The Matinee August 4

Let’s get started with today’s daily dose of new music. Six tracks on The Matinee August 4th edition. Yesterday’s Matinee by Wendy can be found here.

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Balacade – “Strangers”

Does Canada have a musician that could be labeled as its jangle-pop king, like Alex Beeker? Or an individual who makes blissful, lo-fi music in the manner of Sufjan Stevens? I have yet to find one, but Andrew Reynolds, who goes by the moniker Balacade, is a worthy candidate. From Victoria, British Columbia, the singer-songwriter has quietly released singles and EPs for the past five years, but that should change this year. In a couple of weeks, he will self-release his new album, In Bloom. The first proper single is “Strangers”, a stunning, lo-fi, jangle-pop number that has traces of Beeker’s band, Real Estate, but probably more closely reflects Sufjan Stevens’ sincerity and intimacy and whimsical songwriting. It’s a song for all the lonely lovers in the world.

In Bloom drops August 15th and it should be available via Reynolds’ Bandcamp page.

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Keeva. – “Desired Plan” (live session)

That voice. That’s the first thing that hits you when you hear anything from Keeva., a 22-year singer-songwriter from London, UK. Her voice and songwriting belie her youth, as there is a maturity and throwback quality with her soulful, bluesy, indie rock. As a result, she feels out of place in today’s electronic-driven music industry, which at the same time helps her standout from the masses. Her latest single, “Desired Plan”, which was recorded live, shows the immense talent of the young musician. Just hearing her music, you can feel her presence, a gift that very few musicians have. As such, she could very well be the next Amy Winehouse, Adele, or even Ella Fitzgerald.

Check out her SoundCloud to hear more of her impressive voice and music. Here’s a star in the making.

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TEN FÉ – “Make Me Better”

We’ve witnessed a couple of trends coming out of the UK this year. First is the increasingly number of bands creating cathartic garage rock, led by Drenge, Royal Blood, and Blood Red Shoes. The second is how Brit pop is being redefined by many indie bands. No longer restricted to band bands and pop culture, bands are transforming the genre into something euphoric. TEN FÉ is the latest to arrive on the scene, and their first proper single, “Make Me Better”, is absolutely stunning and a majestic pop sound. Combining the blissful sounds of The Verve and the craftsmanship of Future Islands, the song just pulverizes you from the first to the last note.

“Make Me Better” is the lead single from their forthcoming debut LP, which will be released early in 2016. They worked with producer Ewan Pearson, who has collaborated with the likes of Jagwar Ma, M83, and The Rapture. As such, TEN FÉ, who are Ben and Leo from London, are in good hands.

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Skin & Bones – “Bad Feeling”

You probably wouldn’t expect to hear a mix of country and blues-folk music coming from around the Venice Beach, California area, but then again Peter Buckwelder (violin) and Taylor Borsuk (guitar, suitcase drums) aren’t exactly your typical Californians. As Skin & Bones, they’re creating knee-slapping music that is usually associated with the Deep South, such as on the uptempo but dark “Bad Feeling”. And like a screenplay for a western, the song builds and has a great flurry that you think is the ending. In a true cinematic quality, the song restarts to its glorious finish. Just awesome!

“Bad Feeling” can be downloaded for free by hitting the SoundCloud link.

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n. Lannon – “Endless Night”

Six weeks ago, n. Lannon – or Nyles Lannon – released Falling Inside, an 11-track album that is very Elliott Smith-esque – from Lannon’s whispery voice to the excellent songwriting. However, it’s more upbeat than what Smith has produced with a vibrant indie-pop sound akin to early Death Cab for Cutie, Earlimart, and Washed Out. It was difficult, as such, to pick just one song that stands out on the album, as there are several excellent songs (“Dreamer”, “Another Love”, “Hole” to a name a few). “Endless Night” won out for incorporating the 70s LA music scene sound into the lush and breathtaking indie pop. It’s a gorgeous track that has the feel of a summer rain. You can also check out the video of a restless couple below.

You can hear Falling Inside in its entirety on SoundCloud. Pick it up at Badman Recording Co, iTunes, Amazon, and eMusic.

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Charlie Clark and The Majestic 12 – “The Devil’s Pulpit”

Charlie Clark is one busy guy. The Scotland-born, LA resident is doing little bit of everything. He’s holding residence in some of LA’s finest clubs. He’s released a solo album, Feel Something, in 2013. He’s recently got together with musicians Eric McCann of the New Amsterdams, Brandi Emma, and Paul Wilson of Snow Patrol to form a new group, Broken Arrow, who will release their debut album later this year. His former Scottish band, Astrid, have announced they will reunite and release a new album next year as well. And between all this, he got together with a handful of musicians, including McCann and Dash Hutton of HAIM to record a brand new song, “The Devil’s Pulpit”. Despite the title, the track has a summertime vibe and contains some fantastic crystalline guitars. Lyrically, too, it’s a bit of summertime anthem, although more for those whose summer fling comes to an end. And for good measure, in case he wasn’t busy enough, he released a video for the song, which is below..

Charlie Clark and The Majestic 12 will release another single later this year. Where does this guy find the time?