There’s something really special about albums that were written and performed by just one person: you can hear nuances you can’t hear otherwise. Typically, you get a good picture of the artist’s full musical abilities, as they play a wide range of instruments to create just the right sound they were going for. Calvinball’s Luca is no exception to this rule. “Blush” starts off with nice guitar work – I like the deep twang. His voice is different; it sounds pretty good, and fits particularly well with the overall tone of this song. It’s acoustic and pretty simple enough while still being interesting. Three minutes in the listener is treated to this interlude that I can only describe as sexy – the sharps and flats sound so nice here. The tone changes with the high-energy song “Mirage.” There are some nice melodic guitar chords and the riff is awesome, especially when it gets to shine on its own. I like the guttural scream; that was a pretty cool surprise. “Reveries in F” is a beautiful piano piece! It caught my heart from the very first note. Unfortunately it’s the shortest song, but it packs quite a punch. “Life in the Strid” was jarring after the sweet beauty of the previous song, but still sounded really cool. The guitar kept my attention the entire time; the different rhythms used were so good, and the story the guitar told was so interesting that I couldn’t stop paying attention! I just loved listening to his fingers fly across the strings. I was afraid I wouldn’t get another piano song, but “Ultraviolet Nocturne” satisfied my hunger for more. I am always impressed when I hear compositional piano pieces, and this is no exception. I like that there was a song between this and the other piano song; it is not a direct follow up to the first but still does a fantastic job of growing the seed planted earlier. “Teeth Dreams” is gritty with dark undertones. There’s this ominous tone around it even though there is a lot of fleeting, high notes that give it an airy feel. I like how the melody jumps from one scale to the next, encompassing a lot of complementary sounds during vocal breaks. The final song “Trauma Doll” is aptly named, as it brings to mind those creepy porcelain dolls with an eye missing. The piano chords set the tone, Calvinball’s vocals add a bit of color, and the background noise (I hesitate to call it ambient) brings it all together. I enjoyed this song a lot. I really, really enjoyed listening to the guitar and piano – so much so that I would be interested in hearing a fully instrumental album. There are some points where it seemed the vocals took away from the overall composition, and others where they seemed added on simply to round the songs out. I still appreciate the role the vocals played, though. On the whole, this is a collection of really good songs that I had a good time listening to.
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The second release from DP WAITING FOR SOMETHING follows in the footsteps of the 2013 IN BLOOM. The seven songs on this album build around steady drums beats and prominent bass lines while the guitars and keyboards usually create atmosphere reverb drenched leads. It’s instrumental music that could easily have vocals thrown in the mix but chooses not to. You can think of it as music that Joy Division may have made in a parallel universe if Ian Curtis wasn't around to take on the vocal duties. There are some lulls here and there but for the most part this album kept me engaged. I felt the songs sounded unique and can’t think of any solo artists who are making this type of sound these days.
The album starts off with “WANDERING,” which sets the tone for the rest of the album. The distorted guitars hang low in the mix making plenty of room for the bass to be heard. Rather than having a climax the song creates a hypnotic vibe that feel more like a trance than a rollercoaster. The second song “FEELING GOOD” brings out the guitars creating a more balanced approach. I have to admit I really wanted to make up my own vocal melody. The music is very conducive to having a stellar vocal line. Nevertheless it was an enjoyable song. “DAYDREAM” is a high-energy song containing a concoction of distorted guitars that added a sense of chaos to the music. The bass line wasn't overclocked but effective. “BLUEBERRY BLISS TEA” may have been the least inspired song. It didn't contain much energy and left me in need of an energy pill. DP ends the album with “LISTENING TO NONSENSE,” which contains one of his strongest bass lines as well as guitar lines. WAITING FOR SOMETHING is worth your time to listen to. The instrumentals are strong enough to carry the songs a majority of the time. I do however wonder why he has decided to omit vocals from songs that could easily support a vocal line. Fourteen albums deep William Michael John Carroll aka Strong Struggling State continues to make albums with songs that spew with emotion and sounds as if they could have been made in the 60’s or 70’s. His latest I Heard You're Chuckleberry is an album made for his brother's 29th birthday. Carroll has a raw sound somewhere between the psychedelic ramblings of Tame Impala and Foxygen. One of the most appealing and strongest attributes of the album is the vocal work. Carroll has an impressive vocal range and isn't afraid to stretch his pipes. On top of that his delivery is covered with an ample amount of emotion that seems to emanate from the pit of his stomach. As with his previous album I Heard You're Chuckleberry is a complete DIY effort. It’s good enough but I would love to hear what an engineer like Michael Friedman could do to some of these songs. The album starts with an upbeat song called “Chuckleberry Fin,” which is hell bent on putting you in a good mood. Carroll combines organ, gritty guitars and drums as he declares, “we get along.” The song is just over two minutes long and is a fun way to start the album. “River Burrito” displays Carroll's dynamic range. When the song starts he sings in hushed tone that raises a couple octaves as it progresses. He also implements effective vocal harmonies that add another slash in the win column. “Who Wouldn’t” brings out another example of good songwriting while “My Brother” burns with an emotional core that sounds heartfelt and raw. I Heard You're Chuckleberry is another accomplishment for Carroll. The songs here feel like natural extensions of his emotions as they explore and celebrate the relationship with his brother. It’s hard not to appreciate these songs but I'm sure his brother enjoyed them even more than I did.
Micah Visser’s multi-instrument talents have brought him to create his second EP The Moon in a Jar. Visser is a young musician with influences from classical music and this album showcases his amazing and varied musical abilities. Listeners will enjoy his lyrical songwriting and ability to play highly regarded instruments like the piano, violin and guitar. The first two songs on the EP somewhat lead into each other; the opening track “First Snowfall (Part 1) begins with a somewhat eerie vocal sample that is then forgotten through the soothing sounds of a violin. Next, the lyrics jump right in and the soft rhythms of the song begin. The lyrics, “if I’m not first, I must be last” are introduced and then immediately carry on into the next song. “First Snowfall (Part 2) elaborates a bit more on the situation at hand, “I was talking to her slowly when my feelings came back to life… I’ve been waiting for this day.” As the song goes on, the melody and rhythms become a bit infectious and the smooth piano keeps the song moving so sweetly along. “Poems” is a slow moving track yet its melody is anchored by deep, welling currents. The lyrics show a literal experience of a poem; “He still wrote the poems for her. But his intentions were too pure… why's it always have to be the good ones that go wild?” There is a calmness within the lyrics that is at times highlighted by a dramatic guitar riff that has multiple layers; there even seems to be some banjo playing in the background. The piece gains more enthusiasm as the song moves along and at each repetition of the chorus there is more and more passion each time. After listening, it can be said that Visser shows his classically trained music skills in The Moon in a Jar as well as his singing and lyrical composing capabilities. This entire album is so very smooth and just washes over the listener like a soft breeze that carries fresh leaves and small fragrant flowers. This small batch of songs is well produced and has been given the love and care necessary to make each song shine bright and true. This is a great listening album from a dynamic young solo-musician. Some music collectives are easily defined by their chosen name; The Floor is Lava is one of those bands. Hailing from Dallas, Texas the sound from this three-member band injects their audiences with high-energy rock that you just can’t sit still to. Their sound can be categorized as blues-metal rock as they fluctuate between styles and draw influences from a variety of tones within the broad rock genre. While listening to the opening track “Denzel” of their self-titled album The Floor is Lava I am immediately reminded of other rock bands like Menomena and Mutemath. This song is infused with heavy drum patterns that make you want to dance around madly on a hot molten lava floor. The lyrics are passionately yelling out about a partner that “always want(s) more.” The song is tainted with a tone of vengeance and is brimming with red-hot passion that can’t be denied. Another track “Spiral Down,” brings the listener in with a repetitive guitar rhythm and infectious high hat drums. The song has a lot of energy at the beginning, but then right before you know it, the guitars and drums cease and the song literally and metaphorically “spiral(s) down.” The vocalist’s style morphs into something smooth and seductive. Then right when you get comfortable in the serenity of the smooth percussion and lyrics, the song brings you back to consciousness once again with fast-paced drumming and guitar chords. “Give in To Me” is a really catchy song that harps on love, or perhaps more so lust; “I’ll be waiting always… give in to me.” The opening sequence shows a very interesting bridge that comes to show itself again in the chorus and is accentuated by vocals that are waiting for “your apology, when you gonna give in to me.” Throughout this album, The Floor is Lava showcases their talents that are varied yet very rooted in the heavy rock genre. The songs on this album are great rock songs that emulate lots of passion, energy, and musical rhythm. Sound quality on the album is satisfactory for capturing all the dynamic sounds of the heavy drums and guitars. This album is definitely hot with fresh molten lava and is a great listen for rock music fans.
Sorana is a London-based musician who recently released an album called Our Lady of Sorrows, which revolves around an interesting concept. According to Sorana she “takes fourteen contemporary music pieces composed between 1940 and 1970 and makes a song based on each one of them, while at the same time expresses the different stories of solitude and isolation experienced by biblical women.” It’s an interesting concept and truly ends up working because of the music and vocal performances delivered by Sorana. Her prominent piano playing and her dynamic vocal abilities carry the majority of the album but the jazz style almost Portishead-like drumming is nothing to scoff at either. This isn’t an album that feels light in any way. The songs are deep with meaning and emotion and spew with an overwhelming melancholy. Additionally, there are fifteen songs on this album that take a bit of time to seep into your soul. It’s a journey well worth taking but will take some time and effort from the listener. The album starts with a song that is a deviation from most of the other material. Sorana creates a swell of vocal harmonies that are drenched in reverb. It sounded like something you might hear from Julianna Barwick except Sorana sings as if she is in a trance at a Knight of Templar gathering. The second song “Sarah” is more indicative of the general style you will hear for the remainder of the album. Her vocals soar as you are treated to her passionate voice that can sound powerful, fragile, hurt and sad. “Mary” implements a field recording of what might be a playground by the ocean while a sparse piano melody play as she sings. It’s an enjoyable song but I felt the field recording was bit too prominent in the mix. It drowned out the music on occasion and I would have preferred to hear the music. “Sophia” is infused with multiple vocal harmonies that cascade throughout often blurring the lines as to if there is any lead vocal line. “Ruth” is a stripped back song relying on a single lead vocal and piano until the last 45 seconds in which drums enter the picture. I enjoyed the soulful almost Fionna Apple type vocal she implements on “Miriam” even though there was only two minutes of it. The only fault on this album is that a number of the pieces felt like skeletons or ideas that were never flushed out and felt disparate from the rest. For the most part the album works despite a couple of missteps. Overall, you will not want to miss Sorana’s voice as well as some of the well written songs on this album. Eddie Tea works fast. Last year in May he released two full-lengths and at the beginning of this year he released another eleven-song album called This Wilderness. Eddie Tea continues to rely on simplicity by implementing just his guitar and vocals to carry the songs. His focus this time around is the history and nature of post-industrial South Wales, as well as memory, dream, escape and the creative process itself. As with his previous titles, Eddie Tea utilizes a lo-fi aesthetic that often works with the sparse recording. In all honesty there isn't too much you need to know about these songs because of their stripped down nature. Eddie Tea is a skillful songwriter who has an attractive voice and excels as a lyricist. His guitar isn't too fancy but does not need to be for the types of songs he is playing. The album starts out with “stars,” which is one of the catchiest songs on the album. Eddie Tea sings “in my mind in my mind it's all in my mind the stars… up there blue and white up there in the sky shiver in blue light going blind is white.” The vocal melody is infectious as it dances around a rustic, lo-fi sounding acoustic guitar. “embodied” contains serene, tranquil guitar melodies that prove to be some of the best amongst the album while “white seal lullaby” either had a guest vocalist or Eddie Tea knows how to contort his voice so it sounds different. The highlight of the album for me was the title track not only because of the orchestral strings he implements but the vigor and hopeful way he sings. It is the most emotionally resonant song on the album as he sings “and after all the running after all the fun when you come home there's something you haven't yet begun you wish you could you've missed what should it's not your fault so don't feel lost”. Eddie Tea works fast but also seems to be improving as well as expanding his palette. I’m looking forward to what else Tea will come up with in the future.
Caladan is the ultimate representation of a contemporary cultural mash-up. Barry Kantro, the musical mastermind behind Stimuli, found an old Casiotone keyboard at a thrift store and lo and behold he liked playing around with it so much he produced an entire album. This release was produced and mastered completely from the musician’s bedroom, showing the true capabilities of our current state of technology. The usage of the Casiotone gives a very vintage electro vibe that is from the 80’s and the style has recently been making a comeback. Listening to Stimuli I am reminded of other indie electro-wave bands like Trust, Kraftwerk, Light Asylum and Oppenheimer Analysis. The opening song “Inertia,” begins with a flighty keyboard beat, and then the lyrics are introduced and bring a deeper dynamic to the song. There is a steady percussion that acts as the skeleton of the track and keeps you in-tuned throughout. The drawing out of several deep and then low piano tones give the listener something to hold on to as the song progresses. The track that shares the same name as the album lets you dive into this wavy, electronic experience that is Kantro’s unique stimuli. “Stimuli” is defined by a wonky electro tune and some simple running percussions. Moreover, Kantro’s uber disco-esque voice adds to the very unique style of the track. I can see this playing in some urban disco lounge in Berlin where everyone is stuck in a perpetual state of the 80’s ending and the 90’s beginning. Every track on Stimuli really gets under your skin, and stimulates your psyche, while also wanting to make you dance a bit. Even though this genre of music can be a bit dark at times, what makes it so unique is its duality and ability to be incredibly deep while maintaining a shallow demeanor of simply being upbeat dance music. Kantro should be commended for his innovation of such an instrument and his ability to create appealing contemporary electronic music. Stimuli will stimulate anyone into electronic indie music. Moheno grew up in San Diego but had dreams of New York, too hard-edged for the soft filter of LA cool. Her childhood and teen years had been greatly impacted by 50’s and 60’s music and she kept it close at heart. She bounced around the clubs of the Big Apple and eventually crafted a slamming swing group. In her performance, Moheno has a cinematic approach and in writing she evokes the balance of truth hurts lyrics with sobering songwriting that could be considered noir blues. And she even slips in some rockabilly - cause she can. This soulful songstress has quite a bit in store on Gone To Town. It’s ambitious work for a debut, strong in message and consistent in sound. Let's divulge. "Mexico" brings a new side to the album delivering a softer and less punchy Moheno. It sways slowly from side to side like the gate to happily abandoned land. The acoustic and washy cymbals find their mix under the triumphant and stylistic trumpet a la mariachi. It's not just a nod to the title or culture, the horn works perfectly to serve the song with emotion and the right character of sound. Moheno is a cat of many colors and she shows almost every one on this album. “Mexico” was a gentler valley and slated well in the list. On "Fool of a Girl" we're reminded that there's nothing like a Johnny Cash 1,2 to get the toes tapping. The guitar warbles that oh too familiar tone, rich reverb and warm resonance. The bass plods with middle presence, the snare skips along the head not lazily, but with intention. Moheno's vocals are nestled in her sweet spot, laying the melody with ease. It's just a pinch jazz, with a twist of country and pop line movement. She has a captivating sound, transcending the styles of an earlier age where the stages were always curtained with billowing cigarette smoke, seedy exchanges and rich blues. A classic jukebox ballad never gets old and "Fool of a Girl" fits the bill. The blues are pretty with organ shining through and vocals pining. It’s pure and fluid. "The Return" plays out with a sassy low key club vibe. You can't help but hear this and picture soft staging and slow crawling, leg kicking, bottle tipping and some sloppy mistakes to regret later. It's reservation, but it's a party. Moheno makes this borrowed sound seem fresh again, in high contrast to the likes of other artists seeking to play with the old and find their voice. Moheno looks the part and more importantly sounds the part. Her musicianship eclipses any judgment one could make about flat bangs and inked arms all the way down to dark day dresses and nylons. Street style plays nice with Moheno - she'll serenade one minute, and serrate the next. Gone To Town suits many moods and will become a distinguished part of any catalog.
The Visitors formed in the fall of 2013 – a four-piece act made up of young rockers looking to find their sound and play like hell. What they came up with is something like Weezer meets a local talent show. They have big dreams and small egos. A great place to start. When you skate and surf and drink and then skate some more, it's the life that really lends itself well to a carefree style of recording. And songwriting for that matter as well. There's nothing super deep going down in the notebooks at their drummer's house, but that's not what they're about. It's an intuitive, diagnostic social spilling of the world that they see day to day. So check it out on their EP entitled Sober EP. "Misused" and "Lowlife" both utilize multi track distorted megaphone vocals, garage thrash sound with thin guitar lines and room defused drums. The theme seems to be quick pace, by the book chord placement and upper neck noodling to taste. Brings me back to the days of my first band, hanging out in a dude's basement just shreddin’ out classic rock until almost midnight. I feel the same vibe coming off of The Visitors. Singsong moments and LA guitar make their way through swampy production in a way that's edgy, primitive, punk, and 50% off. "Feels" starts out just like "Misused,” the sticks click away and the song takes hold with the exact tempo of its predecessors. The guitar melody is even higher than before and works around a little more intricately. What starts out atypically and more so ominously is the title track "Sober.” There's a sense of wonder as to what will happen next, but soon enough the tension just farts and we return back to the head bopping noise machine that's been plugging away since the first note like a generator on Red Bull. I'd like to know where they got the name The Visitors. I think aliens, but who knows. It's a good name and I hope it helps them swallow small towns and clubs on their road to fame. There is a need for modern inspiration in their work. I can't help but find it dated; that's not a knock or a discouragement more than it is industry advice from a guy who's been there. Take it with a grain of salt or take it on the rocks. Best of luck to the group either way.
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