The year was 1976 and Ross Bryant was washing dishes to make money so he could buy a guitar. The passion to play music obviously never left him as he just released Red & Black. It contains ten songs which mix a number of genres like blues, rock, pop and more.
“Private War” opens up the album and I initially thought the song was going to sound similar to early Metallica. The song ends up having a very mixed ’70s sound. There is some classic rock as well as darker, hard rock not too far off from Alice Copper. “Life's been Good” is a fun song with a momentum and energy that reminded me of The Who. It’s a breakup song that celebrates life after the separation. “Coffee and Tea” is a catchy one with a rock attitude but there is also a bluesy side to the song from the lead guitar to the breakdown. It’s also a little funky because of the bass line. “Cat in the Hat” is a little more edgy and aggressive. There is a good amount of attitude when it comes to the vocals. The sound is very ’70s hard rock. “Sorry” takes a turn emotionally. This is kind of a sweet and tender song. It felt more like an Americana influenced ballad of sorts. It’s also a really catchy song with an infectious chorus that was easy to appreciate. “Rehab” returns to ’70s hard rock while “Hurts” is an acoustic based song that is warm and contains a good amount of nostalgia. It is one of those of those songs that has a cerebral Pink Floyd quality. The album continues with two more rockers entitled “Why” and “Free to be a Slave.” He closes with the slower ballad “Hey Momma.” Bryant’s influences are artists from the ’60s and ’70s which is a major factor to how this album sounds. On that note if you are a fan of the aforementioned artists and styles you will probably appreciate Red & Black.
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Prismatics is a synthpop/alternative rock band comprised of Brooke Austen (synthesizer/keyboards/vocals), Josh Clark (guitar/vocals), and Jo Bossi (bass/vocals). They released New Emotion which contains five songs.
There is a band called Chromatics that I’m a big fan of. I’m sure it’s just coincidence but one thing I found funny is that they are also a synthpop band which takes inspiration from genres like new wave and glam. In fact they also have a female lead singer who sort of sounds similar to Austen. At any rate they should definitely tour together. The EP opens with “Popaganda.” You are greeted with a nostalgic sounding arpeggiated synth you would hear in ’80s new wave song. The song starts to unfold with multiple vocal melodies, clean, shimmering guitar, bass and drums. There is a heavy ’80’s feel to this song from the goth tinted vocals to the beat which feels a little inspired by Blondie. Up next is “Real Love” which is more of a ballad. The vocal harmonies are great and I really liked how dark they got the drums to sound during the verse. Once the chorus hits there is a change in energy that feels pretty celebratory and joyous. The title track “New Emotion” is the arguable highlight. I liked how dynamic the song was. It’s a song that picks up energy and I thought the hook a little after the one-minute mark was immediately memorable and classic sounding. “Sail in Light” is another winner. The vocal harmonies are really strong on this song. That being said the instrumental parts are on point as well. They close with “Apparition.” This song definitely soars. The funky bass stood out to me on this track and the juxtaposition against the shimmering guitars and synths worked very well. On top of that the vocal melodies are infectious. There are really zero holes in this EP. I liked all the songs and look forward to a full length. Recommended.
Fawkner Walking Society was formed in 2018 by brothers Owen Eales and Robert Eales. Located in the northern suburbs of Melbourne, Australia, the band’s debut EP Fawkner Walking Society by the same name is the result of spending time playing in local venues throughout the northern suburbs. This in turn solidified the group’s identity as part of the Melbourne music scene. The band describes their songs as a fresh take on the indie/alternative guitar-based rock of ‘90s Australian bands and other bands like the Go-Betweens, The Smiths and The Underground Lovers. Their songwriting centers on localism and modern living. Recorded over a span of just a few days, the band’s intent from the start was to have a fresh and live sound with minimal production additions.
To start off with “Ether Girl” bypasses any literal definition of the word, but no worries – what’s happening here musically are warm tones, smooth harmonies and a nice, indie/folksy pop vibe that’s inviting. “Fawkner Walking Society” offers a rolling rhythm – hip, tender and pleasantly smooth. The band’s warm toned and live sound is really growing on me. After just listening for a bit, the band’s sound reminds of a few other artists like The Wallflowers, Bruce Springsteen and R.E.M. with hints of Tom Petty. “Murmuration” carries on the band’s smooth and slow tempo and warm toned guitar sounds. The lyrics are quite poetic in the way that they’re written. If you listen closely, you can hear the hushed but crisp sound of the ride cymbal, but hey… I’m a drummer, I listen for these things. The band’s last number “Outer North” finds the band singing about their home roots and the rhythm is just a bit faster. I really liked the band’s melody on this one, it reminded me of something from MurmurorReckoning by R.E.M. The song seems to have an alt-country flavor, but just a bit. If you like indie-alternative music that has a familiar sound, but with something fresh, then I think the Fawkner Walking Society would make an excellent choice.
Nothing like starting my morning with some raw cut punk from across the pond. Scotland's FLEGGETT takes me back to a simpler time, when a pack of cigarettes and access to my shitty Nissan Altima was enough to make me happy. Nowadays I got bills to pay, two cats to feed and a husband who I need to make sure is alive from time to time. The album The EP is downright squirrelly, capturing all my favorite emotions from frustration, to anger and everything that falls in between. When I say "raw cut" I mean it. You are neck deep in reverb and fuzz for days, but in all honesty I can't really picture this album being done any other way.
Just listening to the vocals alone I felt like I was burning calories. He's a screamer this one, yelling out the lyrics which take a few listens to pick up. I've got no problem with a lyric scavenger hunt, that's the nature of the beast with music like this. A good chunk of the lyrics were worth the hunt, others not so much, but always the raw emotion behind them. There were times where I would have liked the vocal work to actually hit a note for the sake of the music. The first couple of tracks "Digital Shark Fin" and "What's For You Won't Go By You" are standard issue punk rock heart pounders. I was particularly struck by the song "Stop Looking At Your PHONE!" I like the idea that this band hustling a ballsy sound of punk and grunge would produce a song that almost makes them sound like grumpy old men screaming at kids about their phones. Getting past that, you get into a more genre expanding realm where indie rock and grunge and garage rock make their appearances. The final track "Ride" was particularly interesting to me because I felt like it was pulled from another album. It was instrumental, still very rough in terms of production like the rest of the album, but it had a joyride feel unlike any of their other songs. I was sort of curious to hear that album. Here's a fun fact that I did not see coming. This album was a studio project. Color me shocked. Somehow they managed to create such a vibe that I figured could only be achieved in a garage. This fascinates me. Was their intent to trick me this way? In terms of production, I think a little more time in the oven and polish could have benefited their work. However it could be entirely possible that they engineered this album to be a growling, snarling beast with no leash, and if so I respect it. I think these guys have a lot of ideas, and this EP was sort of a sampling of what was possible. Judging from this little sample platter I would say this group has several albums worth of content just mulling around in their fun loving skulls.
Tom Christie was born to become a musician. With his mother being a music teacher, she taught Tom basic piano as well as singing at an early age. Later on he picked up the guitar, which is now his main instrument.
The Newcastle, Australian-born musician started playing cover gigs back in 2017 at just 20 years old. While Christie admits he wasn’t very good during that period, he still credits that time as a formative experience. In 2018, Christie moved to Sydney where he worked at a café while writing songs in his free time and still traveled to Newcastle to perform. He quit his job once he was ready to record bringing us Canopy. It becomes obvious once you start listening to the album that Christie is a huge Beatles fan with the bustling track “Everyone Wants the Same Thing.” Tom Christie’s voice sounds like a young John Lennon. While The Beatles might’ve been the biggest influence on Christie’s life overall, what really inspired his writing process for Canopy were bands like The Kinks, The Zombies and Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys. The album has a simplistic feel-good, loving vibe throughout the entire album. Christie’s chords and melodies are as timeless as the genre that inspires him. “Guess I’m Changing” talks about alienation from friends and what’s familiar. “Everyone Wants the Same Thing” is about restlessness and wanting to do away with feeling inhibition. “Just a Matter of Time” is partly about the struggle of identifying when someone has genuine romantic feelings about you. “Dreaming” is a classic that you can blissfully slow dance to with a lover. Christie also provides a more modern lo-fi grit on “Feelin’ Good” and “Lotta People Talking.” There’s a sense of energy that you can groove with but in minimalistic fashion. Canopy is a love letter to the’60s sunshine pop, which Christie is ever so fond of. While not as popular as it was before, this style of music is making a resurgence. People miss the simple bubblegum pop style of telling the one you love exactly what you feel. It may come off cheesy at times but sometimes that sensitivity is all you need. I found this to be a genuinely enjoyable album about the trials and tribulations of love.
Introvert Circus is a hobbyist musician from New York City who picked up the guitar after almost 20 years. Bipolar Zebra is his first album and it is completely self recorded and produced. The five-song instrumental album is a semi improvised, guitar based rock album. While it’s a little dark in tone, the album provides some blues and jazz touches.
Bipolar Zebra opens with the roaring title song “Bipolar Zebra.” With a booming horn section, jazzy keyboard and squealing guitar it really makes the song have a nice swing. “Potatos…” is much darker in tone in contrast to “Bipolar Zebra.” While it’s a somber song it provides a laid back vibe whereas “Bipolar Zebra” felt more like you were listening to a big band perform. “God Damn Sunrise” is a metal instrumental with a whamming pedal that adds a nice layer to the instrumental album. The second half of the song has an elegance with a hush guitar breakdown that puts you in a state of bliss as if you’re dreaming. Before ending with the rude awakening of a heavy guitar solo. It is this contrast of styles that make the album earn the name Bipolar Zebra. Introvert Circus earns his stripes with his album Bipolar Zebra. The album is unique and will appeal to a niche audience. With titles like ”Hairy Mole” and “Potatos…” it’s clear he’s having fun. Adding to the fact that it has a jazz element it makes for a nice listen. Then you have the darker, depressing tones of “Dissonance” to counter against the peacefulness. All in all, Introvert Circus is a talented individual who conveys emotion through his hobby.
JW Farrell recently released his best work yet entitled Francisville. There is something really satisfying about hearing an artist evolve. The songs on this release are a nice mix of Americana, folk and rock.
The album opens with “Two Cities” and it sounds like a great way to open. You are greeted with strummed guitar and a single mandolin string vibrating as if it’s about to burst. A bass slowly finds its way into the mix. Once Farrell’s vocals enter I was getting pretty excited about the song. The groove hits with the drums and the song just opens up and is warm, epic and inviting. There is even a breakdown with another build all under three minutes. “Indiana Jones” has a different style. There is a surf, noir feel to the music. It sounds like some of the older classic rock bands like The Animals. The song does mention the character Indian Jones by the way but the topic is much broader. “My Best Was Never Good Enough” is fantastic. The guitars are warm and nostalgic as he sings with regret like an old Bohemian folk singer from the ’60s. It’s also a really catchy song with memorable melodies. The piano which enters a little later in the song was a nice surprise. “Big Jake” sort of sounds like multiple classic acts from the ‘60s like The Rolling Stones and The Velvet Underground mixed with the spirit of Bruce Springsteen. “Cocaine Shane” is a song that is just seeped in a very specific sub-genre of classic rock that has a sense of familiarity. “The Long Goodbye” sounds like it might be a melancholy, slow ballad but it actually felt like the most celebratory and unique song to my ears. The song shift styles and emotion and eventually ends with the single acoustic guitar it starts with. Francisville drips with obvious influence but Farrell does it in such a seamless, slick way you can’t help but love these songs. Take a listen.
The Darph is an artist located in my hometown of Chicago who recently released Growns. This is the first release from The Darph but the artist has over fifteen years experience working under former monikers as well as other projects.
He mentions that the writing and creative process was “tough.” That’s a good thing in my opinion. I myself have worked on tons of records in Chicago and any album worth a damn takes a lot of discussion and time to unfold. I remember listening to a Thom Yorke interview and he basically said If making an album is easy you are doing something wrong. Luckily, it was pretty obvious Growns had a lot of attention to detail. It’s a lo-fi instrumental album where your focus as well as a good pair of headphones are rewarding. The album opens with “Farewell and Greetings” which crams a lot in around thirty seconds. Big lead synths turn into detuned dissonance which turns in a snippet of music you might hear on a ’50s TV show. “A Haunting” is a girthy song. It opens with what sounds like virtual instruments that are comprised of digital piano and an airy synth. Those sounds quickly dissipate for multiple guitars. The guitars stay for the remainder of the song and the energy really doesn't change all that much. There are other elements that come and go which are nice subtle changes but never a focal center. “Bit Rot” might have been an homage to older ’80s synths. It reminded me of the presets I used to have on my old Roland. For those of you not familiar, it sounds similar to synths used on the series Stranger Things. “Shame” goes back to focus on guitar work. It’s a dreamy, atmospheric song. The rhythm guitar was really the main element as the lead work is minimal. “Tension” kind of goes into experimental territory. Not Tim Hecker or Scott Walker experimental but there is the juxtaposition on melodic, delayed guitar and distorted descending guitar with some toms effects thrown in for good measure. “You Get the Courage on the Way Down” felt like an extension of “Shame.” I have mixed thoughts about “I Am a Ghost” which is a dramatic, absurd or possible humorous spoken word piece depending how you want to view it. It’s the most avant garde piece that I will let you be the judge of. There really isn’t much music and it felt like it was all about the art in an Andy Warhol kind of way. If you are looking for hooks and catchy choruses you won’t find them here. If you prefer ambient music and soundscapes this is probably more up your alley.
Push pop is an artist from Bloomington, Indiana who recently released transient. She draws inspiration from artists like Grimes and Liz Phair to name a few. I was a teenager and have to say Liz Phair’s Exile in Guyville was a classic album.
The songs on transient have a certified lo-fi bedroom aesthetic. I thought the aesthetics sounded good and felt properly aligned with the style she plays. The first song is “parties” which is more aligned with Liz Phair and is a guitar based song. I really liked her voice. It has all the qualities I normally gravitate towards. Her vocals just sound good but there is a mix of melancholy and this almost subdued excitement. Up next is “don't call me baby” which felt a lot more aligned with Grimes. There are a lot of ethereal qualities to the music and the vocals are covered in reverb. I loved the melodies quite a bit and the way the guitars mixed with the electronic elements. “i want people” is great. I loved her vocals here. The music reminded me of MGMT minus the hard hitting electronic dance beats. It leaned a little more towards indie rock. The song feels playful when it comes to the music but the vocals definitely have an undercurrent of melancholy. “Vroom” is the closer and the most experimental song. The beat and use of white noise was interesting and the song has a hypnotic quality. This artist has all the right things going for her. The vocals and creativity are there. I would say my one piece of advice here would be to consciously cast off her influences and try and focus on creating a signature sound. The influences especially from Grimes felt too obvious on a couple of songs. Overall, I think this is a really good start and an artist I’m very interested in hearing evolve. I look forward to more from Push Pop.
I first got acquainted with Death Saddle Syndicate back in 2017 when listening to their self-titled EP Death Saddle Syndicate. They released Vol. III which stays true to the band's sound that I heard a couple of years back.
I have to say that Death Saddle Syndicate is a great name by the way. It not only rolls off the tongue but just sounds bad ass. The band doesn’t waste any time on “Downside” as the whole band busts down the door with a driving rhythm section and distorted guitar. The initial yell/scream has a very ’80s vibe to it but the rest of the song feels grounded in ’90s alternative and grunge. As a long die hard fan of the genre the song goes everywhere I would expect it to but I had no issues with the traditional structure. The band continues with “I Entertain No One.” This song felt slightly post grunge a la Queens of the Stone Age. That being said the chorus has a slight late ’80s feel which came from the vocals. “Smoke” feels more classic rock inspired. In fact the song felt like a companion piece to “The Immigrant Song” by Led Zeppelin which in my opinion is one of the best rock songs ever created - period. They close with “Little Miss” which felt like a mix of various rock sub-genres. The song might be considered the ballad out of the batch. It has a tinge of spaghetti western in there as well as their name implies. Death Saddle Syndicate is delivering the goods with this EP and I really felt the songs were an extension of their previous efforts. I grew up on this type of music and will always have a special place in my heart for it no matter what the kids are listening to. I’m sure there are a lot of people out there reading this that feel the same way. Take a listen. |
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