Signs You're Alive is the seventh album by David Rupley but only his second that is electronic. Rupley studied Film Scoring at Berklee and it makes sense once you delve into the soundscapes that he makes.
In a general sense the songs are lush, atmospheric and usually meld into some sort of hypnotic groove. It’s the type of music you can just put on at a party and people could dance to it or let it reside in the background during conversation. The opener “Beta Lights” starts and ends with the same essential beat but it's everything else such as the arpeggiated synths, pads and other effects that are the ear candy. As the song progresses more layers are added and his thematic proclivities start to shine through. I could imagine this music being used in a Sci-Fi movie. “Naked Eyes” bares resemblance to Boards of Canada in that some of the sounds have a dissonant, alien-like quality. Against some of the more dissonant noises are warm pads, which create an inventive dichotomy. Like many of the songs to come there aren’t any drastic changes. It’s more about the mood he creates. “Blue Night” is contemplative piece that indeed feels blue and melancholy while “Rushmore” has an almost worldly feel. As the album progresses there are some more notable tracks such as “Ice Factory” and “Night Owl” but bringing up individual songs almost feel counterintuitive. Signs You're Alive is an album you can just hit play and let it ride. The highs and lows between the songs are marginal and in a lot of ways felt like they bled together. On top of that the songs are ones you can actively listen to if you are interested in nuances and subtleties that Rupley implements or at lower volumes makes excellent ambient. Those are two reasons that you should take a listen.
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Back in 2012 Ryan Torres started his music career with Rex Hudson as GreenHouse. The duo released their debut later that year and quickly followed up with a sophmore effort. Most recently Torres released Ghost Memories, which is a whopping twenty-three songs. Torres makes electronic music that somewhat loosely feels reminiscent of bands like M83, Boards of Canada and Four Tet.
At twenty-three songs with very few going over the three-minute mark Ghost Memories feels like a large group of ideas rather then fleshed out songs. The songs rarely get much further than the initial vibe they started with. Yes there are breakdowns and different sounds but the dynamics and vast sonic possibilities of a band like M83 aren’t quite there. “The Night Is On Fire” is an example of Torres conjuring a very interesting idea but not quite fleshing it out. It revolves around distorted bass, heavy hitting drums and arpeggiated synths. The song finds a groove and rides it out till the song fades away. “Sometimes A Seashell Is Just A Seashell” suffers and benefits from the same sort of thing. He introduces an intoxicating mixture of tones and textures not too far off from many synth pop bands but simply layers and rides out the groove. The slow moving and ethereal “Split Between” fares a bit better in terms of feeling like a song with crescendos and transitions but still I was hoping for some risky, experimental elements. As the album progresses, and to his credit, the songs display his versatility. Take for instance the forward moving “Lessons For Everything” or the uniquely ‘80s sounding “Late Bloomer.” At this point Torres isn’t quite competitive with the artists in the top echelon in this style of music such as Four Tet, Caribou and Herbert to name a few. He will not only have to be able to flesh out the songs a bit more but I think he needs to get a bit experimental and nuanced when it comes to the production and in particular the percussive elements. For example implementing different time signatures on a song would be a good start. That being said I think he does have some talent and think if he continues to be passionate about his sound those things will come naturally. I was thinking the whole time that although a lot of these songs have trouble standing on their own they would make for great video game music. Turns out Torres already has placement in an upcoming video game. For all of you video game creators you might want to check out his music because he has a lot to chose from.
Ross Gordon (vocals), Joe Mcdonald (guitar), Jake Charleston (drums) and Andrew Smith (bass) are Bottle Note. The band recently released First Words, which is a five-song EP. They play fairly straightforward rock/alternative music that shows some potential.
The production and recording quality is about demo quality. Suffice it to say that the songs would have been a bit more impactful if the songs sounded as if they were recorded in a professional studio. That being said you still get a basic idea of what the band can deliver. Things get going with “Youthful Folly” which is a rocking song where the music sounds similar to The Strokes and the singing is hushed. I couldn’t make out the lyrics, especially when the cymbals come in but I enjoyed the aesthetics of Gordon’s voice. It’s a catchy song but also quite predictable. The lead guitar on “Ghost” takes advantage of an octave pedal, which is used with some success. There are definitely some creative moments on this song between the hard rock chorus and ominous sounding verse. Gordon repeats the line “I find myself alone” on the chorus. “Desperado” is a brighter more optimistic sounding song with impressive lead guitar while “Great Company” is arguably the highlight and has a slight Jesus and Mary Chain vibe. The closer “Last Words” has some solid moments and the penetrating lead felt like the focal point of this song. First Words sounds as if you are listening to the band rehearse their songs. They do have some talent but they still have their work cut out for them if they hope to compete with the more inventive rock in the underground today. I would argue that even more important is to try and get a boost in the record quality next time around. The visceral impact would have unequivocally been more noticeable. I would say the band is off to a solid start but falls into a category of wait and see.
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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 Wish well Reasons 3.5 Hundred Plus Club Three Songs 3.4 THE OWENS THE OWENS 3.4 Pastel Motel E. A St. 3.6 Freddie Nunez Heaven's in Your Head 3.3 Maxim The New Romanticist - EP 3.3 The Jacobins This is The Li(f)e 3.3
Rudy G (guitar/vocals), Paul Gallegos (drums) and Tanvir Bajwa (bass/vocals) are the three members of Escrow Jay. The band originally formed a little more than half way through 2015 and has accumulated some songs and released a self-titled EP Escrow Jay.
The EP was completely DIY and I was quite impressed with what I heard when seeing that they actually recorded the music. This music does translate pretty well as lo-fi. In fact the band No Age kept coming into mind. Escrow Jay has this art punk vibe that is really easy to enjoy and that's really where the band excels. Things get going with “Dying Wishes” which was an odd choice for an opener. It moves a bit slowly. I liked the rolling drums and vocals but the energy doesn’t pick up till the end. “The Noisy Headrush to the Mountains” has some solid moments but the band really sounds great on “Mosh It Out!” The vocals are aggressive, raw and catchy. It’s a fun paced, high-energy song, which is definitely a strength for the band. “Sobredosis” is a four-minute jam session relying on lead guitar, which isn’t too far off from sounding like something you would hear from The Doors. The band has more success on “Sirens of The Oceans” which takes away from art punk bands like Liars and No Age. “Grapes” is a literally bubbly sounding song not too far from early Pavement while “Deep Pressed Venom In My Veins” gets more intense as it progresses. They close with “Wait For Me” which certainly has its moments. Escrow Jay did impress me with this demo but they certainly still have a lot to prove. Most importantly they need to be finding their “sound.” They skip around a lot and looking at the demo as whole it feels like scattered ideas and one-offs rather than songs with a cohesive vision. Given the fact the band has been around for so little time I couldn’t really imagine it being much more then that. The band has got some skill so as long as they can define that and get into a proper studio at some point I expect to hear good things from the band soon.
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Charles Rojas (vocals/bass/guitar), Keith Drago (drums) and Jose Flores (guitar) are Panning View. The three-piece band has been around for about a year and recently released their EP Centerpiece. Centerpiece is an impressive six-song debut that mixes like-minded genres such as rock, punk and hardcore while sounding not too far off from bands like Title Fight, Thrice and even NOFX.
The band is extremely tight and in the pocket which is one of the first things I noticed and really one of the most essentially things when you play this type of music. Even if you’re not a huge fan of the genre you have to respect the talent and skill these guys bring to the table. Things start off right out of the gate with “Addresser.” The band trades riffs like they are going out of style and it will appease those who even have extreme cases of ADD. A little past a minute in and the band is already on their first breakdown. “Addresser” seems to be about a crash. Rojas sings, “Did you forget / About the stitches in your forehead / That I drove with you / Passenger side to get / I waited with you / Missing the Thursday set / But that was alright / You were more important to me.” “Fold” starts with an intense, fast drumbeat before the rest of the band comes in to melt your brain. Waves of white distortion take over the song along with some infectious vocals. Rojas’ vocal style reminded me more of ‘90s punk bands like NOFX and Rancid rather than the contemporary nasally twine of most pop punk. The band has more success on “Better Yourself” which displays some more versatility. There are some very impressive transitions on this, which is a testament to the bands technical skills. The fast paced “Kauai” does indeed seem to be about the Hawaiian Island while the closer “Six Years Since” is a dynamic song that goes from soft clean parts to intense thrashing. Panning View is a solid, tight EP that has some well-written songs and also displays a boatload of potential. The fact that these guys have only been around a year is reason enough you should keep your eyes and ears on them.
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Through Craigslist the four-piece band CITRA comprised of Brandon Arndt, Augie Menos, Daniel Naddy and Sean Slattery formed in late 2015 and have already managed to release a five-song EP entitled Ocean. The band plays hard-hitting rock not far off from bands like Kings of Leon and Foo Fighters.
When it comes to the production and recording quality it is top notch. You can feel the energy bursting through the speakers and I think that it's undeniable to any one that hears it. Take for instance the opener “Settle Down” which is indicative of the type of energy you can expect throughout the EP. “Settle Down” certainly is a catchy song. The vocalist sounds like David Grohl especially when he strains his voice. As the song progresses there isn’t too much that surprised me but the delivery is on point. The lyrics are broad and could be taken a number of ways. The vocalist sings, “Can’t get away, get away, get away like you did / Can’t break away, break away, break away like I did / I know that you won’t believe it, but every now and then I settle down.” “Ocean” is another solid track. The verse is especially catchy and I felt I could hum along by the second time I heard it. Smashing Pumpkins-esque style guitar is introduced during the chorus. As a huge fan of Smashing Pumpkins I can’t complain. “Apologize” is a little more slick and dance worthy than the previous songs. I started tapping my foot along with the beat and bobbing my head. “Feelin' Alive” has a swinging rock vibe that didn’t feel too far off from their other songs while “In The Ground” is a fairly straightforward rock song. Ocean doesn’t take my effort to enjoy. The songs are well written and powerful. This early in their development CITRA pulled off an impressive debut. I’m counting on their full-length to be even better.
The band has released E.V.I.L. which is divided into two parts. In 2014 Part 1 was released and according to the band is telling a story about the impact of technology on society and how corrupt society is getting with technology. Part 2 (which we will be talking about in this review) according to the band “is telling a story about a group of people living in the time of two superstates (Nations) having to decide to which of the two superstates they belong (Right or Wrong).”
Before we delve more into the subjects it’s important to note the band is a fairly straightforward alternative band with elements of post-punk and grunge. The vocal melodies are often catchy and the band rocks out which keeps up a steady stream of kinetic energy. Up first is “Nations” which introduces different elements of the band. A tom heavy beat and the distorted bass give the music an ominous feel but once the guitar comes in they sound more like Rage Against The Machine. During the verse the music is atmospheric as Komorski sings, “It‘s time of no behavior, the last generation of two sides, the last 18 tones of hate, which will you decide?” There is also a bit of an industrial vibe on this song, which felt appropriate. Up next is “Right or Wrong,” which is a little more palatable and commercially viable. This style felt more aligned with grunge and reminded me of something you may have heard play on the radio in the ‘90s. The lyrics play into the decision between right and wrong. “Consolation” is a guitar heavy song that mostly just rocks out. Waves of white noise from the guitar and the heavy drums support the dynamic vocal performance, “End Times” was a highlight, which veered away from distorted power chords and favored melodic clean guitar and a driving bass. I especially enjoyed the inventive drumbeat. The aptly titled “Hope” closes the album. They close with a post-rock inspired crescendo that ends things with a bang. E.V.I.L. (part 2) goes by quickly but is well executed. The band isn't breaking any barriers but does deliver well-crafted songs with creative subject matters.
Flashes of Computation are two brothers from Hesperia, California who recently released Rip It. There are five songs that consist of drums, guitars and vocals, which average less than two minutes in length. The EP was made quickly and feels like the songs were made mostly for their own pleasure. They never really expand on any of the ideas they present and almost feel like trailers for longer songs.
Up first is “I've Got the Blues.” The duo rocks a standard blues riff that you have most likely heard a thousand times before. There is a White Stripes vibe happening here but unfortunately it doesn't feel like much more than a tip of the hat to hard blues-rock. The lyrics reinforce the mood of the song. The vocalist sings, “And we've got the blues / and I don't give a shit about you / I'm goin' down a trail that leads straight to Hell / I've got the blues.” “Just a Punk” is indeed a punk rock song revolving around a couple of distorted power chords and a basic beat. The song barely gets past a minute as the vocalist sings the lyric, “I’m just a punk.” The next song “The Hot Springs” has more of an alternative vibe. It’s a decently written song but the duo gets noticeably off-time. The lyrics are silly and simple fun. They aren't the most thought provoking lyrics in the world as he sings about going to the hot springs. I hesitate to call “Rip It” an actual song at thirty-two seconds in length. It feels more like a transition to “Boogie Board” which is a surf/punk song. At the end of the day Rip It feels like it was made to be a fun EP for the band to have and not much more than that at this point. If the duo is serious about attracting a large fan base there will need to be some improvements in a couple of areas. That being said Rip It may be perfectly suitable for a couple of guys who want to get their kicks out of recording fun, short punk songs.
Adi is a nineteen-year old songwriter/producer/engineer from Minneapolis, MN who recently released Fruits of Regal. In regards to the album he has stated, ”I've begun to look within much more and search for my own truths. This album speaks on some of the truths I've found since coming into adulthood.” At only nineteen-years old he is going to be discovering a lot more truths throughout his 20’s and beyond. Even though I’m almost twice that age I can still remember that being in your late teens is a time when you start pondering existential questions and autonomy from the systems that surround us. Adi tackles some of these topics on Fruits of Regal.
Take for instance the opener “WAVS” which dabbles into topics such as revolution and a mundane job. Similarities are immediately apparent between Adi and Kanye West. It’s not only apparent because of the ubiquitous auto-tune effect that has not diminished in popularity but the way he pronounces some of the lyrics. The production is tight all around. I was impressed by the ominous atmosphere he creates between the buzzing bass and the inventive beat. “WAVS” is a solid opener but ”Emergency!” Is a solidified highlight. This song has it all including inventive production, great rhymes and something you can dance to. Lyrically Adi is on point when he spits lines like, “I thought about what it means to be a piece of matter riding in this cosmic limousine.” The bass in kicking, the guitars are melodic and rhymes are fluid. Don’t miss this track! “Castles (Vibestrumental)” is a short instrumental piece that sounds contemporary in a FKA Twigs type of way while “Minstrel Rock” is subdued and dark. The dub-step beat hits hard like James Blake on “To Night” where Adi sings briefly sings about embracing atheism. Adi shows his willingness to think out of the box with a song “Macbeth” and closes with the atmospheric “King’s Grief.” Adi has his finger on the pulse of contemporary sounds and considering he is so young I was really impressed after taking this album in. He has all the time in the world to keep on evolving and I really hope he does because he may have a shot at the big time if the stars align. I hope to hear more soon.
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