musomusofm on the radar playlist #34 - KUSHYKUSH, Matt Saxton, Frank Bramble, Ruiz!, Olivia Castriota, Nick Cody & The Heartache David Givens and more....
It’s 15th March and I really don’t know where this month is going, the last time I stopped to think about it, it was the end of February so I really don’t know where the last two weeks have gone….If anyone finds, them, please let me know!
I have dug deep to find 9 stunning new tracks to play you from unsigned acts from all over the world, every playlist is a real mixed bag of offerings and I don’t really know what it’s going to consist of until I sit down and start to have a listen to them and put them into some form of order, I hope you enjoy what I do!
After you’ve pressed play on the embedded playlist below, please feel free to have a read through the bios of our featured bands and artists, you may just find your next favourite in there! All of their social media links are also listed below, be sure to give them a click and have a poke around, maybe leave a few likes for them if they float your boat!
See you on the other side.
KUSHYKUSH
Drawing boundless inspiration from numerous established pop artists such as Lorde, Troye Sivan, Sia, Lana Del Ray, Sam Smith, Billie Eilish, as well as recent new talents, notably Holly Humberstone, Conan Gray and Tate McRae, KUSHYKUSH’s conversational style of writing captures layers of emotions of pain and integrity. The fusion of ethereal warm synths and harmonies, alongside the cinematic acoustics, trademark features which don’t stray far from his musical influences, KUSHYKUSH delivers a familiar, yet distinct angle of songwriting to the pop scene.
Alongside the start of his own artist project, the 24-year-old bedroom singer songwriter continues to collaborate and song-write with others, often attending the likes of Pirate Studios and The Qube, to name a few London base camps for writing sessions. Well-equipped for his solo venture, his contemporary alt-bedroom-pop formed from a love of song-writing, and a taste for both live performance and modern production.
‘January’ stamps a good start to an ambitious 2022 with honest lyrics and reputable production by his good friend ELNO. Diving into the single “January”, KUSHYKUSH explains:
“I was seeing someone around last year this time who wanted to change parts of me to somewhat reflect qualities he liked that were ideal for him. It became a vicious cycle to a point, I convinced myself that I was the one hurting myself. I was angry and ashamed. However with the vulnerability that came with it, I had learn to accept that sometimes in life, you will have people, be it a friend or loved one who would be detrimental to you, but you would refuse to give up on them because you would want to try to fix your relationship by changing who you are at the core, and that’s not how it’s meant to be.”
KUSHYKUSH has performed at several open mics in the bustling scenes of local pubs around London, and is determined to build his presence as gigs and live shows gradually resume. However, with the current guidelines in place, the artist seeks to explore the online live platforms to showcase snippets of his single debut via Instagram and TikTok.
‘January’ is out NOW on all platforms.
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Matt Saxton
UK based Matt Saxton recently released his new indie rock single ‘It’s Only Now That I Know’.
The track is about wisdom and the journey we take to obtain it. At some point in our lives we look back at the past and hopefully recognise the mistakes and the successes.
Being no stranger to fame and fortune, it was in 2015 when Google featured Matt’s acoustic guitar song ‘Seabird’ on their homepage, resulting in many fans and downloads from across the world. In 2016 Matt released the single Greeneland about the author Graham Greene on The Animal Farm record label. In 2018 Matt released the album ‘I Wasn’t Looking For Love’ which was produced and recorded by Ville and Matt Leppanen at their London studio. It wasn’t until December 2021 that Matt released the first single from his new album, titled ‘Animal’, it received some great feedback from the press.
“A moving track from UK-based artist Matt Saxton rides on warming vocals, a pulsing piano backbone and eventual dual-vocal effervescence.” - Obscure Sound
“It is a simple, beautiful and effective track with simple yet hard hitting lyrics.” - Sinusoidal Music
“Matt Saxton reaches out with the icy fingers of winter to pull you into the melancholic. His vocals are plaintive and melancholic but stunning in their desolate beauty.” - The Other Side Reviews
His latest track ‘It’s Only Now That I Know’ is out now, we love it, I’m sure you will too!
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Frank Bramble
How covid F!#@*ed our lives!
‘Fall to Flames’ is the true definition of retrospective introspection. It combines the tastes and abilities of 3 midlands based, 20 year old producers.
Not quite a unit, but not quite a group of individuals, they are a group of close mates with very strong chemistry and the ability to invent genres, blending indie and Hip-Hop.
The track opens with the Lo-Fi, filtered emotional “Oohs” and “Ahhs” of Kyle Horne, which set the basis for the track, and they carry on throughout.
Like Frank’s previous releases, ‘Fall to Flames’ is introspective, reflecting on past life, and realising how much their lives have changed, in a mournful sense.
With a unique blend of rough Indie timbres and interwoven Hip-Hop rhythms Fall to Flames is a true passionate expression of what it feels like to look in your old photo album.
If you’re a fan of Easy Life, Loyle Carner or Tom Misch, then this track is for you!
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Ruiz!
Ruiz! is the mysteriously evoked moniker from Sheffield based DIY multi-instrumentalist,
songwriter, producer, and vocalist Hugh Ruiz.
Recorded with just a laptop, extra live instruments and in Lockdown, the new collection of songs seamlessly transcends across 60’s rock ’n roll, electronica, psychedelia, and dark rock, with each genre being effortlessly fused with Ruiz!’s take on life in modern times.
Songs about life, love, and the modern maladies between men, women, and the new now. Penned Iberian Psyche by Sheffield’s Reverent Jon McClure, 5 Seconds is the fourth single released on Only Fruit Recordings and is dropping on the 4th of March 2022.
Of the track Ruiz! adds, “5 Seconds is a song about finding courage in a difficult situation. It could be love-related, friends, family, or general life. Never take things for granted - it could all change very rapidly! It’s a cliche but it ain't over until the fat lady sings. It was inspired by broken dreams. I am an optimist and believe that this is the best of all possible worlds, or is it?”
These ideas and feelings of positivity might well be something people in general can take solace in. And after the past couple of years, as the UK has gone from one shit show to another, we could all benefit from that!
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Olivia Castriota
Olivia Castriota is a NYC based Powerhouse Pop Vocalist.
Transcending the limitations of singular genres, blending pop, rock and electronic music into a completely unique sound of her own; she’s gained the attention of major publications such as Rolling Stone Magazine, Paste Magazine and PopDust just to name a few.
She has worked with Grammy Nominated Producers, performed for audiences all over the United States and released countless musical creations on streaming platforms.
Olivia's music tackles the complexities of the heart. Whether you’re in the mood for a cry your eyes out heartbreak song or a badass anthem to make you feel like you can take on the world, Olivia is just what you’ve been searching for.
"Nightmare" is the creation of Female Powerhouses: Olivia Castriota and KittyGun. Out now, this Electronic Pop Rock track is as badass as it gets! When it's time to get even, time for payback; "Imma be your worst Nightmare."
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Nick Cody & The Heartache
Nick Cody is a fiercely independent artist, provocative blogger, guest speaker and founder of the Music for the Head and Heart platform promoting artist collaboration and artist empowerment.
Nick’s previous musical ensembles include Nick Cody & The Heartache and The Caravan of Dreams.
Asked about ‘The Heartache’, he replied, “During the Covid 19 pandemic, I started writing new tracks for four different music projects, including “Nick Cody and The Heartache” which is all electric roots based music and a collaboration with Towse. There are planned EPs from both projects in the near future. In all, during the first 14 months of covid I wrote and recorded 48 tracks with contributions from 16 different musicians around the world including Michael Ross from Nashville and Laurent Zeller from France”.
‘You Gotta Move’ is a fine slice of well paced smooth pop with a hint of rock with its killer guitar and piano flourishes, you NEED to hear this for yourself!
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David Givens
FREQUENCY was written in September 2021 when David was recovering from Covid and dealing with a lot of grief. He had just lost two of cousins unexpectedly and one of his special needs students, an 11 year old boy who died in his sleep. It all really affected him mentally and caused a lot of old wounds to open back up. Of the track, David added, “Recording the song was more difficult because I was still feeling the effect of Covid and singing with only half of my lung capacity”.
FREQUENCY is all about David talking to himself during a massive anxiety attack just trying to regain control and it affected him in a major way, after recording the track, he had to go to seek help to get through it.
The song is different from his others because it's one of those songs that is mostly for him and he’s only sharing it because he knows that there are other people who might be going through similar situations just like he has in the past.
David is using this song for charity, raising funds for two organizations near and dear to his heart: Black Men Heal, which is a national organization that removes the stigma that comes with discussing mental health among black men as well as providing resources to help with their mental health struggles, and Special Olympics Beaufort, SC in honor of his student, who passed away in September 2021.
It truly is a remarkable track and anyone who has been affected by anxiety attacks in the past will no doubt be able to relate 100% to the lyrics and meaning of the track, check it out and if you are able, get involved in the charities that David is supporting as both are really worthwhile causes.
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SO there you have it folks, another 9 awesome tracks for you to get your ears around. If you liked any of them, please hit them up on the socials and tell them, mention that you heard them on the musomusofm on the radar playlist and they might even buy me a cookie if our paths ever cross!
Please take a moment to spread the word on social media, it’s on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, just head to musomusouk on either platform and give it a LIKE, SHARE, THUMBS UP or whatever you can!
Until next time…..