Tony Gravell is a singer/songwriter from New Hampshire who is still in the embryonic stage of his development. His first release Nervousness shows potential as well as room for growth during it's just around seven-minute runtime.
He opens with “Nervousness” which revolves around a basic picking pattern on guitar and not too much else. There is something going on in the background like a rumbling but it is indistinct. The whole sequence may have fared better if it were around thirty seconds. Next up is “Keeping You Awake” which contains vocals and strummed chords. Gravell has an enjoyable voice but I would hesitate to call him a naturally aesthetically pleasing singer. He’s a guy who is going to have to dig a little and put in some hours. That being said he stays in key which is half the battle. He closes with “Always the One” which is the highlight. The song is just as simple as the previous songs but the delivery and melody was a little more notable on this track. Overall, I think Gravell accomplished what he set out to do. He made a simple EP with easy to embrace songs that put him in a position to evolve. I would like to see him step it up on his next release and start to define a little more of his sound and flex a little more of his guitar skills. Truth be told it’s hard to get by today as a musician strumming a couple of major and minor chords. The best thing he has going for him is the the songs felt honest and heartfelt. Not a bad way to start off your development as a musician.
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Vanity Mirror is the first studio album by Austin-based prog rock group Interns. The album is a string of carefully-crafted instrumentals. Each song assumes its own distinct character, yet they all mesh enough for a wordless story to be told.
“Intro” is an epic seven-minute journey of builds and falls. There are aesthetics of sorrow and loneliness during the more serene moments of the song, but Interns makes sure to maintain an overall neutral feel; not really one theme or another. This track, as an intro should do, left me on the fence about what to expect next. They give you a taste of their flavor, yet gradually let you into their world. That brings me to my next point - patience. Interns is never too quick to build a song. They take their time to establish a mood, and then they erupt. This could be attributed to the band’s apparent chemistry, as they’ve been jamming on-and-off for three years now. Some songs, they noted, even took that long to make. Interns told us that each member is a contributor; one person establishes a framework, and the others work to fill the spaces around it. The group even had some special guests on the album, like violinist Sungkyung Woo, who makes “Drone Boys” more cinematic, while never taking away from the band itself. And fill the spaces is exactly what they do. “Waves” is filled with spacey, reverberated and distorted guitars that create a really comprehensive sound - similar to a lot of tracks on My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless. The intricate nature of their songwriting is a huge plus. Though the whole project is pretty diverse and filled with surprise, “Drone Boys” is a track in which I couldn’t really expect what was going to happen next. Nothing stays in one place which is why this album is gripping from front-to-back, minus the practically drum-less interlude when I wanted James Bauer to shred like he does on “Blood On The Water.” I guess that backing off is the purpose of the interlude; just letting the record breathe for two minutes. I didn’t think that an interlude was necessary because of how dynamic Vanity Mirror is as a whole. There are small interludes in every song. This band has a lot of promise going forward. Expect to see some more projects coming from Interns in the future, just maybe not too soon. Some songs on this record took years of refining, as the band’s specificity shows and pays in interest.
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The Sides are a five-piece band from the UK consisting of Macaulay Murray, Dean Worrall, Jordan Wilkinson, James Devitt and Tom Malkin. The young band put out a four-song EP entitled Hesitate. They aren’t reinventing the wheel with this release but they are showing some talent and greater things ahead with palatable pop/rock songs.
They open the EP with “You and Me” which sounds like a song that could have FM radio potential if the production was a tad bit better. The song is catchy if a little predictable with familiar guitar lines and structure. The vocalist sounds great throughout and delivery overall is solid. The title track has a similar vibe with guitars that are coated with enough reverb that it seems like it' being played in a huge hall. Like the previous track the song is really catchy with a large sounding chorus that gets in to U2 territory. The next track “My World” has a little more of an edge and intensity to it. There is a ’90s vibe here not too far off from punk or grunge despite the modern sounding lead guitar. They close with “The Alchemist” which was my personal favorite song. It felt a little more fun and poppy. Comparisons to The Strokes may be in order. I’d say this band has all the key elements for success. That being said the four songs didn’t leave me with much of a signature sound. They can write a tune and they can deliver it. I just think it may behoove them to think about how they could really stick out from the crowd. It’s a simple fact that the style of music they play is extremely popular and the competition is absurdly fierce. Overall, the band does deliver with these tracks. The songs take no effort to enjoy and aesthetically the band sounds great. I’d say the vocalist is a key aspect to their sounding as good as they did. I’m looking forward to where the band goes from here.
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Matthew Stanton (guitar/vocals), Tim Colletti (bass/vocals) and Ben Brundage (drums) are RealBadRealFast. The Chicago band released an adrenaline inducing, aggressive album entitled It's Gonna Get!.
This is music that is best heard live in my opinion. It’s cathartic, visceral and needs to be heard loud like until your ear drums bleed. This type of music also sounds better when you have something nagging at you. Did a girlfriend breakup with you? Listen to RealBadRealFast Do you have a boss that makes you want to smash their head through a computer? Listen to RealBadRealFast. The band does this genre justice. My only issue I have has nothing to do with the delivery or songwriting. The album veers slightly towards lo-fi (more so on certain songs) and that aesthetic doesn’t work great with the genre. I wanted the snare drum to sound a little more like a machine gun and hear clearer separation between the instruments. If the band can get the right man behind the board it would kill. For their future releases I‘d like to see if they can get production similar to a band like Lightning Bolt. A similar aesthetic to the album Fantasy Empire would bring their music to the next level. All that being said the album still brings the pain. Get ready for an all assault on your eardrums. As far as chemistry the band is on point. They open with “Right Now Fire” which is just under a minute with a chaotic yet military feel to it as if Stanton is a drill sergeant barking orders at you. “Burn It Down” was one of the highlights. Not sure why but the recording quality was a little improved on this song. Stanton utters out words during certain sections but you can’t understand them. It really didn’t seem to matter what he was saying considering half of it was screaming. Up next is “Yo Mama” which sounds like it could be three chord English punk on steroids while “Night Rider” is just pure insanity. Kudos to Brundage who destroys on this song. “Tombstone” is another killer track. The music explores every other second. I wouldn’t listen to this while eating cereal unless you want milk and frosted flakes all over your kitchen floor. The bands continues to annihilate as the album moves forward but “We Are Disappointed With The State of Modern Robotics” was a personal favorite. I agree with the band as I’ve listened to the Sam Harris’ podcast and subscribe to other media which describes the utter disappoint of modern robotics. I’m still waiting for a robot that can sense I’m angry and pour me a shot of Jameson. It's Gonna Get! is a good album but more importantly it feels relevant. Come on. People are punching each other over politics. Foreign relations are turbulent at best and cars are driving themselves. Turn it up loud and let out some of that frustration you have pent up.
Marcello Sperandeo is a longtime musician who just released his first EP entitled Ritual. The four-track EP combines elements of prog rock, metal, pop and a little more. The production is top notch and Sperandeo showcases his skills as a songwriter, vocalist and guitarist.
The EP opens with “Fill Your Lungs” which is a song that can be both beautiful sounding and rock out quite hard. For the first minute or so the composition has a haunting, contemplative vibe mostly due in fact to the reverb choices. The guitar is covered in reverb but it works. Drones fluctuate around the two-minute-mark and the drums start to build. The chorus is pretty much straightforward rock with crunch guitars and pounding drums. Sperandeo switches on a dime to the verse which introduces a brief yet enjoyable guitar solo. The verse this time is more reminiscent of Tool. I wasn’t expecting the end of the song to get so heavy but it does. Lyrically, the themes are very broad and interpretive. He sings, “Four walls to keep you in, so small you want to scream / Fill your lungs, fill your lungs with the voice you're longing for.” “New Design” is another roller coaster of a song that can go from intense crescendo to time staggering breakdowns. Some of his most inspired guitar solos come a little before the three- minute-mark. Suffice it to say this song fits a lot of transitions and changes into its runtime. Up next is the title track “Ritual” which is a heavy song. The drums felt like a metronome on this song. The kick drum seemed to be perfectly in time with itself. As far as guitar solos go the one at the end of this song seemed to be in the vein of virtuosos like Joe Satriani and Yngwie Malmsteen. He closes with “Serenity” which is perhaps the highlight. Some of the vocals get close to the demon like growls you hear in death metal. I thought the lush, atmospheric verse had some of his best textures and soundscapes. Overall, Ritual is a solid start to Sperandeo’s solo career. Within the four songs he was able to carve out a nice little niche for himself that I’m sure will be appealing to a certain demographic. I hope to hear more soon. Recommended. Heather Humphrey (vocals/piano/flute), Tom McKeown (vocals/guitars/mandolin/banjo harmonica), Jim Livas (drums/percussion), Tony Meadors (bass/background vocals) and Gary Jacklin (violin/vocals) are Humphrey-McKeown.
McKeown starting working with Humphrey in 2006 and since then they have released a good amount of music since then. The band seemed to go through a creative floodgate when they became a band in 2011. They released four studio albums between 2012 and 2015. That’s almost one album a year. Their latest entitled Tapestry of Shadows is due out next month. Tapestry of Shadows is an easy to enjoy album for a number of reasons. The production is stop notch, the instrumental work is both creative and technically minded and the catchy melodies are prevalent whether it’s from an upright bass or a vocalist. They mix aspects of folk and rock as well as a couple of other genres into an impressive array of sounds. Suffice it to say Tapestry of Shadows is an album that is easy on the ears. Grab the beverage of your choice and sit back and relax while taking this in . Up first is “Beautiful.” I dare you not to enjoy the organic strings and upbeat and jovial vibe. The vocal harmonies are mixed just about perfectly. Up next is “Better Day” where Humphrey is on lead vocal for the first verse. She sounds very soulful on this track. The fiddle sounds especially good. The band continues with the jazzy and relaxing “You Don’t Know Me.” The upright bass really gives the song a distinct feel and the fiddle almost feels Mediterranean. “Sasha On The Carousel” is a warm, nostalgic emotionally resonant track free of percussion while “Your Secret’s Safe” and “You and I” does a fair amount of rocking. They close the album with “Sunshine Today” which is about as happy sounding as the title indicate. Overall, Tapestry of Shadows is a no brainer. I’m more than convinced you will be a fan when you hear it.
The Jolly Walker is a solo project from Toronto who recently released Home. The man behind the project prefers to go by The Jolly Walker instead of his name because he says he would rather people focus on what is being said rather than who's doing it.
Home is a DIY effort that combines aspects of folk, blues, rock and a few other sub genres. The album has a good amount of variety but doesn’t get too off the rails. It feels fairly cohesive with an ebb and flow that makes the ten songs easy to appreciate. He opens with “Blue” and it was perhaps the only song that I felt didn’t work as well sequentially. It felt more like a closer because there is a contemplative, melancholy vibe to it. The energy is subdued until the big sounding drums come in. The very next song “The Alchemist” felt more like an opener to me. There is a kinetic, upbeat energy to the song that is not too far off from Mumford & Sons or even Fleet Foxes. The vocals are enthusiastic and emotive with a great drum beat that makes the song roll. The first two songs have a folk vibe while the third track “Tell a Story” veers more towards blues. His vocals sounds great on this track along with some noteworthy harmonica. I thought “Going On” was a highlight. It was a southern Mississippi feel to it with excellent string work and percussive elements. He also kills it in the vocal department. He sings, “We'll meet again tomorrow / We'll fight together this sorrow / We are something else / Together we're like no one else / We've got this going on.” “Odd” is the first song that rocked out pretty hard while “Natural Born Killers” is a stripped back acoustic song revolving around the vocals. The title track has some beautiful guitar work with sparse percussion that is all the song needed. The last two songs are also very well done. I would say that every song had something a little different to offer on this album. The songwriting and delivery is exceptional throughout. Although I would have liked to have come away with a more unified sound that defined The Jolly Walker signature style I can easily give this album two thumbs up. Recommended.
Klüg is a solo artist from Michigan who recently released a twelve-song album entitled Turbulence (Flow). His music lies somewhere between Thom Yorke’s solo material and an electronic act like Boards of Canada.
The production is pretty solid throughout although I think there are some improvements that I think could happen in the vocal department. Musically, the album is dark and gives off a cosmic theme from everything from the title, lyrics and moods that are painted with the synths. The album starts with “Spiraling (Absent Minded)” which is more or less an intro to “Perpendicular Bisector (Closer Than Ever).” “Perpendicular Bisector (Closer Than Ever” doesn’t have too many notable hooks but relies on a good amount of dissonance and music that sounds like you are traveling down a musical blackhole. He sings, “Maybe I don't want / To forget / We can't let this shatter / What kind of silly pretending is this?” He sings falsetto and often slightly off key on “Distance Inevitable (Just a Ploy)” which certainly has shades of Thom Yorke’s solo material from the effects to the blips and blings. A clear highlight was the instrumental track “Sky (Upward Gazing).” It’s a subdued ambient piece that reminded me of the electronic artist The Field. I was trying to figure out what was what in this song and in the meanwhile I enjoyed the transitions he had throughout. “Glass Floor (Don't Look Down)” is another successful instrumental piece with a very different feel. The title of the song sounds like the song itself. Klüg centers the song around the movements of a glass sounding tone that finds itself in times of motion and stillness. The song unwraps in a unique way. “Revolver (Where Did It Go?)” is much more ominous and full of apprehension as if you were having an impending trial with a cosmic destroyer of many worlds while “Spinning (Endlessly)” does give you a sense of vertigo. The centerpiece is “Epitome (Reality of Infinity)” which is an eleven-plus-minute song. To put it best it feels like you are taking a tour through a huge alien spacecraft. Turbulence (Flow) might not be everyday listening but I felt like it had a time and place. Overall, the album has some missteps but is still unique and enjoyable in its own way.
David Rupley is a prolific artist who put out enough music recently that I don’t know how he finds the time. His release Open Door to the Desert isn't his latest release but it is one of his best. If you are familiar with Rupley's work he likes to dabble into a lot of different genres. Open Door to the Desert may be his most emotionally resonant release. The songs are emotive, often melancholy and occasionally beautiful.
Up first is “Every Star” which has an array of instrumentation. Rupley mixes it in such a way that it feels more like one instrument and as if it is not exactly in sync with each other. The song is atmospheric and almost cosmic sounding. I was trying to make out the lyrics. He sings, “But it’s like you're wasted / stuck in a zoo / but all that you need is some real actual feel.” “Time To Run” is one of the best songs Rupley has ever written. The song is stripped back and he gives one of his best vocal performances to date. As far as instrumentation goes it's not much more than an electric piano and some atmosphere. “Go to Bed” revolves around the piano. Maybe there is a slight Billy Joel vibe to this song. Either way I was impressed by his piano playing. "Nothing To Read" was a highlight and I felt his pain on this song since I was literally laying in bed thinking I had nothing to read. But back to the song; there was a forward moving momentum as if you are having an adventure in the desert type of thing. "Picture On the Wall" is an instrumental song. There really isn't much of a lead instrument. There is a lead guitar but I wouldn't call what he was doing solos. "Grain of Sand" has a contemplative, reflective energy while the closer "Mirage" is by far the most experimental track on the album. I was a little surprised he decided to end it that way. Open Door to the Desert is another solid addition to Rupley’s ever expanding collection. I encourage you to go to his website and check out the range of style he offers. He has quite a bit to chose from.
Hailing from Perth, Australia, Black Stone Brewers is a four-member rock band with a penchant for loud, tumultuous and aggressive rock n’ roll style. Founded at the end of 2014, the band has recorded two EPs in a home studio, and the most recent EP, their self titled sophomore release Black Stone Brewers was released in late February 2017 and contains six original songs.
The album begins with “Let Me In,” a rich, dark rock anthem with crashing cymbals, rock organ riffs and powerful electric guitars that introduce the listener to the rowdy, yet musically precise band. As the song progresses, a variety of moods are embodied by the band’s vocals and instrumentation - cynicism, subdued angst and pure, unfettered emotional catharsis. The record continues with “Eastbound,” a track which strikes a slightly more relaxed tone than the album’s opener. A catchy guitar riff, accompanied by steady, solid percussion, carry the song through the first minute before it is joined by melodic vocals and background harmonies. An extended guitar solo brings the song to a dynamic peak while highlighting the band’s technical skill. The band delves back into dark, hauntingly ominous rock in “Kill Me Slow,” a drawn-out piece that accentuates the band’s aggressive side. “Iron Awe” maintains the band’s characteristic intensity, but hints of blues brings out a slightly brighter, more approachable facet of the band, as well as creating one of the fullest, most intricate soundscapes on the record yet. The album takes a serious dip in energy in “Little Thoughts” with minimalistic vocals and instrumentation laying down a sweet, simple tune that gradually crescendos back into the band’s typical full band sound, this time with piano added to the mix. As the record comes to a somewhat predictably vibrant ending in “Clear Trip,” it concludes this truly masterful collection from a particularly talented, skilled rock band. |
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