Anirban Jee Releases Single ‘You On My Side’
"Anirban Jee Releases Single ‘You On My Side’"
Long time Soundslikecafe artist releases another great single and we are proud to add to our playlist
The song ‘You On My Side” portrays the fulfillment and celebration of finally meeting the love of one’s life who believes in them and remains on their side through the ups and downs in life. It is a tribute to the journey of every person finding the love of their life.
SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR 2018 (Australian Songwriting Contest) & SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR 2017 (SongsAlive Competition) – Winner of Acoustic category (2021 Australian Songwriting Awards), Winner of INTERNATIONAL and BALLAD Categories (2018) – Winner of POP category (2017 Songs Alive Competition) – Winner of BALLAD category (2017 Songs Alive Competition) – Winner of CONTEMPORARY POP category (2015 Australian Songwriting Awards), Finalist at the 2022 UK Songwriting Contest – Numerous airplays in Commercial FM and Amrap Radio stations – Track published by Sydney’s EMBASSY MUSIC PUBLISHING and released by A&R Department (Shock records).
For Anirban Jee, his musical awakening spawned at the vibrant age of 12, when he received his first electronic keyboard. Heavily influenced by a diverse range of musical genres through the 80’s and 90’s, Anirban found himself heavily inspired by pop icons such as Elton John, Richard Marx, Maxwell, Sting, Carol King and many more. During his teen years, AJ found himself dabbling in numerous tuition courses and on the back of many years studying Piano/Keyboard through school and university, Anirban had honed his musical growth to original songwriting, musical compositions, artist collaborations and performing.
In his early years of songwriting, Anirban managed to catch the attention of Australian music industry heavy weight producer and ‘song doctor’ Matt O’Connor (Thirsty Merc, The Beautiful Girls) from the A&R Department, Sydney. Originally discovered from a rough demo, Matt O’Connor took Anirban under his wing to further develop and hone his craft.
His 2014 debut commercial single was ‘AEIOU’ featuring Blue (Celeste Newman). The A&R Department secured air play on FM radio stations across 5 states and even achieved a Top 10 ranking in multiple categories at the 2014 Australian Songwriting awards.
His second release ‘Undecided’ featuring Judd Field secured number one position at the 2015 Australian Songwriting Contest under the Contemporary Pop/Dance category. The track got aired by numerous Radio Stations across Australia such as MaxFM (NSW), 2GN Radio (NSW), 3ZZZ FM (Melbourne), Roccy FM (NSW) and also enjoyed a good spin across various AMRAP community radio stations.
His third release, ‘Deep Down’, featuring X-Factor artist Mary Ann Van Der Horst, secured the number one position under the International Category at the 2017 Australian Songwriting Awards. Several of his songs also ended up getting Top 10 placements in multiple categories at the awards.
His last two self-featured releases, ‘Mayday’ (2020) and ‘Move Out’ (2021), generated positive and exciting reviews on online music magazines such as GongScene, Vents Magazine, Around the Sound, BMA Magazine and even achieved #1 on Sounds Like Cafe Singles Chart!! His latest video single ,‘Will Above My Wish’, was a finalist at the 2022 UK Songwriting Contest.
Anirban’s current series of compositions alone range from Pop, Urban, Dance, and R&B, and feature a unique and un‐patterned soulful infusion that’s embedded in an expressive lyrical manner. Having recently worked with many sought after music producers such as Simon Cohen (Will.I.Am, Guy Sebastian, Vera Blue, Thelma Plum), Steve Peach (Icehouse, Marcia Hines, Stafford Brothers, “The Voice” Contestants, Choirboys, Fabrice (Milli Vanilli), Sophie Monk), Adrian Hannan (Delta Goodrem, Gabriella Cilmi, Taxi Ride, The Androids), Sven Tydeman (Josh Pyke, Tina Cousins, Candice Alley), AJ’s compositions and songwriting repertoire have resulted in numerous radio plays spanning both commercial and community radio stations across Australia.
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William Vanleer Releases Single ‘Time Machine’
"William Vanleer Releases Single ‘Time Machine’"Download or Stream
A bot of classic authentic Nashville sounding aussie americana hitting our playlist today….
This song was written as William’s way of honouring the loss of two close friends. As the song unfolded, it took William on a very personal journey, reminding him of things unsaid and always an unfulfilled desire to spend more time with a loved one or someone who has a special place in your life.
‘Time Machine was to be the song I needed to write and always wanted to write. It was to be the song I had been long since searching for from the very depths of my emotions; a song that would connect me with my past, my present and my future. A song that commemorates all those I have ever lost without being able to see them again or getting the chance to say goodbye along with those I am sure to lose in the near future.’ – William Vanleer
A mid-tempo Nashville sounding americana cut from William Vanleer. Electric guitar layers, bass, drums and a lyrical story everyone can relate to. This debut release sets the tone for many more to come from Vanleer & Co. Memories of the days of Kris Kristofferson and more recently Sturgill Simpson.
About William Vanleer
William is a singer/songwriter based on the beautiful Central Coast of NSW. Originally from rural NSW, he was born the son of a coal miner who also played in a country band. His passion for music began early with his father teaching him to play guitar.
He would spend much of his younger years harbouring a burning desire for his father to teach him to play, but wouldn’t pick up his first guitar until the age of 14 after being placed into foster care. While in care, William met his foster brother, Terry, who taught him to play Little Red Riding Hood by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs. Written for a Walt Disney Mickey Mouse cartoon.
In the mid 80’s William began composing, but it was not until he found a collaborator/friend and poet, Frank, that he was able to complete compositions that he was happy with. In 1989/1990 they entered two compositions into the steel city songwriter’s competition that ran Australia & New Zealand wide, both pieces making it into the final.
Since then he has performed for a variety of charity events held by the NSW RFS and Land Care organisations, as well as countless open mics along with band support roles in and around the Central Coast.
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Shere Fraser Releases ‘Rhyming Poem (Piano & Flute)’
"Shere Fraser Releases ‘Rhyming Poem (Piano & Flute)’"
Just added to our playlist ‘Rhyming Poem (Piano & Flute)’ is a modern classical composition featuring pianist Angel Ruediger and Shere Fraser on flute. It is an emotional piece with a thought provoking melody that opens a calming narrative with the flute. The musical conversation resonates with a correspondence of sound that is in its own special way, a rhyming poem.
Shere Fraser is a North American flutist and composer who taught herself to play the flute at age thirteen and later studied classical flute.
She took her music to the skies in her career as a flight attendant and entertained passengers both in flight and on the ground. Shere had the pleasure of playing for many special guests on board her flights, one of them being Michael Jackson’s brother, Jackie.
She was known as WestJet’s flute attendant and was affectionately named, WindShere. Shere is retired from having served the friendly skies for 13 1/2 years and now soars in the art of improvisation and composing with her many flutes, the sky is not her limit!
Shere plays traditional flute, Dizi, Xiao, Hulusi, Quena, Irish Whistles/ flute, Native American, Shakuhachi and Bansuri flutes. Her music is often featured on One World Music Radio.
Angel Ruediger is a Modern Classical and New Age Brazilian pianist and composer who started to have classical piano lessons at the age of nine. She nourishes a deep interest in History and
Art that is always interconnected in creative reflections which brings insights into her musical inspiration. Although she plays mostly Modern Classical and New Age music, sometimes she has cross overs with accents into Jazz and Bossa Nova.
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Jack Nolan ‘Oh My Darling’ (Official Music Video)
Kaiyah Mercedes – ‘Don’t Forget My Name’ From Debut Album Added to Playlist
"Kaiyah Mercedes – ‘Don’t Forget My Name’ From Debut Album Added to Playlist"
‘Don’t Forget My Name’ by 16-year old Kaiyah Mercedes and from her debut album ‘Hindsight’, is the perfect song to sing out loud to. An empowering track with raw instrumentals and a catchy chorus, it’s about leaving someone behind and hoping they never forget the pain they put you through.
Kaiyah Mercedes is a 16-year-old up-and-coming singer/songwriter based in Melbourne, whose lyrics are written with poetic influence with a focus on storytelling and emotions.
With Foo Fighters and Nirvana as two of her key influences, Kaiyah teamed up with Producer Chris Wilson to create her debut album, ‘Hindsight’.
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Darlene Koldenhoven’s new album has reached #1 on instrumental chart
"Darlene Koldenhoven’s new album has reached #1 on instrumental chart"Click below for the chart:
GRAMMY® Award Winner and 3 time Nominee Darlene Koldenhoven’s new album ‘Traveling the Blissful Highway’ has been cruising up the Soundslikecafe charts since its release in October and has now hit the number 1 instrumental album spot!!
Not only that but the single ‘Jade Dreams’ is hanging out at number 2 on the overall top 10.
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The album also had local Australian articles in Scenestr magazine and Whats My Scene. Darlene was recently interviewed ‘across the pond’ for Aparna Vats Point of View show on Alive 90.5 FM Sydney.
The chart position isn’t surprising considering these great reviews of the album below:
It is some of the most relaxing and
dreamy music you will have the pleasure of enjoying – a slice of heaven.
– Keith “Muzik Man” Hannaleck, New Age Music Reviews, Founder 7/18/22
The music of “Traveling the Blissful Highway” is colored with many colors, as if you are enthusiastically
leafing through a color album of a wonderful photographer who captured the most beautiful landscapes
that he met on his way. And each new page is even more beautiful… There is sophistication and a lot of the
smallest nuances in its perfect sounding music. A wonderful end to a hard day, bringing peace to the soul
and clearing the mind of worries.
– Serge Kozlovsky, Minsk, Belarus skozlovsky.com 7/30/22
“Traveling the Blissful Highway is an album you will want as your musical companion, to help make your life
joumey a more enjoyable and beautiful discovery. Darlene’s experience and exposure to varied cultures,
countries and traditions have contributed positively to her broad and diverse vision of humanity and our
world which comes through in her musical compositions and especially shines on this album.”
-Lizzette Cascante, Aurelscapes 8/3/22
Travel with Darlene Koldenhoven and her musicians on the blissful highway in her new album that features twelve instrumental tracks including four with her angelic, harmonic vocalese, occasionally used as background instrumentation. All of her compositions and arrangements invite us to go out and see the world and have a good rest at the end of an exquisite day. Darlene performs on keyboard synths, creating a culture of calm: half the album has ethnic influences to gently keep you going on the road and half lets you exit to the rest areas. Even when real travel is not in the picture, pack these traveling soundscapes for your inner and outer journey. With this album, the only passport you’ll need for these destination cities – peace, calm, happiness and bliss is your own mindfulness to visit them and the album as your tour guide.
About
GRAMMY® Award Winner and 3 time Nominee, Darlene Koldenhoven is a vocalist, pianist, composer, arranger, lyricist, speaker, and sonic therapist from Studio City, CA, born and raised in Chicago, IL. Her last two albums, “The Grand Piano Spa” and “The Grand Piano Spa: Legacy” debuted on the prestigious Billboard Classical Crossover Charts at #4 and #8, respectively in May & November 2021.
She was inducted to the Indie Music Hall of Fame at the GRAMMY® Museum in 2019 by the Indie Music Channel Awards and the COVR Award hailed her “Chromatones” as Album of the Year a few months later. Several of her albums ranked #1 on the worldwide ZMR Radio Charts and she has 2 Best New Age Vocal Album and Best Holiday Album from ZMR.
Darlene is best known worldwide as the featured soprano in “Yanni, Live at the Acropolis” and for her role as the tambourine-waving choir nun in both “Sister Act” films with Whoopi Goldberg.
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Jack Nolan Releases Single ‘Dollar’
"Jack Nolan Releases Single ‘Dollar’"
When it was just you and me, broke, young, and free, that’s love. No houses, no fast cars, no responsibilities.
“And she loved me like no other / When I did not have one dollar / Not a dollar / On me”
They say when you’re on a good thing, stick to it – so why not go back to Nashville, it worked out perfectly pre-pandemic, why not post-pandemic? And what better way to add a bit of hope to 2022 than a 12 string guitar and a nod to the mighty Wilbury’s? Listen out for Justin Weaver’s jangling 12 string intro to herald the first track release from Jack’s upcoming 2023’s album Jindabyne.
Dollar is a story about hope and knowing things would work out just fine.
“See my reputation follow / When I did not have a dollar / Not a dollar / On me”
An up-tempo acoustic/band based track akin to Paul Kelly from Jack Nolan as the debut single from his forthcoming album. The tune moves along very smoothly with some sweet backing vocals, catchy guitar riffs and Jack’s story telling vocals. A hooky chorus sets the spot on vibe of this one.
Based in Sydney, Australia, singer songwriter Jack Nolan has been performing and releasing music since the mid 1990’s. Along with a five-album solo catalogue Jack also fronted The Kelly Gang, with Rick Grossman, bassist for The Divinyls and Hoodoo Gurus along with Midnight Oil drummer Rob Hirst and guitar player Martin Rotsey. Their 2004 album Looking for the Sun was critically adored along with their energetic live shows.
Once quaintly described as ‘Darlinghurst Country’, his sound unites elements of folk, country, rock ‘n’ roll and ambient atmospheres fusing Nolan’s passion for intensely charged electric guitar and finger-picked acoustic guitar.
The critically acclaimed 2018 album ‘Our Waverley Star’ was followed up by the equally impressive ‘Gabriel’. It was these two American outings that cemented Nolan’s love of Nashville and built from a connection with guitarist/producer Justin Weaver that started with a one-off phone call and developed into an alliance that Nolan describes as ‘Team America’. What’s now become a regular jaunt is an opportunity for Nolan to get away from all the distractions of home, and “arrive in town, in the northern winter, when everyone’s off the road, with my swag of songs to greet all the boys again to collaborate”.
Jack’s new album – JINDABYNE – is set for release in early 2023. This album has waited in the wings while lockdowns and rules meant the guitar took on a whole new meaning. “I arrived home from Nashville in early March 2020 with ‘Gabriel’ ready for mastering. One week later, the world turned on its axis and – lockdown. This created a sense of urgency in me, so I made a conscious decision not to waste the time and went to work writing JINDABYNE. As soon as the plane could fly I was booked and took off back to the US”.
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US Band Blackfox Release Album ‘Embers’
"US Band Blackfox Release Album ‘Embers’"
Featuring the songs of lead vocalist and guitarist Stacey Cargal, the album charts a muscular and atmospheric guitar-heavy course through dark Southern Gothic characters and lyrical landscapes.
A true ‘band album’, the tracks are buoyed by exquisite and far-ranging guitar work by Cargal and Ryan Taylor, tasty and musical drumming of Mitch Sosebee, melodic and funky bass of album producer Greg Wright, sonic seasonings and glue from keyboardist/synthesist Jim Combs, and vocal harmonies by Monica Arrington, Andy Gish, and Kendra Bentle Rainey.
“Blackfox play sludgy, guitar-driven rock rooted in a kind of grungy blues that’s dirty yet melodic…they hold their ground, keep the mood dark and eerie, and wait until just the right moment to unleash a blistering solo that’s just plain nasty.” – Latest Disgrace
“As original music gets more difficult to peg with the usual genre signifiers, the challenge to accurately describe what one is hearing gets a bit dicey. Blackfox, an Atlanta band comprised of veterans of the community, pretty much defies any specific labels, while touching on so many in unique ways. At times as sinister as black metal, but then shifting to more melodic and palatable tone, Blackfox maintains an edge that keeps the listener on edge, while providing an entertaining and satisfying experience.” – Creative Loafing
“With a sound reminiscent of early new wave bands (think U2, Simple Minds, and Modern English) performed with an understanding of the British blues bands before them, Blackfox have melded the two styles together to offer a contemporary and original sound.” – Tony Paris, Creative Loafing
Song Descriptions
“What About You” roars out of the gate with a tale of personal darkness and human connection.
“Follow Me On Down” is a hook-ladened rumination on standing up to fears with a sort of Buffalo Springfield meets Eurythmics vibe.
“To Be Real” is a vocal tour de force in a Muscle Shoals vein about the power of two.
“From The Inside” slows things down and gets spooky ala tales of mystery and imagination.
“Strange Anymore” contemplates the aftermath of losing a friend.
“Ah Ah Ah” reconciles a broken relationship.
“Monsoon” drops us into a swampy lake of emotions and commitments.
“I Wonder” is a classic boy-meets-girl, girl-meets-boy song featuring Andy Gish on duet vocal.
“The Night Comes” is a cinematic romp through art rock territory with flanged drums, screaming guitar, and mellotron.
Title track “Embers” is a power ballad about bitter-sweet remembrances down by the river.
“I Need To Know” closes out the album with a simple song about the impact one person can have on another.
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Steve Kilbey & Martin Kennedy Release Single ‘When Time Has Run Out’
"Steve Kilbey & Martin Kennedy Release Single ‘When Time Has Run Out’"
With echoes of The Wall-era Pink Floyd, ‘When Time Has Run Out’ is the first single from Steve Kilbey & Martin Kennedy’s new album, ‘The Strange Life of Persephone Nimbus’. Steve Kilbey of psych rock legends The Church and writer of magical hit ‘Under The Milky Way’ once again joins forces with Martin Kennedy of atmospheric ambient stalwarts All India Radio for their seventh studio album.
“A sumptuous meeting of Australian soundscaper and the head Churchman… a voice of characterful cool poise and an imaginative lyrical lexicon, Kilbey can make a strong melodic song out of simple elements.” – MOJO
The first single from the new KK album begins with powerful guitars, keys and vocal layers before the drums and bass break in. Soaring electric guitars and strings layers drive this mid-tempo tune along while Kilbey’s iconic and instantly recognizable vocal. A must add to playlists.
In 1981 a teenage Martin Kennedy stumbled upon Steve Kilbey and The Church at Tanelorn, an oddball old world meets new world music festival, and fell in love with their look and sound. He recorded their set on a walkman, and the songs helped spark the beginning of his music career. Just a year before, an equally fresh-faced Steve Kilbey formed The Church in Sydney, the very beginning of their public life as accidental hit makers.
Forty one years later Martin and Steve find themselves working together on their sixth studio album, the epic ‘The Strange Life of Persephone Nimbus.’ As ever with these two, the deal is simple: Martin writes the music and Steve writes the words. No argument, no egos, just a matter of pressing the record button. The results are an effective balancing of Kennedy’s haunting and melodic tunes with Kilbey’s mysterious, witty and intelligent lyrics, melded together by his heavenly voice. Martin keeps his teenage love of The Church out of the equation in fear of it skewing his songwriting but it’s there if you listen closely.
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