Ru Saxon brings a powerful, confident voice and eclectic music to her recent EP entitled Don’t Kill the Messenger. Let’s start with the music. It contains elements of R&B, afrobeat, soul, dance and jazz. Add to that her voice, which contains a surplus of emotion that sounds so smooth and you have a winning combination. The highlight on this EP is the first track called “Baby.” The song contains a lot of percussion and I’ll be damned if it’s not one of the most warm, inviting beats I have heard in quite some time. I swear I would have been content just listening to the music but that voice on top of the music is the cherry on top. Vocally, there is a hook but at times she goes off and it almost feels like she is improvising. It is such a soulful track and a gripping way to start the album. “Puzzled” contains more dance elements and has less of a backyard rustic live feeling that the first one possessed. It is a very good track with excellent drum programming but this one felt a bit more destined to be playing in the background of a classy lounge in the city. “Letter To My Ex” had a lot going on in the song. Although it felt like the single of the album it wasn’t the standout of the album for me. It was a good track but in a weird way it felt a bit too predictable compared to the first two tracks on the EP. “Bas House” is a club ready track that has an inspired vocal performance while “Introspective” closes the album with a laid-back R&B number that creates a lot of space for her vocals. When Saxon is on she is on. The first track on this EP “Baby” may be one of the best songs I have heard this year. Don’t Kill the Messenger is worth your time just for that song alone. There are a number of other standout tracks on this EP that display the versatility of Ru Saxon. Highly Recommended
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Bron Halpin aka Bronsense recently released his self-titled album Bronsense which is a concoction of disparate and like-minded electronic elements such as drones, blips, beeps, clicks and much more. Fans of Aphex Twin, Autechre, and Oneohtrix Point Never will enjoy this release immensely. One of the most intriguing aspects of this album is the attention to detail. Almost every measure is different than the last, which makes for very satisfactory consumption. The music here is the definition of headphone music and while it is acceptable to listen to it with your buddies, it is best enjoyed by yourself with a nice pair of Earbuds. The album opens up with a quick introduction appropriately called “Introducing,” which is a loose collection of sounds before going into one of the highlights of the album called “Drums & Drones.” Fans of Aphex Twin may find similarities between this song and “Windowlicker” but not enough to make you criticize the song. In fact the similarities become diminished as the song progresses. Halpin manipulates drum sounds within a vortex of vocal samples as he continually reimagines his canvas of sound. By the end the song establishes that Halpin isn't a force to be taken lightly. “The New Ringtone” is comprised of warm sine waves that sound like the innards of a robot while “Pluck” sounds more akin to a field recording. “Drumming Sphere” is a dissonant, ominous sounding track with sub frequencies that make your blood curdle. The track feels foreign and menacing. “Xmas Pud” is the other main attraction to the record besides “Drums & Drones.” Off the bat the song is experimental. To put it clearly, the sounds could be an audio representation of what it feels like to have a trip on DMT. It sounds as if alien life forms are surrounding your conscience. Alien vocals are muffled or implied throughout the track. It creates a dizzying sense of fear and claustrophobia. The drum programming at the end of the track is extremely strong. It elevates the track to the next level and leaves with an impression. Halpin is impressive throughout Bronsense. He shows restraint, skilled programming and originality.
Fox/Chris Sinclair is actually a double EP. Fox is by the band Fox and Chris Sinclair is by Chris Sinclair who is part of the band Fox. Fox is just awesome. It's got that "classic" classic rock sound on par with Zeppelin, Hendrix, the Velvets, etc.and even takes some cues from lesser known also-rans like Sir Lord Baltimore and Pentagram. The heavy-balled guitar playing shreds through tracks like "Let Me Down" and intimidates in tracks like "Big Fred." These guys are big on bass lines –fat commanding things that dictate innocuous rhythms that suddenly grow taut and whip your ears mid-song. I'm partial to bass work in "High Tide Rising," a simple, repetition that plods along as if in step with a chain gang. Drumming is on-point as well, the other half of a power rhythm section that channels blues and proto-metal sensibilities, which is a fancy way of saying this sound reminds me of a lot of my favorite bands from these genres. This is hard rock, basically, but damn good hard rock. Chris Sinclair focuses more on the strength of progression. Songs start genially enough, but quickly accelerate into high-octane affairs except "Far Away" that flows evenly up until the guitar solo that closes the album. The opener "Dayumn" ("Said that one's got some eyes like DAYUMN!") injects some humor in paranoia with the lyrics' content and Sinclair's own sublime stylings for both guitar and bass. The bass work here, and throughout the album, I'd say is far funkier than that heard on Fox. The notes linger long enough to wiggle in your ear before progressing into the next and it's mixed it such away that it often takes precedence over the other instrumental work. Much of the sounds heard on Sinclair pay homage to the writhing sounds of Red Hot Chili Peppers and the fuzzy blue tones of The Black Keys. This all comes to a head on the eight-minute closer "Motherfucker (Burn It Down)" where Sinclair tantalizes and torments by alternating the quiet and heavy moments. Violent guitar theatrics smolder over more easygoing percussion while the bass desperately tries to stay afloat next to its searing brother. It's a very wise decision to release these two EPs concurrently. Both contain some of the sweatiest, sexiest rock ‘n roll I've heard while reviewing for The Equal Ground. Both are also similar in sound while having enough nuances to attract people not necessarily into the other. Anyway, we'll need bigger bandwidth if dudes like these send us their submissions.
Opening an album or a track with radio feedback is one of the ballsiest things a musical act can do. You're letting the listener know it's time to stop half-assing the decision-making process and pick something, and that something in this case is Brisbane, Australia's Wayward Smith.
Bleeding Gold is a rock-pop offering that deals primarily in driving lead guitar sections and the wily vocals of front woman Eloise. "Highway" kicks things off with the radio dial before getting underway with a subtle bass line and fluid guitar work. The mood is decidedly sunny, especially with Eloise's on-point delivery. Her singing style is calm and direct, but can also be flirtatious when she changes up the tempo of her lyrical delivery. "Reruns" is fraught with hooks and has a darker tone than the opener. The hook is a crash of white noise on the otherwise calm reef of instrumentation (although the drumming is pronounced). "Here I go again / I'm always going round in circles," sings Eloise is a voice of resignation before the hook lets the listener in on a little fact: she's ready to break free. "Forget Me" begins on a less dynamic note. The piano notes that permeate the track are an interesting but not always effective addition to the swooping guitar riffs that lead Eloise into the chorus. I will begrudgingly admit the piano is an a great companion to the blunt confession of "I've seen things I'd rather forget." The EP ends on a strong note, however, with the straightforward rocker "Push Me Away" replete with stylish riffing and layered female vocals. Bleeding Gold is a clean, smooth record. Though the focus is clearly on Eloise's vocals and the guitar playing, it still feels like every musician gets their due on the tracks. Energetic Australians never let me down. Melissa Moshè is a talented singer/songwriter who began her musical endeavors back in 2002. She, along with Tom Mandulak, started performing around New York City. As the years passed they continued to play and perform until Melissa moved to Los Angeles in 2005. There she established herself with producers and most recently released a instrumentally rich, professional sounding EP called Mandatory Fields. There are only three songs on the EP (six if you include the instrumental versions) which make it for a short and sweet affair. Her vocals are accessible and have a commercial quality to them. It’s a pleasant, pretty voice but it also sounded vaguely familiar at points. I have to admit I was scratching my head as to why the instrumental versions are on the EP. Her voice is clearly the focal point of the songs. The EP starts with “A Simple Life” which is an upbeat, pop song that is bound to put a smile on your face. It’s extremely catchy; I have little doubt you will be humming the melody in the shower whether you want to or not. The lyrics are made up of clear, simple ideas. She sings; “For you to make up your mind / All the time that’s gone by wasted / The simple truth that would have saved us / Just make up your mind / And I’m starting to believe / That some things aren’t meant to be.” “Anything But This” is another solid, upbeat number that may be catchier than the first song. I enjoyed the slide guitar and light orchestral string in this one. Mandatory Fields closes with “All The Streets” which was the highlight of the EP. There was an emotional resonance and melancholy that I enjoyed on this one. The total running time for Mandatory Fields is only ten minutes. If you enjoy it I suggest you take a listen to her previous release The Mortar That Binds Us, which contains 12 tracks.
Straight to Your Head must've been a tricky album to record. Box Wine Trio wanted the album to sound as close as possible to one of their live shows. To that end, little overdubbing and correction was used in the recording process. That sounds less hard than easy, until you consider that each track required an indefinite number of takes to replicate that live energy, both its chaos and its control. So we have a studio album run through a live filter. It sounds sparse in that the instruments seem to occupy musical spaces divided from each other. When you hear a song you are hearing its sum of parts but not the whole piece. It can take some time getting used to but once you're fully immersed in the world of Box Wine Trio, it can be tough to get out. Not that you would want to. Straight to Your Head is an instrumental album with a constantly shifting sonic soundscape. Loose beats slap against sinister funk grooves in one track and then the next will feature skittish riffs and rhythms that disregard standard time signatures. Trying to memorize anything akin to melody is futile. Several moments, however, are quite memorable whether for the technical skill involved or the structure of the moment. There is the trade-off from guitar to bass in "4567." The tropicalia-inspired drumming on "Cold Sharks" ushers in a wipeout of string-based noises. Horns are used to great affect in "4x4" as they rise and fall with a simple drum-and-bass combo. There isn't a weak cut from the album, and even the loose ends sound tight. The closer "For the Children" appears at first indecisive, with all the instrumental cut-offs in the beginning rhythms, but those moments underscore the eventual flow the band finds at the end. Then there are the usual instances of "did they mean to do this?" Could be a guitar note too many, a missed beat, and then you remember that they're trying to capture the ephemeral life of a live show and it becomes tantalizing to think what's a mistake and what's intentional. It's a fun mystery with taut chords and clattering drum rolls. Throwing on any album as background music is a discredit to the creative process behind it (I still do it, make no mistake), but especially for albums like Straight to Your Head , which rely on a tight grip of both musical dynamics and aesthetics. This is a fine fusion of rock that focuses in on what the band can do mathily, funkily and jazzily. It's an engaging listen that warms you up even as it's putting you off with the sudden rhythmic redirection. 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 The Foxholes Escaparatismo Cosmico 3.5 All The Wrong Reasons Better Circumstances 3.4 Gardens Everything Looks Different In The Daylight 3.5 Arnon Burns Margaret For Now 3.3 Kayce Laine Lucid 3.9 Veldts Veldts 3.5 King Swan King Swan 3.6 Magdalen Middle Air 3.6 Parasona Parasona 3.4 The UK as a whole has a lush record of taking the concept of pop Music and force-marching it through new territory. The Lincoln-based trio Your Cat is a Landmine may be on to something with their EP Lift Shaft Protocol. "Why is that nobody seems to be called 'Geoffrey' anymore?" I don't even know what instrument produces the outer-spacey oscillating sound heard at the beginning of this track. The influences in this single track are as varied as the track title is long. Joy Division, Phil Spector, Blue Cheer, Roxy Music, etc. The trio did not want to record anything they could not replicate live and does away with the effects toward the end of song, shaping their music into a much more powerful "Big Three" (guitar, drums and bass) sound with more muscle, if less flexibility. The sonic change is exciting, for the vocal delivery stays constant and you know I'm all about duality in the same track. The next two tracks are much more straightforward than their predecessor. "This one's for Andi Peters" has that quiet-loud-quiet-LOUD dynamic I enjoy hearing, with guttural yells giving away to pained balladry and adroit, efficient instrumentality giving way to an insane monolith of noise that borders on heavy metal. "Your chance of a lifetime" takes me back to the days of early 00’s radio. The trio is in top form with mood and execution, and this track is indeed the most focused of the three. It is a pity the bass is mixed in so low. Anyway, gentle guitar playing evolves quickly into an ascending battle cry of measured drumming and ferocious string work. It’s an excellent way to end an EP –with a song with a sound as big as an entire album. I dig this group. Interesting name, interesting ideas, interesting sound, and they're from Lincoln, UK, so I trust their judgment, frankly, more than a band from, say, Lincoln, Nebraska.
Calling our name from across the Atlantic, Water Babies recorded their first EP entitled EP#1 in November 2013. The four members of Water Babies have all played together in different bands around the Paris music scene, but now they’ve come together to form Water Babies, a unique pop-punky band with gorgeous vocals and classical influences. They recorded and mixed EP#1 somewhere in the suburbs of Paris, near a farm in summer, on a four track tape machine from the 80’s. It was mastered with Pro-Tools, but nothing was changed through digital manipulation. Magne, the drummer, produced the recording. I have to say their DIY recording sounds clean and professional; maybe it’s time for all of us to return to four-track tape machines. The first track, “Summer Clouds” opens with classical guitar picking to intro Rousseaux’s outstanding vocals. She reminds me of a jazz singer from New Orleans, Meschiya Lake who captures everyone’s attention on the street. The carefree tone of this track reflects the hot French summer they recorded in, “all those magic little moments / summer’s here but the days get shorter / I think about you all the time.” The old timey, bouncy vaudeville vocal effect in the middle of the song brings up circus images in the listener’s mind. The whole EP has a bouncy vaudeville flavor with kazoos and horns in later tracks. “Tiny Houses” quickly transitions with a garage pop guitar intro riff. After the intro, the vocals kick in backed by a bounding bass line. Surf rock guitar riffs punctuate the bass and vocals to give the track heightened energy. The energy is transferred into lyrics such as “driving very fast / burning all the trash.” The bridge brings the track back intro the vaudeville vibe with horns, kazoo and synchronized vocals. Compositionally complex, “Tiny Houses” goes from the vaudeville bridge to a grungy guitar outro. Check out the heavy, funky bass intro to “I’m A Spy;” it sets a dark and anxious contrast to the high octave vocals. The timbre of the vocals does not offset the ominous lyrical content, “keep regretting all this danger / where the hell am I? / yes I am a spy!” The anxious bass drives the track forward beneath words like “time is money / they won’t get me.” The story Rousseaux tells of a spy running is echoed in the guitar solo the grinds its way forward like a car. Water Babies has given us a complex EP with stunning vocals, driving bass, unique drum fills, classical and punk guitar riffs. They’re vaudeville-esque with a garage rock, pop punk edge. They played their first show in December of last year, and are gearing up to hit the road. I’ll try to catch them the next time I hitch through Europe.
Dark Hip Falls brings us purity and ambition in both their sound and recording methods. The band hails from Seattle, Washington and the five members collectively decided to record their album Seventy Four with analog technology, rather than through digital formats. This meant the band recorded segments live together because physically splicing various segments into a tape is virtually impossible and painstaking. Listening to the album, you can feel the dawn creeping over the horizon of a dim and dusky evening that was perhaps wasted from whiskey and cocaine. The band seems to dwell on things that well up darkness and desperation yet at the same time a glimmer of hope shines through as music always lends a positive clarity. The song “Cocaine Design” starts off with a strumming that reminds me of bands like She Wants Revenge and Interpol. Percussion keeps the time on this track as the lyrics sing “cocaine design, mascara lies … maybe just another drink.” The chorus has a softness to it yet it is tinged with sadness and illustrates a hangover of missed communications. The track “In My Eye” has a sickly mad vibe to it and would be a perfect soundtrack to an S&M film. The repetition of the lyrics “you won’t be saved” and the choice of eerie effects makes you fall deep into the rabbit hole while listening. A deep bass that meticulously keeps the beat sounds like the oncoming of an ominous army that are approaching quickly to take their reign. “Look at the little little thing, sleeping at your breast, know that he’s in my eye.” If that didn't set the vibe, the line "Swim with the fishes baby, I’ll make you float," surely will. Dark Hip Falls should be commended on their style and their method of delivery. Many musicians rarely take the route of analog recording because of its discrepancies yet the end result is truly worth the trouble. The album sounds crisp and clean yet there is a depth and a lively dynamic to the sound as it is birthed from live sessions. The only thing to mention is at times the vocals get a bit muddled and distorted, yet this at the same time stays true to a live show. |
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