John DeMarco is a multi-media artist, currently residing in Northern California, coming out of the experimental underground of Philadelphia in the early '80s. He is a prolific painter, as well as a multi-instrumentalist. His paintings are colorful mandalas of geometric and organic shapes, with colorful explosions bursting forth from the underlying patterns. He speaks of "a state of emerging balance between geometric and organic structures, with organic forms having an embodied sense of luminous, harmonic order." and then goes on to say, "What I seek to express in paint is about structural as well as spiritual origins. In fact, I am attempting to provide the viewer with some kind of visual evidence that they are in fact one and the same, that structural origin intimately mirrors the genius of Spirit."
DeMarco explores this intersection of pattern and chaos, of organic and man-made, on this lulling and hypnotic collection of sketches for electric guitar, marimbas, and percussion, and a smorgasbord of other sounds and textures entitled Structures and Dreams. Structures and Dreams came about due to frustration, after DeMarco's last recording project fell apart in 2008. He decided to focus on home recording, to try and explore his many disparate listening tastes. He's now begun to compile, edit and mix that material, releasing a barrage of interesting instrumental music. Structures and Dreams focuses on the more compositionally challenging of that material. The press release names Frank Zappa and Steve Reich as influences, so you're bound to find complex arrangements, odd time signatures, and strange melodies, with a heavy emphasis on repetition and shifting patterns. I would say DeMarco lives up to his heroes, here, which is no small compliment, as they are giants in their field, highly singular and unique. The name Structures And Dreams is apt, as the material that comprises its bulk is more locations than "songs,” Snakes and Ladders Candylands to wander around in and explore, as guitars and marimbas are tethered to the underlying structure of rhythm and harmony, to create dense ecosystems, like lichen and fungi on the forest floor. You are not likely to walk around humming these tunes (unless you're a whippoorwill and if you do, people may find you mad)), but they're great fun to lose yourself in and explore. All in all, Structures And Dreams is somewhere between a children's mystery and a King Crimson record. Like his paintings, DeMarco's compositions burst forth from the speakers, in colorful explosions, like wildflowers, with the rhythmic grid acting as a trellis from which these tasty snow peas emerge. He also reveals himself to be a talented instrumentalist and composer. When theory meets ability THAT is a winning combination.
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On Ticoderoga, New York singer/songwriter Dash Hammerstein is on the outside, looking in. He offers fresh insights into culture and the way of the world, wrapped in sweet, sugary pop and retro glam.
Hammerstein works as a carpenter as a day job, and Ticonderoga questions our preconceptions of blue collar workers, as Dash Hammerstein is quite capable of deep observations, which are then constructed into short, catchy songs, with the same care and quality with which he might construct a balcony or a mahogany chest. Ticonderoga is smack-dab in the middle of raw and immediate lo-fi, and glossy pop, with mass mainstream appeal, if people were only to pay attention. Ticonderoga was recorded at Red Hook Studios, a warehouse in Brooklyn on the water, removed from any commercial or residential areas. It’s a suitable setting to capture Hammerstein's anachronistic sounds, which are equally removed from trends and public concerns. Most of Hammerstein's iTunes is pre-1975, heavy on Bolan and Bowie and other glam giants and it shows. Hammerstein's songs are heavy on infectious hooks and memorable melodies, like the shimmering flanged guitar on "I'm A Rockefeller, Too.” These pop sensibilities are wrapped in a plasticine sheen, like a piece of New York Dolls op-art. Hammerstein is a drummer by trade, before he traded it all in, to focus on writing his own material. Smart move - Hammerstein is a genius for melodies and pop songwriting. Most of Ticonderoga sounds familiar, but packed full of interesting moments and details, like the lush vocal harmonies that come in halfway through the sparse opening track, "Twenty Five.” The jaunty piano chords of "(Across The Street From) The Madonna Inn" brings to mind adventurous pop music like Randy Newman or Harry Nilsson, as Hammerstein recreates the feeling of watching the line outside of some posh restaurant. From the sound of it, he doesn't really want to eat there, although he's "willing to keep an open mind.” Dash Hammerstein wrote and played most of the music on Ticonderoga himself, with the occasional guest. Grace Hammerstein contributes glorious, close-country vocal harmonies on "Death, Taxes and MY Love for You,” which also features a tasty, twangy dobro lead from Matt Campbell, as well as the title track. These little touches make this record seem like a party, a celebration, of true, timeless songwriting. The album art from Anamaria Morris contributes greatly to the overall finished feeling of Ticonderoga. It is clearly a labor of love, put together with great care and craft, and worthy of praise! For those looking for pure pop escapism, look elsewhere. There's too much real talk. But for those looking to transmogrify the base material of their daily lives into pure sparkling pop gold, Ticonderoga will be your Philosopher's Stone.
The as-yet-unnamed movement of male/female electronic duos is proving to be one of the most exciting and invigorating trends of the past five years or so. The fact that it is only two people allows for intimacy and creative chemistry, while the extensive pallet available to electronic musicians lets them flesh out the sound to unimaginable fullness.
The Halfs is Jasper Boyd and Nina Petropolous, who have been making music since 2011, in their hometown of Worcester, Massachusetts. They recommend their debut LP, Orange Juice With Pulp, to anyone who likes "dream pop, fishing stories, and psychedelia," which alerts you ahead of time that this is a mixed bag. Orange Juice With Pulp is a dense and imaginative jigsaw puzzle of electric pianos, thick and fuzzy bass, scattered beats and acoustic instruments, which are occasionally interspersed with stream-of-consciousness dialogue from Nick Pagan, presumably, like a hazy, wavy dream sequence in the midst of the narrative. A few years ago, The Halfs would probably have been working solely in the realm of twee acoustic folk, with the plaintiff Americana vocal harmonies of Boyd and Petropolous, but The Halfs have expanded their vocabulary, to include soul, R&B and experimental electronica to great effect. They seem like they are starting with a kind of organic, roots-y chemistry, similar to The Moldy Peaches, which has been elaborated upon in a post-Beach House world, creating a wider variety of moods, emotions and textures. Speaking of texture, Orange Juice With Pulp switches up the mediums from time to time, with The Halfs, dropping scuzzy cassette home recordings into the slick, put-together post-rock soul, gives the record a bit of much-needed grit, making it more tangible and easier to relate to. Orange Juice With Pulp is a 21-track experiment in storytelling with music. The length, the shifting textures of the music, and the unconventional song structures serves this effect with different things standing out each time. Orange Juice With Pulp is an auspicious beginning for an ambitious band. The individual elements of the record are well recorded and everything's nicely mixed by Jasper Boyd himself. Here's a band that is investing the time, trying to create something unique and interesting, which is the hallmark of bands that will survive the test of time. Orange Juice With Pulp rewards repeat listening; so let this become the soundtrack to your inner world, your closed-eye dreams. Let it dissolve you and then piece yourself back together.
London's The Dreams Of Ridiculous Men has been described as grunge, psychedelia, acid rock and post-rock, from a time before the group had a singer. That's a lot of qualifiers, each of which is very distinctive. This is an early alert that there is something going on with this group of earnest young men. The fact that they are named after an obscure short story from Dostoyevsky is another reason for a double take.
For those familiar with the shorthand, you are already expecting The Dreams Of Ridiculous Men to be a group of literate individuals with interesting song structures and complex textures, based around the basic rock template of guitars, bass, and drums. This, however, misses one of the main points of Is There Any Hope?. It's not just what The Dreams Of Ridiculous Men are trying to say, it's how they say it. While the concept of dual flying guitar solos lacing and twining around one another is not entirely revolutionary, it comes as a revelation the way they do it, like on the molten rivers of distorted guitar of "Doubt.” Their tone is absolutely sick, exquisitely captured, which casts the performances in a flattering light. The guitars sound great and make you care about the rest of the band. The Dreams Of Ridiculous Men's mission statement of "Making Melodic Music Loudly" inherently brings to mind the loudQUIETloud acerbic melodicism of The Pixies (or maybe that's just me). It asks the question: if this were a grunge band, what kind would they be? Their clean, ringing guitar lines bring to mind The Pixies, as well as forebears like Television, while the roaring, pyroclastic fuzz worship (like on "Omission"), brings to mind stone cold classics like Dinosaur Jr. The Dreams Of Ridiculous Men will become shorthand for thick, layered, powerful, intricate guitar rock and that will never fall out of fashion. The vocals are not my favorite ever, but that's not a deal breaker. The lyrics seem interesting, telling unique stories in a satisfyingly poetic language that will lend itself to repeated deciphering. The Dreams Of Ridiculous Men are an exciting, adventurous and technically proficient group of guitar slingers that are worthy of our time and adulation. Give 'em a spin, and if you're in London, go see them live!
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Music that marries electronic and organic elements with jazz is a genre I can only really think of two artists really pulling off - Amon Tobin and Squarepusher. After listening to Swords Of Truth by Prismatic Mantis I found a third.
Prismatic Mantis is the sonic vision led by musician, composer and producer Mark Reynolds. Reynolds plays guitars, piano, keyboards, vocals, vibraphone, bass, moog, marimba, synthesizers, violin, cello and sampling on Swords of Truth. The multi-instrumentalist didn't hog all the glory for himself. Reynolds calls on a number of talents to contribute but most notable would have to be Brian St. Pierre on drums. I don’t much space to go on and on about his drumming but it’s exceptional. It's something you just need to listen to. Let me say right now that this is an amazing album. It’s so technically impressive but also aesthetically pleasing. From a technical perspective the rhythms and timings were almost too hard to wrap my head around. Possibly the best comparison would be Steve Reich. The perfect blend of bass, guitar, drums and synths overlap creating a concoction of rich instrumentation. I am also so happy that the quality of the recording was professional so I could hear everything clearly. This album will even appeal to people who appreciate a simple pop song. Reynolds implements vocalists as well as himself who bring a pop sensibility to the tracks making it appealing to a wide demographic. Be forewarned that there is far too much going on with this album to wrap it up with this review but I am going to mention a couple of highlights. If you immediately want to have your mind blown skip to “DreaMania.” This is a nine-plus-minute behemoth that I can honestly call epic. There is a surplus of changes in the song that seem to only get better. There are arpeggiated synths, drum solos, sporadic vocal passages, a sweet jazz guitar solo and about twelve other things I haven't mentioned. Another highlight is the slick “In A Silent Way.” It is a sweet hybrid of hip-hop and jazz that feels smooth. It descends and is the type of song you are hoping that they are playing at the best lounge in the city. Don’t’ miss the trumpets on “Swords of Truth” or the bossanova on “Oceanova.” Swords Of Truth is full of so much instrumentation and so packed to the brim with sounds it made sense Reynolds ends with a seven-plus-minute ambient piece entitled “Space Brother and Sisterhood Calling.” It serves as the calm after the storm and was a fitting way to end it. I don’t have anything else to say except this is essential listening.
These are curious and confusing times for artists. On one hand, it's harder than ever to get noticed for your album, book or movie, while on the other it has never been easier for an independent artist to get their work out there and possibly gain world recognition.
Spurs #1 is the most ambitious project to date from Los Angeles-based indie-country ensemble Run Downhill, conceived as a soundtrack for a graphic novel. This is a novel approach to say the least to frame these five excellent period pieces. Spurs #1 is like a soundtrack for the Joads from The Grapes Of Wrath as rustic dustbowl puritanism ("Unbreakable Man") gives way to the spacious Mojave Desert spiritualism of "Prelude" (although "Prelude" comes first. Perhaps they're leaving California.) Even without having read the comic, I'd say that Spurs #1, both the words and the music would appeal to fans of Sergio Leone's classic Clint Eastwood spaghetti Westerns as well as their Morricone soundtracks. Of course, the whole concept breaks down if either the music or the graphic novel isn’t any good but that is not the case with Spurs #1. The album is lavishly realized with clean and clear production capturing strong performances and songwriting. There's a veritable country orchestra present with signature pedal steel guitar, as well as violins, banjos, mandolins, harmonica, honky-tonk piano and a choir of cowboy angels. The mood is of a slow country burn for fans of Lee Hazelwood, Mazzy Star, The Handsome Family or The Everybodyfields. Like The Handsome Family whose song "Far From Any Road" was used as the theme song for the backwoods psychodrama True Detective, Spurs #1 seems to hint at the waking reality of salt flats and saloon towns evaporating like a heat mirage, revealing a land of chaos and confusion, perhaps mining a similar psychic territory to Cormac McCarthy's Border Trilogy. Spurs #1 seems more like McCarthy than True Detective, however, as this EP stays rooted in the Earth, making me think of some family melodrama like Dallas, as well as cowboys and gull wing doors. The cross-promotion in this instance worked. I will undoubtedly run down a copy of the 48-page first issue of Run Downhill's graphic novel and play these rapturous country waltzes as I skim the panels. You'd be advised to do the same. A+ for ambition!
Stoner and Sludge Metal are two genres that don't need to be constantly reinvented. It's practitioners are generally lovers of hard driving, rock your face off '70s hard rock, that simply want to blast at top volume, drive fast, and bang their heads. If it ain't broken, don't fix it. So while every other genus of music constantly cross-pollinates, in a series of bizarre and sometimes unnecessary (per)mutations, to shift some units, Stoner Rock and Sludge Metal remain pure and mighty.
BlackWater are a quartet of no frills, no bones about it hard rock maniacs from Cleveland, Ohio which has a long and storied career of no nonsense rock 'n roll. The BlackWater EP was recorded over the span over ten months by Henri Rapp. BlackWater decided to record in the same room, to capture the ferocity of their live performance, which has been winning them fans by the score. BlackWater is a 7 song EP of witches, swamp creatures, fast car, sex, eviction notices, and other realities of the terminally unhinged creature of the night. Most songs were captured live, in three takes or less, later overdubbing only the scorching guitar solos and vocals. This means that not only do the band have to be able to play, they also have to know their own material. After hearing millions of hours of pristine, clinical, fussy electronic music, it is rejuvenating to hear real musicians plying their trade, with sweat and flying fingers. And tight they are, tight as calfskin on a ceremonial drum, with a twin guitar assault of unison riffs, with a growling funky bass shaking the earth beneath your feet, which becomes like quicksand, sucking you into BlackWater's maddening world. To pick highlights would be almost fruitless, as every moment is a highlight, if you like lightning strike adrenalized r'n'r, but the creep bubbling intro of "BlackWater" is a real treat, like Black Sabbath writing a song about The Creature From The Black Lagoon, and the pyrotechnic soloing of "Barnacle Joe" is sure to light up blacklights in your mind. Speaking of Sabbath, you will have heard things that sound like BlackWater before. This EP is, at times, a bricolage of classic rock awesomeness, from the "War Pigs" drag of "She Rides", to the "Sabotage" breakdown of "The Witch," which also brings to mind garage rock legends The Sonics, who have a song by the same name. BlackWater are unabashed in their love of Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, and you can also detect traces of more recent bongslingers like Kyuss, Sleep, Om, Iron Monkey, and John Garcia's Hermano. BlackWater are their own thing, however, whose name will one day be listed alongside metal warriors such as these. The BlackWater EP contains all of the morbid fun and daemonic energy of early metal, but without the brown acid bummer vibes. This is good time music, music for partying, for drag racing the devil. So light the fire, fire up the lava lamp and christmas lights, and get ready for a world of fights and dark delights. A slamming good time!
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Last year Mood Mechanics dropped The Cool Uncollected Sessions, which is a respectable four-song release and a little more than a year later they are back with a seven-song EP entitled Once A Mountain. This release without a doubt displays the band improving a number of ways and becoming more comfortable within their own skin.
First off the production is better all around. It sounds warmer, bigger and in general just better. The band still implements a copious amount of reverb, which is becoming a staple in their sound. With that it isn't overused and is comparable to the way Local Natives and to a lesser extent Radiohead sometimes implements it. Besides the production the songwriting is improving. The songs are more compact with undeniable hooks. I also felt the vocalist has grown since the last time we heard him. The vocals are more dynamic and sound great going into falsetto. The first track “Speaking Innuendos” is a solid way to start off the album. It’s an almost perfect combination of pop sensibility and originality. The melodies don’t feel contrived but almost immediately accessible. As much as I liked the first song the title track “Once A Mountain” is clearly a standout. The range here is perfect for the vocalist and sounds great when he adds a little funk to his falsetto voice. “Once A Mountain” was a personal favorite but there were a number of other notable songs including the melancholy “Goners” and rocking “Manifesto.” They close with “Handshake” that has another notable vocal performance in which the vocalist gets in a comfortable, clean sounding range. Mood Mechanics combine indie pop/rock aesthetics with a commercial viability. The band is improving by leaps and bounds. Do yourself a favor and start your Halloween weekend with a treat.
A rock opera/concept piece about "belief, skepticism, the questions we all ask, and the answers we all seek,"? A rock 'n roller with a seminary degree?
Sounds suspicious. For the longest time, the slightest whiff of Christianity was all it took to send a band up in a flaming fireball, like the Hindenburg. Remember Jars Of Clay? A pretty generic alt-rock band, with some radio love, that used to hold prayer vigils before their encores. What about Creed's "Arms Wide Open"? Could have been a loving sentiment, for a parent to their children, or a universal call for unconditional love. It was then revealed that the song was a reference to the Son Of Man, and his tribulations on Golgotha. It seems like Scott Stapp has been spiraling into insanity, in tightening circles, ever since. Mainly due to a complicated relationship with religion, growing up, the vaguest reference to the G_d of the Old Testament, or The Holy Trinity, was enough to send me packing. Rock 'n roll, (and most of the music of the 20th Century), was the devil's music, and that's the way it was supposed to be. It was not until I discovered the slowcore trio Low, from Duluth, Minnesota, in my early '20s, did I finally relent, and admit that some things could be Christian AND good. The gates have been opened, and I've discovered numerous exceptional underground musicians, sinking about their faith, most notably Sufjan Stevens, who speaks openly and often about Jesus Christ, and the characters of the Old Testament, or the lonely outsider folk of Bob Desper's Lost Sounds. The difference, in the case of Bold Enough To Say by Bill Webster, boils down to the difference between religion and spirituality. Religion is given to you, coming from the outside, and your only task is to obey. Spirituality is sought after - it is a solitary experience, that we all go through. Whatever you call it, we all have moments where we are alone with a night sky, and get existential, or wonder about the grand scheme of things, if there is a master plan after all. So take a moment. Don't dismiss Bold Enough To Say out of the gate, when you hear some biblical allusions, as there are numerous moments of musical merit. The chiming guitars sparkle like bronze in the sun, and quicksilver razor wire on the electric solos, while heavenly harmonies, in the style of The Who in their progressive '70s state, drift in and out, like cirrus clouds across the sun. When you listen, really listen, to "Are Father/Who Art In Heaven/Hallowed Be Thy Name" (with its pointilist Baba O' Riley synth), it becomes obvious that Webster is concerned with the same things we all are. He sings of The Father, as well as The Mother, The Sister, and Brother, as well a laundry list of pagan deities, towards the end. This is a different kind of Christianity, obviously; one that is inclusive, and understanding. I'm bold enough to say, I like Bold Enough To Say. I've made my peace with my own formative wounds, and appreciate the Christian mythology, and the sentiments of charity and unconditional love it fosters, along with much of the shining mythology from the rest of the world, as well. Bold Enough To Say is a step towards peace between people of all faith. It's going to take all of us, to make this world a better place.
When I listened to Selfless by Crying Vessel aka Slade Templeton a couple years back I was impressed by the attention to detail. Everything from the mixing to the subtleties in the programming was something that was easy to admire. After listening to his latest release Everything Becomes Nothing I can unequivocally say that the same attention to detail is present here.
The album is full of rich instrumentation and Templeton took no shortcuts in working with some of the best musicians available. Templeton worked with Chris Pitman (Guns N Roses, Tool) and Dean Garcia (Curve, Mick Jagger) to name a few. On top of that he worked with vocalist Rose Berlin, Joey Kirk, Dead Astronauts and Sick Boy all of whom contribute to one song each. The variation between vocalists was a great way of keeping the album not only engaging but surprising. The nihilistic title is reflected throughout the music. Perhaps this was because the music itself can draw comparison to Nine Inch Nails. The post-apocalyptic industrial mesh of electronic elements and distorted guitars is ubiquitous across the album. These were my first thoughts about comparisons but not my last. Other times Depeche Mode came to mind while other songs had an R&B down tempo flavor. More on that later. The album begins with the title track “Everything Becomes Nothing” and starts off trudging through mounds of dark music that sounds somewhere between Nine Inch Nails and Portishead. I thought the song went into some welcome yet unexpected places. The vocal harmonies at around a-minute-and-a-half in sound like something you would hear from TV on the Radio. I thoroughly enjoyed Dead Astronauts’ vocals on “Floating Dead.” If you listen closely you will notice a tinge of Bryan Ferry and David Bowie. “Shadows” is one of the catchiest and energy filled songs on the album. The drumbeat and synth breed dark energy from the bottom of the abyss that you can dance to. Arguably the highlight of the album is “What A Mess You Made.” Everything about this track is top notch. First off the music is great. The trip-hop style beats hit hard and is surrounded with creative sound design. It's ambient, nuanced and would have been great without vocals. That being said Rose Berlin kills it. Her voice is smooth, silky while being devilishly dark and stoic. As the album progresses “Blood Red Moon” was one of the stronger songs that I'll be revisiting soon. Overall, Everything Becomes Nothing is a success because of the combination of intricate, headphone worthy music and strong vocal performances. The songs are fun to explore with an attentive ear but also work if you want to crank the music and feel the overall energy. |
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