Seattle's The Delstroyers summon all that is right and unholy about spooky surf rock, while totally dodging the cheesiness and unoriginality of mime-by-numbers spookabilly and horror punk.
How is it that certain genres/styles seem to benefit from retrophilia, while others are embarrassing to the point of spontaneous combustion? Seattle's The Delstroyers sound thrilling and vibrant with their sterling brand of instrumental surf rock, with the occasional classic horror sample or interlude. On their EP Here Come The Delstroyers, The Delstroyers take inspiration from old Peter Lorre films, go-go dancers and Fender Reverb units - all things ghoulish and wonderful of the tripped-out, psychedelic, groovy mid-to-late '60s. I think part of what makes certain retro genres successful is if they were under-appreciated in their time. And while surf rock has always had its proponents, it kind of fell off the radar before we started digging the crates in the late '90s, once we started having access to every era of recorded music with one mouse click. It was around that time that I started hearing bands like The Groovie Ghoulies and the legendary Man Or Astroman? but that could also be due to becoming an adult and getting out into the wider world. It's hard to say. Either way, music that sounds like some sort of funky go-go party in the Addams Family mansion automatically brings a smile to my fanged maw, while horror punk bands that mindlessly ape The Misfits creep me out, in all the wrong ways. The Delstroyers will take you back to teenage pizza party sleepovers, watching bad horror movies with great friends. This is no mere nostalgia, however, or riding on someone's previous interests. They're badass musicians, particularly the guitarist, rendered in glorious hi-fi. Do be warned, you're likely to get hooked on The Delstroyers. Like the classic pusher man trick, The Delstroyer's debut EP is painfully short at a cruel four-tracks. Before you know it, you might be pounding on their door at 3 a.m., begging for one more fix!
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If you were plunged into an icy bath of fear when Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers was recently hospitalized, picturing a world without funky, punk, fun rock n’ roll, fear not! Although Mr. Kiedis recovered, alt-funk-rockers have some extra insurance with Cambridge, Ontario's Shy Harry!
Unfortunately for Shy Harry, that’s only about six people in the entire world. Rock n’ roll - in all its forms - loses cultural traction with each passing second, it seems. the styles Shy Harry is working in are already marginalized, and the rough, wooly production and engineering on the band's self-titled debut Shy Harry isn't slick enough to win any converts. Which is unfortunate, as there are a lot of nice elements with Shy Harry. The singer's got a smooth and soulful voice, which could be sculpted into something transcendent if it were made to gel with the music a bit more, perhaps a bit more Kevin Pariker of Tame Impala and a little less John Maher. Likewise, if some of the music were brought more front and center, like the luminous psychedelic tapestry of beats and chiming guitars with the onset of album opener "Love Song," Shy Harry could sound more in-line with recent psych-rock- opuses like Radiohead's A Moon Shaped Pool. Basically, to cut a long story short, Shy Harry needs to get with the times just a little bit more. Not exactly in their creativity - as the songs all feature stunning moments, like the flurrying acoustic guitar solos of "Take Me Alive" - but just in their production. I have a sense giving that this is the band's debut, that Shy Harry was dealing with time, budget and gear limitations, so don't write this band off! The instrumentation is utterly sick, and well worth a more than cursory listen, especially if one is looking for some musical inspiration. As for the vocals, I'm going to go against my own advice here and suggest that he go back a little further, past the in-sounds of a few years ago. Dig up a few records from Van Morrison or maybe some Frank Sinatra, and study the masterful phrasing and ability to convey emotionality in the details, using techniques like vibrato, head voice, multiple octaves, etc. I'm going to be blunt and admit that this is one area where I have a hard time overcoming my reviewer's bias. I absolutely despised the fake-funky-acoustic-hippie-lite singer/songwriter fare of the late '90s and early '00s. When the inevitable nostalgic return comes for that yarbling, most white bread of music comes back in, my lifelong bitter cynical nihilism may be justified, and if it turns out that there isn't a god, I will create him/her to answer for it. Still, Shy Harry's debut has its charms, particularly in the guitar and drum department, so take a listen, especially if you're looking for some instrumental inspiration.
I never have figured out what people do with their grief, anger, anxiety, apprehension and depression that don’t have some type of creative outlet. As an artist myself I wonder what they do with those emotions? Meditation might work or maybe you will throw it into hitting your quota if you're in sales or do a couple of extra reps at the gym. Of course the manifestation of these emotions can result in much more adverse ways if not dealt with. The reality is we all have to deal with unexpected turbulence in our lives, which is hard to deal with.
Matthew Reid had a year of health scares for his closest loved ones and also went through a rough breakup. I can’t help but think the artistic process of creating his latest and most impressive effort to date In The Rain With Dog's was a cathartic and therapeutic experience. In The Rain With Dog's is an honest, sometimes heartbreaking album full of personal anecdotes well as cultural reference points that often intertwine into the inner thoughts of Reid. The album opens with “Another Wack Day” which tips it hats to groups like Tribe Called Quest by sampling some of the music. It’s a song that doesn't force too much into it. The verse is little more than a drum beat, a soft sounding electric piano and Reid revitalizes a new energy into the classic beat. Next up is “Six, Six Thirty” which is a straight up fun song. The music is loose and makes you relax. It has a hint of reggae as Reid raps, “Don't fuck with Morales, he's here and he's riding / drives the dad car, it's his style that they biting. We at the Rocket's game and the people talking shit / but they can't hang with me because the comebacks are too quick.” Reid continues to impress with the lounge-y “Crew Socks,” “Bored At Work” and “Ain't No Thang (The TH).” I was impressed by how cohesive In The Rain With Dog's is despite it having a number of different producers. This is an album that you can play from beginning to end and will get more out of it that way. There is an ebb and flow on Reid's best work to date. Hopefully, the completion and release of this album gave Reid some sort of sense of peace in regards to the year he has had. If nothing else it will always be a timestamp as to where he was at that point in his life.
In place of a bio on his Bandcamp page, Los Angeles based singer-songwriter Joshua Allen who performs under the moniker Mountain Projector, has this quote from German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, “In the mountain of truth, one never climbs in vain, you either reach a higher step today or exercise your strength to climb higher tomorrow.” The seven songs on his soft spoken dream pop debut Geometry, seem to reflect this idea of either gaining a foothold on the day which will make tomorrow better, or a day spent working to eventually get to that higher step.
But Geometry as Mountain Projector imagines it will be twofold eventually having animated videos to accompany the songs and during live performances to have stage theatrical settings and costumes. It is yet another element of Geometry to keep in mind while listening. Geometry begins with the gentle and airy “One Nine Five Two.” It bobs along with a mellow and slightly jangly feeling. A well-placed trumpet and a wonderfully eerie organ complete the picture. Next “Lost Girl” is a soft, sad and super catchy self-conscious pop tune that reminded me of the wonderful minimalist Tobin Sprout. Mountain Projector delves even more into the experimental pop world with the eerie and schizophrenically melodic “Grandmothers Temple.” Mountain Projector takes Geometry on a quest of experimental ambience with quick beats and spooky vocal samples on “Imperial Sacrifice.” He then delves into a bit of darker territory with the harder sounding “Wedding Ring,” a song which beckons for the aforementioned video and theatrical stage background. As it moves on it recalls ‘90s club maestros like Underworld. The darkness follows and is swallowed on the albums most personal offering “Backseat Adventures.” It seems at time both simple and intricate, due to its layering effects and the way that it moves from a beginning darkness but finishes on a note that feels at least a bit brighter than where it came from. Mountain Projector’s Geometry draws you into its dark and dreamy and oftentimes experimental landscapes rather quickly and rather easily. And once you’re in the midst of these landscapes you are there until the end at which point you just want to get right back in line and ride the ride all over again.
DeClerk Osborn’s debut record What Will My Music Make Me Be is quite a mouthful to say and also quite an earful to hear. The band is fronted by Chris DeClerk and Perry Osborn who are cousins that hail from Arkansas. According to the pair they have “music in their blood” and last summer, they hammered out and recorded thirteen songs and after four months of doing so What Will My Music Make Me Be was finished. The album was recorded at Log Cabin Studios in Tallahassee, FL and also features three other Florida based musician’s; Roosevelt Collier on sacred pedal steel guitar, Rodney Jordan on acoustic and electric bass guitars, and Leon Anderson on percussion.
What Will My Music Make Me Be opens with the title track, which has to it that catchy quality of the story song that Jimmy Buffet always employed in his best tunes. It’s not as campy as Buffet by any means, in fact it’s very introspective and endearingly personal as DeClerk sings, “What will my music make me be / a waterfall or a rising sun / like a child that’s born to be free / you know you’ll always be the one.” The pair go even deeper, reflecting back on life and looking ahead to the end on the poignantly beautiful ballad “Seeds” on which DeClerk imagines having to confront death “Judgement day, your family round / lived a good hard life, time to follow the sound / where only the children play and dance all through the night / It's hard to believe that this day/ I'll be sowing the seeds of my life, right back to the ground.” Death sneaks up again on steely ballad “Two Wheels” where this time the death is of a former idol who DeClerk recounts in perfectly haunting images “we all wanted to just like you” and later “found Bobby on the seventh floor / under the white sheet / light was shining bright in those hollow eyes / still full of all his dreams.” But not all of What Will My Music Make Me Be is heartbreaking. There’s the hyped up full on country rocker “Love Her Tonight” which sees the boys letting loose and jamming out. Then there’s the upbeat honky tonkin “Get Healed.” Next on Steely Dan inspired “Eye To Eye” the band once again open up on a raucous jam session full of plenty of steel and a wankin’ solo. What Will My Music Make Me Be is a rich collection of songs rooted in the countless influences of southern music. If you’re into blues, jazz, country, rock, Americana or are simply a fan of great songwriting and excellent musicianship DeClerk Osborn’s What Will My Music Make Me Be will be a great discovery.
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See Those Landing Lights is a reunion album of sorts for Divine Weeks, released 25 years after their last record. There are traces of U2 and The Replacements throughout and an interesting exploration of the band's sound.
The best song on the album is “Heart Of Light.” After an acoustic intro there is a seamless transition into the full band driven by sixteenth notes on the hi-hat and ride cymbal. The chorus has a strong hook sung in falsetto and doubled by the bass. It’s very catchy and emotional. Other strong tracks include “Here's My Heart and Soul” with its explosive snare fills and Adam Duritz vocal inflections. “Rise In Love” which is based around chiming Edge-like guitar and a melodic bass line. “Built My Love Around You” has some gorgeous guitar lines and good harmonies with an interesting bridge/outro. “Blind Kind Of Love” is palm-muted power pop with some REM influence sprinkled in, though the chorus is stronger than the verse, which has some strange scansion. Still, the four on the floor breakdown towards the middle is effective with some interesting guitar parts. “Dreamers Of The Day” has some great hi-hat flourishes and a sparse bass line on guitar that leads through a simmering verse before a more excited chorus. It does go on a bit long, however.Some of the songs miss the mark a bit. “Someday (By & By)” is a U2-like setting of an old spiritual but the instrumental climax feels unearned. “The Joy” and “The Wonder” suffers from simplistic rhymes in the verse and a long instrumental interlude that never seems to rise to the energy of the drums. “The Last Night Of Our Lives” is very long with some sloppy drums underneath a Magical Mystery Tour-ish guitar. The bridge has a nursery rhyme-like quality and the Hey Jude "na-nas" near the end don't quite lift the song up. The album closes with “Big Sky” an epic anthem-like song based around rolled cymbals and toms with some well-written metaphors and contrasts. It has some great emotional weight that unfortunately loses some steam with the spoken-word affirmations towards the end. See Those Landing Lights has some great moments on it. Some refinement of the songs to tighten them up could help it reach the anthemic levels it reaches for.
The new album from Galw The Voices lure me in is a collection of chilled out acoustic folk music that could exist in a 1960s coffeehouse. With alternating and harmonized vocals there are some The Civil Wars influences as well as Airport Convention.
“I Will Find You” opens the album with a guitar line reminiscent of The Smashing Pumpkins' "Tonight, Tonight." The voice is very high pitched which against the guitar can be very stark but certainly calls attention to itself. The addition of harmony vocals near the end of the song is a surprising but pleasant touch. “Caged Bird” has an Oasis feel to the strumming pattern. Here the singer sounds more like Hope Sandoval, and her voice really soars in this range. The song is perhaps a bit long and the harmonies at the end work but feel unnecessary. “Lonely Black Veil” is an up-tempo song with insistent percussion. The descant harmony is extremely effective as is the melody solo (possibly on dulcimer?). The album really begins to pick up at this point. There are two songs sung in Welsh: “Heno Ma” and “Coffia Fi” which have absolutely gorgeous harmonies. “Old Soul” evokes a hypnotic Nick Drake over creaky guitar strings “Other Kings Fell Before Him” is a modal song, almost Zeppelin-like with some incredible high tight harmonies that almost sounds like synthesized woodwinds buzzing around in the background. The album closes with “Keep Your Head Above The Water” a calm quasi-folk-country song with an interesting counter melody in guitar bass line, and a similar vibe to the opening track, almost making it a bookend. The songwriting overall is very interesting and the two voices of Galw blend together really well. Some of the songs have similar vibes and perhaps packaging the songs as two EPs rather than one full album could connect them a bit more to each other and help them stand out.
Folk singer-songwriter Andrew Patterson’s Pave the Road EP is a collection of songs that Patterson has written over the past five years. The EP is a type of concept album, as it’s reflective; introspective themes effectively pave the way for future works and new beginnings. The four songs are packed with insight into everyday life, composed of storytelling lyrics and traditional instrumentation.
The first song of the album “Surely Not” introduces the listener to Patterson’s style, a melodic mixture of folk and acoustic singer songwriter. Sweet, droning electric guitar layers over both plucked and strummed acoustic guitars, and multiple vocal tracks with intricate harmonies provide the soundscape with added meaning. The lack of percussion instruments does not detract from the tune’s dynamics, and Patterson alters his voice appropriately to convey emotion and lead the song forward to the end. “Charlotte” follows the opener as a slightly toned-down love ballad. The relaxed pace and soft strumming contrasts well with the wistful vocals in the song. Although there are a few instrumental sections peppered throughout the tune, it is mostly a lyric-driven track and Andrew’s poetic side really comes through. The album continues its unhurried, peaceful aura with “Old Shoes” with a repeating motif that builds as the song gradually augments sound and emotion until the dynamic apex at the end. Although the chords alone could have become tedious, Patterson inflects more than enough variation with his vocals in order to prevent this from happening, making for a very enjoyable listen. Coming to a close, the EP ends with the beautiful “Dandelions” an almost-six minute saga that runs the gamut of emotions and volume. The lyrics are touching and the harmonious guitars that the listener is quite familiar with by now make one final performance, not letting up from their mellowness. Overall, Pave the Road does exactly what it was made to do, opening up many future opportunities for Andrew Patterson and his talents.
Jon Graber (guitar/vocals), Declan Desart (bass), Kenny Schwartz (drums) and Reed Wolcott (lead guitar) make up the Los Angeles based band american splendor. The four songs on Structure in Relief supposedly all revolve around the same event according to Graber. I was trying to make sense as I listened to the songs but it’s not exactly straightforward.
Lyrically, I was quite impressed. Something I noticed was that they string together a number of words which all started with the same letter. Lines like, “massive melting megaphones corrode,” “cloistered coffers cluttered” and “while broken bound and bludgeoned” could all be tongue twisters. Musically, they fall into what many consider indie rock. There is a bit of an early Pavement thing going during some songs and I was reminded of Conor Oberst a number of times when it came to the vocal delivery. The EP opens with “Soft Light” which is the one and only song that could be a solo performance. It’s driven by the lyrics as the guitar revolves around basic major and minor chords. The reaches its apex when the vocal harmonies come into the mix around two minutes in. “Pittsburgh” brings some levity after the slightly heavy opener. It’s a solid song with notable instrumental work from everyone. I was equally impressed by the bass, the drum and the guitar parts. The song is quite dynamic. Take for instance the moments that feel just above a whisper around the three-minute mark to the heights it reaches just a little later. “Judith” is arguably the highlight between the killer drumming, lyrics and straight momentum. The song has a good groove as well as effective transitions. The closer “American Splendor” is another success - catchy, good groove and some notable instrumental performances. Structure in Relief goes four for four with these songs. None of the songs left my jaw on the ground but they were quite enjoyable any way you look at it. More importantly, I was able to get a sense of the band’s style between the unique lyrical content and what the band delivered in each song. Recommended.
I'm having a hard time believing the EP For The Story by Aaron Dombey was a bedroom project using the most minimal of consumer gear. The production and recording quality sounds like it came from a professional studio. If Dombey ever wants to go into the engineering side of the music business I don't think he will have much of a problem.
That being said Dombey has some talent as a musician as well. His music certainly has a singer/songwriter vibe that also incorporates elements of jazz, pop and rock. The music is clean, with a nice groove that instills a sense of relaxation and tranquility. Dombey isn’t reinventing the wheel but the songwriting and delivery is consistent and strong. He opens with the bluesy and laid back “Fire (I’m Not Into You).” This song was a personal favorite and I thought his vocals were exceptional. I enjoyed the juxtaposition between soulful, emotional resonant vocals and the extremely serene instrumental parts. It’s a song you snap your fingers to. After a great opener Dombey wisely gives us a song with a little more energy and pep entitled “Believe.” The guitar is so smooth on this track it is like butter. No effort required to enjoy this. The song builds up as Dombey fits so many words into a verse he's a step away from rapping. “Butterfly” has a Latin fusion vibe in the spirit of Santana while “Interloop” feels like a transitional piece. He closes strong with “Ann Arbor, MI” which has a jazzy, laid back vibe. I surmise those are synth horns he has in the song. In most circumstances I would not approve but somehow it works just fine in context. At only twenty-two years old Dombey has plenty of time to improve and work on his career. With that he already has a lot going for him. For The Story is a strong, solid effort, which builds a foundation and also hints at better things to come.
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