I honestly thought if I threw The Permutation into a search engine I'd get at least a couple of hits from bands from the 60s or 70s, even 80s, who released a single or two and then cut their losses. But nope, looks like these three stoners from Denmark are the one and only - hyper masculine psychedelic rock with just a set of drums, bass and guitar. Saviors & Villains opens with the moody "Before the Storm," where sorry-sounding bass strings are plucked while rain pours into a swirling guitar solo. Then things get serious. "A Change Is Coming" is a brilliant emulation of 90’s stoner rock. Guitarist Jonas Rethmeier puts the spins on your mind with his chaotic swirls. "Khamûls Glam" keeps things fresh with more varied drumming and funkier bass lines, courtesy of Pontus Pedersen and Marcus Åkelund, with the added bonus of having wild lyrics like "have you accepted Christ?" before a wild howl and searing guitar riffs. Then, just to be spontaneous, they shift gears entirely on the dark funk of "Sun Dancing Herring" and even channel a bit of Carlos Santana toward the end just because. Åkelund and Rethmeier split vocal duties, and their feral calls of destruction add to the music. This a stunning debut, due in no small part of the bands' excellent take on different genres and in particular Rethmeier's powerful guitar work. There're some little things, like that damn clacking sound on "Saviors" and on some songs I wish the bass were a bit more prominent. Otherwise this music makes me want to drown in beer while wearing a coat made of dirty, shaggy hair. Fact is, these boys know what they like and how to express. Unfortunately for my eardrums, they like playing frikken awesome rock music.
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Cousin is a Brighton-based trio comprised of individuals who are cousins to someone somewhere. Not even on a genetic level, but you know how some people use “cuz” as a term of endearment? Anyway, musically this EP, Alternate Tunings For Regular People is six songs full of brawny drumming (Alex Uren) and heavy guitar licks (Chris Blakey and Orpheas Zoupanos) that, when combined, create some downright affecting instrumental rock, like when you see those sunsets with the blood-red clouds. Cousin is relatively young, having formed in late 2011 after the boys were like, "Hey, you listen to Pavement, US Maple (!) and Slint too?" Alternate Tunings For Regular People is their most recent endeavor and comes out of Brighton-based DIY label Fcking The Night. The song arrangements make me think of Melvins or Butthole Surfers if Butthole Surfers cared about melody, but with a striking melancholy sound. Production is awesome; muffled and mighty is how I'd describe it, though the way volume is distributed was key in my enjoyment of this EP. "Fussball Politics" and "Coffee Malts" in particular demonstrate tremendous restraint as the guitars crawl around the compositions, while the seemingly sinister "Post Relationship Feedback Form" builds on neo-noir guitar chords and thick drum pauses. As math rock musicians, Cousin uses repetition more than most, but that's hardly a bad thing. Their chords of choice are sweet and sometimes sorrowful. Actually, this entire EP makes me think of Los Angeles for some reason. And maybe if they're reading this review and are thinking of relocating.
My leg spazzed a little when Matthew Fowler began singing on "Leaving Home/Open Road," the opening track from his debut album Beginning. The dude is just barely old enough to buy cigarettes yet his voice expresses the hurt, love and experience achieved by those well on their way to the grave. Playing dramatic folk music rich in texture and vocal harmonies, Fowler began writing this album when he was 14, though at the time he didn't realize it would blossom into what you're listening to today. Hell, Fowler and friends didn't even have recording experience before this work; all recording took place in his family's kitchen. Beginning is comprised of nine songs that explore topics such a loneliness and love. Whatever he sets his sights on, Fowler deals with them in a startlingly mature way. The acoustic solitude on "Blankets," for example, alludes to the addiction of love: "When I was young I fell in love/and I've been falling ever since/with a way to speak my mind/with broken English/and crooked rhymes." Other songs use simpler lines and arrangements, such as "Don't Change," which was written when Fowler was 14. Fowler is not alone in his endeavors; friends and fellow musicians join him. Of particular note are Tana Prado and Adeline Prado, who create soaring vocal harmonies with Fowler. Pianists, trumpeters and stand-up bassists also make appearances to add color to the music. The arrangements are usually simple, but always effective. Each song is an exercise in how the sum can be greater than the whole, especially when the sum includes Fowler's guitar and his ridiculously expressive voice. I'm making myself paranoid by thinking there may have been some Faustian deal going on here. With Beginning, Fowler introduces himself as a musician to be recognized. I maintain folk music is one of the hardest genres to breach nowadays, but this kid's got the chops, the backing and the voice to make his end as far as he wants. This album is recommended, especially if you're feeling uninspired.
Jimmy Olofsson, aka Paris in the Spring, of Gothenburg, Sweden, makes pleasant tropical ambience that should be on the mix list of every cruise ship. He is also my unofficial soul mate because like me, he got so fed up with not being able to play instruments he decided to use software to digitally create music. The only difference is he's actually doing it, I'm just writing about him doing it. Since Olofsson created everything in his bedroom, this album, Beyond the Sea, technically qualifies as bedroom pop. He hits all the right spots in creating an oceanic atmosphere, from layered, barely oscillating synth lines to sharp drum patterns breaking through keyboard hooks. "Sunset Paradise" is one of the most impressive tracks I've heard from a musician who strictly creates his music through electronics; Olofsson proves he has an ear for rhythm and structure with warbled noises, samples of running water and sudden cuts to drawn-out beats. And of course it ends with a twilight drone under birds chirping. It's a beautiful track that bestows upon the listener a sense of belonging to a collective warmth. I mean the whole album just sounds…warm. It's a fantastic companion piece to working those lonely midnight hours after having two days of no sleep. The forlorn horn samples on the opener "Last Morning of July" beckon to me in a way organic music doesn't. Like many albums we review, the beauty of Beyond the Sea lie in the way a newer artist explores the musical world he creates. The eponymous track uses AOR-style guitar hooks over super light percussion while an electronic ocean quietly ebbs and flows in the background. A sense of peace and tranquility prevail throughout its nine minutes and though the track doesn't "go" anywhere in particular, it still brought me to some lovely locales. Keep in mind Olofsson has been making music for like four months only. To create tracks like "Sunset Paradise" and the Brasilia-styled "Campfire Stories" is, to say the least, impressive.
Every week we mention a couple of artists that are worth your time to check out that were not featured in our weekly reviews.
Xylen Robert is a producer out of West Virginia who released an album called Jump Into The Portals back in 2012 and recently released Neuron Observer. He has been compared to Animal Collective but the songs feel more closely related to Sung Tungs and Here Comes The Indian rather than Merriweather Post Pavillion. The songs are a concoction of psychedelic, electronic tendencies that are often disorienting as if you took some acid and decided to take a ride on Space Mountain. A fun experience overall for some but if you don't brace yourself you could be in for a ride you didn't expect. Besides the often-adventurous sonic territory he treads you can also find some evidence of melody underneath the surface. The song doesn't become a complete mess because it has one or two pieces that seem to carry a recognizable melody underneath the mess, usually his voice and at other times the piano. I have to give him credit where its due because he does a good job at creating sounds that often sound bigger than the sum of their parts and he does occasionally restrain himself, which is nice. Jump Into The Portals is the harsher of the two records and less polished. He treated his vocals with care and are much more discernible on Neuron Observer. Jump Into The Portal opens with “Jump into The Portals” which contains arpeggiated synth tones that pan from ear to ear as a distorted kick drum tries to stabilize the bright pads. The song contains vocals that are mostly drowned out by all the other noises. He changes his vocal style numerous times during the song going from almost singing to heavily distorting his voice and what sounds like scatting. “Somewhere Through The Fog” is a point where the trip starts going south and you start seeing images of the wicked witch of the west. “Existential Compulsions” reminded me of a sea shanty in a disturbing reality where cartoon pirates rule the world. He doesn't really sing here. He kind of sings, talks, and almost even raps. I’m not sure. “A GIF From The Gods” starts off as his most minimal song yet. However not his least experimental as he manipulates his voice and you can’t hear a word he is saying. The tones and sounds seem to be a collection of synth as I wasn't able to make out a particular instrument. "Continuum" the first track on Neuron Observer is fast, frantic song the combines intricate patterns and nuances as Roberts sings over them. It has a much different feel then anything on Jump Into The Portals and feel more contained. There are a lot of elements but don't feel as sporadic as they did on his previous album. One of the highlights on the album is Samsara Katana" which maybe the most digestible song for people unfamiliar with music similar to this. He utilizes a variety of sounds as usual but his vocal work really carries the song here and feel like the focal point. In regards to Jump Into The Portals at ten songs and a couple of those songs going over the ten-minute mark the album overstays its welcome by a tad. It’s a heavy journey with an onslaught of sonic frequencies that are often jarring as well as stimulating. It may not be the thing to put you to bed at night but if you want to a collection on sounds that cover the gamut in creative ways you should take a listen. Neuron Observer shows Roberts skill expanding and yet at the same time showing restraint. The album relies on his vocal work as a main component and have to say I like this trend. It's a pleasure seeing an artist come into his own and start to hone in on his craft.
Shock Ray Blue is the moniker for Adam Robson. He is based out of San Francisco and creates lo-fi acoustic music. His songs don't feel like a typical singer/songwriter type. I don't see him slumped over his guitar trying to spew out songs about lost love and hurt emotions. The songs on his album Grin feel carefree and unpretentious which makes them very attractive. Take for instance the song “home to me” which revolves around a simple but catchy vocal line that carries the song. The Magnetic Fields come to mind when I listen to these songs.
The album starts off with “south california” in which the best thing about the song is obviously the warm sounding trumpet. It sounds pretty darn smooth as it lightly treads above the guitar. The trumpet playing does stop there but is revisited on a number of songs. Thank god. I was impressed by the vocal work and harmonies on “(a whisper out west). While the vocal work was minimal I like that they were distant rather than right in your face like a lot of other acoustic music. “Peeling oranges” might be a contender to be placed in a Quentin Tarantino movie if the productionon the song was improved while “1991” is a fun song that is infectiously catchy. Ultimately, the recording quality really starts to affect the songs. It’s a shame because there are some really great songs here that I would have really enjoyed if they were just a bit less rough around the edges. Hopefully on his next effort he can find a way to get some decent mics to improve the quality of the recordings. Joe Mifsud is a singer/songwriter and musician that brings together a laundry list of influences and creates something that is both derivative and unique. His parents noticed his potential as a musician early on and subsequently involved him in music programs. As he grew up, he lost interest in drums as a primary instrument, wanting to write songs inspired by influences like the Beatles, Queen and Nirvana. So he did what any sane person would do in his position and borrowed his older brother's guitar as often as he could until his parents bought him his own. He released his first album, Mifology, in 2009 and it was met with a "lackluster response" that left Mifsud in a bit of a dark place. He took a couple of years to recoup and figure out how to approach a follow-up release. Then he got to work with an old friend and recorded Stay Calm And Carry On in a little over a year. The result is a polished record with great performances and catchy songs. As I listened to songs like "Prying" and "Lady Liberty,” I found myself reminded of Jimmy Eat World. His voice has an uncanny similarity to that of Jim Adkins while his songwriting stays well within the realm of catchy rock music. Mifsud shows his sense of humor with songs like the pop-punk tune "My Soulmate Has No Soul" and folky "Can't Make Plans With Girls.” He explores 90's jangle pop with "It's Only Me,” a song that makes fantastic use of the woefully underused cowbell and "sha la la" background vocals. The album mellows out with the string-heavy "Being There" which features a gorgeous arrangement that sits amid brushed drums and acoustic guitar. "Honeymoon's Over" continues the strings and adds some wonderful background vocals. "Bound" is reminiscent of a certain Weezer song that mixes in flamenco guitar and an organ that gives the song a retro feel. "Afterthought" closes out the album and feels like the 90's in a good way. Mifusd describes his music as alternative, but as an alternative rock album, it doesn't really hold up. As a pop rock album, though, it's definitely a fun listen and one worth your time. The brevity of the songs helps the album move along swiftly and the variety of genres Mifsud explores keeps things interesting. The songs are catchy and really work their way into your brain, leaving you with a batch of tunes that you'll catch yourself humming long after your first listen. To say that information about the folk collective, Harvest Home, is scarce would be to put things very lightly. The sum total of information that I have is that they are based in the Northeast USA and that they make some unique music. It feels like it's from another decade; an amalgamation of 60's psychedelic and British folk. In the little story about the album on their Bandcamp page, there's a quote that says, "Sometimes I think the best music happens when no one is making it." I think that just about sums up their goal with this project, There Was A Little Toolshed Where He Made Us Suffer. While it contains only five songs, the shortest song is over five minutes long. What's great about this music is that it sifts through different genres at the same time making it hard to pinpoint what you are listening to. It is a band playing organic instruments like guitar, bass and drums but they do unexpected things that a lesser band would never even think of. Take for instance the first song “Lady of The Valley” which starts with the vocalist singing along to the lead string part that is reminiscent of Norwegian Wood. It sounds great. They could have easily stopped at the two minute mark and called it a day. Instead they add some other instruments and around the 2:40 mark they briefly go into a section that sounds like a whirlwind of chaos they quickly get back on track. It doesn't sound out of place instead completely natural and exhilarating. The last four minutes are definitely worth sticking around for if you enjoy the sound of the sitar and traditional, Indian percussion. I was excited after the first song but didn't prepare me for “Reflections In The Water”. The song begins with gorgeous distant strings they reverberate a warm hum that is comforting . It's so serene I probably would have been content listening to that for 17 minutes. The song instead decides to go through peaks and valleys that contain distorted electric guitar riffs and at other times a collection of manipulated feedback . This isnt post-rock 2013. Maybe if you went back into the 1970’s and told a rock band about post-rock was this is what they would come up with. Things slow down a bit on the third track, "I Opened My Eyes.” I almost forgot I was listening to it until about three minutes in when the song picked up again and turned into a great classic rock tune. The track, "The Little Toolshed" starts out absolutely like something from the second British folk revival but quickly turns into a rock song and stays that way. It's a sprawling, instrumental jam session. Odd imagery fills the lyrics of the final song, "Going Going Gone!," speaking of a man that is miles tall and sings the blues. Melodically, it's the weakest song on the album. It feels lazily sung, but the instrument performances are superb. It has to be said that this anonymous group of musicians are remarkably talented. I only wish we had more information about them. For now, the music is more than enough. The first thing I thought when listening to Greg Bryant Expansion was that this is the type of music that's meant to be seen live; maybe doing a little interpretive dance with a cocktail in hand. Greg Bryant Expansion is basically incredibly talented musicians flexing their muscles for six songs showing you guitar, bass, piano and drum work people will be in awe of. The self-titled EP Greg Bryant Expansion was recorded (in mostly mono) on a MCI JH-600 console straight to 2-inch analog tape via the MCI JH24 and then put into Protool in about 24 hours. It is obvious from this setup that they wanted to capture the pure energy, intensity, and emotion of a live performance. I have to say they did a pretty job. Instrumental music can often lose me after a couple of minutes if it isn't changing and evolving. While some of the music gained my attention more for the technical aspects than the creative one I was absorbed enough in the music to not miss vocals. The album starts thing off with “Bolo” which focuses around lead guitar work that hits about a million different notes in this five-minute song. The other instruments are doing a lot of cool things but it was hard to take my focus off the guitar as it was hitting the frequencies my ears were drawn to. As the guitar notes bend and the song intensified it reminded me of listening to Hendrix. Suffice it to say you can tell there was some influence from the man. I was really digging “The Ansible” as it created an open playground for all the instruments to improvise and have fun. Some spectacular raw drums sounds on this one as well as Rhodes piano twirls around the canvas and a funky bass line make this one very danceable. After a short organ interlude things slow down and get real sexy like with “Filmore Syndicate.” I could feel the lights dim as the song played. The album closes with a short freak-out section called “Austerity.” If you need something to sing-a-long to you may want to pass this one up but if you like hearing technically sound musicians who are most likely a lot better than you then check this out.
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