Steve Kipner and Steve Groves went to London and formed the duo STEVE & STEVIE. They recorded an album together, which was released on the small Toast label. There was one single released off that album. While in London they met Steve Kipner's old friend Maurice Gibb, who recommended that they should work for the Robert Stigwood Organisation.

After Maurice Gibb had recommended that Steve Kipner and Steve Groves should work together with the Robert Stigwood Organisation, Stigwood bought out the contract from the small record company and the duo was free to start working with Polydor. Maurice Gibb offered to produce an album of the duo together with his brother in law Billy Lawrie. The first single release by the duo, who called themselves TIN TIN was "Only Ladies Play Croquet". The single was not hit, but the second release "Toast And Marmalade For Tea" was to become the biggest hit of TIN TIN.

progbeat

Gracious began as a schoolboy lark in 1964, when guitarist Alan Cowderoy and vocalist/drummer Paul Davis banded together to cover pop songs at school concerts. To arouse maximum ire at their Catholic school, the adopted the band name "Satan's Disciples."

rockasteria

New EP next month! 'Empty Estate' comes out on May 14th.

After the release of her debut solo effort, Life Goes On, Astrid Engberg continues the presentation of her musical universe, rich and eclectic, with her second of a series of four, Poetry Is Gone. We discovered her knowledge in Jazz, this time Astrid Engberg explore a more eclectic and electronic avenue, embelished with Africain influences (music that touched her soul during travels in Burkina Faso) and dotted of Hip Hop vibes with the vocals collaborations of Mattic, and the production skills of Dirty Art Club, Mighty DR, Blanka. A new travel which proves that Astrid Engberg’s horizon is not frozen and seems to be able to spread until infini, without loosing herself. Poetry Is Gone will be available on Vinyl and Digital from Phonosaurus Records, HHV.de, iTunes, Bandcamp and many more.

Ian McCulloch is best known as the frontman of Echo & the Bunnymen, but the singer release another solo album, this time a two-disc set called Holy Ghosts. It is out on April 15 through Edsel.The first of the two CDs is a live album recorded last year at London, UK’s Union Chapel. This set, entitled Orchestral Reworkings from Union Chapel, consists of orchestral versions of solo tunes, plus Echo & the Bunnymen classics like “Somewhere in My Dreams” and “The Killing Moon.” It was mixed and produced by Martin Glover (aka Youth).

new album releases

Sometimes you’ve got to look back to move forward. At least, that’s what the debut album from London art-rock quintet Fiction implies. Channeling the 1980’s intellectual approach to crafting pop songs honed by the likes of Talking Heads, ‘The Big Other’ is ten tracks of colourful hooks, jazzy key arrangements and harmonised choruses. And despite a disappointing and fatigue inducing third act, standout tracks such as ‘Careful’, ‘Big Things’ and ‘Step Ahead’ reveal a level of innovation beyond mere nostalgia.

new album releases

It looks like the members of Saturday Looks Good To Me, a Detroit-based pop group, are trying their hardest to invoke Summer in their newest track, 'Invisible Friend'. The song is full of breezy, surf-style guitars and some twee vocals courtesy of singer Carol Catherine. The track will appear on their upcoming album One Kiss Ends It All when it debuts on May 21 via Polyvinyl.

fondness

From the young indie jammers The Ocean Party comes a new release, Social Clubs. And the consensus brings good tidings. The Ocean Party is a rather fresh project, having just released their first collection of work not two years ago.

fondness

Maston is the brainchild of Los Angeles songwriter and bedroom pop genius Frank Maston, who clearly kneels at the altar of Van Dyke Parks. Just listen to the man's cover of "Call Me Maybe", which clears out Carly Rae's modern pop sheen to make room for a wall of tambourines, horns, and keyboards.

fondness

In 1965, Barry Seidel formed a music company called Traydel Productions. The first band Seidel signed was The Mad Hatters from Washington DC. In the course of one year the band released three stunningly great singles- “I Need Love”, “Go Find A Love” and “I’ll Come Running”, all with Dylanesque-PF Sloan sounding folk-rock songs as the b-sides. Mad Hatter live shows were legendary as well, as is exemplified by the explosion of the amps during their electrifying medley of “Since You’ve Been Gone>I’m All Right>The Mad Hatter Theme” and their rocking version of “I Need Love”, both included on this album along with all their singles, making this the most complete collection of Mad Hatters’ material ever released.

paradise og garage compilations