“Mountains are falling / Oceans are rising” Ulysses Wulf front man Yule sings on “The Mountains Are Falling” the cataclysmic lead track from Like The Present, the debut record from the Melbourne by way of New Zealand trio rounded out by bassist Vinny King and drummer Christian Lee. These metaphorical words serve as an apocalyptic backdrop to the album’s catalysts. Yule began writing Like the Present in the midst of personal and professional turmoil in his life. He had quit his job as a lawyer to help defend a family member in a case against the government. What it taught him was what a lot of people who have ever tried to fight against the government have found, which is that the institutions that were set in place to help out the average citizen were of little to no help because they were either underfunded or just a complete sham. The record’s title Like the Present” Yule stated that it is “a reference to a current dystopia, in contrast to the futuristic ones we are usually presented with.”
A move to Melbourne gave Yule a new perspective on things and a chance to write about his feelings with a little distance between the place where they occurred and where he was living as he began to write the record. And though this distance probably granted him a sense of relief, one still hears and feels the angst and pain come through on each of the five passionate songs on Like the Present. “The Mountains are Falling” is an electro-tinged beast of a rock song with tribal styled beats, face slapping bass and in-your-face vocals. The song bangs and crashes like waves against the rocks during a violent storm. This is followed up by the thick chunks of groovy rock n’ roll on the instantly catchy “Tenderkill.” The sinisterly poppy piano and guitar rock driven “Digging in the Basement” is reminiscent of the jangly power pop so well played by Franz Ferdinand. The band then takes an angry and gritty psych-rock trip on “Last to Leave” which sounds like an even angrier take (if you can believe that) on Iron Butterfly’s "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida," before ending on a gloriously electronic and somewhat hopeful note with “A Knickel.” What makes Like the Present such a brilliant record is that nothing is held back. On every song every last bit of raw emotion is squeezed out, and each one of its subjects get the lyrical tongue lashing they deserve. But it is also the way that Ulysses Wulf holds it together musically too, never letting the anger to allow the songs to get away from them, just letting them become noise, they ensure there is structure in their compositions. The best art is sometimes that which is born out of pure pain and frustration. And though pain and frustration is something everyone must deal with from time to time in their life, Like the Present is a remarkable example of what can come of it after.
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On their debut EP Mothsong, Saltwood strikes uncomfortable chords that tell a story of self-doubt. The young group hails from Melbourne, Australia and consists of six former jazz students from Victorian College of the Arts at the University of Melbourne. Although their jazz background seeps through each track, the EP as a whole fits much more comfortably into the indie/folk genre.
Imagine the fiddles and vocal twang of First Aid Kit replaced by a trumpet and softer harmonies. The resulting sound has elements of Beirut’s A Candle’s Fire with the vocals and vibes more closely aligned with Joanna Newsom. The title track of the EP “Mothsong” contains the most obvious jazz undercurrents. A powerful trumpet winds through the song, tangling itself up beautifully with the other instruments and then smoothly letting the vocals take its place. The vocals primarily consist of one voice, but light harmonies drift seamlessly in and out. This song punches softly; it’s precise and restrained. On this track, Saltwood gets its footing just right. The three tracks that follow “Mothsong” further a sense of melancholy and uncertainty. For example, on the track “Lazy Heart” Saltwood laments “if I were sure enough, if I were bold enough, if I were brave enough.” Although these tracks don’t contain the same amount of force and driving power present on “Mothsong,” they successfully tell a story and produce a cohesive feeling. On “Lazy Heart” and other tracks, the instrumentals often lay low, letting the slightly off-kilter, throat-lump inducing vocals take the lead. I often found myself wanting more jazz and instrumental power in between these vocals. The EP was recorded and pieced together at home under the guidance of the band’s former trumpet player/mix master, Fabian Acuna. Although not apparent upon listening, each track required a slightly different recording method. The resulting sound is surprisingly smooth. With their jazz foundation, Saltwood’s restrained sensibility and cohesive melancholic tone shows potential to bring a new perspective into the indie/folk scene currently crowded with sweethearts.
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 Ocean Arda Ocean Arda 3.7 The Innumerous Shared Soul 3.3 L.A. Flood Synesthesia 3.5 We Came We Conquered Wandering In The Dark 3.4 Nicholas Dante Hue 3.5 Ghosts on the Road Ghosts on the Road 3.7 Winterhawk Hide Your Face 3.5 William Danze Homemade Daydreams 3.4 Matt Shiels Pathways 3.3
Portland, Oregon’s Matt Takiff is a busy man. He’s a songwriter, a teacher and a muliti-instrumentalist who’s main project Max's Midnight Kitchen, a collaborative effort along with fellow songwriter Daniel Nickerson, has released three full-length records and a recent EP. On top of this Takiff also finds time to play saxophone, guitar, fiddl, and stand in as a harmonic vocalist for other bands around the Portland area. But now Takiff has done something completely for himself, which is to release his first record of solo material under his own name.
But even though Matt Takiff named his album Matt Takiff, and he is a multi-instrumentalist that doesn’t mean he’s alone on his solo debut. Takiff, on top of playing guitar, lead vocals, and saxophone adds depth to his songs on his solo debut by employing other players the likes of Arcellus Sykes on electric bass, Barra Brown on drums, Claire Hinkley on harmony vocals, David Allred on whistling and trumpet, Finn Juhl on accordion and piano, Julio Appling on acoustic bass, Sage Coy on cello, and Sam Weiss on fiddle. With a cast of characters this large one may expect an album that could go over the top, with long jam sessions searching to satisfy the players hopes as well as the listeners. But Takiff never lets this happen and it’s really rather refreshing. He never lets the background players overshadow him, which is not to say they don’t provide beautiful backup support, though Takiff named the album after himself and makes certain that he runs a tight ship. The backing musicians respectably do their part and they do it well and let Takiff captain the ship. Matt Takiff sets the troubadour tone for the record on the opener “Some Things” a slow roasted sing-song lament to lost love. Next up on the fiddle friendly “I saw a Bird” Takiff shows off his penchant for storytelling and this continues in a sad vein on the somber, “Who.” Takiff is not all cut and dry. He takes chances on the odd but fun “The Garden Suite” and goes solo on the short and sweet “Homeless.” Things get interested when he harmonizes beautifully with Claire Hinkley on “Many Nights.” But Takiff is best when he is alone and sad as he displays on the album’s closer “Wordless Melody.” On his solo debut Takiff displays that he can hold his own, and also that he gets by when he has a little help from his friends. Either way anyone into folk music, either the happy or sad varietal will appreciate the efforts Takiff puts into his songwriting.
Having been described as The Black Keys meets The Black Crowes meets Led Zeppelin, McBane has come far in the short time that has passed since a few musicians in Athens, Ohio met up to jam together. Incorporating rock, pop and blues, McBane released their self-titled EP McBane in May of 2016.
The album begins with a sultry, reverb-laced electric guitar solo that bridges the best elements of rock n’ roll with a bluesy rhythm. As “You Gotta Have It” continues, crystal clear drums, resounding electric guitars and a gravelly, yet crisp voice blend in a solid, full soundscape. The hard, strict rhythm of the song complements the power of the chords that the guitars produce throughout the strong anthem. Slowing down a bit, “Turn Away” takes a sway-inducing beat and pairs it with a melodious, cohesive song that gradually builds upon itself as vocal and instrumental harmonies are layered upon each other. Tediousness was avoided in the somewhat repetitive song by including slight variations of themes that catch the listener’s ear over and over again. “77 in a 55” starts off with a foreboding guitar riff that rises in intensity as percussion and bass guitar add a foundation to the already solid track. The catchy riff repeats, being overlaid with vocals; then, in the middle of the tune, a downtempo section featuring guitar solos and ad libbing takes the sound stage before the initial riff returns and carries the song to its ending. A voice screaming “Mendoza!” begins the song of the same name, a danceable, bluesy rock song that highlights McBane’s musical ability and technique as guitars run the show. This instrumental track gives the record a nice break from lyrics, making the lyrical tracks stand out more while simultaneously showcasing the band’s instrumental talent. The record comes to an end with “Company of Kings,” an epic song that lasts almost seven minutes. Starting out very slowly with a sole guitar, the tune deliberately builds and builds its dynamic range without altering the tempo of the song, making for an interestingly intense, yet slow, conclusion to the album. As a whole, McBane EP is a well-polished, masterfully-produced album that transcends any expectations listeners would have for a band’s debut release, and it will serve the band well in their journey in the music industry.
Old Milwaukee, that sometimes forgotten city due north of the Midwest metropolis of Chicago. Milwaukee the name conjures up unmistakable images; the great breweries, the influence of German architecture and food. Milwaukee is often thought of as “second fiddle” in the list of great Midwestern cities, and it has always responded with a quiet and classy “fuck you.”
Part of the reasoning behind this “fuck you” is the fact that Milwaukee needs nothing from anyone. It has miles of free lakeshore, excellent bars and restaurants, oh and most importantly a pretty kick ass and highly diverse music scene. On any given night one can wander into one of the multitude of narrow parlor-styled bars and hear live music in just about every genre imaginable. The folk-Americana five-piece Paladino is just one such band you might hear jamming away on a given night in the back room of a bar that from the outside looks like a house, and probably also is a house. What perhaps is most striking first off about Paladino is that three out of its five members can lay claim to being lead singers and songwriters for the band. It is a feature that sticks out as you listen to their debut EP Bellows. The opener “A Place To Plant Our Flag” opens with a bristling yet controlled energy, a controlled unison of energy if you will, as the kick drum and concertina bounce in perfect time as the mandolin beautifully frets away and the bass thumps like a quickened-heart pumping blood. Next “Trails End” takes on heavier elements of rock and pop and of course a completely different vocalist, which almost makes it sound like a different band. Compare this to the pop-funk folk of “Mint Condition” which sounds like a song that could lure a few booze soaked patrons from their stools to the dance floor when played live. Then there is the sadly windswept closer “Iowa” a song perfect for last call.
Cliff Howard is a singer songwriter, originally from London, now living in rural North Wales who recently released his debut entitled Spiritual Town. For a guy who was raised in London this album sure has a lot of music from American bands. The songs have a classic American vibe - warm, fun and a couple ticks away from Tom Petty.
Spiritual Town is a DIY effort and for the most part has great production. My only complaint is that he uses too much reverb at times. A general rule of thumb is that if you notice reverb unless it's more for a specific effect than you are using too much. Well, I have to admit the reverb was noticeable to my ears which came from an accumulation from the instrumentation and vocals. To his credit this is an aesthetic that is of course subjective and just a preference. The album opens with the slightly bluesy/country title track. It’s an upbeat, fun song featuring some solid lead harmonica and catchy vocal melodies. Howard sings, “The whiskey bars and fish fin cars I’m never coming back / I’m going down, I’m going down, I’m going down / To my spiritual town.”.Don’t miss the sax towards the end. Great stuff. The next song “Flood Street Blues” is a bit more solemn and serious. It actually reminded me of Pink Floyd with a slight country twang. I realize that sounds odd but I think you will know what I’m talking about if you take a listen. “Help Me Get It Right” is straight up Americana. No if, ands or buts about it. It’s one of the catchiest songs on the album. Howard continues with success on songs like “Waiting For The Dream” and “Impossible Times” which feel like clear tips of the hat to music that has come before. One of the highlights was “Columbus Avenue” which is smooth and features more sax that feels a bit sensual at points.I also have to mention that slight Pink Floyd vibe is in there somewhere. “One More Time” is a classic surf rock Beach Boys style song and another standout track was “All Messed Up.” I can’t say Howard is the most original artist to emerge in recent memory but he does have some skill in the songwriting departments. If you are looking for warm songs which induce a sense of nostalgia Spiritual Town may be your ticket.
Logan Gauvreau is a young musician from Canada who seems to be just getting his feet wet as singer songwriter on his release Nomad. Gauvreau wears his influence son his sleeve throughout these songs and indulges a lot of tropes within folk and rock from the last fifty years. It’s not that surprising that his album cover depicts the standard archetype of a bohemian folk singer since Bob Dylan.
Gauvreau is a young guy and sometimes it takes a while for your own style to be defined. This seems to be the case here. Gauvreau strums basic major and minor chord progressions and and sings in an almost hyperbolic way that feeds the stereotype of a tortured, bohemian folk singer from the ’60’s. Truth be told notable “folk” singers today like Sufjan Stevens and Kristian Matsson are unique voices with such distinct styles that it's much harder to get by with a couple of strummed chords. Gauvreau starts with “Asshole” and no it's not the cover of the Beck song. I didn’t mind the drumming in the song but unfortunately it's often noticeably off time. That being said the song is somewhat catchy. Gauvreau exaggerates some of his words which make it hard to hear what he is saying. “Burnin” is a highlight that veers towards rock. The drums sound better on this song but were also a lot lower in the mix. As the album moves forward there are some highlights like “Darling” and “Outcast Night.” One thing that came across is that Gauvreau has a passion for the music he makes. I think Nomad is a passionate effort but Gauvreau is going to have to continue to improve in a number of ways to be competitive with some of the great folk singers of today. The good news is Gauvreau is a young man and like I’ve said before I think it can take a long time for an artist potential to develop. I still think it took me about fifteen years to start writing quality songs. Gauvreau has all the time in the world but I hope to hear improvements and more complex arrangements on his next release.
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Still Flux is a band that formed in 2015 and somehow already released Still Flux a self-titled ten-song full-length album. The band comprised of John Castillo, Johnny Syriani, Luke Winer and David Hernon play straightforward rock. They point to bands like Foo Fighters, Tame Impala and Arctic Monkeys as like minded bands but I can’t say I found that much similar to these bands especially Tame Impala. One thing I did notice was that Castillo sounds like a rock singer from the ’80s more often than not on this album. It’s the inflection in his voice (especially when he goes for higher notes and has to strain his voice) and his general delivery which made me more than once think about hair metal or some other band to come out of the ’80s.
Being such a young band It's not much of a surprise that they don’t have much of a defined sound at this point. The songs follow a lot of tropes from their lyrics to standard guitar solos. That being said the songwriting is consistent if a little scattered. The band starts with “Keep Moving On.” It’s one of the highlights. The verse has a Franz Ferdinand/The Strokes type vibe. During the chorus there is a poppy ‘80s vibe which is mostly due to the vocal delivery. I’d say the thing that stuck out most about the song was the drumming which was un-relentless. He reminded me of Animal from the Muppets at points. So many fills that you could easily make the argument he was a little overzealous. “Better Off” is a straightforward rock song which was pleasant but also felt like a myriad of other songs. It was well written and has a good energy. I have to say the drumming again is almost comically intense. A simple beat would suffice at times and Hernon just isn’t having any of it. “Lonely Lover” sounds like it came straight out of the ’80’s from the lyrics to the music. For better or worse there is just no denying this fact. The band mellows out with “More Than A Friend” while “Big Sur” is a slightly psychedelic highlight. “Bird And The Wind” is the centerpiece and arguably the most ambitious song. The band hits their finest moment which is the most subtle around the four-minute mark. For as little as they have been together the band released an impressive debut. On the other hand I’d also like to hear the band step away from some of the more standard rock tropes and develop more of a sound that defines the band on their sophomore release. They have some skill and talent. I just think it’s still a work in progress.
Des Moines, Iowa singer-songwriter Dan Trilk started playing guitar at the age of nine. By the time he was twelve he was fronting his first band Splat and playing talent shows, ice cream socials and private events. The young musical entrepreneurism stayed with Trilk who is now a professional musician and music instructor in Des Moines.
Funded by a successful Kickstarter campaign Dan Trilk has finally released his debut record Iowa Weather. The songs on the Iowa Weather were recorded both before and after Trilk and his wife began their family which gives the songs a wider range of time and inspiration. They are steeped in folk, blues and country, and are played au naturel with a twangy acoustic guitar and the vocals to match. Iowa Weather opens further down river with the tongue in cheek “Mississippi Woman” on which Trilk waxes and wanes in his Devandra Banhart-esque essence about his Mississippi woman, as he slowly finger picks at his acoustic guitar and keeps the kick drum thumping in time. Next on the old time country crooner “I’m Gonna Drink” Trilk pulls out the all the Willy Nelson et al bells and whistles to make a pretty perfect old time country tune complete with a chorus border-lining the serious and the quirky “I’m gonna drink / I’m gonna stink / I’m gonna pass out in the garden of eden / I’m gonna laugh / I’m gonna cry / I’m gonna beat around this burning bush I’m needing.” He gets serious on the somber and sober look at a man dealing with the everyday troubles of a blue collar family just trying to make the best of their life. Then on the story-song “Self Made Man” Trilk sings from the position of guitar playing virtuoso who can “dazzle you with my hands.” Later Trilk shows off his own dazzling hands on the instrumental solo acoustic “Rollin' with It” and perhaps even more so on the speedy “Dandelion” and then strikes a slower scale for the somber “Oh Mamma.” Like most records steeped in the vein of country and folk Iowa Weather can’t help but sound a little bit like most of its predecessors and so like its many successors. It is obvious that Dan Trilk is a gifted guitar player but many of his songs have the same structure and deal with many of the same subjects that country singing scribes have been documenting for what seems like centuries now. Trilk is at his best when he is singing about real life, conjuring situations he’s dealt with before, such as raising a family and missing his own mother, and is less convincing when he is trying to cajole us with some tall tale that’s been told a hundred million times before. Still, despite these few folk foibles Iowa Weather is at its very center a record that has what so many other records lack; heart and soul. |
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