Powered By Joy is a project from Steve Larsen. Larsen is a self-proclaimed truth seeker who has been on what he calls a “spiritual journey most of my life in one form or another.” About a decade ago he released a solo album entitled Beyond Belief and is now back with a new two- song release entitled Eyes Wide Open. He collaborated with Chris Leonard (owner and engineer at Gremlen Studios in Aurora, IL) on guitar and bass, J-Man (drums), Larsen’s son Thomas Larsen (drums, lead and backing vocals) and Thomas’ wife Ally Larsen (backing vocals and keyboards).
The first song is the title track “Eyes Wide Open” and starts with some strummed chords and vocals. He sings about religion, society and authority. The rest of the band comes in and you get some solid bass playing and a steady drum beat. I liked the chorus yet something did feel a little odd about the contrast between happy go lucky vibes throughout the song and the political commentary. The song follows a familiar structure going back and forth between verse and chorus and then an explosive outro. The second song starts with solid guitar picking. I thought Larsen’s vocals sounded much better on this song. His vocals to my ears just sounded more natural with a more pensive and melancholy tone although he struggles to hit high notes. The other instrumentation is subtle but adds enough dynamics to keep the song going as it moves forward. I was getting slight Simon & Garfunkel vibes through the entirety of this song. The two songs have contrasting styles and energy but felt smooth and went together well. I thought the production was well done too, especially on the second song “I’ll Be Waiting.” Larsen mentions these songs are “socially conscious.” Perhaps there was some of that on the first song but “I’ll Be Waiting” just seemed like a straightforward song about longing and love. Larsen isn’t reinventing the wheel here but the songs are pleasant and well written. I also love a comeback story and the fact that he got the family involved. Take a listen.
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Liz Rohr is a seventeen-year-old artist who we first heard from when she released Coexist. She has been developing her sound over the years and learning more about production while also learning more of who she is an artist. Her latest release is called birthday boy. Rohr mentions “This is the most amount of time I have ever devoted to a project. In this release Iphone into my sound; worrying less about standing out and more about being me. The recurring themes in this album are mental health and young love, with an overarching theme of self-growth.”
I have to say these sorts of topics never came up when I was in high school. It was the ’90s and kids just didn’t even know what mental health and self-growth meant. Those were terms that weren’t on anyone's radar. The album starts with “january” and is more or less an intro revolving around organs, bass and some other synths. “Dancing on your own” is where we are introduced to her vocals. I’m familiar with her singing style and liked it in the past but she seems to be improving in other ways. The vocal hooks are catchy against what sounds like mostly virtual instruments. “I like you” is simple and starts with lyrics that capture the puppy love of youth. Rohr sings “I like you and I hope that you like me and I think I'd like to be with you.” The music is well done and fits this sort of low hum of melancholy. As the song progresses the dynamics subtly shift and morphing modulation helps the stereo width. The vocal harmonies sounded great towards the end. Rohr expands into different types of sound and energy as the album progresses. “Tell me now” is one of the highlights. It’s a fast moving song with distorted guitar, horns, a driving beat and memorable vocal melodies. “Anybody else but you” was another solid song. It’s more rock based and Rohr displays more of her vocal range. The song is one of the more single-worthy songs on the album. “Self reflection in the corner of my room” might be the highlight. I loved the way the song builds and how Rohr changes the emotional energy. This song is a clear sign of her growth. There are a couple of more highlights. Some of the lyrics on “twenty-three” are a little depressing and revolve around her meeting her demise at this young age. The vocal performance is top notch and smooth. Rohr is excelling as a bedroom artist who is finding her stride. I do hope to hear her with other musicians at some point but she’s improving at a rapid pace. Take a listen.
Mila Mila is a Portland-based four-piece group inspired by ’90s bands like Hole, Pavement, Duster and My Bloody Valentine. They liken their sound to slowcore, shoegaze and alt-country. Lead singer and guitarist Taz Coffey hails from Texas and “brings a touch of twang to the band’s dreamy, drone-y instrumentals.” Olive Baldwin and Ethan Bear both play bass, with Shawn Bolker on drums and a couple appearances by lead guitarist Brendan Nagle.
The band’s evocative press release states: “With its sharp musicianship and coolheaded demeanor, Dream About The View is the type of lo-fi find that justifies a hundred lesser Tascam dirges. Made up of established local instrumentalists from jazz, metal and experimental backgrounds, Mila Mila transmutes the fire of their instant-cult-classic live performances into understated (but no less impressive) indie rock on this release. Dream About The View offers the best aspects of moody nocturnal lo-fi while also acting as a showcase for, simply put, a real tight rock n' roll band.” The album was recorded in Taz’s bedroom using microphones “borrowed” from the Guitar Center and then returned, which is an interesting trick! Mixing and mastering was performed on Logic by Eli Sylla. “Space Party” is a distorted ball of sound with a beat that threatens to derail at any moment. It sounds like a couple players are up close to the mic while the rest of the band is down the hallway. It’s got a nice chord progression and some simple, catchy melodies. There’s unison singing but I can’t decipher the lyrics. Overall it reminded me of Sebadoh, or Sugar’s hardcore phase. Lead guitarist Brendan Nagle makes his first appearance here. This is one of two songs the band says was “thrown together in the midst of the recording process.” “Rever” continues the same tack but at a slower tempo. The band states that this track “overlays Taz Coffey’s tripped-out auto-tuned vocals onto a slowcore chug heavily inspired by Duster's Stratosphere.” Again, the vocals are so buried that I’d never know they were auto-tuned, but the jangly chords and inventive melodies are very strong. “Friends with Denny” is a faster paced sideways alternative track with a vocal that sounds a bit like early Dylan, when you can hear it. The verses have the best recording quality yet, but the choruses slam the VU meters into the red and beyond, which made me realize I should be listening through speakers instead of headphones. This is the second and final track to feature guitarist Brendan Nagle. “Slow Return” indeed slows the beat down to a near crawl, with single strummed chords on the guitars that blast into distortion without warning, then come back to clarity a bit dizzy from the switchover. Overall this track has that slightly seasick dubbed-from-a-bad-cassette quality that adds to its charm. “David” sounds like it wants to be a fully produced alt-country song in its dreams, but woke up too early. For these guys this song ALMOST counts as well-recorded, and as the band points out, it features “an instantly ingratiating twangy shout-along chorus.” Look, I get that lo-fi is a thing. I have a great grounding in, and appreciation of, that genre. But when the songs appear to be this good, you wish a bit more care were taken with the noise AND the music. That said, I still had fun with these songs and just hope these guys try some different recording techniques for the future, to better showcase their talents.
Tony (“T”) Severe hails from Phoenix, Arizona, and has long experience in bands and as a film-score composer. He brings his guitar, keyboard and composition skills to Candy, a nine-track album that leans toward the indie-rock style. The album features contributions from vocalist Felicity Heron, who has worked with Severe on several of his films. In addition, former bandmates John Wroble (bass) and Frank Danna (guitar) performed on the sessions. John Herrera contributed drums.
All of the songs fall squarely into the rock category. They lean toward the minor keys, and tend to be driven by rhythmic acoustic guitar figures, like an old Doobie Brothers record. Keyboards are layered throughout, offering nice textures to support the songs. Tones are consistent from track to track, offering nice continuity. Severe’s film-score background comes through with Candy: he has a concept, and it comes through. The leadoff title track draws us right in with a fast rhythmic acoustic guitar, thumping rhythm and great diving Moog-like bass lines. Heron’s vocals are terrific. Her smoky alto entices you to try the candy, although she hints at the danger lurking underneath. Severe’s jazz background comes through in the phrasing of his minor-blues guitar solo. It’s a great start. Within his conceptual framework, Severe takes a few enjoyable detours over the course of the album. “Not Waiting Around” features a bluesy guitar solo–doubled in parts–that evokes 1970s arena rock. The modal guitar solo on “I Don’t Want To Be That One” was refreshing. Heron’s vocals on “Angels Crying” are unique glissando swoops. The Moog-like bass appears in a few spots (notably on the ballad “The Touching Sound of Rain”), offering some fun variation. There’s just enough here to keep things interesting, while not veering off the path. One of the features of Candy is its interlocking lead lines on a few tracks. Both with guitars (e.g. “Candy”) and synths (“Don’t Say It Was Only Love”), Severe has recorded two independent solos, intertwined and panned off-center. Either one would stand on its own; together, they pop. It’s a nice bit of composition and performance. Candy is well-conceived and well-executed. T Severe brings his wide experience to bear, and delivers an easy-to-spin, enjoyable rock record.
Savannah, TN’s Elliott Burgess is a singer, songwriter and guitarist who is bringing his debut album Just Look up at the Moon to audiences everywhere. With this record, the artist merges indie rock with his Americana inspirations. The sound that comes across feels very ambient in nature as well as giving off melancholy vibes that are like a straight shot of sorrow to get your senses tingling. The layers on this album have a way of taking their time, with absolutely no rush to the amount of slow grooves and built up harmonies and melodies evident on this record. There’s a certain delight to seeing these numbers unravel before you as they reveal an artist who takes what he knows and brings the aforementioned genres even further. At 12-tracks, this is a nuanced album filled with memorable tilting melodies and startling vocals.
Just Look up at the Moon begins with “That Night/Go Away,” where some synths light up the sound here as some ambient guitars dress this track. I was loving this warm twang. Once Burgess’ vocals came in, the low murmur of his vocals really spoke to me. There was a touch of country to his reverberating singing that I felt was very distinctive. This was a slow grooving song from the artist that embraces a very melancholy and somber vibe. Some beats and melodic guitars sound out on “Sentiments.” There was an ‘80s vibe to the overall sound. Once the combined vocal harmonies arrived, the sounds really came together. The acoustic guitar comes in, bringing in a warm and resonating sound on “From Now On.” I was drawn to the sounds at once. Next, some electric guitar weaves in for more ambiance. Once Burgess’ vocals roll in, the Americana and country notes are obvious. The bright and emotional sounds will surround listeners. More synths carry the sound forward on “Returning Without Favor.” Next, some reverberating guitars pull listeners in. The combined vocal harmonies felt equally dynamic as Burgess sings with great mood and feeling. Some ambient instrumentals carry the sounds forward on “Circle.” In a lot of ways, it sounded like the band was warming up. The swells of sounds crescendoed many times and made for a rousing soundscape. More melodic guitars arrest the sounds on “Last Name.” The music had a meandering feel to it. Burgess shows off more of his simply rendered but emotional resonance sound here. On “We Were Raised So Much Better Than This,” a sparse sound comes across as some spirited banjo sounds out. The Americana and country notes were obvious. I was loving the energy of this piece. I felt myself moving along to the vibrant tunes. On “Fatiguing Conversation,” some rumbling bass enters for a hypnotizing feel. Burgess comes in with tons of attitude and sass that reeled me in. The bouncy beats and catchy vibes to the music sounded great. More synths and keys arrive on “I Will Never Be Alone In Time.” The melodic keys made for an inviting sound. Next to Burgess’ melancholic vocals, the music really carried for a meaningful and resonating sound. This proved to be an apt closer from the artist. Written and recorded over a three-year period and with influences that include Kurt Vile, John Prine, The National, Ben Howard and The War on Drugs, this set of songs has a way of growing on you. Mainly a DIY effort, Burgess brings on other musicians on the project to help flesh out his sound. The music is altogether atmospheric, blending mood and feeling for a dynamic piece of work. The ambience overall felt fresh and the rich notes and moody undertones had a way of really speaking to me. I look forward to seeing more music from this artist soon.
Tom Davies is a songwriter from Perth, Western Australia – Dollar Short is his follow up album to North Street, which was released mid 2021. It has a much darker presence than Davies’ debut. The first half of the album explores the struggles of getting over a fractured relationship, mental health struggles, unhealthy coping mechanisms and self-destructive behavior. The dark half of the album culminates with “Flesh and Bones,” the most intimate song on the album. What comes after this is a turning point in the overall story as the protagonist chooses to focus on positivity and falls into a new healthy relationship. Sonically, it is a mix of indie rock, stripped back acoustic songwriter music and some elements of folk and country, too. The album was recorded and mixed at the artist’s home in Perth in a very basic home studio.
The final mixes were then sent to Forensic Audio for mastering. Some of the equipment Davies used on the album include the Cole Clark Fat Lady 1, Epiphone guitar (inspired by Gibson Les Paul Standard 50's), MIJ Fender Telecaster bass, Squier P bass amps, and Vox AC15 drums (programmed with EZdrummer2). All of Davies’ releases are entirely independently created and released and his aim for the future, is to keep writing, recording and releasing as much music as he can, as often as he can. The opening “Four Seasons” starts with a smokey, rugged, indie folk-rock style. Davies’ sound production is clean and crisp, and his instrumentation is sparse on this tune, but very well done. “Hollow” begins with quiet acoustic plucking and then a full band sounds come in – drums, bass and an electric guitar. I especially liked the sound of his electric on this tune as well as the additional tambourine playing. Next is “Fall” and it features a more upbeat style, indie pop-rock I would say. With more electric guitar action – one of which is distorted, this song makes me think of such artists like Jackson Browne. “Yesterday’s Wine” has a brighter sound with a country rock, jangly guitar presence. This one kind of reminds me of The Jayhawks. I liked this one quite a bit and I think it would make for a good single to be played on the radio. “Too Late” is arranged somewhat like a waltz, although it doesn’t sound like what a traditional waltz would sound like. At any rate, it’s a slower acoustic number, showcasing lots of good acoustic strumming, warm bass lines and a beautiful melody. “Something to Hold” is another slower paced song, featuring great acoustic sound and heartfelt lyrics. Davies’ voice is very good on this number, as well as his acoustic solo playing – a lot of emotion within this track for sure. Next up is the album’s title track, “Dollar Short.” I wasn’t expecting what I heard next. A full-blown rock and roller, that I wished had gone on for more than barely a minute. I was immediately reminded of Morrissey’s solo work with this track, and I absolutely loved it! “Flesh and Bones” begins with the musician setting up to play. A few moments later, a somber electric begins to play, the singer sings, and the feeling is raw and emotional. Davies at his most vulnerable. “Last Time” features a deep, thumping beat, echoing guitar chords and an overall edgy tension. Parts of it reminded me of Billy Bragg, but perhaps more than that crooner, Davies’ guitar sound and drum rhythms reminded me of the old classic rock of the ‘50s, for example rockabilly. Great song! “Moving On” is another track that features a bright electric guitar and Davies pouring his heart out. I thought this track had a hopeful spirit to it, but there’s also some melancholy and sadness too, as Davies sings about “moving on from you.” “Southern Sky” has a spacious, open country feel to it – as if you’re on the open road, it’s a fresh new day and you’re about to begin a new journey in life. A positive, uplifting song in my view. “Call You Mine” is another great song, featuring a style that’s part rock n’ roll, part jangly pop. I think this would make for another great radio single and would recommend listening to it. “Gunfight” begins with a single acoustic, then another is mixed in with a dry drumbeat. The highlight for me, were the effects washing over Davies’ voice on the solo part of the song as well as the song’s chilling ending. Very captivating and it gave the song a mysterious, sensual appeal. To complete the first half of the old phrase, “A dollar short….” Is the album’s last track, “Day Late.” This song is another instrumental and sounds much like its counterpart but only during the first half. The second half features the sound of someone’s footsteps walking outside, dishes being washed, and then some measures being played to the album’s first track, “Four Seasons.” Overall, I thought Tom Davies’ follow up, Dollar Short, was exceptionally good, although I have to say I haven’t listened to his debut yet. There are a lot of great sounding songs here, a good mix of everything I would say, and a few that really stood out for me.
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Every week we mention a couple of artists that are worth your time to check out that were not featured in our weekly reviews.
Artist Album Rating Elif Geris Brought Up 3.8 Hexagon Cat Blue Hexagon 3.8 Amber Cavanaugh. My Darling 3.8 Of Lion Sunset 3.9 Robert Nix Looking Into The Mirror 3.8
Santi Forget is a young Toronto-based performer and writer who recently dropped her new EP titled Dear New Love. She had already garnered over 10,000 listens on Spotify and Apple, but has now switched to Bandcamp exclusively “to move more underground.” Her music has been featured on many Toronto radio stations and R&B playlists. Forget recognizes herself as an attractive young woman who is well served by her visual and musical exposure on YouTube and Instagram.
Forget writes and sings in both English and Spanish, and worked with producer Corey Wong on most of these songs. Forget states: “This album was entirely intuitive. At the time I was falling in love again for the first time in a while, and most of the songs we created were written mid-session alongside live acoustics. Over time, as we put the songs together, we developed a sound that felt like a project.” Aside from producers Corey Wong and Chris Barbini, there were additional contributions from Chris Odey, Taylor Wong and George McBride. Recording took place in Corey Wong’s basement, Patchwork Studios and Repeat music. Mixing was by Chris Barbini with final mastering by Grammy nominated engineer Joao Carvalho. This music works best in headphones. “Starstruck” is a low-key, two-minute introduction to set the mood, which feels like scented candles, dark lighting and cigarette smoke. Shimmering low chords on the guitars and keyboards are matched with finger snaps and the telltale hiss of a DJ’s sampler. Forget’s voice is low, occasionally sleepy but effortlessly seductive, sometimes not finishing one word before moving onto the next one. Forget states that these songs were produced as she was falling in love again, something that’s not easy to miss. “I’m starstruck, never felt like this before / I’m starstruck, something I can’t explain… new love, I think I’m ready for you / I’m better at this thing called loving.” “Slow” is a smoky love song in the sense of “Baby, we can take it slow…We can go all night… all I ever ask is that you take it nice and slow.” There’s another chill tempo with the keyboards playing a circular melody over a cloud of Forget’s vocals that float in, touch down and float away (repeat as necessary). The lyrical conceit of “Moves” is “She moves like Shakira, curves like Selena…” The moves of the title quickly encompass the more amorous kind, which by now isn’t a big shock. A tremolo guitar plays a jazz progression with a lot of room sound. Forget’s vocals are slightly modified, then become more enticing as the track progresses. The lyrics repeat hypnotically with little change, casting quite a spell. Another fine jazz-influenced guitar solo ends the track. “La Playa” effortlessly switches between English and Spanish vocals. This is a song that Forget has also performed live with just guitar and bongo accompaniment, where it feels like a traditional old world tune. Here she takes the tools of the studio and creates a more modern sound, where it almost sounds like two takes of the song are slowly moving back and forth against each other. Forget’s voice is strong and compelling, with lots of liquid overdubbing and percussive edits. There’s an amazing Spanish-influenced guitar solo toward the end, a bit like Carlos Santana. “Santi Forget featuring Oseko - Climax” starts with languid keyboards, then startles a bit with a highly compressed tunnel of Forget’s vocals. The climax being sung about here feels more like the inevitable doubts that creep into a new relationship. “How come you keep your secrets to yourself / knowing that I will find out.” The mid-song rap is by Canadian rapper Oseko, and though it’s not safe for work, it adds a different and dangerous flavor to the proceedings. “I Know” starts with a movie dialogue sample (“Even ten minutes is a long time to be away from you”) and continues musically and lyrically in the same style we’ve come to expect: an almost lounge-jazz background with Forget skirting the fine line between singing and rapping. The production is especially lush and mysterious here, with great sounding horns (or samples of horns) with some nicely playful production choices on the vocals. “Come Home” was planned by Forget to end the collection with “the feeling you get when you’re waiting for your partner to return.” The lyrics paint an almost 1950’s domestic scene, with Forget’s lover “working nine to five” and she “can’t wait for him to get home.” The vocals have an undeniably sweet and longing quality, though by this point it feels like this relationship is maybe just five days old! Though this type of music is not my normal jam, I was seduced by Forget’s accomplished vocals and the spare but effective backing tracks. A new artist to watch for in the future!
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Jay Hendricks (guitars/vocals), Matt Crawford (lead guitar), Tom Walsh (bass) and Kyle Smith (drums/vocals) make up Levvy a band that formed out of Columbia, South Carolina. The band for the most part performs locally. After the success of their first EP Better Than I Was Before You, the band got together and are releasing their latest EP Bury. Divide and Conquer got a first look into their brand-new EP, a record filled to the max with moody riffs and a heavy vibe. With their searing momentum, the band shows they are more than ready to show the world what they’re made out of. With songs that have their place in the grunge, punk and indie genres. There’s a ton to appreciate here, so let’s get going.
Bury EP gets going with “Intro,” where heavy guitar riffs come in on the start of this track. This proved to be an ominous intro packed with mood. Next, Hendrick’s vocals arrive. I was loving the angsty vibes as well as the somber flavors that the vocals and music exhibit. I was getting some grunge and some straightforward rock here. There was a ton of atmosphere on this song. On the title track, “Bury,” the band’s adamancy really comes through. Through the wall of guitars, this track felt like a distinctive journey through some punk, grunge and indie genres. I was reminded of Jimmy Eat World and Silversun Pickups and I was loving the heavy vibes. A whirlwind of guitars hits it with a driven sound right from the start of “Carried Away.” Hendrick’s vocals enter for a revved rock feel. I felt stirred by the adamant music. The band definitely was on fire with this song. “Stalk” is a departure from the band’s more hard-hitting sound. Here, the group shifts for a more acoustic sound on this number. Alongside the acoustic guitar is a melancholic piano piece. This proved to be an emotional track packed with mood and feeling. On “Contradictions,” more of the band’s somber riffs return here. After a soft intro, the band charges in full-throttle. This was another dark and aggressive song. I was loving how powerful the guitars sounded. The wall-to-wall vibes really made the sound. Lastly, the band once more changes gears with the acoustic “Outro.” Here, Hendricks’ vocals alone comes in with the guitar. There is a ton of atmosphere as this simply rendered track plays out. The band chose to close the EP with this memorable finale. With this EP, Levvy builds upon giant guitars, impressive vocals and subtler moments that creates one whole movement of sound. Keeping their momentum throughout, these cohesive songs feel seamless as one track moves to the next. The band proves they have a great sound \and that they have a lot going for them. With a sound that radiates power and emotion, listeners into harder rock styles will enjoy this. Give this a spin today!
Life can take many twists and turns as we all know. Sometimes things happen that put us in a place where we have to reevaluate and go in a different direction. That is the exact circumstance that happened to Joey Wit. Wit had a career in professional baseball when an accident occurred.
It seems like this injury put his sports career on hold. Wit decided to focus on his passion which is music. Wit’s 2022 plans include an April UK tour, with US touring and a new record scheduled for the fall. In the meantime he released a single called “Leave It to Me.” Wit explains “The song was written with the chords coming first followed by the lyrics. I was actually inspired twofold lyrically. One of my best friends in Liverpool, UK called Richie used the phrase ‘Leave It to Me’ which stuck with me for a few days. Here in the northeast USA we would typically use the words ‘I got it’ or ‘I’ll take care of that’ but I found ‘Leave It to Me’ a slightly more poetic phrase.” The other aspect he mentions is when you meet someone and feel like you have known them for your whole life. This is a very common experience but I think regardless it’s alway powerful when it happens. The song starts with the whole band. Drums are crashing, guitars are buzzing and single piano notes flicker about. I saw the transition into the verse coming and it arrived as expected with the instrumentation simmering down which allows the vocals to come in and have some space. The song definitely felt unapologetically positive and upbeat. On top of that there’s some good rocking out and it was dynamic. Wit has a solid singing voice and all and all was an accessible song. I thought the song was straightforward in terms of the genre, structure and delivery. It wasn’t a song that I had to re-listen to a number of times to feel like I understood it. On that note it’s a good choice for an opener. Wit is off to a good start and I wish him luck in his musical endeavors.
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April 2024
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