Joshua Baumgarten (vocals), Mishal Zeera (bass), Lars van der Weiden (drums) and Tom de Haan (sax/guitar) are The Irrational Library. The band recently released Everything at All Times and All Things at Once.
This album by all accounts felt punk rock to me in attitude. This reminded me of older punk bands like Minutemen that seemed to be pissed but also had a lot of levity. The music is great throughout but make no mistake about this, it is about Baumgarten’s expressive vocals which cover contemporary issues and much more. I found his spoken word/singing a perfect mix of anger, absurdity, humor and levity. There isn’t an ounce of pretension and it is all the better for it. The album starts with “To Know That You Know Nothing” and that bass line had my number. They combine that with some slick percussion and horns and I was loving this groove. Baumgarten delivers the goods here. He’s all over the place sometimes singing sometimes speaking and all of it works. Things get arguably even better with “Social Media Circle Jerk.” This is the first song where I actually laughed while listening. Baumgarten more or less tells everyone to fuck off and it’s beautiful. There are some clever anecdotes and no one seems to have a safe space here. “Just Do It” was another song that made me laugh numerous times. When he says “What!?” I was dying. As the album continues that is a mix of absurdity, humor and so much more. “Palestinian Pulled Pork” is a perfect mix of non-sequiturs that David Lynch would be a fan of. There are some twists and turns as the album progresses. The jazzy and lounge like “Jager” and the closer “Everything at All Times and All Things at Once” might be standouts but I liked all the tracks. The album is thirteen tracks but is only around 40 minutes which is good for a punk rock album. I became a big fan. Recommended.
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Kaleido Bay is a band from the UK comprised of Ben Kay, Jake Gribben, and Harry Grace. The band mentions that they combine elements of progressive rock, post punk and alternative rock. They recently released “Liberation” and as they put it they were “Inspired by the frustration of societal structures molding the majority of us all into a certain way of life. Anger at the system and how it trains us to accept a mundane way of living with little to no hope.”
Kaleido Bay is a band that is young enough to pull off this type of music. I remember in the ’90s being drawn to bands like Rage Against The Machine. Their anti-establishment was appealing to a young mind. Eventually, you have to grow up, get a job, possibly find a way to provide for a family and you are inevitably a cog in the machine. I was just debating with my friend recently that this type of anger and anti societal structures just sounds better coming from a younger generation. It sound more vital, urgent and more often than not sincere. Musically, “Liberation” is a rock song that fits in a good amount of different influence. The song starts with a barrage of tom drums, bass and distorted guitar. It quickly breaks up with a danceable bass line. The vocalist then sings “you’re a slave to contradiction / you’re engraved with false freedom.” I was digging the rise around the one-minute mark which leads to a pop oriented chorus. As the song progresses the most unique moment might be the vocals after that which sounds like a play. The Eastern modes the band plays is also very cool. The song has an instrumental section where the members are jamming out. They do some effective rocking out with solid guitar solos. The band slides back into the chorus one more time. I’m more than happy that a young band like Kaleido Bay is still angry and is able to shift attention to these types of issues. Take a listen.
Miranda Taylor and Larry Ragone are Exmaid. The duo from New Jersey recently released Sorcery. The band says, "The album is largely about the inexplicable and otherworldly connections we can feel with one another," as well as "about relationships beginning and ending." That’s a broad concept that’s filtered through distorted rock.
When I was in high school in the mid ’90s I was a big fan of heavy grunge bands like The Melvins and Mudhoney. Exmaid felt like a band I would have gotten into all those years ago. The band delivers a good amount of crunch and rocking out which is juxtaposed against the much more softly delivered vocals. That being said Taylor doesn't feel reserved in her vocal approach. There are certain songs where she belts it out more. The album starts with “Mary” which is a solid opener but a bit of a slow burn. It revolves around guitar and vocals for about the first three quarters of the song before some rocking out occurs. “Moth” felt like a highlight. This song in particular soars and combines elements of shoegaze as well as ’70s inspired metal. I liked the way the song builds - the vocals, and drumming worked together to create epic crescendos. “Lite” is an infectious song. There is no denying that vocal melody is memorable. “Dead” and “Swim '' continue to deliver the goods with fairly straightforward songs that are really well delivered and written. “Moldy” has single written all over it. It’s a catchy song I think a lot of people would remember the melody to. “Prez” and “Jane'' continue to build a signature sound for the band. “Best” brings down the distortion a bit at first and I liked the change in texture and tone. They close with another highlight called “Meow” which contains some of the best guitar work. There is no denying the engineering and production is top notch. It’s clear but distorted and obviously engineered by experienced engineers. The band accomplished a lot with this release. They weave a cohesive foundation and after the ten songs I felt like I had a good impression of the band's sound. On top of that I felt these songs were accessible and just a pleasure to listen to. Recommended.
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JOHO is a rapper/singer/songwriter who recently released Youth in Retrospect. It s a four-part story reminiscing about life from childhood to present day. That in a nutshell makes this album an autobiography.
There are a lot of different approaches to the music. Up first is “Red Soda'' which is very nostalgic from the music to the lyrics. The music is very airy and atmospheric and there is also a lot of traditional singing as well. “NightLight” felt more flashy but was still airy and atmospheric but felt a little more appropriate for a club. By the time we get to “Droptop” the vibe starts to feel way more festive than nostalgic. The song is filled to the brim with instrumentation. That airy and atmospheric quality is all over songs like “One of Those Nights (feat. Kiev)” and “Foreign (feat. KD).” On that note, so are the hooks. The songs are undeniably infectious and I enjoyed the guest spots which gave the song variety. “Left on Read” (feat. Jonesy)” is undeniably sensual. The vocals are very smooth. The instrumental aspects of the song match the vocals with similar texture and tone. I would say it’s a very relaxing and serene song. “Stone Cold” came out of nowhere and felt like an outlier. The song is way more aggressive than anything that came before and reminded me of southern rap. It felt especially noticeable since the previous song was “Left on Read” (feat. Jonesy).” The very next song is “Everyday” is very sincere and heartfelt. One of the highlights was “Bitter (feat. Kaylie King & Maxgotthetracks).” I loved the guitar on the track as well as all the vocal performances. Truth be told the hook was the most memorable the album for me. I also have to mention “Meet Me at the Park'' which is a nine-minute song but is also more or less straight pop. Youth In Retrospect is an ambitious effort. JOHO detailed his important moments in his life through song. This felt like an album that will be appreciated by fans of pop and hip-hop. Take a listen.
Jesse Jones is a singer/songwriter who started off writing poetry. It wasn’t till 2012 that he picked up a guitar. All things considered that’s not a very long time to be a songwriter or a guitarist. Leaving Celina is his first attempt at recording some of his songs.
Jones has a classic singer/songwriter vibe that musicians have been playing into since the late ’60s. He utilizes simple chord progressions and usually laments or croons in some kind of way about various subjects. Jones even brings out a harmonica which is a staple of the genre. He says “A lot of my songs focus on troubling times and troubled people” which I would say is still the most popular subject in folk music. The album starts with “Celina” which revolves around strummed chords and his vocals. Jones’ strength is his lyrics and his storytelling on this song but it also has a classic folk quality to it. It’s about nostalgia and change. “One Day Comes Around” features guitar picking and one of the more memorable vocal melodies on the album. His best songs are in fact sweet and tender that contain guitar picking such as on “A Little While.” I felt like “Sad Dracula” and “Good For Nothing” were the other highlights. Jones has talent and is just getting started if he keeps going. I’ve been writing songs for over twenty years and my friends think a lot of my best material was written within the last couple of years. I think Jones should give some food for thought about ways he differentiate from the crowd. The lone troubled troubadour musician is a very popular cliche and trope but for good reason. It’s a guy’s or gal’s honest reflection about the things they feel and perceive. There’s a beautiful simplicity to it but it also becomes hard to stand out from the crowd. I would say this is a solid first album with honest storytelling that is sincere. He pulls it off and hope this is just the beginning for him. Recommended.
Neurofilter is the solo music and visual art project of Australian based artist Max Hiscock. According to the artist Somewhere in the Silence is an EP created from a love of stories, texture, alt rock roots and cinematic dynamics. It consists of five tracks, each flowing into the next to form a twenty-five minute long journey that is designed to be listened to in a single sitting.
It’s a little funny that an artist has to state something like that these days but it makes sense since streaming is ubiquitous. When I was a kid the main format everyone listened to music on was vinyl. So there was really no other option. You would just start the record and flip over when it was over. That was it. Somewhere in the Silence is a fairly cohesive release and I appreciate it when the artist really takes the time to think about how the release will sound sequentially. His music felt thematic, very dramatic, and a mix of electronic and organic instrumentation. The first song is entitled “Nothing Behind Me” and there is a dark quality to the music with shades of shoegaze and post-rock. I was reminded of Mogwai at times. There are a couple different singing styles. I really enjoyed the initial vocal delivery. There is also this whispering that happens which I wasn’t as crazy about. The song rocks outs effectively on the chorus. I would say it was a great opener. Up next is “Elusive Horizon.” The verse mixes drone like white noise with a very catchy vocal melody. Once the chorus pops up it is very sudden and almost too chaotic to handle. The drums are constantly doing fills and took away my attention from the vocals. That being said the chorus is infectious. “Repose” felt like a song that was different from the rest. This is ambient music that comes closer to artists like Fennesz or Jon Hopkins. I would say this was also very thematic and feels like music that could have been in the closing sequence in a movie like Blade Runner. He goes back into rock oriented post-rock with “In My Mind” which is a long song but in a lot of ways is more straightforward than anything that came before. “Obsolete” is the last song and sounded industrial with whispering vocals not too far away from NIN. Hiscock is playing into a lot of different genres with these five songs. I felt like “Repose” could have been on a different release or perhaps a different project. I felt the songwriting was really good and the subtle moments were often his best. Overall, I thought this was a solid effort from a young artist who is just getting started. I look forward to hearing more.
Hailing from Rochester, New York, The Stone Lows are comprised of Liam James Welch (vocals), Henry O’Brien (bass), guitarist Edward McAndrew (guitar) and Alexander Klick (drums). The band released O! Tribulations which is an eight-song album.
The band rocks, is experimental and goes all over the place but they do manage to also sound cohesive. They mention that “the album draws from an eclectic variety of influences from Pavement to King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard to Electric Light Orchestra.” They get grooving with “Everything Stays” which is an eight-plus-minute song in which they really don’t waste a second. The song gets started with a crunchy ’70s sounding descending riff which somehow transitions into this Pink Floyd sounding section. It works. That’s all within the first two minutes. The band does sufficient jamming with a blaring guitar solo and also goes into prog based math rock. They got into this freeform jam session on “Brick.” It’s a psychedelic whirlwind of sound and felt quite fitting after the initial blast of rock. They mentioned Pavement and “Follow You” sounds similar to Terror Twilight era Pavement to my ears. The music is smooth, melodic and catchy. “Follow You” is absurdly catchy and fun. It’s also off-kilter in a good way. “Insanity” is an apt name. It sounds like someone who has a couple screws loose. The song is experimental and a little chaotic but I think that was the point. They have more success with the psychedelic sounding “Falling Dice.” The band bursts onto the longest song entitled “Cowhorse” which comes in just under nine minutes. The song has some Americana elements, horns and a lot more. They close with “Why Must Things Change?” which was actually sort of funny. They play into a ’70s pop ballad vibe and pull it off with flying colors. This album is filled to the brim with a lot of music. There are many different styles the band combines with what seems like little effort This is a fantastic album. Recommended.
Chicago quartet Earth Lodge brings us a standard American rock band lineup: guitar (Sam Pepper, who also handles vocals), bass (Matthew DiCarlo), keyboards (John Mann) and drums (Aaron Russo). Their sound is familiar, even comforting. DiCarlo’s sometimes-melodic, sometimes-driving bass is locked in with Russo’s drums. Pepper’s guitar is a little bit crunchy, a little bit funky. Mann selects round, clean tones to fill out the space, and lets the organs warble to add a bit of texture here and there.
It’s familiar--and it works. The material for their Something for the Mourning LP is drawn from their live performances, and the disc reflects that Earth Lodge is clearly a live band. The resulting seven-song set is refreshing. The music lives and breathes. It’s almost as if Earth Lodge walked into the studio, tuned their guitars, miked everything up, plugged into a 16-track reel-to-reel and laid it all down in one day. Earth Lodge takes us out with “Lapse in Memory” a track where electric piano and dueling guitar lines evoke a bit of Steely Dan. They build to a bass-driven chorus with Leslie-drenched organ and finish off with a ripping solo from Pepper featuring some Van Halen-style finger-tapping. We can hear other influences throughout the album. “Psychotic Breakdown” feels like an uptempo version of the Beatles’ “Don’t Let Me Down,” complete with Billy Preston-esque Wurlitzer solo and a lilting 6/8 feel. “Calling” builds to a Freebird-like ending, although Earth Lodge swings more than Skynyrd ever did. In “Tried and True,” Earth Lodge breaks out a few jazz chords and offers an introspective middle-section breakdown. The progression in the title track feels a little John Mayer-ish; this cut is a little more layered than the others--they do use a few of those extra tape tracks to overdub where needed. The pick of the album is “Strange Observations.” Here, Earth Lodge shows they are clearly a live band: we can hear the buzz from the single-coil Fender pickups, as we should. Pepper’s guitar evokes mid-‘90s college rock, nicely set against Mann’s ‘70s-style electric piano. Russo’s drums shine here, offering tasteful support and drive, and some delicious ghost notes. All you drum programmers, take note--this is what real drums sound like. We know when it’s the computer playing! Thank you, Earth Lodge, for Something for the Mourning, and thank you especially for not producing the life out of the recording. It’s so nice to hear a band, playing and recording as a band. I look forward to your next release. I’m enjoying this one in the meantime.
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Life is full of problems. You run into them as soon you’re born. Those problems can be big or small but all of us will eventually find big ones. It’s not the problems that matter as much as how we decide to deal with them. Music for myself personally as well as the countless musicians often confide and find solace in the creative process.
For Doug Wallace he turned to making music when he was dealing with personal turmoil. He also turned to his friend Alan Charlton who is also a musician. They spent a longtime on the eponymous album for Main Street Revival. You might be inclined to think this might be a somber reflection. It might be a reflection but it doesn't feel somber, In fact it felt a little more like a cathartic celebration. The album starts with the glorious “Night Rider” and this song plays into classic Americana in the spirit of Tom Petty. It’s empowering, drives and has the perfect amount of crunch. On top of that the chorus is mighty catchy and you might find yourself singing along in no time. Next up is “I Wouldn't Worry” and this song is very joyful and chipper between the horns, organ and anthemic chorus. The title says it all really. When he sings, you believe him. They go through the process of finding his footing anew and in that fog of darkness there might be light ahead. The album continues to roll forward with the country/pop infused “Shot in the Dark,” the reflective night wandering of “Riding the Waves” and album highlight “Rescue Me” which sounds like a revival. “Wild One” and “Time Is a Prisoner” shows more good songwriting as does The John Mellencamp-esque “Baby Game.” I felt like the soulful “Release Me” was another highlight. They close with “Teenage Love” which is by far the most reflective feeling and nostalgic song in the batch. Jim Morrison sang “Music is your only friend / Until the end.” I remember hearing those lyrics when I was young and didn’t have an understanding of what it meant. It wasn’t until much later in life when I had to confront my own darkness that music held my hand and walked me back into a place where I could see again. I have a feeling Wallace understands all too well how music can be there for you when it needs to be.
I remember getting familiar with Noaa Rienecker when I heard Saltwater. Suffice it to say I encourage you to take a listen. I was excited to hear a new single entitled “Doldrum Blues” under the name Stumble Day. This single is a little taste of what is to come from them as they are expected to release an EP this Spring.
What I really enjoyed about this song was the directions it went in. It starts with a solid blues and rock groove. You could say it’s a bit like The Black Crows. The vocals are loose and immediately infectious. As much as I liked the verse, it was the transition that sold me. He sings “Every cigarette just burns into the next one / Every bottle’s got a bottle at the bottom” as the band simmers down and vocals are very catchy. I’ll also add I thought the lyrics themselves were powerful. My interpretation was that he was talking about how we use these things as escape. The song seamlessly gets back into a groove oriented verse before revisiting the chorus. I'll also say the way they transition when he sings “doldrum blues” is great and reminded me of the band Pavement. The song gets even better with a much approved sax coming into the mix which added another layer of emotion. There are some additional lines which are worth mentioning as well. He sings “Fluorescent sun for eight hours / Of I don’t give a fuck about / Who cares if my pockets are green / My days are colorless and runnin’ out” I would say those lyrics are open to interpretation but what I really liked was the imagery he was painting in your mind. He refers to a “Fluorescent sun” the color green and colorless days. I think my mind subconsciously at first noticed and quickly gave a different emotional impression based upon the color palette. The topic of this song is ubiquitous in the western world which revolves around untapped ambition, monotony and the rat race most of us have to endure in order not to drown in financial debt. It reminds me of my favorite quote from Henry Thoreau - “the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.” There is some truth in that but it’s also true civilization is something very new in our timeline and things will inevitably change as they always have. Hopefully we will bloom into a butterfly one day but it’s art and music like this that enables us to transcend and reflect on our current condition while simultaneously being a part of it.
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May 2024
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