Jacked Up is a Portland, Oregon band, comprised of Krista Ravengael on vocals and drums and Victor Sabula on guitar. They released their latest album entitled Very Dull Boy. With songs that “focus on rooting for the underdog, star-crossed fantasies and the overall jacked-upedness of modern life,” Jacked Up’s sound features the ups and downs of life peppered a fiery and fierceness that really delivers. Very Dull Boy opens up with “You Funky,” where a melee of guitars oscillates in and out of this track towards the start. The sound then edges into a more driven feel with the ambiance of guitars. Ravengael’s vocals are filled with attitude and flair. Her vocals cover all the bases, going from a snarl to a scream all in one surge of energy. A good amount of funk permeates this song. Following is “#2 Bus.” With little to no hesitation, the vocals come in direct and unhindered. The energy will get listeners riled up in no time. The guitars are paired with drums and percussions adding to the amped vibe. The guitars really come to life. The gritty energy pervades in the punk rock spirt on “Marriot Cruisin’.” The vibe is free-flowing. The drums and percussions come in, in rapid sure-fire succession. The guitar licks reverberate in the background. Toward the one-minute-and-a-half-minute mark Ravengael spews out a spoken word-like performance piece that sounds a lot like she is rapping. On the closer “I Don’t Lose,” full-on guitars give a fully realized vibe at the start of this track. The drumming beat and percussions comes in adding to the overall sound. The song contains overdubbed vocals giving a multi-layered approach to the track. The phrase, “I don’t lose,” is repeated throughout nearly the entirety of the song, sounding a lot like a mantra. Connecting audiences with her personal lyrics, Raveangael will have listeners sympathizing with her journey and her ability to laugh in the face of adversity. In the vein of rock, garage and post-punk genres with brief glimpses of southern rock and country, Very Dull Boy consists of an amalgam of genres. What consistently underlines these set of songs is their fun-loving attitude that will be sure to show you a great time. Revved and energized, Very Dull Boy is one wild ride! Be sure you have a listen today!
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Henry Mansfield is an artist I’ve been familiar with over the years. He is back with a double single entitled Jury Duty + Young / Lovely. He mentions, “In 2018, I became really interested in writing about the experience of myself and my friends-- getting older, graduating from college, and how you begin to understand that the world is completely unorganized.”
I was interested to hear this because this is actually a point I’m well past in my own life. College was about twenty years ago but I remember those types of feelings surfacing especially when you are young and stepping into adulthood. The first song is entitled “Jury Duty” and I was definitely feeling some Ben Folds vibes. Speaking of college, that was one of my favorite bands at the time. The song is well constructed and powerful in a number of ways. It's very dynamic going from intimate moments of piano with vocals to explosive crescendos. The lyrics are very well done. I found the lyrics to be original and thought-provoking. There are a lot of lines that are ambiguous and interpretative. Mansfields sings, “There is beauty in our bodies / More than fumbling locks and keys / Hold my hand and say it with me / I am not my insecurity / There’s one thing keeping your clothes on / And it’s not me.” The instrumental aspects are fantastic both from a technical and a creative perspective enjoyed what I was hearing. Up next is “Young/Lovely” which might even be better. The song has an upward momentum and the horns are a bigger factor here. There is some fabulous playing all around and some serious rocking and even some distortion.The song quickly takes off and is full blast until around the four-minute mark. There is a breakdown and female harmonies are introduced. I was getting a Sufjan Stevens vibe at first but in the spirit of his album Chicago. The song gets really intense towards the end with the Dropkick Murphys type of crowd chanting. I think things can feel unorganized especially when you are a young adult. If you dig a little deeper you will realize that this stems from chaos, uncertainty and a sense of not having control. That’s literally what the outside world is. The reality is you will never be able to organize or control the chaos of the outside world but what you can try and do is organize your own garden. The last lyrics of this release are “If we can’t be young and lovely / We will just be young.” That’s good advice. It’s a bit of cliche to say we lose some of the wonder we had as a kid. It’s not that the wonder has escaped from the world but we become more afraid to explore like we once did. If you organize your mind, body and spirit then you will be able to confront the future with exploration instead of uncertainty and that will provide a foundation which you can walk on.
Lace is the neo-soul project of four Los Angeles based musicians. The band formed as a reunion of sorts after two years apart. After jamming together, songs took shape that would become their debut EP Liar’s Notebook. It’s a head-bopping neo-soul project with a heavy jazz tilt. When tasked to explain the sound, Lace said, “Trying to come up with a particular sound is harder than we thought! Perhaps if Tom Misch and tUnE-yArDs had a baby?” Anyone that is excited by this explanation should give the EP a listen.
Liar’s Notebook has a clear story arc within its short runtime. According to the band, “The EP follows the protagonist into her journey as she creates worlds and safe spaces only to confront them later on in life.” We get a small peek into this person’s life, and it’s fun to follow and ultimately see where it ends up. Despite its specific arc, Liar’s Notebook calls up broader questions about “the lies we believe, we tell ourselves and the ones that are told to us.” These themes never become too heavy or overshadow the music. Lace does a great job of balancing the two on this EP. The songs on Liar’s Notebook are catchy and have standout musical performances. “Liar Liar” boasts memorable vocal melodies and scat from singer Mana Contractor, with an inspired guitar solo from Sidhant Jain. “Birds” is the dreamiest track on the EP with am abundance of bird chirps and vocal layers. Drummer Navneet Rao and bassist Connor Coram put in work as well-- they are the driving force of this song. The closer “Remember” is dynamic, as the song moves effortlessly through four sections with entirely different feelings. One moment you’re nostalgic, the next you’re dancing and the next you’re flying. It highlights all the members’ talents in one song. It’s clear on Liar’s Notebook that Lace is full of talented musicians that, most importantly, have chemistry. The songs are fully fleshed out, and each musician has moments that highlight their talent. If only I were in LA to see them live. If you’re in the area when venues open back up, try to catch this group. But, before then, give Liar’s Notebook a listen.
Back in 2018 we at Divide and Conquer reviewed The Racketeers self-titled debut album to high acclaim. The band is back with their sophomore album entitled Toothache. The band was working on this while on the precipice of graduating college. They are young and got their whole life ahead of them so what else would you write about — which is growing up. The band explains, “The songs are about different aspects of life and growing up. We thought the cover picture and the name toothache fitted well because a lot of the things you start to do in your 20’s are actually terrible for you and the world as a whole but you still do them because they feel good at the time. You can get enticed by lots of sweet stuff but end up with a weird feeling that something’s wrong.”
Truth be told that’s a lot more perceptive than I was in my 20’s. I’m a couple months away from 40 and can say if you aren’t careful those family hedonistic tendencies can stay with you. Musically, the band is primarily a rock band at their core. They mention styles like “60s R&B, shoegaze and indie” but that’s really all under the umbrella of rock to my ears. The band gets going with “Sundown” which is the arguable highlight. It’s a catchy song that is fun but emotionally resonant. The song starts off with vocal and guitar melodies that grab you. I liked that the guitar and vocals often worked in tandem. The rhythm section does a good job of holding down the fort and providing the energy and dynamics. “Half Hearted Prayer” is also a great song. It’s a little more upbeat and felt similar in style to a band like The Shins. “Parts Of The Story” is bright with a good amount of reverb as well as distortion. The song drives and and often soars in slightly post-rock fashion during the chorus. “Glitter” has a tinge of rockabilly. Some of the vocals reminded me of Courtney Barnett in that it felt like a stream of consciousness almost between singing and spoken word. They provide some indie rock goodness with “Hey Smile (It's Been A While)” and “Orange and Hazy” which is upbeat and catchy while “Make A Break” ramps up the energy. I loved “No Show” which felt like a highlight. The way the instruments play off each other in the song really works and the chorus is undeniably infectious. “Climbing The Walls” is stripped back and a slightly dissonant closer revolving around guitar and vocals. The band has certainly upped their game. I found this album engaging, fun and cohesive. Take a listen.
I haven’t been to Italy in more than twenty years. My last visit was when I was in high school and I was about the same age of the members of Buss are now. Even though I lived and still live in Chicago I was into roughly the same music and in fact was in a band that made very similar music. Back in the mid to late ‘90s my friends and I were into bands like Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and a lot of classic rock along with bands like The Smashing Pumpkins and Nirvana. On their self-titled EP Buss, this young band wears their influences on their sleeves in a very similar manner and crush it.
From the opening chord of the song “Liars” I had a very good idea of what I was going to be in for and I was right on the money. The song sounds like an homage to classic rock bands and in particular Black Sabbath from the tone of the guitars, to the drum beats to the chords used. I would say the primary difference is the vocalist who has his own distinct vocal delivery. As the song progresses the band goes into a couple guitar solos in the spirit of Led Zeppelin and even a tinge of Jimi Hendrix. The band continues on this trajectory with “Tv Show” but go more into punk territory at points. It’s raw, fun, fast and sounds young. The band Motörhead came to mind at certain points during the song. They have success “Electric Eyes” which is a heavy hitting song somewhere between hard rock and ’70s metal. Suffice it say the band definitely did their homework, The band pulls off some moves straight from the handbook of rock. They continue with “Flying Lady” and “Stagnant Pool” which really just cements their foundation. Buss is an impressive band and it’s obvious they are having fun and making some great music by keeping the spirit of classic rock alive. I’ve been producing bands for over twenty years now and the one thing I tell young bands like Buss is that being influenced by the legends that came before is a good thing. Take for example artists like The White Stripes that were influenced by bands like Led Zeppelin: you have to find a way to introduce an X-factor into the equation which creates a signature and even singular sound. That’s something the band should carve away at as they evolve their sound: How can we combine our influences with the X-factor that creates our sound? I’m happy the band recorded to tape for this release because the songs sound raw and similar to bands from the ’70s. It definitely felt like a good way to go. Overall, I would say this is a good EP and the band certainly shows a lot of potential. This is a promising start and I wish them luck as they continue to create music. I look forward to hearing more from them.
Last year Meathouse Man released EP 1 which we reviewed at Divide & Conquer. He is back with EP 2 and mentions, “It's a continuation of EP 1, after this I'm working on four more songs and I'll release the full album. It's basically a punk rocker trying to sound like classic rockers.”
The song this time around felt like a mix of folk and rock. I really couldn’t hear much in these songs I would consider punk. The songs made me feel like I was strolling down the streets with my hands in my pockets without a care in the world. The first song is entitled “Good Times” and as the song implies it’s about good times. It felt like a sing-along almost from beginning to end. There is sort of this hopelessly optimistic feeling to the song. The instrumentation and vocals were solid. That being said the vocalist had some issues when hitting the bridge but you could argue that’s some of the charm. Overall, it was a good opener that with philosophical insights you have probably heard before like “enjoy what you have.” The end of this song goes into a section that sounds like it was a tribute to The Beatles in particular the album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. I’m sure you can figure out the song I’m talking about. Up next is “Enchantress” which really sounded like late ’60s folk rock. He put some vocal effects during the song which was a good way to change up the textures and tones of the song as it progressed. There is also a pretty solid guitar solo. As the song progresses the dynamics were impressive. “Walking Away” was nostalgic and reminiscent of teen dreams. The lyrics were this sort of ’50s recollection of romantic love. It felt like a classic song of that era from the lyrics to the instrumentation. I think the horns were a good addition to the song. He gets his most melancholy by far on the closing song “Let’s Run Away.” It sounds like it could have been in a Disney movie. The mood was warm and provided solace in some ways. HIs lyrics are very straightforward without any need to interpret. This was definitely the best guitar work on the EP. This is a solid collection of songs and follow-up that makes sense when comparing it to his first release. His full length is apparently in the works, so if you enjoy this that will be something else to look forward to.
SILENT STORIES is the ninth release from DP. Yes, that’s nine and I’ve heard most of his songs. SILENT STORIES sounded like the artist I’ve become acquainted with over the years. On this release he might embrace his indie rock influences more than ever. I’ve mentioned that his music for me often puts me in the same headspace as listening to old Pavement, Yo La Tengo and other indie bands that are from around the era.
The album starts with “HAPPY DAYS'' and well that’s a great name for the song. It’s a highlight and certainly puts you in a good mood. It’s one of the more playful tunes I have heard maybe ever. This is the type of song I’m perfectly fine having on repeat because it releases some dopamine every time you listen. “CURIOUS MIND” is a song that rides this line although this song is beautifully done because of its simplicity. It’s hypnotic and there isn’t much more than bass, guitar and drums, although there are some welcome additional elements like another guitar which show up. Things feel a little hazy and fuzzy on “EYES CLOSED.” There is a tremolo effect here which gives the song a vertigo inducing feel but not too much. It still feels very grounded in his style. The mood starts to pop and feel energetic with “ARE YOU WHERE YOU WANT TO BE?” I loved the guitar work which explores the canvas and the steady bass and drums which hold things down. “A STORY INSIDE MY HEAD” has a garage rock vibe in the spirit of a band like The Strokes. It felt like a slight deviation in style but not like the next song “DON'T LEAVE TOO SOON.” “DON'T LEAVE TOO SOON” is the most experimental song I’ve heard from DP and was quite beautiful. It’s a collage of sorts and sounded closer to an artist like Windy & Carl. I’d be interested in more like this in the future. “I FEEL COMFORTABLE HERE” was a great way to wrap things up because the song sounds like the title. It’s been a little while since his last release and this one made me realize how much I enjoyed this work and his previous discography. Take a listen.
MCD is an independent recording artist from the UK and has been dabbling in the world of hip-hop for the best part of 18 years. In 2004, MCD received a commendation award from MTV at TRL studios in London for his track about UK politics and more recently featured vocally on Russian artist Rudenko's single "Stranger" which reached number 3 in the UK dance charts. CoronaVIOLENCE is his first solo album in twelve years and was completely mixed and mastered by himself while in quarantine.
My first impression when listening to the track “Annihilate” was that his rapping style sounded very similar to Eminem. The mood was dark with hard hitting bass. “Space Tourist” sounded a bit different in terms of his vocal inflection. There is a mix of rapping, spoken word and other styles which are in front of this cosmic sounding track. He raps about the fear, secrecy, confusion and chaos that started to develop when the pandemic starts to spread globally. The mood is definitely dark on “COVID-19” and I thought the word flow was smooth, inventive and engaging. “Addicted feat. Dabble'' felt like a club thumper but the dark vibe certainly continues with this track. Dabble has a distinctly different style and it was a nice change in style and pace but still made sense when hearing the album as a cohesive piece of art. The mood is even darker on “Shooter feat. Self Savior & S.Cross.” This song revolves around murder, mayhem and violence. School violence seems to be the center of the bullseye. As the album progresses there really isn’t much light to find around the corner. “Front Page News feat. Cryptic,” “The Old Hag” and “Casket” as well as the other songs continue to go towards this trajectory. This is an intensely dark release and not for the faint of heart. The subject matter isn’t for everyone but will reap rewards for fans of the genre who aren’t afraid to confront the topics head on. MCD is unapologetic in his approach and summarizes a lot for the fears we, as a society and world, have been feeling more and more.
Ryan Yingst is a Pittsburgh based multi-instrumentalist/producer/songwriter who recently released Bar Rings. Yingst has spent the last few years touring with bands from New York to LA which includes many different genres such as country, rock, jam-band and indie while working as a sound engineer and producer. The jam band qualities certainly come out in this music.
The album starts with “28” and is sort of a bright, rock sound. It really did feel like something you would jam out live to. I kept on picturing space hippies and closely related Dave Matthew fans dancing to a song like this on a lawn. Up next is “Benzedrine” and this song has a similar vibe. It’s airy, embraces clean guitar and buoyant bass lines. Similar to a lot of jam bands the vocals melodies weren’t sticking with me. I think it’s perhaps the singing style that soars along with the music. “One Stop Shopping” continues a similar feel. I enjoyed the added organ and this song is very carefree and breezy sounding. The instrumental aspects were impressive and again had the feeling like I should be listening to this at an outside concert. The more jazzy and blues inspired “Don't Go” was a highlight. Yingst’s vocal style plays into the music and is more soulful. I thought the horns were a great addition. The “Interlude” has some Fleet Foxes sounding guitar work and was actually a high point for me although the psychedelic delayed talking felt like an unneeded distraction from the playing. “Crystal Ball” had a pop-punk/folk flavor to my ears while “Rose-Colored Glasses” goes back into upbeat but more percussive jamming. He closes with a ballad entitled “Once I Was” which is more vocal based and more nostalgic and reflective. This release had an interesting mix of styles. The production was good and songwriting was solid. Take a listen.
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 Benjamin Adair Murphy Let's Make a King 3.7 Perfect Stragedy Dreams & Hope 3.3 David Shurr Heaven 3.7 Fanclubwallet Interstate 3.7 The Real Ingredients The Real Ingredients (Live) 3.5 |
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