Artwork: Gerd Altmann
Tonight it’s our Bombshell Radio Top 10 Countdown for June. This time I had the assistance of Alex Green ( The Heart Goes Boom, Stereo Embers) Amber Scott (Photography & Art Design) and resident guest judge Bernard Frazer of Church of Trees .
Notes by Bernard Frazer of Canadian synthpop Church of Trees whose debut “Primitive Creatures” (2017) charted in Japan, the UK, and across Canada.
In 2018, they released “The Dark & The Light”, featuring the #1 single “Like Gary Numan”.
In 2020, they released their powerful/edgy 3rd album “New Bold Dawn” & 14-song retrospective “Progression”.
2021 sees a new single w rock legend Carole Pope & a new EP, “PAUSE”.
FB: @churchoftreesmusic
IG: @church_of_trees
Twitter: @churchoftrees
These artists stood out to us and deserve to be recognized. During this pandemic we’ve had tons of construction happening outside the studio so recordings sometimes happen late at night resulting in tons of coffee consumed. So tonight that’s our chosen theme.
We hope you enjoy!
FIX MIX 796
Forty Cups Of Coffee / Ella Mae Morse
Need a Little Love / The Fratellis
Mine Forever / Lord Huron
Sleepy Joe’s Café / Bruce Springsteen
Black Coffee / Aviv
Petrol Fumes / Billy Nomates
Lipstick Coffee / Leagues
Cigarettes And Coffee / Otis Redding
Missing Home / Flora Cash
Death Bed (Coffee For Your Head) (feat. Beabadoobee) / Powfu
Coffee / Kelly Rowland
Cellophane (Brain) / Middle Kids
Microwave Coffee / Benny Bridges
Coffee Homeground / Kate Bush
How it is / Walk Off the Earth
01 Coffee Break Blues / Bob Snider
Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop / Landon Pigg
Sunny In The Making / Steady Holiday
The Coffee Song / Frank Sinatra
Coffee & Cigarettes / The Snuts
The Mersey Line / Pixey
You’re The Cream In My Coffee / Nat King Cole Trio
Black Coffee In Bed / Squeeze
Under The Skin / Gengahr
Starfish And Coffee / Prince
Coffee & TV / Blur
All or Nothing / MONOWHALES
A Cup Of Coffee / Johnny Cash
Linda Put The Coffee On / Ray Materic
Head Right / Wilderado
Forty Cups Of Coffee / Bill Haley & His Comets. Our Final Top 10 results are in…
BombShell Top Ten for May-June 2021 By Bernard Frazer
Notes by Bernard Frazer of Church of Trees, whose current single World’s a Bitch features the legendary Carole Pope and former Spoons/Honeymoon Suite keyboardist Rob Preuss. Their album PAUSE is out now! https://churchoftrees.bandcamp.com/album/pause
1. Wilerado – Head Right
I’m a sucker for a kick-ass power-pop tune, and Tulsa Indie-rock trio Wilderado hits all the right buttons with “Head Right”.
Confident, boisterous, and overflowing with joy, “Head Right” builds on what the band does best – combine soaring melodies with killer harmonies and make you leap to your feet!
I love, love, love this track!!
2. Monowhales – All or Nothing
All I can say is “wow”! All or Nothing is another massive anthem by Monowhales! But this time, it’s all about taking risks and believing in the power of your own will!
A follow-up to Really Wanna Let You Down, which broke the radio record for highest-charting unsigned band, All or Nothing is destined to break even more records!
Monowhales enlisted the support of JUNO-nominated Producer, Ryan Worsley and JUNO Award-winning Mix Engineer, Jason Dufour who have served up an absolutely glorious production!
In my view, this is sizzler is Number One with a bullet!
Bravo!
3. Gengahr – Under The Skin
Written for Amazon Prime series American Gods, Gengahr’s “Under the Skin” is a deftly crafted track that perfectly mirrors the series’ theme in its dynamic builds, intensity, and intrigue.
Gengahr frontman Felix Bushe says: “It was a really interesting opportunity for us, and when we were asked about the project I thought immediately that I had something that would work well for this.”
Bushe’s vocal delivery and lyric perfectly encapsulate the essence of the series. The following line is a perfect example:
“Drag city and the war’s tonight, Archetype, exit light, with anybody, Try kicking it with all your might, Echo we are, echoing under.”
Superb work!
4. Pixey – The Mersey Line
Bubbly, bright, and massively fresh, The Mersey Line by Liverpool’s Pixey is a cool glass of Dom Perignon with an Espresso chaser.
Pixey’s modern and retro inspirations may be what is behind its percolating pop. Pixey says:
“I particularly like the idea of using samples/making my own riffs sound like samples which was heavily inspired by the [De La Soul] album 3 Feet High and Rising… though (the artist) Grimes was (also) a huge catalyst.”
Her mix of genres from jangle pop to downtempo breakbeats makes for a spicy and compelling musical stew.
The Mersey Line is a ”must listen” track!
5. Steady Holiday- Sunny in the Making
Dre Babinski, aka Steady Holiday, has one of those voices that makes the ears prick up. In the pulsing yet laid back “Sunny in the Making”, her voice swirls about your head like a spectre in the mist, gently enticing you… and by the end of the song, you are smitten.
Babinski says the song is “about embracing uncertainty, relinquishing what can’t be controlled, appreciating moments as they happen. And if we don’t get that far, it’s also about celebrating the attempt.”
I for one, celebrate Sunny in the Making!
6. Walk Off The Earth – How it Is
Walk Off the Earth is a band that is so adept at writing incredibly catchy, hook-laden songs… and How It Is .. is no exception!
From the fabulously quirky vocals, intricate lyrics, and massive production, this is a clever and deftly constructed banger that compels you to hum along and be swept up in its joyous soundscape.
The band had this to say:
“As we look towards the past for comfort and nostalgia, it is always good to remember to be grateful for what you have and that we’re all just a bunch of weirdos floating around on this spinning rock… and that’s just ‘How it is.’
Amen!
7. Middle Kids – Cellophane (Brain)
Haunting and evocative, Cellophane (Brain) by Sydney’s Middle Kids immediately grabbed me. The dry but brilliantly prominent vocal of lead singer Hannah Joy is breathtaking. The song’s sudden dynamic shifts caught me off guard, which only added to my enjoyment. Its peak moments are lush and sweeping, taking the listener on an exhilarating ride that you won’t soon forget.
Fantastic song!
8. Flora Cash – Missing Home
From the shimmering opening vocals, Missing Home is mesmerizing. Performed by indie pop duo Flora Cash, the song brims with longing and melanocholy, but in the most beautiful sense… .
About the song, Flora Cash says:
“We started writing “Missing Home” at some random hotel in Boston over a year ago. Away from our friends and family and all sense of the familiar, we were at a low point… and even though we were lucky enough to have each other, we still felt lonely. Writing this song helped. We really want “Missing Home” to speak to and encourage anyone who feels like they’re out on a limb struggling to pursue a dream.”
9. Billy Nomates – Petrol Fumes
Britain’s Tor Maries, the singer/songwriter behind Billy Nomates, may very well be the 21st century embodiment of Chrissie Hynde. Oozing equal parts sensuality and sneer, she is part punk, part poet, and a damned fine songwriter. Her latest single, Petrol Fumes, is hypnotic in its simplicity. The combination of Maries’ captivating lyrics, raw bewitching beats, and venomous but steamy vocals are a deadly mix. There is something undeniably beguiling about this artist’s authenticity and delivery.
‘Petrol Fumes’ is definitely on repeat!
10 Lord Huron – Mine Forever
Lord Huron’s “Mine Forever” is a luscious blend of 60’s folk/pop production, glorious vocals and traditional story-telling. There is the sense that Mine Forever is a “newly discovered” gem pulled from the vault of The Kingston Trio or Peter Paul and Mary archives. Gorgeous, lilting, and dripping with nostalgia, Mine Forever is simply stunning.
