Velvet Blue Music Adds Soda Shop

Velvet Blue Music has announced the addition of NYC based Soda Shop to the label. The band will release a new single, Keep Swimming, on August 4th and the band's self-titled full-length debut will hit shelves and digital outlets on September 8th. You can read their bio below.

"The NYC based Soda Shop began as the duo of Drew Driver and Maria Usbeck. “I had some demos and a band name, but I couldn’t find the right person to sing on them.” Drew recalls. “Fate led me to Maria. We met at a crowded Summer Air France DJ show and talked about music I was making.  I invited her to listen to the demos and things immediately clicked!”  Both NY transplants, Drew from Ohio and Maria from Ecuador, the two bonded over a shared experience of starting over in an exciting, transient city.  When they discovered they lived a brisk ten minute walk from one another, their friendship solidified . They began writing songs immediately.  Though neither of them is new to music–Maria fronted the buzz band Selebrities, while Drew had been moonlighting as the guitar player for The Drums–they were impassioned by the sounds they were creating together.

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Soda Shop released a single which quickly appeared on UK’s BBC 6 and Sweden’s P3 Pop. Recently they began playing live shows, enlisting bassist Ed Chittenden and drummer Derek Lucci.  They also began recording their first full length record at their home studio. An obsession with nostalgia-induced perfection is evident on the result: 8 tracks that push the limits of simplicity and minimalism.  Mixed by Jorge Elbrecht (Ariel Pink), the record worships clean guitar tones, driving bass lines and uptempo beats, a la early Smiths records.

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Maria’s voice adds an airy-ness to the melodies, furthering a early 4AD vibe.  She sounds confident and playful which magnifies the breezy fluidity of the music and belies the melancholy feelings just underneath.  Her honest delivery of such lines as “Please tell me you don’t love her” in “Fence” or “She seems to be the one who’s there, I’m not, I’m not, I’m not around” in “Longing” immediately make you feel for her.  You want her to succeed in her love, but you also feel the desperation of knowing it will never work out.  Luckily, the only thing that rivals Maria’s relatable love-sick struggles is the undeniable catchiness of the songs themselves.  The only truly depressing thing about Soda Shop’s new record is when it ends."

Soft Lions Sign with Velvet Blue Music

When I spoke with Jeff Cloud in February, he said he had big news in the works for Velvet Blue Music in 2015. Well the first of those announcements was made late last week when the label announced the signing of Soft Lions.

Their label debut, Spellbreaker, will be out on July 7th. (Available on cd, mp3, and vinyl). Below is the band's bio and their video for the song Soft As Lions.

“Every Soft Lions song is basically born out of my diary”, states Megan Liscomb, the shy, rainbow-haired singer / guitarist of the San Diego trio Soft Lions.  Liscomb’s songs evoke heartfelt memories, distilling in them a wide range of emotional states and colors.  To make the music come to life she sought out Lex Pratt to help with vocal duties.  Pratt replaces the traditional bass player with her percussive, psychedelic style on keys.  Jon Bonser serves as the backbone on drums.

The band crafts songs that are a blur of decades, mixing the sound of 60’s San Francisco pop with noisy garage-guitar driven tracks, lending the songs a definitive west coast vibe.  Liscomb’s songwriting is angular and interesting without losing any of the big sing-along melodies you want to hear.  Soft Lions have cut their teeth like any new band should : by playing a bunch of local shows and sharing the stage with numerous national acts.  They also made an appearance at this years’s SXSW festival.

On their new EP Spellbreaker, Soft Lions dive into dark, confessional material.  The high spirited title track as well as ‘Waitress’ showcase the band’s gritty rock potential.  The EP concludes with the ultra-tender ‘Phantom,’ a ballad about coming to grips with one’s past.  When Liscomb’s wounds are healed so are ours.  The overall sound of Spellbreaker draws on a broad range of inspirations, including retro surf licks, Sonic Youth records, and the vintage film Breakfast at Tiffany’s, creating a moody, groovy atmosphere.  The 4 tracks function as a narrative that looks back on the loss of adolescence and realizes how the end of destructive relationships can lead to the beginning of a new, happier life.  In just 16 minutes, Soft Lions prove they are deserving of attention.  We hope you’ll agree !

The Meltdown 2.71

The Meltdown - The Meltdown 2.71


Jeff Cloud, owner and founder of Velvet Blue Music joins the show.

Bethan - Time Gone By

Since this record ranked in my top 30 of 2014, it'll come as no surprise that I loved Bethan's sophomore release, Time Gone By. But I'm going to say a couple of words about the record anyway.

A mixture of Richard Swift's 20's/40's laced nostalgia, Map's ability to craft compelling pop songs, and Kissing Cousins' slight quirkiness. That's what Time Gone By offers. All of those things in varying doses and to different degrees, but long time fans of Velvet Blue Music should be drawn to Bethan. The difference from Chapter 1 is noticeable and vast. In a good way!

Songs like Low Expectations, Beside Me, Out West, and Greedy Songbird jump out of your speakers. None are indie pop hits in the traditional sense, but each offering a unique expression and stylistic impression of an era gone by. The more introspective moments, In Our Paris, Honeymoon, We Are All Expiring, Don't Be Afraid To Lie To Yourself, all play like moments torn out of a diary and shared. There's a painful beauty in Time Gone By that can only be experienced.

Time Gone By is one of those records that reminds you how special an artist is and rekindles your love for depth and intricate layers in a "pop" record. Obviously, 5 out of 5 Stars.