screams, whispers and songs from planet earth

Tag: Bella Union

Introducing… MONEY

Feeling emotional on this full moon Christmas night? Here’s the perfect soundtrack. “I’ll Be The Night” is the lead single from Manchester band MONEY’s sophomore album, the cheerily titled Suicide Songs (coming out on Bella Union on January 29th). It’s all about sad, wistful strings, brass and acoustic guitar with yearning yet hopeful vocals. This is heart-opening stuff, folks, so it’s ok if you need to shed a few tears into your adult beverage. Don’t despair, though; there’s always hope.

“When I was a child, I made a deal against the sun/ That if it died out that I would carry on.” – I’ll Be The Night

Songs on the forthcoming album are multi-layered with piano, guitars, strings, percussion, lofty vocals and gospel backing vocals. There’s an expansive feel with orchestral, psychedelic and Indian flavorings throughout that blend beautifully to breathtaking effect.

If that first single isn’t depressing enough, they’ve released a live version of another song from the album, a charming little viola and piano dirge that builds into a defiant celebration called “A Cocaine Christmas And An Alcoholic’s New Year,” just in time for the already emotionally treacherous holiday season.

“The people are talking like they’re winning
like the world starts spinning
like they’re in control
like they’re Marilyn Monroe at a cocktail party
I’m somewhat ugly like Jean Genet
and I’ve wasted all my time on cocaine at Christmas and bottles of wine
and I was happy as a child
’cause you don’t have to ask me why.”

Sweet jesus. Thanks, guys. Just kidding; it’s magnificent. ::: Download it for FREE ::: and Happy Christmas.

The band formed in 2011 and after putting out four singles, released their debut album The Shadow Of Heaven in 2013 (on Bella Union). They’ve performed at several U.K. and European festivals and set out on their own headlining tours. They played a few U.S. shows (NYC and LA) in the fall of 2014. Here’s hoping for a wider U.S. tour next year.

For now though, you can pre-order Suicide Songs as a standard CD or LP album or a special bundle with screen prints. MONEY will be embarking on a European tour to support the new album, beginning on February 1 at Rough Trade in London. From there they hit other parts of the U.K., France, The Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, Austria, Italy and Switzerland. No word on the U.S. as of yet.

And what of the mournful sentiments and depressing album title? Frontman, singer and songwriter Jamie Lee explains his muse as such:

“Above all else, I’m just trying to project and portray a poetic truth. Suicide is about anonymity, to the point where you don’t exist, which I definitely feel in my songwriting and as a person. But rather than writing myself out of anonymity, I want to remain there, in this record at least. It’s recognizing a kind of sacrificial nature, in making artistic choices. By rummaging around in your feelings and trying to make sense of life, to the detriment of your health, there might be some poetic value to what you have created.”


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Introducing… Emmy The Great

Photo Credit: Alex Lake

Photo Credit: Alex Lake

Whether it’s the sepia-toned slow-motion tour of someone’s derelict and empty L.A. spread, the haunting holographic narrator or the equally haunting slightly off-kilter lounge vocals, I’m not exactly sure, but the end result is quite unsettling… and very lovely. This video by Emmy The Great is for “Swimming Pool,” the lead single from her upcoming EP S, due out January 27 on Bella Union. It features Tom Fleming (Wild Beasts) on beautifully complementary baritone vocals, and is directed by Sebastian Pardo.

Her previous recordings have been personal and introspective. On this new 4-track EP, her view turns outward, inspired by places she visited as she searched for new inspiration — Salt Lake City, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, New York and London. “Social Halo” speaks of public anxiety, alternately sweet and slightly off-kilter in its mood. “Solar Panels” contemplates California dreaming, alternative energy and interconnectedness amidst swirling synths. “Somerset (I Can’t Get Over)” is more personal, a plea to a lost lover. The EP was recorded in L.A. with Ludwig Goransson (Haim, Childish Gambino) and in London with Dave McCracken (Oh Land, Beyonce).

Born in Hong Kong, raised in London and now based in New York, Emmy The Great (a.k.a. Emma-Lee Moss) is a singer-songwriter and journalist who has performed with Lightspeed Champion and Noah and the Whale. Her solo career began in 2006, and she released her debut single “Secret Circus.” Her debut album First Love (2009) was followed by Virtue in 2011. She has written for Artrocker, the Observer UK and Drowned in Sound, among others.

There are currently plans for shows in the U.K. at the end of January and East Coast U.S. shows set for mid-February. She’ll be performing at Mercury Lounge in New York on February 19th and at Great Scott in Allston on February 21st.

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