Jay Rowland is a twenty-two year old songwriter and producer from Atlanta, GA. He recently released his debut EP entitled THRASHPOP!. The EP contains five songs and is around six minutes long. The EP combines elements of both rock and hip-hop.
The first song is called “reboot!” and the mood and energy of the song isn’t too far away from a band like MGMT. It revolves around crunchy major and minor chords, a steady bass and driving rhythm section. The vocals are at first sung in a more traditional way. I liked how he sounded here. Around the halfway mark the vocals change to a more hip-hop style. He switched things up again and I was impressed by his versatility. “come thru (feat. Toast)” is pretty much straight hip-hop. The beat contains some piano, synths and smooth beats. I thought the rapping was well done while also feeling familiar in style and approach. There’s a breakdown around the two-minute mark. I had a hard time making out any of the lyrics but it still sounded good. “drowning” is a summery pop song. This song is the most single-worthy and also my personal favorite song on the EP. The hook is really infectious and is the kind of melody you will remember and possibly sing along with after you hear it. It sounded similar to Mac Miller. I also thought this song was the best example of a blending of multiple genres. “2005 (feat. Mute Smith)” is next and is a down tempo type song. It’s darker but has this wind instrument which added another dimension to the song. The song is short and there’s not a real hook on this one. “don’t trip” is a solid closer. The music is unique. I’m not sure if this was very manipulated vocals or a synth but the main instrumental elementals gives the song a shoegaze type vibe. I liked the repetitive vocal mantra on this song. Rowland showcases different sides to his talent with this release. The song “drowning” felt like his most natural and accessible hybrid which could be used as a loose template for his other songs. Overall, this is a solid debut and I look forward to hearing more from the artist.
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Dave DeMarco (bass/keys), Pete Laramee (guitars), Kevin O'Brien (drums/keys) and Jeremy Stanley (vocals) are Blair Merlin. The band recently released an EP entitled A Flaw In The Atmosphere. They mention “All songs are about a person's relationship; either with oneself, with another person, or with society.”
The band opens with “Don’t Leave” and right away I was getting a mid ’90s alternative vibe. I grew up listening to very similar sounding bands on MTV and I swear a video was playing in my mind's eye while listening to this song. The song is atmospheric with orchestral swells, pads and acoustic guitar. I think the title of the song is self-evident and is about someone leaving and in this case on an airplane. Up next is “Both Been Wronged” and something about the structure of the song and the melodies gave me a feeling this song was more ’70s based. On that note the palette of sounds is largely similar. There’s some nice warm vocal harmonies in addition to the lead I thought sounded really good. They mention “Mourn The City” is about “Watching the city you love fall deeper and deeper into decline, and feeling helpless to do anything about it. It was written with Baltimore in mind, but unfortunately could be about any major city in this country.” The song revolves around a simple chord progression with the dynamics playing a big part in the enjoyment of the song. I thought the rhythm section really excelled on this song. There’s some well done delay effects on the vocals and a very warm instrumental section around the two- minute mark. The song feels like it gets just a little more intense as it progresses, especially the lead vocal. Although “Far From This Place” is called “From from This Place” on Apple Music I was able to make sense of it. It’s another solid song that felt straightforward to me revolving around strummed chords, minor and major chords and a good amount of reverb on the vocals. The most upbeat and bright song is the closer “Maybe One Day.” It’s also the most single-worthy song on the EP. This release was a nice blend of familiar alternative rock. The band isn’t pushing the genre past what it has been but the songs are well written and the EP did feel cohesive from beginning to end.
Singer/songwriter Matt Hannah’s third LP House of Illusion (March 8, 2022) examines the desire to carve out a space of illusion—a place of magic and art—protected from the world outside. Hannah mentions he is “A fan of the director Ingmar Bergman and has always felt drawn to the idea of drawing a ‘magical circle’ around yourself to keep reality out and enchantments in.”
The album contains ten songs and is at its heart warm organic acoustic based Americana. There’s a blend of rock and folk. Hannah often sounds like a mixture of Dylan and Springsteen with a sprinkle of Van Morrison. The album opens with “My Front Door” which is a solid opener revolving around slick guitar, organ, drums, bass and some very nice horns. It's straightforward with no real surprises good or bad but was well delivered and in fact one of the highlights on the album. “House of Illusion” has a similar mood and energy to the first. There’s an inviting warmth in the song which seeps with nostalgia. Hannah gently reflects on childhood days about being in his bedroom, time spent with his grandad and other recollections. The energy rises with “Sidelines” and is more of a rock song. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers as well The War on Drugs came to mind on this song. The album progresses with “Light Years” which is another song filled to the brim with nostalgia. “Lost and Found” brings the energy back up once more and is also the most single worthy song to my ears. “Searching for a Poet’s Grave” is perhaps more thought-provoking and pensive than nostalgic while “Last of the Flophouses” is a very stripped back and intimate sounding song where it sounds like you’re about a foot away from the performance. “Places of America '' might be the catchiest and most joyful sounding song on the album which I thought was a highlight. “Real Guitars” is a slow burn while the closer “Silver Lining” is a sweet and tender send off. Hannah isn’t reinventing the wheel with this style and presentation but he reinforces why so many people love the genre. If you’re a fan of any of the aforementioned bands this is your ticket.
Gracetown’s Hippo Crush is a four-piece alt-rock group that has gone through many incarnations already. Previously, we at Divide and Conquer had reviewed their album State of Confusion under the moniker Broken Sea and now the band is back with their second release under the banner Hippo Crush.
With a current lineup that includes Gave Stumpers, Nina Reissinger, Lance Callard and Carleton Freeman, the band is once more making the type of music that fans of stoner metal, ‘90s alt-rock, grunge and classic hard rock will be quite happy to see making a comeback in the form of this Aussie band’s unique blend of sounds on their latest album Grass Fed. The album opens up with “Opposititus,” where some guitars and synths strut to the start of this track. Next, some drums join in for a more full-on sound. Reissinger really shows her range here in this opener, feeling very hard rock in vibe. The way she executes her vocals and the instrumentals feed into tons of grungy energy. The sound of the piano comes in with a very melancholic groove on “What Just Happened.” Reissinger’s vocals are also somber-sounding. Some energized guitars arrive at the wake of “Hypnofied.” Reissinger’s vocals here are touched up with distortion. On “Don’t Mind Me,” more piano comes through here alongside some sparse guitar riffs. Out of this simple expanse, Reissinger’s vocals arrive. I loved how rich and emotional this piano-based ballad was. To the smattering of drums, “Wandering” comes in right away, with a straight-edged rock style that is immediate. This song proved to be very upbeat and the band shows their range with this pop rock twist. A wall of guitars impacts the sounds right from the start of “Inside Me.” The powerful and hard rock sound will reel listeners in right from the get-go. Reissinger’s vocals sound very gritty on this hard-hitting amped send-off number from the band. At the forefront of the songs on this album is Reissinger’s commanding stage presence as she brings these grunge and hard rock songs to life. From a coo to a wailing howl, her vocals can definitely hold the attention of a crowd. I was also loving the energy of the band backing her. From start to finish, the band brings in a great sound and tackles the aforementioned genres with aplomb. Here’s to hoping the band will unleash more of their sound in a follow-up release soon!
Sam Allen’s project, Tuff Luv, grew out of the initial rough period of the Covid pandemic in the spring of 2020. Just as his band WYLDLIFE was set to drop their rock n’ roll masterpiece Year of The Snake, covid happened, derailing their album release plans and any thoughts of touring that went along with it. From that point on —and too much pent-up energy for a little apartment in Brooklyn —Tuff Luv was born. The Tuff Luv EP is a retro-synth collection of tunes with a dash of rock n’ roll. Allen hopes you’ll feel some feels and laugh some laughs, but most of all he’s determined to make you dance! The album was recorded and mixed by the artist at his apartment in Brooklyn, and in his parent’s garage in upstate New York. Allen used a SM7 for vocals, SM57 for guitars, and an Audio Technica 4033 for percussion and vocals, did the MIDI programming in Logic and the recording and mixing in Pro Tools. Mastered by Kevin Blackler at Blackler Mastering in Bushwick, Brooklyn, the EP is Allen’s solo-project debut. In his other band, Allen plays guitar and co-writes the songs, but this was his first time doing everything himself. From programming the drums, playing the guitars, and even making the makeshift shakers out of quinoa and sesame seeds.
The first track “Nothing” is an upbeat dance song about breakups and the feeling of having to start over. The beginning melody between the guitar and synths is just great! A fantastic, danceable rhythm that’s one-part new wave/post-disco ‘80s and newer style of indie. Definitely a fun song to listen, despite breakups not being, well, all that fun. “Front Seat” is the single release to the EP and it’s about looking back at the feeling of being in high school and aimlessly driving around without a care in the world – Ah yes, if only. Allen says it’s “still dance-y but a bit more guitar oriented.” The mix of synths, layered one over the other, has a very classic ‘80s sound – I’d say somewhere between Bryan Ferry and Roxy Music, and other English pop bands from the ‘80s. In my opinion, Tuff Luv tapped into that era of pop music quite well. The next tune “Can’t Make Me” is a more aggressive song with heavy distorted synth, sarcastically angsty lyrics and a break-down featuring T-Pain lyrics. The beginning bass is fuzzy and raw, and the lyrics are edgy with attitude. This tune branches off into a different direction and takes the listener into a journey of styles – industrial, dark pop punk and maybe even a little goth. Great song! The last track “Social Disconnecting” has more of a ‘90s vibe (think “Steal My Sunshine” by Len) and features ironic lyrics about staying inside during quarantine. What I liked about this tune was the drum track and bass melody. The song’s overall vibe and/or approach reminded me of the EDM music from the mid-‘90s (on the chilled-out side) and what U2 did on Zooropa (I’m thinking “Some Days are Better Than Others” or “Dirty Day”). I think Beck even jumped on this bandwagon for a while. I also liked the short sing-along at the end, too. All points taken, Tuff Luv’s debut is a good sampler of both and new and old synthwave sounds, indie, pop and punk. I hope we can hear more solo stuff from this Brooklyn artist, with or without a pandemic.
Germanium SIl is a new project from a Toronto artist who released Equanimity. Not much is known about the artist but the music does stand for itself. The album contains a whopping eighteen tracks but a lot of the songs are short and felt like vignettes rather than fully explored ideas.
The songs are instrumental and beat based. For the most part there’s a good amount of hip-hop inspired beats which form around different palettes of sound. There’s a good amount of variety here and it reminded me of a mix tape. The album starts with the darker and metallic “Hijacked.” You get a fat and big sounding kit that is surrounded by ghostly elements most of which felt like a matrix infused dystopian future. There are some similarities to artists like Burial. “Pretense” changes things up. It felt more organic and you get some guitar. The song reminded me of something you might hear from Beck about twenty years ago. I liked the bluesy overtones with this song. On “Catastrophe Machine” you get this siren that sounds a little like a tornado warning. It’s backed by mechanical percussion elements and funky guitars. Pads surround a lot of the song and there’s a good amount of transitions to keep the song engaging. As the album progresses I thought there were a number of highlights. One of the most emotionally resonant songs was “Dispatches from the Sober House.” The song has a sense of melancholy but it is always inviting and provides a solace. I love that combination of emotion and this song nails it. “Brooklyn Redux'' sounded like it could be used in the popular show Succession on HBO. Orchestral strings play around a heavy hip-hop beat that has a cerebral quality. “Darkroom” had a cool groove that is a bit jarring but original sounding. I loved how the time of the samples got manipulated. The most laid beat is the title track “Equanimity.” It’s got a chill feel to it, almost meditative like. “Panic Mode” had this ’80s style flavor that I wasn’t expecting while the closer “End of Something” was a cool rock based groove that could have benefited from more of a lead element. This music is in the same zeitgeist as artists like Prefuse 73 and Four Tet. I thought the music was well constructed and was a solid start. The artist certainly got my attention and I look forward to hearing more.
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Silverleaf is a newly formed slowcore band from Scotland. They have all known each other through different bands and musical projects in the past and decided during lockdown to finally form a group together. They take great inspiration from acts such as Duster, Slowdive and Sonic youth, and like to blend the more somber aspects of slowcore and dreampop with noise sections and harsh feedback on their release Shallow Tides.
This album was recorded and produced in their homes/rehearsal space, all onto cassette. The band admits “The album is a very lo-fi and a primitive capsule of our early stages as a band.” I have to agree. This is a very lo-fi release and the fidelity does remind me of practice tapes I would make in the ’90s using a couple of tape players. They begin with “Shopping List” and the mood is certainly in place. I liked the energy which does have a slowcore type quality. There are vocals which are basically whispered. I could barely notice when he was singing. The song does have some rocking moments despite this issue. Up next is “French Press” and it goes deeper into the slowcore genre. I was slightly reminded of the band Low, especially their early years. After a quick interlude called “Cum Eskimos Skip Forever” (Interlude)” which sounds like a recorder gone wild, the band arrives at “Nuclear Family.” The song is so lo-fi the vocals were tripping me out. I didn’t know if this was a singer or just a sample. Then we get to “Hypersomnia (Synthporn)” and the fidelity is enhanced exponentially. I’m not sure exactly what they did but this song sounds much better than any of the previous songs. I liked the groove but was missing lead vocals. There are vocals but they are so smothered in reverb they don’t feel like a focal point. They go to extremely lo-fi on “Killing the Moon.” “Gaslighting McQueen (Part One)” and “Gaslighting McQueen (Part Two)” move like molasses and showcase some of their signature sound. There are heavy guitars and drums with sounds menacing and dangerous. I loved that aspect. The most obvious thing to discuss is the recording quality. The band has some talent and skill but in order to compete with more seasoned artists in this genre their fidelity will have to improve. I look forward to hearing more from the band as they unlock their potential.
Making music can come and go from most people. You can be prolific for years and then you might not feel inspired for many years and then something happens where the fire returns. Jack B StickMan is from Ballyadams, Co. Laois, Ireland. The artist who is now in his mid 40’s is a guitar player who was in a doom metal band for sixteen years. The band released four albums and eventually StickMan left the band. He mentions he fell out of love with music when this happened in 2009. It wasn’t until he got married in 2017 that this event reignited the spark of creativity. He wrote a wedding song and then other ideas seemed to arise. This momentum eventually produced It's A Dog's Life which is a seven-song release.
The album starts with “Clouds At My Feet.” It begins with strummed major and minor chords on an acoustic guitar. There's what sounds like wood blocks which create some extra melodies as well as lead vocals. The song is about six minutes and there really aren't any significant changes. I really liked the groove but It felt repetitive to me by the end of the song. I thought it should have been around three minutes because of this. That being said I thought the vocal delivery was not only smooth but contains a good amount of heartfelt emotion. “Movin On” is a sort of bluesy and rock hybrid. There are some memorable melodies on this song. The guitar and vocal melody cover the same notes often. I liked the grooves but the drums sound programmed and didn’t have the dynamics of a live performance. The song is over six minutes but has more changes than the opener but really not much. It’s another song that felt a little too long for what it was doing. “The Wedding Song” felt like the highlight to me. This song is well written, well delivered and doesn't feel overly long. Some of this is due to the dynamics but mostly the transitions. There’s a smidge of spaghetti western which I liked on this song. “My Chair” is a rock song of sorts. The drums sound a little too clean and prominent on this song compared to others. Additionally the vocals are on top of the mix but overall it is a well- delivered song. I liked the vocal melodies, the guitar patterns and some of the lead guitar world as well. “Keep The Best Side Out” is a fun and loose song. The block-like elements are back and the vocals are more inside the mix on this song. Similar to “Movin On” the guitar and vocals melodies are often identical. “Legend” is around seven-and-a-half minutes long. This song had the most notable hook on the release. It felt elevated from the verse. Last up is “It’s A Dog’s Life” which is sort of funny and even contains some barking. One funny line was “It’s a dog’s life / you don’t need no wife.” My main critique is one I’ve been hinting at. The songs felt a little long. I think some trimming here and there would have helped with the flow of the songs. On the other hand there’s a good amount to appreciate here as well, so take a listen.
Council Ring is a band that formed in 2020 and got started playing shows soon after that. They released a live album entitled An Evening with Council Ring which during the ’80s and ’90s was popular for bands to do. You really don’t see that as much these days but regardless I was excited to hear this type of release.
This album is half of a show played at the Evening Muse in early December, 2021 - which was the band's eighth time playing live. The songs were mostly written during the spring and summer and formed the basis for the live shows of the fall of 2021. The album starts with “Dear” and in true live fashion starts with a brief announcement from someone at the venue. They start somewhat surprisingly with a ballad. The song contains some warm piano, clean guitar, bass and vocals. Their song does have some intensity and there are a number of dynamic sections. It was a strong opener. The piano was a little loud in the mix but overall a very nice live recording. Up next is “Winds of Change” which isn’t a cover of the famous song by Scorpions. At first the band reminded me of Tool but once the whole band comes it loses that quality. The song isn’t exactly an intense rocking song but leans towards more contemplative and slightly psychedelic. On that note, similar to the first song, there are certainly more dynamic sections. “Waves” follows and this song rocks very hard. The drummer goes all out on this song during certain sections. There are also sections which are very ambient where guitars create a pad-like effect. The song contains a lot of different types of energy. They have more success and are somewhere between hard rock with a psychedelic twist. Pink Floyd on steroids might be a good way to describe them. “Catching Eyes” falls more into a classic blues and rock hybrid. There’s a familiarity to the song I appreciated and it also felt like one of the highlights. I loved some of the start and stop type dynamics on “Break” while “Stand” goes back into ballad mode with more of an Americana type flavor. They go big on the closer “Rock the Cradle.” I loved the organ and some of the Led Zeppelin style riffs on this song. The band has a fun and energetic presence. It comes across in their music and this release is proof of their talent. This release did make me excited to hear a studio release at some point but this a solid start. Take a listen.
Ice Cream, the third release from Shane Clark – recording as Elephant – clanks and crashes with a slightly brighter palette, especially compared to the man’s earlier efforts. And while the LP does tackle themes of body image and career, the dark drama of old seems a touch less dire. On the contrary, we’re treated to a cover picture of an ice cream truck. Never mind that it resembles the lost footage of some Mr. Potato Head Claymation special. Peddling this therapeutic “levity and brevity” in 36 minutes potentially makes Clark the antithesis to Dr. Eugene Landy. Or Pennywise the Clown. Or anyone, for that matter, who risks arresting the psyche with unadulterated dread, courtesy of a well-vented sewer.
Although the sounds on this record may not be subterranean, they don’t reek of utopian mundanity either. Clarke’s experimentation with vocal treatments sets a definite mood. The end result is as much a brooding masterwork as is it a synthesized hotpot of angular resonance. Menace and malice vie for our emotional attention. Keyboards are cleverly programmed. And the heart of the collection – scooped and pitted – is voided with an almost uncomfortable glee. “Body Shaming,” the opener, boasts a gregarious slice of metallic guitar. Deliberately antagonizing, it heeds just enough ground to respect Clarke’s moping drone, but not at the expense of volume. Yet, Ice Cream is not simply about loudness. “Envy,” the follow-up, is a textural homage to the opulence of Head On The Door era Cure. And “Nova Scotia” – playing like a shuddering postcard from the neighborhood sociopath – births an expansive wash of ambient keyboard. When paced to a quaalude popped drag of vocals, cotton-mouthed as they are, each verse grows increasingly distorted. Until the thing to which we’re listening to is barely human, but rather, a horribly cloistered monster. “Your lipstick makes me sick,” Clark blurts in a hollowed haunt on “Sick Little Thing.” Ignoring the lyrics, the piece assumes the lilt of a gentle ballad (or a lo-fi prom anthem for losers, baking under gymnasium halide). Surely, this is all part of the mystique: two parts rough underbelly masked by lush instrumentation. Likewise, while the lyrics in “Heatstroke” aren’t quite rapped or scatted, they are poetically spit, ever so slightly behind the beat, as synths spiral dizzyingly upward. The euphoric collapse arrives in its last minute; a deliberately open armed catharsis, knees to pavement. If Ice Cream is a kinder, gentler expulsion of demons, it certainly doesn’t skimp on the toppings of dread and peril. Clarke’s vocalizations keep us engaged, and the curious programming offers an extra kick for those wearied by garage-borne angst. It’s a remarkable study in sonic opposition. And, for lovers of dairy, a cautionary answer for the age old inquiry: How many licks before your tongue scrapes that razor blade? |
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