Please!, is in prolific form with two releases in 2022 so far - Dream Come True and B Without U.
Of the former we wrote "... that's the power of her songwriting. She combines her alt leanings with a pop paradigm to deliver an infectious and melodic song which more than satisfies both sides of the indie/pop divide." It could apply equally to both and Marissa tells us there is an album coming later this year.
Downtown is Cork trio Ash Red's third single and a precursor to their debut album which is currently being mixed. As we learnt in our Ash Red podcast Downtown is the first song they ever wrote, way back at their very first practice in December 2018. At that point they were a four piece and as Arthur says "it's the only song we all wrote together as a group, it's not the first song of ours we'd think to put out, but it's a song that means a lot to us as a band and so it felt appropriate."
They are currently mixing their debut album for release later this year.
Nixer's second single from their upcoming People Feel EP, is initially one of their least electronic tracks. The opening chatter gives way to a proto goth guitar line, worthy of Bauhaus or The Cure. It is also reminiscent of a 60s surf guitar sound; there's alot going on here and it has a disorientating effect. The syncopated beats and Seán's 'sprechgesang' bring the track bang up to date as sets the scene. His lyrics match the uneasy music as he intones "she's not a North or a South sider, she's an outsider."
Frontman Seán expands on the story - ‘Outsider welcomes two characters to the narrative. The song deals with isolation and the feeling of being unwanted but from the perspective of the empathetic observer. The track opens with the chat about these ‘other’ people, but as the track develops we learn that the song is about worry and concern for others, rather than the exclusion of them.
The next single will be Decisions on April 12 followed by the EP release digitally and on Blowtorch vinyl on May 27. The full story of the EP is in episode 30 of our podcast.
WAXX. Cornwall's purveyors of "tasty rock indulgence ... with tempting traces of psychedelic sauciness and a cheeky measure of grunge" surprised us with a last minute release - Yeah!. No problem though for our agile team.
Joined by mates Richard and Rachel, as for previous single Out Of Air, it's another brilliant slice of grunge pop shot through with shards of sunshine.
Moloko is the third and final single to be taken from Paper Tigers' upcoming Graceless EP - the previous two being Blue Light Trails and the eponymous Graceless.
Itt ackles the intoxicating nature of the things we know are bad for us.
'Moloko' is a reference to The Clockwork Orange, being a drink served in the Korova Milk Bar - Moloko Plus (milk plus), a heady cocktail of milk and intoxicants. A chance to lose yourself, step outside of your normal character and give yourself over to what flows in your blood.
Liana Forte is a word, sound and expression artist living in Helsinki, Finland. Her latest release is You May Blare, now available on all streaming platforms. Each of her compositions is like a well made espresso - a short, intense blast of sensory pleasure. This latest musical mosaic is a soothing balm concocted from her unique vocals and sparse instrumentation - a necessary corrective to troubled times. We had a great chat with Liana in episode 25 of our podcast - she is truly inspirational.
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You will find Check Please!, Paper Tigers, Nixer and WAXX on this vinyl compilation
You will find Ash Red, Liana Forte and Some Remain on this one
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