carmina charm #11

Do you know that our soul is composed of harmony? 

- Leonardo DaVinci

It's harmony that your soul and mind embraces again when listening to music. As sound surrounds you, only some melodies firmly resonate with you, get an immediate emotional response - whilst their approach is a smooth and soft one, whilst they slowly, carefully but steadily cling to you, these melodies eventually grab you with an intensity and force that overwhelms, that fully absorbs and stirs. It's these very melodies that are in chime with your mind and soul, it's music that leaves an imprint on your being and mesmerizes ... music that charms. 

Eagerly anticipated release: Dirty Rotten Souls - I Bet She's Filthy (EP). Rousing, passionate and bluesy rock power rings out

The boys are back (finally!)

If you're a lover of bold, bluesy and vigorous, however stirring and museful rock music it's a safe bet to put (and actually spend) money on Dirty Rotten Souls' new EP; 'I Bet She's Filthy' provides you with boisterous and heavy, ardent and spirited compositional finery aplenty. Formed in 2012 the Stoke-on-Trent based rock outfit has been silent for a while after releasing a debut EP in 2013 alongside some hard-hitting, blues-infused and fiercely roaring singles mid 2014. Now the driven trio [Mark Bailey (vocalist/lead guitarist), Danny Nicholson (drummer), Mike Williams (bassist)] is ready to unleash a soulful and passionately rousing musical might anew. Watch out and listen up! 

Album Review: The Wild Young Hearts - Feel Good ... with jaunty, emotional and edgy surf rock

Rock'n'roll advocates The Wild Young Hearts bring us back to the sunny coasts and crowded, eventful streets of california with a good feel and enthusiasm for spirited and bracing music at heart. This time though we do not only feel the fresh breeze of youthful punkish attitude, the infectious vibe of dashing surf rock swagger, both creating a vivid portrayal of the golden state and its pulsating lifestyle (pictured by the trio's previous album 'California Dreams' in a buoyant and brisk fashion) but also are exposed to personal tragedy and 'emotional abysses', as Robb Laffoon, the band's lead singer and songwriter, drew inspiration from (defining) episodes of his life rather than depending on (generalizing) fiction. 'Feel Good' contrasts lyrical gravity and sincerity with energetic instrumental pep and vivacious pop-esque flair, thereby allows mournful moments to surface without neglecting the hopeful facets, the bright sides of (californian) life. 

Single Premiere: Winter 1982 - Sometimes

Exciting times for carpe carmina as yet another song premiere can be presented to you in such a short period of time (there has already been a perkily explosive instrumental remix of wonderfully nostalgic arcade game flair by canadian pop/rock outfit The Nursery in february): this time birmingham based alt-folk rock act Winter 1982  is about to treat your ears with his new single 'Sometimes', as acoustically performed already for house in the sand's birthday countdown last month - at this point I gleefully congratulate hits, my favourite music blog around, for three years of flourishing existence once more, we all know you hit the (music) mark big time. But now, let's get straight to the (very atmospheric and emotive) point, Winter 1982's  stunningly beautiful and melodiously haunting release.  

Winter 1982 contributed to house in the sand's birthday countdown
by performing a laid-back acoustic version of 'Sometimes' 

Interview: Cal Ruddy talks about his debut EP 'How To Rewind Life'

Cover artwork for Cal Ruddy's debut EP
 'How To Rewind Life' 

Ahead of Cal Ruddy's debut EP release this friday, carpe carmina sat down to chat with the passionate singer/songwriter about his forthcoming EP, about gigging and reviewing music, as well as about pre-show rituals and after-gig manners ...

Video Spotlight: Stephen Langstaff - Sirens

The world might have been derprived of a talented kicker when Stephen Langstaff decided to turn down a contract from blackpool, but it gained yet another sensitive, skillful singer/songwriter, full of musical potential and vision. Carpe carmina certainly is happy about this run of events and congratulates Mr. Langstaff on choosing the path of music-making, approves of the liverpool artist's strong passion for composing and singing, one that eventually outshone his for soccer and triggered a wonderful career: at the age of 11 the velvety vocalist laid hands on a guitar for the first time, over the years he honed, enriched his sound, released an album called 'Colours' (2012) and played a headline show at the Epstein Theatre - all of it, leading to the forthcoming launch of 'Sirens', a symbiosis of fine compositional craft and rich musical creativity, of tender, expressive and dynamic melodic moments and museful lyrical narration. The song's vivid and atmospheric music video bears testimony to Stephen Langstaff's subtle, stirring musicianship, reflects its very own haunting sonic charm, ahead of the official release on March 22nd. Let's have a look ... 

And a voice enthralls ... Album Review: Tallulah Rendall - The Banshee And The Moon & EP Review: Forthaven - Lifeline

Intriguing vocal charms carry away, take along on a wondrous journey through mystic, melodiously mesmerizing and atmospherically sweeping soundscapes; interwoven they convey opulent and museful imagery that captures with imbuing, dynamically sieging might. At times enticingly whispering, then urgently absorbing and powerful, sound, thruthfully ravishing feel arise, and music comes into being. A cryptically and astonishingly winding art created, pouring out dramatic, poignant storytelling and honest emotion born from an artist's vision, his inspiration, his heart's blood and being, heralded  into the world with a firm, soulfully gripping and inviting voice ...

Tallulah Rendall (photo courtesy by Paris Ackrill)