News and Gifts from Nowhere

The Last Drive
We have already discussed about the unique ability of The Last Drive to keep changing their sound and evolve their music.
From the early garage days to today’s psychedelic sound the band never sounded outdated.
This month the Last Drive released an EP with 4 new songs: News from Nowhere
Let it go, Butterfly 69 and Black rain sound like if Ron Asheton plays lead guitar with the Clash of the London Calling era. The 4th one, Child of the sky, is a nice rock psychedelic ballad.

BLML
Earlier this year another pleasant surprise hit the fans of the Last Drive family. The group of Karanikolas, (guitars and vocals on The Last Drive) Blackmail, released a new album after more than 10 years. Although the band members remained the same (with the addition of a piano/keyboard player), they changed their name BLML (a shortcut of Blackmail) and released their album The Gift, marking a significant shift in gears and sound but not in inspiration.

BLML offer a true Gift: 11 new compositions orchestrated with guitar, bass, drums, keyboards and viola. The changes are obvious and welcomed: the compositions are generally slower compared to the Blackmail albums, which provide a “breathing space” for the musicians  and the voice of Karanikolas. There are changes in tempos and dynamics which allow for nice combinations (for example the sharp voice of Karanikolas over a sweet piano arrangement before guitars shift gears and lead to a dynamic crescendo)
The vinyl was sold out within the first weeks and re-released.

Swinging

Katerina Polemi has what we call Duende. It is present in her live shows, it’s also present in her recordings.
Born in London but raised between Greece and Brazil, Katerina, got something of the extroversion of both worlds and implanted it in her music and performance.

Her natural talent is backed up by some very good studies at the Berklee College of Music that, I guess, provided the professional perspective and helped her shape the ideas and energy into some great swing/gypsy jazz music.

In 2011 she released her first album with original compositions:  
Spread the Music Not the Name




visit: http://www.katerinapolemi.com/

The Speakeasies Swing Band: The band that took its name of the Speakeasies movement of 1920s originated in Thessaloniki in 2010. Since then they participated in many Lindy Hop Greece events and festivals.

They count 8 members playing electric and acoustic guitar, double bass, piano, clarinet, sax, violin and drums providing a very full swing sound with nice instrumentation and featuring a very good female vocalist.

Their first EP, Bathtub Gin, is to be released by end of July 2012 by Liquid Bass Records.

Check this great song and the equally good video clip: Black Swamp Village



visit: http://www.speakeasies.gr/