TGIF! Welcome back to another music-filled Friday here at The Orchard. This week (just like the week before) we’ve got a wonderful group of releases for you – including an imaginary-character-led album by Ziggy Alberts, a homage album to the late and beloved Charles Bradley, and a powerful (and much-anticipated) album from Kælan Mikla.
24-year-old singer-songwriter Ziggy Alberts releases his fifth album, which consists of songs four years in the making. The album, titled Laps Around The Sun, shares a bad-relationship-to-good-relationship love journey with a twist – the album’s main character, “Koda,” is completely fictional. Still, a romance story isn’t the only one being told on this album. In Laps Around The Sun‘s title track, Ziggy uses his musical platform to draw attention to an issue much bigger than any one of us – the well-being of our Earth. With his smooth tenor voice and bright guitar strumming, Ziggy points out “we’ve let plastic cover the ocean like snow,” and the overall importance of protecting our environment. This song’s got us (and even triple J!) hooked, and we’re thrilled to share this catchy indie record from Commonfolk Records with the masses!
American soul singer Charles Bradley got his start impersonating James Brown for a living where he adopted the name “Black Velvet.” 22 years later, Black Velvet the album is released as a farewell to the ‘Screaming Eagle Of Soul.’ His passing last year broke the hearts of many fans and friends around the world. The album, which includes Charles’ originals, duets, and even covers, is a collection of ten songs recorded while Charles was working on his previous albums with Daptone Records. The album’s tracks vary in instrumentation and dynamics, and beautifully portrays the raw emotion and passion behind Charles’ music. Black Velvet is the perfect way to commemorate Charles’ life and music, and we hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
Iceland-based Kælan Mikla is making waves with their new release, Nott eftir nott via Artoffact Records. After performing at Roadburn this past year, the darkwave/synth-punk trio released the second track from the album, “Hvernig kemst ég upp?” in preview of the anticipated LP. That album, which Revolver predicted to be “one of the most impactful dark-wave releases of the year,” has finally arrived. This third album, which is written and performed in Icelandic, comes after a month of performances around Europe. The powerful women of Kælan Mikla artfully combine forceful passion with somber harmonies, matching their music with the beautiful landscapes of their homeland.
Thanks for tuning in! We hope to catch you same time next week for more new music, released by The Orchard.
