musomusofm on the radar playlist #61 - Amber T, Charlie Rauh, Montrell, Geez Louise and more....
Well folks, with Glasto 22’ wrapped up and soon to be a distant memory, what were your highlights over the weekend? I think mine included the sets by IDLES, SQUID (always amazing) and Fontaines DC and despite some of her vocals being a little off key, I thought Diana Ross did a sterling job of keeping the Sunday afternoon crowds entertained with a run through of her career highlights. Looking at the aerial shots whilst she was performing, I would say that she possibly pulled in the largest audience over the entire weekend though that’s slightly unfair as you couldn’t see how many people rocked up to see the evening headliners as it was dark!
For this playlist, I have dug deep and searched all over the world to bring you a montage of the finest bands and acts on offer, I hope that there’ll be something for you whatever your tastes, if not, I’ll try harder next time to keep you happy.
If you can spare 5 minutes, please check out the bios of our featured acts below the playlist and go check them out on their various social media pages.
See you on the other side.
Amber T
AMBER T burst onto the mainstream music scene at the age of 15 and immediately found herself being interviewed on BBC Radio1 and BBC TV, her first release has had over 143k streams and 1.5 million YouTube views.
Following this AMBER T has released a slew of very successful singles including ‘Jigsaw’, ‘No Company’, ‘Shaken’ with Galaxy Thief, ‘Get Me’ and ‘Broken Dreams’, accumulating over 850,000 streams in the process.
With ‘No Company’, Sir Elton John played it on his show and asked, “Amber T - how brilliant is she?”.
Live, she has already performed over 250 gigs and has a run of tour dates throughout the UK. Performing live is her real love, the bigger the audience the more she enjoys it, so far the biggest crowd she’s played to is 4000 but this year she will top that with festival shows of 5000+. Some will be with her band and others solo, where she’ll either be playing electric guitar, keyboard or a combination at most shows. AMBER T also happens to be the youngest YAMAHA MUSIC LONDON Ambassador.
Music wise, AMBER T continues to constantly write new songs and create ideas where her soulful, gritty indie pop vibe continues to develop, getting stronger with every release and her sound is becoming more and more identifiable. With unique tone, incredible range and powerful vocals, AMBER T is building a very strong following and has lots planned for the remainder of 2022 and beyond, keep your eyes and ears open she’s definitely one to watch.
Full of emotion, energy and pace, AMBER T’s latest track ‘Tightrope’ is out now on all streaming platforms.
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Charlie Rauh
Astoria (New York) based guitarist/composer Charlie Rauh recently released ‘Angels Of Annunciation’, an EP that tells the story—or, to be more precise, one possible story—of Anne Morrow Lindbergh (1906-2001). Despite witnessing almost the twentieth century’s full course, her wings spanned a landscape far greater than any defined by the hyphen between her years.
First, as those of a soul born to fly. When, in 1930, she earned her glider pilot’s license, she took on the distinction of being the first American woman to do so. Beneath the surface of her accomplishment, one cannot help wonder what inspirations lay cradled in those early cloud-wisps, each a possible tendril on which to pull in search of a new direction.
Second, as those of a mother whose firstborn child never lived to see his second year. Surely, that unthinkable tragedy snipped off more than a few feathers, leaving her grounded for a spell. We sense echoes of her trauma in the writings that would define her later years, and which form the inspiration for the music by guitarist and composer Charlie Rauh collected here.
Third, as those of a mature wordsmith who, by virtue of her resilience, regrew feathers in place of her past toward a future of metaphysical flights. Here, we find in Anne’s inward-looking spirit a watery surface in which to regard our trembling reflections. As each note travels from Rauh’s strings, so do we search for more stable mirrors.
Rauh’s mother introduced him to Anne’s poetry, in which he found “open-ended wonder, pensive focus, beautiful use of language, and an ability to deliver deeply personal thoughts in a way that also invites the reader.”
Rauh sees the creation of this project as distinct from his previous work composing literature-inspired music (drawing on the Brontë sisters and others) insofar as it takes on a more “experiential” structure. In that sense, what you will hear on Angels Of Annunciation is not program music. Says Rauh: “I feel like the project is more of a musical translation of the writing than me responding to the writing.”
Just as Anne could capture a sweeping vista in a mere paragraph, Rauh is a master of the miniature. Where other guitarists might create in the sonic equivalent of digital video, he prefers the conciseness of a Super 8. And while that technology might be overlooked as the vestige of a bygone era, Rauh understands its ability to concentrate its philosophies in the hopes that Anne won’t also be forgotten but embraced as an individual whose mind belonged to no one but herself.
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Montrell
London/Leicester indie quartet MONTRELL caught the ears of Sir Elton John in 2021 with their track ‘Simpler in the Dark’, the Rocketman called it “something very special” and gave it a spin on his Apple Music Rocket Hour show.
After selling out The Waiting Room in North East London in April 2022 and playing a run of headline shows in Venice, they release their new single ‘Clock’ on 1st July.
The single was recorded in the Cotswolds, engineered by Hugh Fielding (Flyte, Dagny) with Huella producing, having worked on the track during lockdown. Later on the stems went back to the Cotswolds to mix engineer Dom Morley (Adele, Amy Winehouse) and the song was finally mastered by Simon Gibson at Abbey Road.
Of the track, lead singer Jonny Taylor says, “Clock is a note to the clock itself for stripping us of time - But it also blossoms into a message to a friend: ‘ha for you, yeah / already figured me out’, which is supposed to convey a sense of being misjudged. The song is also a request to not be treated with indifference, but to rekindle the old friendship.”
I listened to the track once, then found myself pressing play again as soon as it ended, it just has a very magnetic quality about it that keeps you coming back for more!
Keep up to date with the band’s musical happenings at the following sites.
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Geez Louise
Geez Louise are a Nashville based indie quartet made up of Sierra Torres on lead vocals, Nick Jude on lead guitar, Tyelen Gibbs on drums and Eli Slaughter on bass.
They draw influence from the likes of DIIV, Alvvays, Lucy Dacus, Claud, Momma, Slow Pulp, Wilco and Stella Donnelly but in my eyes (and ears) they carry their own unique style that nods gently to the aforementioned acts.
Geez Louise’s debut EP “Candy Bruise” (out on 1st July) is a testament to the band’s ability to introduce a touch of inspiration from several different genres while maintaining a sound that remains uniquely their own. Within the EP, you will hear a common theme of cheery or upbeat sounds intertwining with angry and/or sad messages. Life is full of mixed emotions, and this group aims to remind you that few things are as black and white as we may expect.
Keep your eyes on this band, certainly one to watch for the future and they say that they have a healthy following in London already so who knows, they might just be heading to UK shores in the not too distant future. Keep your eyes on their socials for news of forthcoming shows and other appearances.
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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…..