This album Facts & Figures is just as dirty as the bluesy rock gets, cranking down the drive and glide of the guitar like honky tonk maestros. The Marwills showcase many shades of southern rock while still leaving room to spice things up with some jazz, folk country, and even funk. One minute the throttle is relaxed and grooving and the next it’s time to hit the dance floor. Leave it to the drummer’s choices and that guitar chug to dictate movement; simple enough and oh so effective. Swampy backbeats, quick quasi-disco passages, you name it – you’ll probably get a taste of it on Facts & Figures. Most songs carry a nice medium pace and seem to narrate a relaxing and extended backyard party, of course still harboring great soul and storytelling nature. The choruses are often supported with gang vocal callbacks and repetitive statements, a perfect recipe for deep-fried catchiness. The Marwills have some solid musicianship and build upon the blues in a unique way, making the sound even that more desirable. It’s like the product of Stevie Ray Vaughn inspired Maroon 5. Just see for yourself. I’d suggest kicking things off right where they want you to. “Don’t Go Home” is a danceable romp through classic rock grit and country attitude. There’s even some Elvis like vocal timbres just to keep you on your toes. Brett Bonvie has a great sense of tone and changes his voice just so slightly between certain tracks so as to best serve the aesthetic of the song. Sometimes it’s on the edge of a growl and other times almost clean or weighted with twang. “Don’t Go Joe” is similar in title to the opener, but carries a strong four on the floor pulse throughout which begs those boots to stomp along and bust a move or two. I think this one could really take off with just a minute or so dedicated to that infectious chorus, “Don’t go Joe, tappin your toe.” The phrasing and shape around it couldn’t be more locked in. In general, the band could really open up on this record, but that’s just not what these guys are about. They have a power to them that hits home in its own way and maybe some crashing ride cymbal and overdrive would put them out of their wheelhouse. Whatever the case, you’ll dig their brand.
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Jen Hingley is a twenty five year old multi-instrumentalist from Manchester who recently released a full length album entitled Autonomy. She presents us with fuzzy, 90’s alternative tinged song that bring to mind bands like Smashing Pumpkins, Garbage and Mazzy Star. To get more specific the music is very reminiscent of The Smashing Pumpkins during their Siamese Dream and Gish era. I have to give credit where it’s due as Hingley did everything on the album herself. She wrote the songs then recorded them and later mixed and mastered them herself. The results are impressive for a DIY album but is far away from what you expect from something recorded at a professional studio. One point I would like to make here is that doing everything yourself is fine but think it’s basically essential to get outsider criticism at different points. It’s so easy to start losing perspective of the songs after you have heard them about 100 times. You can start over-thinking, re-doing, etc before you’re left wondering if the album is a steaming pile of crap. This album took a bit of time to settle in. Upon my first listen the songs sounded similar with no clear highlights. Hingley uses the same palette of sounds which I think is a bit of a double-edge sword. It does provide a consistent theme and tone for the album but you can also risk the audience checking out. The album starts off with “It’s in Your Eyes” which is a solid song that revolves around a lot of distortion. Hingley pours on a good amount of fuzz that seemed to be of the same strand that Weezer and The Smashing Pumpkins used in the early 90’s. In order for her vocals to cut through the mix she either boosted a lot of high end frequencies or put a little distortion on her vocals. The overall sound is intense creating a wave of white noise. As the album progresses they were a mixed bag of songs. Some of the more notable songs are “Solo”, “Frozen Again” and “Restart”. From a production standpoint I would tell Hingley to be careful on those high frequencies in the future. The combination of too many high frequencies can lead not only to masking your mid and low range but not really being able to crank it because your ears will ring. I would also encourage her to think about ways she differentiate her songs. Hingley is a work in progress with potential but still has a way to go before she can compete with the upper echelon of rock. That being said Autonomy has some inspired moments that shine through. I’ll be keeping my eye on her, following her trajectory. Tasty Face is an indie rock band from Philadelphia, PA that are the combined forces of John Wylie (Vocals/Guitar), Steve Eshewsky (Guitar) , Eli Santiago (Bass) and Louda (Drums/Vox). The three young men met in college and starting jamming under the name Tasty Face. Late last year they released a self-titled EP that has more in common with rock bands from the 60’s and 70’s than contemporary music. They mix up classic rock, psychedelic, americana and more. The EP is made of high and lows. There were a number of moments in which I was thoroughly impressed which often happen to be the most melodic and subdued. Right off the bat I felt that their best moments relied on things like vocal harmonies and atmosphere. They do rock on occasion but often buckled cause of the sub-par production. Perhaps the best example of this is the very first song entitled “Maybe We Should Wait”. They create an hazy atmosphere with reverb and chorus like effect on their guitars and keys. It’s a good sound but I felt the short bursts of them rocking out were a bit jarring. This is something that could have been smoothed out with better production. The second track is only a little over two minutes and veers towards hard rock. It’s a decent tune but the band has far better moments as the album progresses. One of those moments comes on the song “Window-Light”. They implement some of their best vocal harmonies that combine with a clean guitar and one that showcases some impressive lead work. The highlight on the EP belongs too “Walkin' in the Snow” which not only brings the most warm well sung vocal harmonies but arguably the best rocking one in the group. A solid song overall that showcases some talent. The Tasty Face EP still leaves many things to be desired but is a decent initial offering that has potential. Hopefully, the band can build upon their strengths and up the ante on the production on their next effort. Become A Fan After college Josh Fuson moved to Nashville. As with most people who moved to Nashville he befriended a number of musicians because that’s mostly the kind of people you will run into there. He started working on On Disappearing with his friend and collaborator Nate Dort. Dort ended up moving to Montana which put the project on hold. Years later in what I believe could be called a moment of serendipity the two friends found themselves living in Denver. It was there that the album was completed. On Disappearing is an inventive album that displays a lot of originality from Fuson. I was having a hard time pinpointing his musical influences which in my opinion is a good thing. At its core On Disappearing revolves around guitar and vocals. Even though the instrumentation isn’t that varied Fuson does a good job at creating different textures and tones within the songs. The music lies somewhere between experimental folk and indie rock. There were some unexpected twists and turns that started to define Fuson’s style. The majority of the material works but some of it displays kinks in his armor. The album starts with “Silhouette” which is more or less an intro. It’s under a minute long but quickly establishes that Fuson has skills. It reminded me of Elliott Smith in some ways. The next two tracks “Ask Me Again” and “Medicine Take” are highlights. I thought the electric guitars were especially effective on “Ask Me Again”. The chorus is catchy when he sings “But if you ask me again maybe I will. Yeah, if you ask me again maybe I will.”. “Medicine Take” starts off with a number of unconventional, disparate sounds but starts to make sense once the vocals and guitar enter. “Go Slow” is atmospheric on the verge of ethereal. Fuson somehow makes it works and doesn’t sound too juxtaposed against his previous songs on the album. I have nothing against cursing in a song but the when Fuson sings “So put your arm around me and tell me we'll be ok. Or tell me to go fuck myself.” it sounded oddly out of place against the warm guitar and uplifting melancholy. On Disappearing has some missteps but nothing that made me cringe. It was an easy, enjoyable listen to my ears that contained a number of noteworthy songs. Ready For Love by Meghan Shanley was a bit of a surprise. The combination of the album cover and title had me thinking I was in for a 2014 style pop album. What I got was a style that had more in common with Tony Bennett, Harry Connick Jr., Michael Bublé, Jane Monheit, and Marilyn Maye than that of Katy Perry. Shanley was born in Virginia and always had a deep love for music which led her Nashville. It wasn’t long before she was opening shows for national acts and performing at world renowned concert venues. Along the way she began to find the musical genres that she wanted to explore and that result would be Ready For Love. Ready For Love definitely has a Nashville sound and I’m not talking about the style. The production on Ready For Love is of a certain breed that tends to come from that area. It’s super polished, clean and ready to be marketed to the masses. Every instrument sits where it should but Shanley's vocals are always the anchor that holds down the music. Her voice is soulful while blending classic jazz singing styles. She has an impressive dynamic range thats she occasionally belts out like on the opening track “Ready For Love”. The song is upbeat and seemed like an obvious choice as a single. It has a celebratory, festive vibe that is backed up by blaring horns and additional singers. Another highlight was “Never Will” which is a funky yet subdued number which showcases one her best vocal performances. I started to slowly realize that I thought she sounded best surrounded by horns and a bit soul. Ready For Love is an album I could see being played on “easy listening - music for your work day” radio or being sold on QVC right after Barry Manilow. It wouldn't be surprised to see Shanley coming out with a Christmas album sometime soon. This type of music is basically repellant for hipsters but will find a home with a slightly older audience. That isn’t a bad thing it’s the truth. Shanley is doing what she loves and it comes across in her music. You have to respect that. Lines West is a four-piece group from Connecticut co-fronted by John Radzin (guitar,vocals) and Brian Larney (keyboard, guitar, and vocals). They recently released their debut album Stop Look and Listen which blends americana, country, rock and more. The most obvious comparison here is Wilco. I also heard elements of Elton John, 80’s pop and a couple more genres as well. Stop Look and Listen is a very well written album but also suffers from some of the things bands who recently formed fall victim to. Mainly, that the ideas seems scattered and they haven’t found a signature sound that defines the band. They hop from genre to genre and they actually sound very good at everything they attempt but also makes for an inconsistent experience if you play the album from beginning to end. The album opens with a lot of built up visceral energy. I’m not sure who was singing but he sounds like a mixture of Jeff Tweedy and Hamilton Leithauser. I’m sure he will take that compliment. Overall, the song reaches some impressive climaxes and showcases some skill. “500 Feet Back” is more subdued and has this 80’s pop thing going on while “Bittering Heart” has hints of 70’s glam rock and classic rock. It’s at this point the album starts to go awry. “Lover” is pretty much a straight up country track with fiddle and all. Every song up to this point was well written and could stand on its on but the thread that was binding them was becoming thinner and thinner. “Easy/Hard” sounds like a b-side to a Tom Petty song. The song is a good dose of dad rock as the chorus sounds sounds familiar. As the album progresses “If You Still Love Me”, “Bringing Heaven Down”, and “Why God Why” were notable tracks. Lines West is a very talented band who unequivocally know how to write a good song. There is no doubt about that. That being said I did feel like they did indulge on genre cliches a bit to often. Where they were going in some of the songs felt too predictable and I sometimes felt as if I already heard that song before. This really ties into the fact that they haven’t been around that long and have a feeling that these issues will iron themselves the longer they play together. Overall, the album is enjoyable and displays a lot of potential. Kid Abra aka Brian Chernick is a Los Angeles Based Musician who recently released his second EP entitled Melt. Chernick explains he was influenced from artists like Nick Drake, Bon Iver, and Tom Waits. In all honesty the influences aren’t hard to pinpoint but Chernick does display some originality on the tracks. The first track “Plenty Loud / Kazoo” I could have done without. It’s Chernick playing a couple of chords while blowing into a kazoo. Not particularly interesting (borderline annoying) and probably not a good way to open up the album when the remaining songs display decent songwriting and substance. On top of that it was recorded with an iPhone in which he claims he likes the lo-fi quality but to my ears there is nothing appealing about mics that pick up mostly white noise while omitting a copious amount of natural frequencies. The EP really starts with “Rising Wind”. Chernick presents us with a nice acoustic guitar riff and subdued drums. The groove is melancholy but attractive. When his vocals enter they are soft spoken, covered in stoic indifference and distortion. He sings “But when you look at me Just what do you see? Coasting on that ocean breeze Rising winds Will set you free” . Out of the five songs “Melt” has the most energy and gusto. His monotone singing style stays the same but the music is dynamic. The opening riffs are strong and don’t give way to lo-fi production. Everything is pretty much smooth sailing until about a minute in. The bare bones distorted guitar and drums was lacking the energy he was trying administer. Something felt like it was missing. Nonetheless the song has it’s moments. He closes with “Out Of Sea” which has the best guitar work on the EP. His vocals aren’t as distorted on this song and he sings in low octave. I thought the lyrics were inventive at points. He sings “I can see your imperfections Reflected on my flaws Flickering projections on darkened white walls”. Truth be told there is still a lot of work that needs to be done if Chernick intends to make this more than a hobby. There are pockets of potential here but is largely a case of wait and see. I’m definitely digging the album cover that kennel panic have for The Johnny Silver EP even if it seemingly has nothing to do with the music. Look at that guy he looks so sotic and rusitc. Kennel Panic formed in 2012 as a four-piece cover band in Cambridge, UK and along the way decided to just start writing their own songs. They released an EP in 2012 called The Pandamonium in which they felt the songs were generic sounding. Unfortunately, that was one of the words that came to mind when I listened The Johnny Silver EP. The music isn’t bad. It’s actually well written and thought the production was above average. In fact I thought everyone in the band was mighty talented. The vocalist could sing and the guitar riffs were delivered well. Even with that the band currently has a sound that will meld into the fog of an oversaturated market that gets harder and harder to penetrate. I don’t even really know how to classify this band other than rock. There are some hints of classic rock, punk and hard rock but It also sounds too commercially viable to be called indie rock. One thing I can say is that they can bring a good amount of energy to the songs. “Minus Nine” is arguably the highlight of the three songs. You can hear the vocalist shredding his vocal chords as he sings “Gotta hand it to you, got me going insane There is nowhere to look cos I've tried every single place I'm stopping you dead or alive, going full-on minus nine Going full-on minus nine” The beginning of “Confess” sounds a bit like Rage Against The Machine before they implement palm muting and 90’s alternative style lead guitar. The band closes with “Corner of a Padded Cell” which contains more hard hitting rock. I’m rooting for this band cause it seems like they are putting everything they have into their song. The reality is that they are going to have to find other elements which define their sound. As of right now it’s really not there yet but that doesn’t mean they should get discouraged. I have to imagine crossing over from a cover band may have had something to do with finding their own sound. The more they focus on original songs the more likely it is that their own essence will emerge. Galway’s six piece folk pop collaborative, My Fellow Sponges are a magnificently hard working band, having toured around Ireland playing festivals and shows in support of their debut full length, 2013’s Bonne Nuit, an album of short and mildly melodic songs heavily steeped in folk. The ten songs on Bonne Nuit possessed an unabashed playfulness which lent itself to making the record sound as though it was made by a band who was not taking their musical aspirations all that seriously. All that seems to have changed, as is evidenced on their stunning new four song EP, Something Like Light. Something Like Light illuminates the individual talents of each of My Fellow Sponges six members, and when listened to alongside Bonne Nuit, one is able to hear and appreciate what it’s like for a band to grow its sound. The instrumentation and vocalization on Something Like Light outshines Bonne Nuit by far not to mention the stunning production value. On Something Like Light vocal duties are split three ways between guitarist Donal McConnon, pianist Anna Mullarkey, and Elva Carroll who also plays the harmonium. The opening track “Floating” makes good use of the trio’s mixed melodies. McConnon’s distinct sounding vocals resonate well with sweet mixture of backing vocals provided by Mullarkey and Carroll. Musically the song skips along in a rather sing-songy way led along back jazzy scat guitar licks and playful piano licks. The aforementioned upping of chops by My Fellow Sponges really begins to be showcased on the sweeping and lovely “Cold Winter,” on which Mullarkey and Carroll blend their beautiful voices together on this stark piano ballad. The frolicking finger picking of the acoustic guitar along with the harmonium on “All We Need” brings Something Like Light back to the lighter side of things. It is essentially a short and sweet, and also loving lament on love. Something Like Light ends with the powerfully piano driven “Other Than Myself.” It begins quietly with just a simple and catchy piano scale which runs throughout, and then begins to grow, taking on the harmonium, pounding drums reminiscent of the kind the Indians would beat before going into battle, as well as thundering bass thumps, all smoothed out by the strings of the cello. Though it is the operatic-sounding vocal duet between Mullarkey and Carroll which really helps “Other Than Myself” to stand out. With an EP this fully realized for a young band, Something Like Light is pretty special, especially when compared to their previous effort. My guess is as My Fellow Sponges continue on, their music will only continue to take on new dimensions, and that is definitely something I look forward to hearing. Become A Fan I’ve long been of the opinion that instrumental bands are best when they’re seen live. They have the power to make you feel, if they are good enough to hook you in with head bobbing beats early on, any way they want. At times like these, your ears and your body become literal clay, and the artist or artists move you around the floor like puppeteers. Though I can surmise that for others, musicians most likely, one of which I am not, that listening to recorded instrumentals is probably an unknown pleasure that many like myself just cannot fully appreciate. So to begin by getting any quips or qualms I may have with Bat Country, eponymous debut from the Melbourne jazz-rock trio consisting of drummer Sarah Galdes, bassist Stephen Hornby and guitarist Lincoln Mckenzie, it is simply my own misunderstanding or perhaps ignorance of having not really had much success getting into instrumental bands in any sort of analog or digital format in the past. Albeit I would be the first to give the Aussie trio kudos for their accomplishments in life, (all three members graduated from the Victorian College of the Arts contemporary improvisation course) as well as their contribution to the music world as a whole with the making of Bat Country despite my ignorance of the genre they’ve chosen to imbibe in. Of the seven tracks on Bat Country, only one is under five minutes long, and nearly all of them are firmly rooted in finger picked bluesy guitar riffs, deep jazzy bass, and often cymbal-heavy percussion, many times sounding like when a band is winding down the song near the end, though this is not the case, as the song simply takes a different form, there’s an interlude of sorts that gives birth to a whole other song within a song, like on the seven minute rocker turned introspectively mystical, “The Great Beast Stretches Its Jaws.” Then there are other compositions such as the nine minute mammoth, “Ubiquity” which rolls through with primarily jazz standard styled guitar riffs, tom and snare heavy drum solos and, that thick and sweet jazz bass that stretches out the sounds like a rubber band, and in the same way keeps the song taut enough to not get out of control. Though some songs do get slightly out of control such as the final track, “Montage” which as its title seem to suggest is simply that, a mish mash of ideas strung together for the hell of it, though a true montage can in fact and usually does contain some sort of loosely based theme, however this one does not. For all its seemingly dissonant moments though, Bat Country is a solid record which fans of free jazz and experimental rock will really be able to groove to. Become A Fan |
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