FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: The Yellow Melodies – “Sunshine Pop” CD/LP/Digital

We are very excited to release “Sunshine Pop” by The Yellow Melodies.

During the pandemic, THE YELLOW MELODIES released three CD-EP’s through Discos Imprescindibles. Each EP includes four own songs and a cover of an artist or band they admire. Now ’Sunshine Pop’, the album, has just arrived, compiling all the own songs from those EPs.

‘Sunshine Pop’ brings us a remarkable collection of vital songs, some sung in Spanish and some in English, which stand out for their bright arrangements (strings, brass, synths, organ, glockenspiels…) and for their harmonies of heavenly amplitude very close to perfection.

THE YELLOW MELODIES are Rafa Skam on vocals and guitar, Antonio Clares on bass and backing vocals, Carlos Abrisqueta on keyboards and guitars and José Ángel Hernández on drums. The songs have been recorded at into Pepe Moreno’s PM Studio. Norma Hamilton has added powerful backing vocals in these shiny songs full of sunlight, love and youth that will recharge you with positive energies.

The songs of ‘Sunshine Pop’ have achieved such great reviews on the music press:

“They simply concentrate on what they are best at, i.e. playful pop in it’s most luscious and undiluted form.” (Junglepophub)

“The band routinely crafts memorable indie pop tunes that tickle our ears and warm our hearts” (When You Motor Away)

“We always need music as joyous as this as an antidote to all that is grey and dreary out there” (FadeAwayRadiate)

Here at the Beautiful Music we have released the CD version of this album in association with Hurrah! Música, Old Bad Habits and Discos Imprescindibles.

The Beautiful Music

“Sunshine Pop” (CD Version)
The Yellow Melodies
Beauty 061
$15.00 CDN

The Beautiful Music

Digital version available their Bandcamp: theyellowmelodies.bandcamp.com/album/sunshine-pop

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Songs from Be My Baby – Roy Moller

Behind every great storyteller is a great story, and Roy Moller’s latest release is just that. Truly captivating and enjoyable. He has a unique way of drawing listeners in, using vivid imagery and charming wit to create a fully immersive experience and this album is no exception.

Roy writes in his liner notes: 

In May 2015, I went to Register House in Edinburgh to have my adoption papers opened. I already knew my birth mother’s name, that she had a Canadian connection and her and my father’s occupations but few other details.

This is the story of what I discovered – an extra-marital affair, an escape from starchy Ontario morals to a UK coming through the coldest winter on record, about to be rocked by scandal and Beatles as she’ll make a swift return to Toronto without a baby to keep but with plenty of secrets.

And this is the story of growing up adopted with a hidden family and hidden disability. Expanding on Be My Baby, a sequence of poems published by Dionysia Press in 2019, this is my story in song.”

Songs from Be My Baby is available as a CD (Beauty 059) below.

Check out more from Roy here:

https://www.facebook.com/RoyMoller1963/

https://roymoller.bandcamp.com/

The Beautiful Music
Songs from Be My Baby (CD Version)

Roy Moller
Beauty 059
$15.00 CDN

The Beautiful Music

Digital version available from Roy’s Bandcamp. roymoller.bandcamp.com/album/songs-from-be-my-baby

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: HOOPLA by SUPER 8

We are very proud to be able to work with British-based musician, Paul ‘Trip’ Ryan who puts out music under the name SUPER 8 to release the brand new album entitled HOOPLA (beauty 058). Having worked with Trip before on the gorgeous Lisa Mychols & SUPER 8 album (beauty 052) we knew that he is an extremely talented and prolific musician with a vast collection of quality influences. SUPER 8 creates timeless music, rooted in the past, influenced by the present and poised for the future. In an interview with Lisa Mychols, when asked – Who/what is SUPER 8? Paul replied with probably as good a description that one can come up with: “SUPER 8 is predominantly me, myself & I these days – a home studio-based ‘one man band’ would be one way to put it. I write, perform & produce all the music and my talented wife helps bring the songs to life with her wonderful artwork & animated videos.”

In the past Trip has cited some of the following as influences: The Beach Boys; The Beatles; The Monkees; T-Rex; Stones; Burt Bacharach; Astrud Gilberto; Simon & Garfunkel; Neil Young; Neil Diamond … The Smiths; The La’s; The Stone Roses; The Charlatans; Shack; Teenage Fanclub; The Beta Band; Elliott Smith; BMX Bandits; The Pearlfishers and others, so it’s easy to see the great influences on his music.

Trip has quite a history, almost discovered by Giles Martin, working with David Scott (The Pearlfishers, and praised by Duglas of the BMX Bandits, and featured on many fine radio shows including NWR and the Mickey Bradley show on the BBC.

BANDCAMP: https://trip8.bandcamp.com/
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/SUPER8UK
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/SUPER_8_music

The Beautiful Music

HOOPLA (CD Version)
SUPER 8
Beauty 058
$15.00 CDN


The Beautiful Music

New Release: Adrift by Skytone

Skytone is a duo consisting of siblings Rodney and Darius Doddridge.

When we first encountered their music they were best described as a jangle pop band.
However, for new album Adrift the brothers have created a very appealing tapestry of crystalline synth pop.
So the sound is more Stockholm/Malmo than Dunedin/Glasgow.
But the hooks are good, the choruses soar, and the arrangements paint in warm, bright colors.
This album is so good that you will want to play it right now and think of warmer times.
But don’t forget to break it out again next summer for a worthy encore.

A highly recommended album – feelgood, Summery jangle pop at its best.

From Galaxy train, translated from Japanese:
“The exquisite melody that melts, the synth pop that spreads in the bedroom, and the smell of neo-acoustic everywhere!”-The latest album by Skytone, a unit of brothers Rodney and Darius based in Ottawa, Canada.

Now available as a cassette only release:
-limited edition only 20 available
-digital download
-Galaxy Train and Skytone stickers
-lyrics sheet
https://galaxytrain.bandcamp.com/album/adrift

Skytone Official
http://thebeautifulmusic.com/skytone/

Check them out on Bandcamp
https://skytone1.bandcamp.com

 

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: New Dot Dash album “Madman in the Rain”

Madman in the Rain, the new album from Washington DC-based Dot Dash is out now!

Recorded at New York City’s Renegade Studios and produced by Grammy-winning Geoff Sanoff, Madman in the Rain features 12 new Dot Dash songs available on CD from is here at TBM.  

Among them, lead-off track “Forever Far Out” might have come from an imaginary mixtape, made circa Fall 1985 (also appearing: Wire Train, Miracle Legion, Dumptruck.) “Space Junk, Satellites” is a samba-ish reverie that likens stars to hollow jewels and contemplates the moon reflected in shallow pools. “Tense & Nervous” is a two-minute banger. Spectral incantation “Animal Stone” considers criminals & saints (and animals & stones.)  Title track “Madman in the Rain” is part glammy torch song, part indie-rock chugger. “Wokeupdreaming” was written while sleeping.

WASHINGTON POST: Everything we’ve ever read about Dot Dash plays up the group’s collective resume: Singer/guitarist Terry Banks was in St. Christopher and the Saturday People before teaming up with bassist Hunter Bennett in acclaimed indie-rock band Julie Ocean and drummer Danny Ingram co-founded harDCore band Youth Brigade. Very impressive. But we’re more interested in the music, a retro cocktail that recalls the yearning indie-pop of Sarah Records; the ’80s neo-Byrds jangle of R.E.M., Orange Juice and other seminal college radio artists, and tight, throbbing basslines and slashing guitars that evoke the Jam and the Clash.” 

Along the way, Dot Dash has played shows with The Undertones, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The B-52s, Richard Lloyd (ex-Television), The Monochrome Set, The Minus 5 (ex-Young Fresh Fellows, R.E.M.), The Psychedelic Furs, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, 999, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, The Chameleons, The Dickies, Ash, Hugh Cornwell (ex-Stranglers), Stiff Little Fingers, The Vibrators, The Fleshtones, Glen Matlock (ex-Sex Pistols), Urge Overkill, The Drums, Ian Hunter (ex-Mott The Hoople), The Bats, Ultimate Painting, The Trashcan Sinatras, The Clientele, Sylvain Sylvain (ex-New York Dolls), Drivin’n’Cryin, The Godfathers, The Nude Party, Country Westerns, Frankie Rose, The Empty Hearts (ex-Blondie/The Cars/Romantics/Chesterfield Kings), D.O.A., Field Day (ex-Dag Nasty), Wussy, The Essex Green, Matt Pond PA, Moon Duo, Terry Malts, Soulside, Jack Grisham (TSOL), Apollo 66, Wax Idols, Office of Future Plans, Allo Darlin’, Tommy Keene, Adam Franklin (Swervedriver), The Explorers Club, Chris Stamey (ex-dB’s), Miss Lonelyheart, Elf Power, X__X (ex-Rocket From The Tombs, Electric Eels), Ladybug Transistor, The Supersuckers, Lee Bains & The Glory Fires, Bim Skala Bim, Stevie Jackson (Belle & Sebastian), Eternal Summers & lots of other rocking combos.

Madman in the Rain is available as a digipak CD directly below or on the store page.

The album will also be available as a digital download from Bandcamp at dotdashdc.bandcamp.com – and is streaming on Spotify.

The Beautiful Music

Madman in the Rain
Dot Dash
Beauty 054
$15.00 CDN


The Beautiful Music

For Immediate Release: “I Found That Essence Rare” – The Sounds Of Beauty (V.A)

“It’s a rare thing to find a song that really makes you happy, inspires you and makes you want to shout out, at the top of your voice about the wonderful discovery so that everyone else can enjoy it too. Like the song by Gang of Four that provides the title of this sampler, we hope that we have gathered that rare essence in these 20 songs that will bring you that same excitement” – We feel this is the best compilation around so join us for the ride and please find some further details about the songs below & why not visit their Bandcamp page and support the bands and treat yourself to some more wonderful tunes. A huge thanks to all the bands and musicians that gave us permission to use these songs. – Wally


Click here to download the free sampler and liner notes:
“I Found That Essence Rare” – The Sounds Of Beauty (Beauty 043)

1. Exploding Flowers – A Daunting Thought (Beauty 051)
2. Summerhouse – I May Not (A sort of Beach Boys cover) *
3. Dot Dash – Gray Blue Green (Beauty 042)
4. The Yellow Melodies – Don’t Think Twice (Beauty 041)
5. The Fish John West Reject – Cath (The Bluebells cover) *
6. The Dupont Circles – Nowhere Man (The Beatles cover) *
7. Adventure Playground – The Girl With The Hand Me Down Clothes (Beauty 035) **
8. Armstrong – In A Memory (Beauty 034)
9. The Poems – Temptation (New Order cover) *
10. David Long – Hand Of Love – MONO (The Sound cover – Beauty 049) ***
11. Peter Hall – English Rose (The Jam cover) *
12. James Clarke Five – Under My Skin (Beauty 044)
13. Si Farrier – Heaven Sent Me An Angel (The Times Cover – Beauty 030)
14. Skytone – Without You (John Girgus Remix) ***
15. Summerhouse – Tears On A Rainy Sunday (The Times cover – Beauty 030)
16. Crumb – McArther Beach Park (Jim Webb/Martha & the Muffins cover) *
17. Roy Moller – These Things I Do (Beauty 027)
18. Gretchen’s Wheel – Tears (Teenage Fanclub cover) *
19. Lisa Mychols & SUPER 8 – You & Me Me & You (Beauty 052)
20. Peter Hall – Everything Is Fading Fast – Megane Fast Mix (Beauty 048) ***

* – Non-Beauty Prime Cut or an Unreleased Rarity
** – A Television Personalities cover from a distant future release
*** – Alternate version to the official release, past, present or future

Mastered by Phil Shaw Bova
Design by Jamie Nordstrand

Armstrong’s “Happy Graffiti” Now Available!

We are very excited about our next release by Julian Pitt, aka Armstrong, as it is one we have hinted at and teased, especially with the inclusion of the wonderful song “This One” on our label sampler that was released several years back. So to say that the release of Armstrong‘s “Happy Graffiti” album was highly anticipated and eagerly awaited by some of us would be a huge understatement. 

Previous albums have received excellent reviews with Julians’s music being compared to Aztec Camera/Roddy Frame, The Pearlfishers, Teenage Fanclub, Prefab SproutLloyd Cole, Dream Academyand Trash Can Sinatras. Alex Green (Caught In The Carousel) once wrote: “Under Blue Skies is one of the most satisfying and melodic albums in recent memory…Armstrong’s lustrous debut presents Pitt as the new unheralded prince of pastoral pop. With a voice that lilts and soars like Roddy Frame or The Pearlfisher’s David ScottPitt is truly a splendid find.” Powerpopaholic stated about Songs About The Weather: “Fans of sunshine and baroque pop would do well to check out the latest album from Armstrong … If you enjoy wistful ballads and sun-kissed melodies that are brimming with emotion you’ll want to listen to Armstrong

We are very proud to finally, after many years, release this wonderful gem of an album and hope it brings you much joy.

For this album we teamed up again with the brilliant UK label, Country Mile Recordshttp://www.countrymile.org/ a partnership we are very proud to involved with.  Please Enjoy!

The Beautiful Music

Armstrong – Happy Graffiti
Beauty 034
$15.00 CDN OUT NOW!

The Beautiful Music

“Happy Graffiti” is available as a CD (Beauty 034) directly from our store 
and also from Country Mile Records http://www.countrymile.org/.

Armstrong info:  http://thebeautifulmusic.com/the-bands/armstrong/

Armstrong Bandcamp:  https://armstrong2.bandcamp.com/

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: In Search of the Family Gredunza by The Dupont Circles

Thirty years in the making and it is finally here, and we are so excited to be finally releasing the long-anticipated debut album by The Dupont Circles, a band that has been lost in time, but are now ready to be rediscovered. We have been working on this album for about five years and the recordings span a period of about 30 years. They were formed originally as The Spills in 1988 in Washington D.C. and morphed into The Dupont Circles, with their early recordings dating back to several rare 7” singles on the Cara Records label – “Sarah The Weather Girl” in 1995 and “The 53 Bicycles EP” in 1998 and after that several appearances on compilations, on some pretty cool labels like March Records, Planting Seeds Records, Japan’s Rover Records, and Italy’s Lost In Tyme label, not to mention a contribution to our very own Television Personalities tribute series.

Described by one magazine as “psych-tinged indie pop of the post-TV Personalities variety,” The Dupont Circles merge their love of 60’s UK pop-psych and U.S. garage rock with their fondness for C86 era indiepop jangle to come up with a set of songs that tickle the ear and keep the listener coming back for more.  Likened by reviewers to early Creation and Flying Nun recording artists, “Chronic Town era R.E.M.,” and of course the Television Personalities, The Dupont Circles set melodies “last heard of coming from a bakelite transistor somewhere in pre-Profumo era Britain” to a musical pallet “packed with a cabinet full of lysergic trimmings.”  The paisley infused songs feature an eclectic cast of characters from the Syd Barrett/Ray Davies school of songwriting, including shopkeepers, circus fleas, pulp fiction detectives, and insomniacs.
 

An interview with The Dupont Circles in Lost In Tyme magazine referred to “the band’s usual glacial pace”, a phrase that takes on added meaning when you consider how long it has taken to get this album finally released. A common lament of reviews of the two 7”s is that the band’s releases are so infrequent.  As one reviewer commented, “What is really sad is that The Dupont Circles are one of the best bands out there right now, but they have only two 7″s and a few compilation tracks. Someone please light a fire under this band and get them working again” (Kissing The Cat). Well we helped do that and we are happy to say that what the band lacks in speed, they certainly make up for it in quality and creativity, as can be heard on this collection of brilliant songs. Sit back and enjoy The Dupont Circles “In Search Of The Family Gredunza”.

“The Dupont Circles – In Search Of The Family Gredunza” is available as a CD (Beauty 039) directly from The Beautiful Music’s secure, PayPal-enabled ordering portal at www.thebeautifulmusic.com and also from select quality distributors.

 

The Beautiful Music

In Search of the Family Gredunza
The Dupont Circles
Beauty 039
$15.00 CDN OUT NOW!


The Beautiful Music

Stumbling Blocks by Exploding Flowers – Out Now on The Beautiful Music

We are very pleased to welcome to the beautiful music collective, Exploding Flowers, a Los Angeles-based quartet, who create a wonderful sound that recalls so many of our favourite bands.

Their unique blending of various styles, create a jangle pop that touches on 70’s-era Chilton/Twilley, mid-80’s ‘Splash Of Colour’ scene and the early Creation sound, New Zealand guitar pop of  The Chills & The Bats, hints of the Australian label Summershine Records, L.A.’s Paisley Underground, and 90’s noise pop all perfectly mutated, and swirled into their own modern day hook-filled racket. They also remind me of Robyn Hitchcock, The Byrds, and even at times The Barracudas, Dot Dash & Skytone.

Rob Morgan describes it up perfectly: ”Exploding Flowers tip their collective hats towards some intriguing music. Sure, the twelve strings chime like the Byrds in flight as you would expect but there’s a plainly chorded organ harking back to the Chills and numerous US 60s garage bands or even the early sides by the Sea Urchins(think “Sullen Eyes”)…The sound is fresh and vivid, and the songs are superb too.”

”The music will draw you in and the lyrics will intrigue you and you will sing these songs all summer.” (https://agoldfishcalledregret.wordpress.com/).

A DJ at KCRW stated that the Exploding Flowers had “some of the most dynamic, self-assured, jangly pop music that I’ve ever encountered in a while. There were twinges of psychedelia in just the right places, and all sorts of cool effects pedals being put to great use.” (DJ Marion Hodges).

“Stumbling Blocks” (beauty 051) includes guest vocalist Suki Ewers’ (Mazzy Star, Opal) duet on the song “Are We So Disposable?” and is the follow up to Exploding Flowers’ self-titled debut album on Smash It Up! Records(and an EP on the Edition 59 label).

The Beautiful Music

Exploding Flowers – Stumbling Blocks
Beauty 051
$15.00 CDN OUT NOW!


“Exploding Flowers is a Los Angeles-based quartet, comprised of members of many other cool bands. Their unique brew of jangle pop is akin to 70’s-era Chilton/Twilley, mid-80’s New Zealand guitar pop, L.A.’s Paisley Underground, and 90’s noise pop all blended, mutated, and swirled into their own modern day hook-filled racket. They also remind me of Robyn Hitchcock, The Byrds, and even at times Dot Dash & Skytone.” – Wally

The Beautiful Music

Lisa Mychols & SUPER 8

This is a very exciting release for the Beautiful Music label, when you get to release an album by two extremely talented musicians, whose careers you have followed for years. So what happens when you combine the talents of the queen of power pop, Lisa Mychols AKA Ellie, on the sunny west coast of the USA, with the talents of pop maverick, and one of the most productive musicians, across the ocean in Scotland, Paul Ryan, aka Trip, aka SUPER 8? Well let me tell you, it’s the soundtrack of your Summer, The Hit of Summer 2020 and an album you will return to year after year! These Sun-drenched melodies, just conjure up images, of sandy beaches, surf boards, shiny cars, crashing waves and beautiful people. It’s here, a Summer Smash (sort of like Denim‘s Summer Smash, but without the car crash), an album to cherish and love & blast on the car speakers with the roof down. Estella from Fadeaway Radiate, described their single Honey Bee as “a must for lovers of sunshine pop, northern soul and the sound and aesthetics of the 60’s in general. The song is a groovy feel-good tune with lush layers of sprightly harmonies”. The whole album, carries on in a similar theme, and I dare you to get these songs and melodies out of your head, once lodged there. This is what timeless music is made of.

This all sounds swell, you are thinking, but who are these two musicians, that give them the right to create such a classic. Lisa has an impressive history, having worked with some of my all-time favorite musicians like The Wondermints (they were even her backing band for some of her recordings), The Well Wishers, and Kai Danzbergand she contributed to many excellent compilations and tributes, not to mention her beginnings with her band The Masticators, that made an impressive splash on the LA pop underground of the 1990’s. And as if that is not enough, she has also released at least 4 solo albums, two of which were on Joe Foster’s Rev-Ola label, which in itself is a stamp of quality. Trip, also has quite a history, almost discovered by Giles Martin, working with David Scott (The Pearlfishers, another one of my all time favorites), and praised by Duglas of the BMX Bandits (another favourite), and with stellar releases on several of my favorite labels, like Futureman Records & the Subjangle label.

We are certainly pleased that these two have landed on our label for this magnificent release. As Trip states: “Working on this album with Lisa has been an honour and a blast. In many ways I feel these songs just wrote themselves! My hope is that, in some small way here, they might serve to lift folk’s spirits in these trying times. We hope you enjoy the melodic sunshine we’ve cooked up!”.

The Beautiful Music

Lisa Mychols & SUPER 8
Beauty 052
$15.00 CDN PRE-ORDER

https://www.facebook.com/TripAndElliesMusicFactory/