Quitter is a four-person collective that formed around early 2020. The band got to work and released 7 Eyes on the Prize. They write rock based songs that have catchy hooks and often fun and upbeat vibes. Having grown up on a steady diet of ’90s bands in my high school days I can say there’s some similarities to music that was coming out around that time.
The band opened with “Dreams” and I liked the energy right off the bat. There's a lot of fuzz all over the place from the guitars. The drums hit hard. There’s also some southern rock style lead guitar. The vocals sound vibrant and confident. Solid start. “I Get By” could be a single. It’s a fun and funky groove and the vocals are loose. The bass and drums hold it down here. I think the vocals are the main sticking point. “I’m Done” is garage rock 101 with high energy guitar patterns and killer vocals. Oh man is this a fun song. “Tom Cruise Ruined Scientology for Me” is an interesting title that made me laugh but a great song. There’s some slight southern gothic vibes with some blues elements. I again thought the vocalist was on top of it. The sound is undeniably infectious and unique. They have more success with “Bad Decisions” which is pretty straightforward garage rock. Weezer comes to mind here and the vocalist sounds a bit like Rivers Cuomo. I heard something about Elon Musk but it was hard to make out the exact lyrics. By the time I got to “My Time” and “After Midnight” I was impressed with the band’s consistency. They write palatable songs that feel repeat worthy after the first listen. The high octane energy in “In This Room” delivers as well while “The Bastards” has a great groove. I loved the bass line on this song. As an engineer my main critique was the fidelity. Raw and loud rock music like this can get away with lo-fi but I would have mixed the guitars differently. There’s too much build up on the low end and the mids could be a little brighter. I’d like to hear the band in a professional studio at some point which I know would take their sound to the next level. I think Teens Of Denial by Carseat Headrest’s type of production would fit their sound perfectly. Overall, I thought this was a good album from a band that is off to a great start. Their songwriting and delivery is undeniable. Even more impressive is their ability to keep you hooked. This was an album that goes down easy from beginning to end. I predict good things to come from the young band.
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Doctor Stupid, aka Lucian Meisler, is a current student studying experimental pop music at California Institute of the Arts. Meisler got started at the age of ten by playing instruments and started writing songs in high school. I Want to Exist is a five song EP. On his Bandcamp page he mentions “grass, sky, swimming, wondering, pondering, clothes and incense.”
In the artist’s own words “I Want to Exist is an experimental album that combines typical pop form with wacky lyrics and video game sounds.”.I appreciated the experimental aspects with these songs, especially some of the production techniques. The EP begins with “Swimming Pool” and you get some strummed chords on acoustic guitar, percussion and also what sounds like water from a tap. I loved the vocals. The performance is great and I also thought the song was very catchy. As the song progresses the water-like effects get more intense and morphs. The vocals get more hefty with some backing. It climaxes when the vocalist sings “Trapped in a loop” and feels like it’s getting submerged in water. The water like aesthetic continues on “Sleeves” where I felt the instruments were submerged and bubbling. It’s obviously some kind of filter. Other elements like xylophone are in there as well. The focal point is the vocals. I again thought the vocals were really well delivered and quite infectious. “Am I Allowed to?” does have some of that chiptune video type vibe mostly because of the synths. The song is warm and felt like I was on a tropical island. It’s got a bedroom lo-fi type aesthetic. “Grass + Sky” has low-melancholy vibes but is also subdued and playful. The energy is so lush it almost feels ambient. It’s a well-written song. In fact the vocal melodies might be the most notable. There’s a section where the song paradoxically speeds up while the vocalist sings “Time moves slowly.” The EP ends with “Strife” which is the arguable highlight and has an undeniable hook. As a producer myself I thought the songs had that bedroom production style. In my experience it’s hard to get dynamics without a live drummer. I would like to hear some work out of the bedroom aesthetic because I think there is more potential here dynamically. Overall, this was a solid release. The songwriting and performances were consistent. I really thought the vocalist did and exceptional and found the production unique and inventive. I hope to hear more in the not too distant future.
Starrdust! is a one man band from Denton, TX. The artist recently released Chelsea! Presents : Spring In Manhattan!. The EP contains two songs however it comes in around seventeen minutes.
The first song is entitled “Béla-Rüthi!” and is more or less a groove. It felt like a jam that could go on for one minute or twenty. The song starts with a brief swell and then you are introduced to a programmed beat. Other elements like synth bass, some xylophone and guitars show up in the mix. The guitars are the main feature with one sort of endlessly soloing and the other strumming chords. It’s a mid energy type of groove. It feels sort of relaxed and lush. The song breaks down a bit and there’s a hypnotic quality by the time you get to the three-minute mark. Around three-and-a-half minutes the drums are solo and there’s a sample of someone laughing. The guitars come back in. I noticed the guitars were a little out of tune but Ithink that was intentional. It’s this sort of anti-funk thing. The changes in the song are subtle. You really have to be paying attention to pick up on some of it. It’s got some inventive qualities but I did want more from the dynamics. Some of this I felt was due in part to the electronic drums which felt static. On that note there was a lot to appreciate. The layering, the fluid like feeling to song and overall warmth and inviting texture to the song. The next song “Do You Wanna Go To The Art Museum?” is a little over ten minutes long. The approach is very similar. You have a lead guitar panned hard right, the guitar on the left strumming chords and electronic percussive elements. The song stays pretty consistent as it progresses. There are a couple breakdowns where it’s just the beat and then a swell leads to where the instrumentation explodes. Overall, I still enjoyed the groove, melodies and overall aesthetics of the song. I’ve been producing bands and artists for a good twenty years now. My initial take is the artist is just starting to explore his sound. My main critique is that the songs did feel like an extension of just one groove or idea. I would encourage the artist to maybe explore some of Jon Hopkins or Fennesz work who are instrumental and do this quite well. Overall, I thought this a very solid effort. The two songs did have cohesive qualities which I think is important. I also thought the guitar was well done. The two guitars had a symbiotic relationship. I was impressed with this artist who I think has a good amount of potential. Take a listen.
Olin Clark (guitar), Louie Leager (bass) and Adam Ray (drums) are the New York City jazz trio Pieces. Their sophomore release, Lupine, is a five-track instrumental EP that displays their jazz-based style but also pushes a bit toward experimental and rock while staying rooted in the jazz traditions.
“Lupine,” the opening track, eases us in with a straight-ahead guitar-trio sound. Clark shifts smoothly between picked lines and chordal figures as Leager and Ray add color underneath. They have a warm, authentic sound, as if they set up in a live room and let themselves be themselves. (Indeed, the album was recorded in just two days.) Then Pieces veers from the standard, as Ray plays some melodic drum parts, and Leager takes the bow to his bass. As the band builds into a solo section, Clark changes his guitar tone dramatically–it’s either heavily effected or used to control a synthesizer. These are very interesting passages, as the phrasing is clearly from a guitar but the tones are not typical six-string sounds. We’re on notice that Lupine will not be your standard fare. The animal titles continue with “Boquerones” (anchovies), and they get a little heavier in feel and guitar tones. The feel (and chord progression) is closer to rock than jazz, although Ray keeps his ride cymbal swinging throughout. “look me in the mouth (i’m a gift horse)” pushes further to a heavier rock sound. Clark tracks dueling distorted guitars on the freakout middle section, which is held together by Leager’s steady, swinging acoustic bass. After this excursion, Pieces gets back to a regular jazz trio tune with “Asteroid Dodger.” It starts off with a bebop feel, with walking bass and in-the-pocket drumming. Clark, Leager, and Ray each takes a solo turn here–all are terrific–and, in an interesting twist, the track fades out. When’s the last time you heard a fadeout on a jazz record? “Bonk,” the final cut, ties it all together, touching on the styles heard earlier. The track morphs from a jazz-tinged ballad to a groove-rock feel: think of a minor blues tune interpreted by jazz guys. Clark drops a dextrous overdubbed guitar solo, and the band gives us a short wild ending (a la the third track) to put a cap on the proceedings. Pieces have done a fine job with Lupine. They push the sound of a jazz trio and get some interesting textures. They experiment and open things up, but keep the compositions and arrangements tight. Even if you’re not a jazz aficionado, this album is worth a spin. Enjoy!
Chic Chameleon is the band name for a Patrick Froese, a multi-instrumentalist from Edmonton, Alberta. His group’s debut release is an EP titled Doomed. He’s also performed at many Edmonton live venues and his first single release “Dreaming of Heaven” will be featured in a movie produced by Girls in Film and TV. If like me you’re put in mind of “Karma Chameleon” you can flush that right now because they sound nothing like Culture Club.
Froese grow up on a farm on the Alberta prairies, which he says gives his music “a distinct sense of vastness and self reliance.” His primary genres are shoegaze and dream pop, for which he uses “lush reverbs, repeating delays and thick choruses (along with) layered guitar lines and synthesizers.” Though he majored in music composition at an Edmonton university, he also took audio engineering courses so he could learn to record and mix his own compositions. During Covid lockdown, Froese bought some recording gear and tracked these songs in his childhood bedroom by himself, along with mixing and mastering. Froese describes Chic Chameleon pretty accurately as “…a dream-inducing ensemble that will propel you into a realm of reflection and thought. With sonorous synth lines, wistful guitar melodies and surging bass and drum grooves, the mission for this project is to bring a fresh flavor of melancholic music to the Canadian scene.” Thematically, this album deals with the loss of several close family relationships during the time of recording. The title Doomed refers to “the feelings of overwhelming loss… a lot of depression, sadness and healing happened over the course of recording, and these songs were a way to cope with the trauma.” Musical influences include Mac DeMarco, Beach House, The War On Drugs, Mitski, Radiohead and Japanese Breakfast. “Samtree” introduces the Chic Chameleon style as the kind where reverberant sound waves envelop every corner of their sonic universe, as if you’re lying in the sentient mattress on their album cover. It’s a mid-tempo track with swirling Fender guitars through all sorts of pedals. It’s got a sweet uplifting sound with perhaps a hint of melancholy in the dreamy vocals and some of the chords. “Dreaming of Heaven” takes things a little more seriously, with a guitar and organ arrangement that at first put me in mind of a church service. As the guitar and piano overdubs join in, it shows more of a George Harrison or Leon Russell influence, with spacey, phasing vocals like 10cc. The melodies here feel natural but with a few unexpected changes that become more familiar with repetition. Froese’s lyrics tend to be in very short chunks, so that they print out narrowly from top to bottom: “You're dreaming / Of heaven / You're seeing / a vision / You're dreaming / Of heaven Again.” “Noble Lies” has more swirly guitars, dreamy vocals and prominent bass. The keys have a magical ‘80s quality. The title of this song could actually have been “I’m your punching bag” as those are the chorus lyrics. Again the melodies and chords are constantly surprising and impossible to predict. The final track “Doomed” appears to be the most closely tied to the recent tragedies in Froese’s life, but even so it’s every bit as beautiful and immersive as the other tracks. There’s a web of picked guitars with various treatments, otherworldly synths and yearning vocals. In a strange way the song almost seems to be writing itself, with the dreamy chords and melodies floating forth from the ether in the exact order they are needed. This is an impressive debut and I can’t wait to see what may come in the future from this unique artist.
UK’s Things That Go make music with dense sound, forged from pitch shifted delayed guitar arpeggios, droning synthesizer, twangy bass lines and Beach Boy friendly vocal harmonies. All forced through the mold of indie and alternative guitar pop. Live takes for their self-titled debut Things That Go were captured in Leeds and then added (or subtracted) to in further sessions, as well as the band’s individual set ups at home (Mark's Shabby Road and Pete's Lack of Sun Studio). The group started pre-pandemic and finished during the pandemic, which meant that it had to be done this way to some extent, but the band also felt like it was a good way of working.
The nine-song album was pretty much recorded 'in the box', with little outside processing, other than pedals that were used in the original recordings and the odd hardware synth for the live stuff. Plugin chain lengths were, at times, excessive, but the lockdown forced the band to find something to occupy their time with. Mixing was done by members, Matt and Mark, with occasional interjections by Pete and mastering was done in a similar way. Most of the songs started as improvised jams, which were either refined by the three bandmates in a room, or through the sharing of digital files. Musical influences are varied, but there's a lot of ‘80s, indie and ‘90s synth going on, as well as a slight psychedelic edge in places. Animal Collective counts as one influence, as much as in technique and ideas as actual sound. Vocally, The Beach Boys counts as another. You could say Things That Go have one foot in the pop world and one foot in the more experimental. The opening track, “Love we haven’t mastered” has an electric, searing energy, with ear splitting guitar sounds, (or are they synths), accompanied by angelic like singing and a deeper bass part on the keyboards. In a word, the mix of sounds, all the instruments being played and backing vocals are incredible to say the least. It’s hard to pinpoint this early in the record, as to which band or artists to make comparisons to, but if I were to match some up, I would say Radiohead meets The Beach Boys meets Gary Numan? I don’t know, it’s just a thought. The next track “Hotel” has an indie pop approach. The bass and lead rhythm guitars have a clean, unfiltered sound, while the keys play lightly in the background. The singing on this tune is quite good, as are the change ups in tempo – flawless really. I like the ending keyboard parts, too. The opening chords and danceable rhythm to “Loner” immediately remind me of The Smiths, but really c’mon – so many bands have been influenced by them – that’s not to say “Loner” is a rip off song – it’s not. I mean, there can only be one self-deprecating, egotistical English songwriter, right? (Sorry, Moz). Anyway, I hope Things That Go consider my comparison a compliment. The next track “It takes courage” sounds to me like it features some very hard guitar chords to play in its beginning measures. A bit later, synths come in with a heavy sound. Style wise, I think this one has a bit of the psychedelic to it, showcasing spacious, trippy sounds and extra keyboard effects. Another great sounding song in my opinion. “Greta” has a sharper, rocking edge to it – a lot of energy going on here. The band is particularly tight with their playing – great chemistry from start to finish! I would recommend listening to this one for sure. “Hold your eyes” starts off with a more hushed rhythm and subtle style. This is one of the band’s quieter songs. I draw a blank as far as band comparisons. But I would highly recommend listening to this track – it’s magical – the violin/keyboard solo was the icing on the cake for me. Next up is “Loner reprise” – a short, keyboard heavy tune, which also features a rumbling and melodic rhythm section. The group’s longest track, “Headlock” features a fantastic mix of layered keyboards, repeating guitar chords, quick thumps on the floor toms and then a fun pop beat on the chorus part. Overall, I think this tune would do quite well on an alternative rock radio station – it’s quite enjoyable to listen to. The latter half of the song was spooky, and it reminds me of a cross between an ‘80s sci-fi soundtrack and some classic arcade game. The album’s last number is called “Take me home.” This track is somewhat trippy and has a soundscape, uplifting feel to it. Parts of it remind me of something off Coldplay’s A Rush of Blood to the Head album. Another great song and a strong way to end a debut album. I must admit, I didn’t pay attention to the lyrics of each song as much as I did the band’s production, the quality of mixing sounds together and the band’s musical chemistry as a single unit. There is something unique going on with this trio from Leeds. Whether or not the pandemic had anything to do with producing Things That Go, the result is brilliant! I wanted to listen to some of the songs again because I liked them so much. Hopefully they’ll release a follow up soon – or I could just listen to their debut again.
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Songwriter and guitarist Evan Veasey plays with the conventions of 20th century folk and Americana music to explore the recesses of his inner life with an unflinching light on his recent release Don't Cry. Veasey mentions “I would say relevant artist comparisons would be Plastic Ono Band era John Lennon, Paul Simon, Andy Shauf, Twain, Wilco and Christian Lee Hutson.” I would agree with his own assessment of his music.
The first song is entitled “Annie Dillard” and you are greeted with warm guitar picking and well- delivered vocals. It’s warm, comforting and fills you with solace. I was getting Bon Iver and Sufjan Stevens vibes on this song. As the song progresses some more energy is introduced with drums and there’s an additional female vocalist that makes a brief appearance. Great opener. “Seven Years of Bad Luck” has this mix of melancholy and this sort of innocence to it that doesn't make it feel too heavy. The guitars have some delay on them and I thought the other elements were really well implemented. I would say the vocals are the main attraction. “Spread-Eagle” is very intimate and melancholy. Elliott Smith came to mind more on this song. There’s some beautiful slide guitar and a sense of longing and yearning. “Unseen” brings up the energy with one of the most catchy and inviting songs. This song features a full band and it sounds great. It’s also a brighter and pretty joyous sounding song which I thought was placed in the perfect place on the album. “Solar Eclipse” delivers the goods as well. The song is sort of lush with this ’70s like aesthetics. I thought the vocals were top notch here and the organ, guitar, bass and drums had a symbiotic relationship. Paul Simon type energy was prevalent on the song “I Taught Myself.” It’s another great song and I loved the guitar picking and intricate patterns. The super relaxing and serene “Hopefully Someday” sounded like a classic and tips its hat to Americana. “Guiding Light” is beautiful and very hopeful sounding and the closer “Never Change” is an intimate song with orchestral elements that hit the mark. This is an extremely well produced album. The artist recorded at Square Lake Studios and as an engineer myself they did an exceptional job. I will say when a record sounds this good it's easier for the emotive qualities to emerge. I thought this was an exceptional album. Veasey puts a lot of attention on the sequential order of the songs and I suggest listening to this album from beginning to end. That's where the gold is as he puts you through an emotional journey that you will most likely revisit again and again. Highly recommended.
Eastbourne, East Sussex’s The Atlas Project is the solo undertaking of Dale Gorham, whose debut record EP, is a five-track journey through pop rock, indie, punk and more. The music comes bursting right off the gates with an energetic and hard-hitting sound. Gorham pretty much handles all the instrumentation himself. He collaborates with John Mitchell to give life to some of the tracks with his gritty and emotional vocals.
EP begins with “Tuning In,” which is around a ten second introduction as Gorham dials you in. Up next is “Masquerade (ft. John Mitchell),” where some fuzzy guitars light up the sounds here. Once Mitchell’s vocals come in, the gritty and hard rock vibes of the track is obvious. I was also getting some punk from the energies here. I thought Mitchell’s voice was perfect for this kind of music. A sauntering drumming beat comes in alongside some bass on “Ghosts.” Gradually, a wall of guitars arrives. This track took on more notes of prog rock as Gorham tunes in for a more sprawling approach to the music. The music takes its time with absolutely no rushing to the sounds. Some sparse melodic guitars enter at the start of “Broken Wishing Well (ft. John Mitchell).” Next, a drumming beat comes through for a rock vibe. This song felt more like a slow burn as the rock sounds meandered on. Eventually, the momentum grows for a driven and emotional rock finish. Some stripped back guitars highlight the sounds on “Everything’s Okay.” The sparse riffs continue for a while. Next, what sounds like xylophones come in for some unique instrumentation. After that, the pulse to the music grows for a driven rock sound. The melee of guitars is contagious. This seemed to be a great way for the artist to send listeners off. There’s a good amount of pop rock, punk and powerpop energy that will have a lot of fans of the ’90s and ‘00s relishing in the great sounds on this record. I think with what Gorham has done here, he manages to revitalize a bygone era of music, going on to further the genres and giving his own unique takes to the music. A mainly solo project, though I think Gorham has done a good job so far, it might better help flesh out the sound if he decides to enlist the help of other musicians onto the project. This might be food for thought later, but in the meantime, what he has here definitely sounds great! This is a good start and I look forward to seeing more from the artist.
From the Chrysalis (FTC) is a solo experimental electronic artist from Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. The artist is only fifteen years old and started at the age of twelve. His release EYES is a blend of IDM and ambient electronic music with an emphasis on unique drums, arpeggiating synths, and spacious leads.
The opening song is entitled “Remember the stars” and revolves around bright arpeggiated synths, atmospheric pads and an overall cosmic quality. It sort of feels like you might be traveling down a wormhole through space. “Tear apart the sky” is an ambient sounding song with swirling pads, spliced vocal fragments and other airy elements. There’s no percussion on this song and it creates a meditative type of stillness. “13LAZT 0FF” is a huge sounding track. The drums are big but the artist wisely leaves a lot of space for the other elements. It’s one of the more cinematic and thematic sounding songs. “Bring back the sun” is the first song with lyrics. That being said, some of the words seemed to be reversed. I could make out some of the lyrics. This song is more or a slow burn but also one of the highlights in the batch. “CЯYƧƬΛLLIПΣ GLΛƧƧ” twinkles with bright and illuminating sounds. The beginning of the song reminded me of a group called Vitalic. I loved the energy here which feels vibrant and again from cosmic. “Boot up_ (interlude)” sounds like you’re on a ship about to lift off from an alien planet. “I THINK THEREFOR I A.M.” is cerebral and deep in thought. There’s a robotic voice with spoken words on this song. “V O I D” is the most minimal sound track with dark pads floating around while the closer “Game Over” feels like an extension of that. This is a solid start for the young artist. The structure and flow of the songs worked well and I thought there was a lot to appreciate. There’s a good amount of potential and I look forward to hearing more in the not too distant future.
Present Paradox is the Dortmund (Germany) songwriter and media artist David Kleinekottmann. The artist has been prolific over the years and we have reviewed most of his work. His latest is called Caesura. In his own words “In a television interview, the philosopher and publicist Carolin Emcke described it as a drastic caesura that affected everyone: The Corona pandemic.”
As someone who writes about music I can say pandemic inspired albums have been constant for the last couple of years. It’s far and away the most popular theme. I think the most interesting aspect of that is how artists interpret it and make it their own. I’m familiar with Present Paradox and I would say if you enjoyed his previous material this should be an easy win. The melancholy Radiohead vibes are still very much all over this album. The album opens with “The Light Has Changed” and you are greeted with a meditative ambient drone. Drums come in with bass soon to follow. Atmospheric pads wrap the song and the song is moody and gray. The vocals feel smothered in reverb and sort of feel like little sparks of light amongst the dark. I did enjoy the Eastern scales he played on the guitar. It’s definitely a strong opener with a David Bowie and late stage Beatles era like quality. “Warning Tape and a Lost Bag” has a great groove which is reminiscent at first of the song “These Are My Twisted Words” by Radiohead. The song goes in a number of creative directions. There’s a stoic like quality to the vocals which are also deceptively catchy. I loved the brighter synths that emerge on the chorus. “Ignorance Is Bliss” is more or less a piano led ballad but there are some serious transitions. If you stripped away the reverb, delay and pads the song would still hold up. The ornamentation definitely gleans into the moody and cerebral quality. I thought the ending was pretty epic. “Shield” is next and this is sort of a jazzy and again very atmospheric heavy song. The groove is lush and evolves into different patterns but it’s often quite subtle. High quality headphones definitely make a difference. “Update 17” felt like an interlude or transition. There’s some guitar which takes its time, some hiss and that’s about it. The song felt more about creating a mood. “The Eyes of All” is a dynamic song with a bit of a slow burn. There’s this sort of off kilter sounding violin which sounded great above the mix. Piano notes trickle about and there’s memorable vocal melodies as well. One of my personal favorites was the more intimate sounding “Dr. Rieux.” The guitar work is really well done and the vocals sound somewhere between Elliott Smith and Thom Yorke. Great song!“Before It Hits The Ground” is a solid closer. The juxtaposition between the piano and beat felt engaging. I thought the vocals were also some of the more memorable on the album. Fans of Present Paradox should be satisfied with this release and if you are unfamiliar with the artist this is a solid starting point. Recommended. |
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