From Utah, and formed in late 2019, Toothpicks, is a ’60s surf/garage/alternative duo made up of brothers Cade and Rhett Murdock. They have already recorded and self-released two albums in one year. Their latest, Superb Ate, was recorded at a home studio in Utah, and was Inspired from watching “cowboy films on gloomy afternoons.” Musically, their songs are similar to The Strokes, Buttertones, Allah Las, The Ventures, The Sonics, Cage the Elephant and Pavement.
The opening track is also the title to the album and with a retro western-style guitar, beat and “roller derby” organ, the band’s approach is muffled, dark and moody. They have a very live sound as well, as if playing in a ballroom in the ‘50s – the famous Surf Ballroom comes to mind. “Midnight Strangers” definitely has an old school vibe, something I would describe as The Velvet Underground meeting up with Cowboy Junkies and a very mellow Ventures. “Lune Nue” is just the opposite – upbeat and danceable – I loved the bass line melody and ‘60s surf-pop rhythm, too. Good stuff. Next is “Thalia’s Eyes” and it begins with an awesome, moody “Munsters” – like bass line and guitar melody, reminding me very much of the Cramps. The ending parts were the icing on the cake –this one was highly enjoyable! “Surf Music (For a Film)” sounds probably what you might expect – a retro ‘60s surf pop instrumental, upbeat and danceable – like something you might hear from a movie back in the day. The duo’s slower, brooding tempo was great to hear, too. “Lemonade and Whisky” – a pairing I can honestly say I’ve never tried before – has a little bit of a Roy Orbison, Del Shannon or Dion vibe to it, but here, the band’s style is moodier and less classic. “Crescent Bay Theme” reminded me of the Velvets again – it just had that free form, trippy-alt style that Reed, Cale and company were known for in their earlier days. Also, I’d like to know what bass and effects they used, because dang – I loved the sound. “Western Yellowbelly” was a fun-loving song – a reimagining of “old west” stories with indie/pop retro styles. One of the band’s slowest and more modern sounding numbers is “Don’t Wait for Me.” The guitar melody drowns and repeats, as the bass and hypnotizing keys follow suit. I thought this one was the brothers trippiest tune on the album. The band’s last number is “For You Blue” and it features a happier sounding melody with a faster rhythm. Overall, this tune seemed to have a more traditional structure, in terms of how the brothers wrote the song. The bass carries the weight of the song’s main melody, and interestingly, it’s the group’s longest song. There is a pretty cool guitar solo and keyboard duet at the end, too. All in all, this was a fairly “gloomy” album, but I mean that in a good way, because I really liked it. The Murdock bros have tapped into the spirit of ’60s surf, western and garage rock genres quite well on their latest release.
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Lunarin is a three-piece alternative rock band based out of Singapore. Consisting of Linda Ong (bass/vocals), Ho Kah Wye (guitars) and Loo Eng Teck (drums/vocals), the trio have a long history together, having been friends since 1993. The band was initially a four-piece band called Fuzzbox before exploring a darker progressive sound as Lunarin in 2003.
The band enjoyed a run in the early 2000s playing progressive rock as a part of the Singapore music scene, but by 2019 their lives became revolved around family, day jobs and life commitments. Like a lot of bands out there, the pandemic gave Lunarin a second chance to start creating music once again. Inspiration began flowing and through meetings over Zoom and WhatsApp messages and emails, the band delivered their latest effort Songs of Love Lost & Isolation, a four-track EP that is a departure from their hard rock fastenings into a more pop-oriented territory with the trio rediscovering their childhood influences from ‘80s pop, ‘90s techno, Nine Inch Nails, Garbage, Tori Amos, Cocteau Twins and Faye Wong among inspirations. Songs of Love Lost & Isolation starts right off with “Bodies,” where the lone sounds of fuzzy drumming beats and then some guitars slowly buzz into the forefront. Ong’s vocals come in a rather subdued manner that reminded me both of Blondie and Garbage. There was a delicateness to Ong’s voice that reminded me of the frontwomen to these bands, displaying both strength and vulnerability in her dazzling vocals. The music recalls a very ‘80s and ‘90s pop rock feel. The powerful guitars and bass guns through this song. Synths and drumming beats give this track a very glitch-y approach. On “Hold My Soul,” powerful guitars meet the gamut of this song as some energized synths also pulverize. Ong’s vocals are whispery and soft and underneath this is a dark energy that seeps into the overall recording. The dark element really gave the track an added edginess. On the chorus, the vocals are loosened up into a more melodic undertaking. The mixture of soft and heavy shows as a result the band’s range. “Invisible” is off to a somber start. The grave undertones of the song flesh out some indie rock sounds. With an industrial backbeat, the sounds of piano contrasts with a melodic vibe. Ong’s vocals undulate over this track cascading and perfecting her range when need be. The piano reminded me of moments of Evanescence. A melancholy-tinged piano melody adds a touch of pensiveness to the closer “Burn.” The tune is meandering and the sound builds over the course of this song. Next, some guitars and a drumming beat together with the synths to create an airy sound. This felt like the ballad out of the bunch. Ong’s soaring vocals float over this track. The music felt very smooth and atmospheric all at once. The band’s sound on Songs Of Love Lost & Isolation is a mixed bag of glitch-y electronics with synths overlaid over toxic guitars, rumbling bass lines and bleating drums. The band blends in acoustic instrumentation with digital fare in one roiled up affair that feels heavily inspired by the ‘80s and ‘90s period. The EP has instances of pop rock in it, but the band continues to incorporate in these tracks their hard rock and progressive roots. Together the sounds are genre-bending, borrowing moments from each genre to create a sound that is altogether original and unique to Lunarin. I think Ong’s vocal delivery was what made this album. The EP is worth exploring from start to finish. Be sure you have a listen today!
Ponio is an artist from Australia who recently released a twelve song album 32. The style of music tends to change quite often and I had a hard time latching onto any type of signature sound. Some songs veered towards rock, others electronic and others were more experimental. The one thing that did align the music was the bedroom production type aesthetic that runs through it.
The album opens with “Greenland'' and the emphasis seemed to be more on sound design than melody. It starts off slowly with two chords kind of creating this meditative state with other elements including spoken word coming in and out of the mix. It does feel kinetic when the drums elements come in. Great start. Up next is “My Paranoid Mind” and is a very loud sounding rock song with a lot of high frequencies. It’s so distorted that at points it feels like the speakers can barely contain it. “Morning at Reykjavík” is a really cool sounding song somewhere between Aphex Twin and Burial which are two of my favorite electronic artists. There some cool percussive things happening that melds into this haunting ambience. Then there's the subdued and silky “32” and the punk rock sounding “Insomniac.” The album continues to go in completely different directions with the serene and tranquil “Misery.” I thought the centerpiece and highlight was “Loneliness/Nocturnal” which is a long ambient piece that is a slow burn. This album felt more like a mixtape than an album from an individual artist. On that note I thought the artist pulled most of this off but the electronic sounding material seemed to be his strength and in my personal view one he should pursue more of. As a producer for over twenty years one of the things I picked up on is that a newer artist will typically throw a lot of different styles at the wall to see what sticks. I understand the logic but the thing an audience picks up on is a signature sound. How do the songs on an album feel cohesive? How do they relate to each other so the whole is greater than the sum of its parts? My suggestion is if the artist wants to dabble in styles so different as rock and electronic from song to song to simply create a different moniker for that style. I promise this will be advantageous to not only the process but the marketing. I would say this is a solid album showcasing some talent and potential. The production was also well done and thought the mixes were very good for this type of aesthetic. There were some great songs and I think by compartmentalizing his creative approach it could open up more possibilities while reinforcing his strength. I look forward to hearing more from this up and coming artist.
Every week we mention a couple of artists that are worth your time to check out that were not featured in our weekly reviews.
Artist Album Rating Spencer Hiemstra WILDLIFE 3.6 Payton Gosse Moonlit Spotlight 3.7 Richard Tripps Right Back 3.8 The Flamin' Stevens Trio The Flamin' Stevens Trio 3.9 Freak Monkeys Waiting For The Summer (Live) 3.6
Vince Tampio has a long and prolific resume. I have to admit as I was reading about his history my expectations raised for his release Adult Children. Suffice it to say even though my expectations were raised he managed to surpass them. Other people described his music as “a contemporary instance of fusion done right,” and whose “nontraditional instrumentation maintains a spacious environment that proves ideal for a set brimming with imaginative, drawn-out improvisation.” I would agree.
The music I would say primarily fuses elements of jazz, rock and soul. There is a lot happening musically but for the most part I felt like the trumpet and the Latin percussion was the main thing happening. The album starts with “Career Cheerleader'' which is a great introduction to the music. It’s very explosive and even a little dissonant at first. The song slowly settles into this killer groove. I loved the trumpet which is the lead instrument for most of the song. There is a lot that happens dynamically and in terms of structure. Next up is “The Tontin” which is a little more moody with silk sounding guitars and smooth horns. “Soul Food Buddhist” might have the best groove yet. I felt like melting on this song. It’s a little too high energy for a spa but close. “Smug Fit” is experimental. I loved the timing of this song. The drumming is really exceptional but so is all the instrumentation on this song. “Vapid Transit” is the most high energy song yet and makes your adrenaline get pumping. It’s got a beat that seems impossible to dance to unless it’s choreographed. The album continues with “Tangled Bites,” “Cardinal Rule“ and the slow burn free jazz closer entitled “Blow Our Minds” which solidifies the signature sound. This album was made by extremely talented musicians. There is no denying that. I really enjoyed every second of this. Take a listen.
Jaydee Joseph Bateman is the creative force behind Krickets, and his new album Ona was recorded and mixed at his Vancouver home during quarantine. Bateman has been part of the Vancouver and Lower Mainland music scene for 14 years: he currently plays with Villain Villain, and has performed with Malk, Queen Bee and the Buzzkills, TLC!, Muthergoose and Orchid King. Isolated due to the pandemic, Bateman “…had the time and inspiration to start focusing on his solo project, utilizing drum machines and synths to produce soundscapes that hint at apocalyptic pop.” The title Ona was shortened from ‘Our New Age.’ Bateman says: “It sounds like pop if Bowie were still in control. It’s a little chaotic, and it’s also a little minimalistic at times.”
What’s interesting about these songs is how intentionally dated they sound. There was a short time when Moog-like analog synthesizers were being manufactured by cheaper places like Radio Shack, resulting in sort of a golden age for electronic music. Add in the sounds you remember from early video games, and you wind up with something new created with seemingly ancient tools. The album opens with a very short sound collage titled “2020” featuring electronic backgrounds and futuristic samples. This leads immediately into “Q” which stands for “Quarantine.” The beat and Moog-like bass recalls Kraftwerk while the vocal did indeed put me in mind of David Bowie (as did most of the other songs). It’s a spacey tune with a retro-jet age feel, a sprightly chorus and lovely piano interlude. “Materia” is a song about materialism and again features a cool beat and bassline. Muted strummed electric guitars and matter-of-fact vocals lead to a more expansive, sci-fi chorus. (I should note here that almost every song has a big, over-the-top chorus that veers from the path the verses had us expecting.) The track fades out with a Breeders-like guitar riff. “Evolution” dials up the drama with wailing vocals and roiling, pulsing echo beats which are especially cool in headphones, as some of them feel like they’re playing just over your head. Not exactly a mellow track, but an interesting construction with stark dynamics. “Wake Up (White Noise)” continues with the aggressive synths and voice samples beneath a spoken word first half about systemic racism. There’s a bit of disconnect between the alien robotic aggressive melodies and Kricket’s very normal speaking voice. Two minutes in, we transition to a funky patchwork beat with gnarly synthetic chords and drums. “150l4710n” features what I’d call a “bouncing ball patch” as each note hits, bounces like a ball and quickly fades out; then is joined by a slightly atonal keyboard wash. A short but intriguing track. “Flu Season” again has a catchy rhythm dominated by buzzy analog bass and clunky metallic percussion with call-and-response vocals that seem phoned in from another nebula. A weird track but also weirdly likable. “Too Much (Time Together)” features picked guitar, electronic steel drums and little synth comments that pop in around the languid vocal track. This song again features a surprising, full-on Krickets chorus with an angelic choir. The fade out has a frightening effect that sounds like an Imperial Cruiser stuck in the mud. “Swinging Of The Moods” has a beat that suggests a ping-pong table volley. Big electronic cellos join the mix, which culminates in a Tangerine Dream-style tune. “Our New Age (Ona)” concludes the album with yet another cool, deliberate bassline and kind of a Radiohead vocal vibe. Though I enjoyed this album on the whole, I would have liked it more with perhaps fewer buzzing oscillators, but that’s a personal preference. I’d also like to see some of the shorter ideas fleshed out a bit more, because whenever Krickets is going full-tilt, its a thing of noisy beauty.
Nico Zaca is an 18-year-old singer/songwriter/guitarist/producer born and raised in Washington D.C. He went to high school at Duke Ellington School for the Arts, majoring in classical and jazz guitar. Zaca brings his classical training into his debut album No Deeper Meaning that is a psychedelic mixture of indie rock, Bossa nova, techno and beyond.
The album is a varied mix covering Zaca’s eclectic palette. His influences during the songwriting process include Blood Orange, Modest Mouse, Björk, The Sea Life, Ichiko Aoba and Antônio Carlos Johim. Zaca’s sound on his latest record is a balance of these influences as well as a solid offering of his own sound. A collection of love/heartbreak songs, each song felt different and is perfect for different occasions. As the artist aptly puts it: “Some songs are for dancing in the club, some songs are for crying in the club and some songs are for sitting at home, wistful reminiscing, no club involved.” Zaca really mixes things up, offering audiences a broad array of songs to match each of their moods. No Deeper Meaning right away starts out with “I Am Not Jesus,” where percolating beats and some ‘70s guitars take this track by the reins. The rhythms have a touch of funk. Zaca sings in an arresting falsetto. I loved the energy and groove of this song. A real chill bluesy lounge groove undulates over “The Nighttime!” The smooth sounds really carried, but Zaca’s vocals seem kind of buried here. It was hard to discern what he was saying. A little more fidelity in this area would be appreciated. Zaca does a total 180 with the island flavored track that also contains a Bossa nova foundation on “Naïve.” The song had a nice flow to it. The music and vocals overall sound very delicate and beguiling. The song felt like Zaca was personally serenading me. Sparse synths alone support Zaca’s stripped back vocals at first on “I Know How It Plays Out.” The simple sounds recall a very old school R&B feel. I loved the retro-styled flavorings, bringing some classic pop and R&B to a new era. Beatific strumming on the acoustic guitar greets the start of “I Don’t Wanna Be Without You.” With a straight up lounge feel, the sounds felt very smooth and soothing. Zaca’s vocals come across as heartfelt here. I was buoyed by the warmth coming from the instrumentals and vocals. This also felt like a definite highlight. On “Hypnosis,” a piano melody and beats circulate overhead on this song. Once Zaca’s vocals enter, the soulful notes could be felt right away. Zaca’s voice is filled with distinctive flavorings. His vocals are executed in a rap-like sequence. This track felt very hip hop-oriented. On “Magic Beach Hotel,” Zaca’s vocals along with the ukulele felt very beachy. The smooth and soft tones will really reverberate with listeners. Slow simmering beats seethe in the backdrop of “Hippie Summer” as reverberating guitars sets the stage. Once Zaca’s vocals softly arrive, this feels like an intimate performance as the artist gets up-close-and-personal. Zaca shows us his more vulnerable side with a dynamic finish with this closer. Due to this being a bedroom recording, this album at times felt a little on the lo-fi side. Sometimes the recording felt a little too fuzzy and raw and this can at times be distracting. Perhaps time in the studio will offer up that sheen of professionalism that will really make the songs on this album shine. I give kudos to Zaca for having written, performed and produced everything himself, but I’d also suggest having more people behind him to create a fuller sound and more balanced album. Overall, these selections of songs felt very in the vibe of a youthful artist who is only getting started and I can’t wait to see more of his evolution from here.
Taz And The Maniacs is a rock band from Falkirk, Scotland that consists of brothers Taz, Clint and Angus Modson as well as their cousin Bengie. The band recently released their debut album entitled Peace & Love.
This is a very long album basically almost a double album's worth of material and comes in around one hour and eight minutes long. There’s also quite a bit happening musically. Although everything is mostly under the umbrella of rock I thought they jumped around a lot in terms of style and approach. The band starts off with “Strange Reflections” and really goes in right off the bat. This song felt more like a closer than an opener. I was about a minute in and it sounded a bit like Pink Floyd on steroids. The song does simmer down at points but what a way to get things going. They immediately change their sound with “The Sound” which is dark hard/classic rock and gets a little more atmospheric and also embraces spoken word. “The Swamp '' which is the arguable highlight has more of an Americana type flavor. The first ballad “War” which was one of my favorite songs is heartfelt and sincere. There’s some harmonica, nostalgia and more which makes it feel warm. “Don’t Say Goodbye” is another ballad but more motivational. As the album starts to come to an end with songs like “Fortune Teller” and “Nurse Louise” which are both great songs, they embrace Americana, The production and recording quality was fantastic and professional. My main critique is one I often notice with a debut album. The band attempts a little too much and stays around a little too long. This album would have been more effective and powerful to me if it was around ten songs and those songs were similar in some ways to create a tad more cohesion. This is what creates a signature or singular sound and is the thing in all my years of production the aspect that matters most for building a fan base. Overall, I would say this is a really good album. There are some great songs, some epic heights and some solid songwriting. Recommended.
Ballads for a Goddess is a seven-song release from Lucius Valentine. It’s a little hard to define the album since it jumps around but consider this a lo-fi bedroom rock.
“Her Song” is the first song and a pretty straightforward slow romantic ballad. It revolves around acoustic guitar, vocals and eventually drum and bass that enter into the mix. I thought this was the best vocal performance and just a really well written song.“Perfect Mix” is a little more psychedelic and rock oriented. I was somewhat reminded of Mac Demarco but still loved the mood and flavor. “Darling'' felt like the first highlight. The Mac Demarco is still there but it’s combined more with the slower ballad style of “Her Song.” I really liked the bass line on this song. On “All The Things'' things get slightly experiential, dissonant and unorganized. The style didn't really seem to fit with the previous songs or the artist. Next up is “Anger Anger Anger” and this is another song that goes in another direction. It’s a cool song that rocks and has some unique builds. “Red Car” is more conventional rock while “Gone” is sort of subdued and sounded like an office with ringing phones in the background. This is a lo-fi bedroom recording and some of its work is better for certain songs. I thought the beginning of this release had its best moments. There isn’t much cohesion in terms of songs really having certain X-factors that binds them together. The songs for the most part felt very separate and felt more like a mixtape once I got to the end. My critique would be to either work with an engineer/producer who can assist with some technical issues as well as help shaping sounds or learn some more about things like EQ and compression so the recordings have more fidelity. Songs like “Darling” and “Her Song” were clearly the stronger songs and I encourage him to explore that territory more. Overall, there were some good ideas and some solid songs. I wish him luck as he continues to evolve as an artist.
Fuel For The Fire is a new release from Cardiff, UK-based Darling Vices, led by singer/songwriter/guitarist Colin Frances. Frances had taken a several-year break from music, but was inspired by his friend Elliott Oakley to commit these four songs to tape and release them as an EP. Oakley helped by engineering and producing the set, while adding a few parts to the instrumentation. Conor Wilkinson laid down the drum tracks.
Frances tells us that the disc showcases his “love of ‘00s indie rock from both sides of the Atlantic.” If that’s your jam, you’ll like Fuel For The Fire--it fits right in that oeuvre. Darling Vices’ sound is based around a few layers of guitars, straight-ahead drums and high-in-the-mix, melodic bass. There are occasional bits of vocal harmony for additional color, and touches of other instruments here and there, but the sound is pretty pure indie rock. Song arrangements are straightforward too with bridge sections worked into the usual verse/chorus structure. The set delivers on its indie aspirations. The first two cuts, “Trees” and “Orbits” are straight-ahead rockers, exploring various regular 2000s-era patterns. “Trees” uses a repeated riff and a nice breakdown section. The verse on “Orbits” goes with strummy chords over a melodic bass before a heavier, power-chord-driven chorus. Indie fans, this is right in your wheelhouse. “Walk the Plank” with its tougher lyrical message, introduces a little bit of ‘60s surf-rock psychedelia with some organ tones. It’s a nice addition to the baseline indie sound. There’s even a taste of cowbell on the second verse. My favorite track, though, was “I Can’t Come to the Party” with its catchy melody over a bouncy bass riff. Its introverted lyric resonated with me, too: a lot of the time, I’d rather stay home and listen to new albums! Fuel For The Fire is a fine EP that satisfies that indie-rock urge. Welcome back, Mr. Frances! |
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