Eliot Martin is a musician from Canada now living in India. I’m not sure how that happened but I do know he released an album entitled Just One Hitch. This is a dense album and I’m not just talking about the lyrics. It's dense with instrumentation. Just take a look at the Bandcamp page for this album. French Horns, dobro, guitars, mandolin - you get the idea.
The songs are clean with separation. There isn’t much distortion which is a good thing with so much to hear. Some of the songs feel very atmospheric. I have to admit I have mixed feelings about Martin’s vocal performances. To call him a naturally gifted vocalist would be a stretch. There were songs where I think he nailed it and other songs where it didn’t quite land for me. He opens with “Fallen Thru” which is covered with organ, vocal harmonies, guitar, piano and more. There is a Steely Dan vibe in there somewhere but I could hardly call this a rock song. The song is warm and the lush arrangements surround you. “I Nearly Died” is more straight up rock not too far from The Rolling Stones. In fact he has a Mick Jagger inflection on this song but lacks the natural harmonics and distortion that Jagger seems to possess. I thought his voice was better suited for a the very next song “Little Green Men” which has a great beginning section before launching into the verse. The song feels a bit silly but I thoroughly enjoyed the vibe of the song. There are other songs that have a unique vibe like “Wing and a Prayer.” Somewhere in there is a singer/songwriter vibe. As the album progresses there are certainly some highlights. One of them is “Planet Gorgeous.” The instrumentation is solid with orchestral strings supporting the vocals. Another highlight is “Mud Creek.” There are some sparse moments on this one along with very minimal percussion and stand up bass. I’m not completely sure how Martin fits into the current scene. I can’t see his music being commercially viable on FM radio but he also would have a tough time in the climate of the underground. Luckily we live in a day and age with the Internet and you can find a niche of people for almost any style of music. Fans of artists like Elvis Costello, Steely Dan and The Beatles should at the very least give this album a couple of spins.
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Robert Chappell (bass), Devin Magallanes (vocals), James Callahan (guitar), Lane Kennedy (guitar) and Alex Armbruster (drums) are The Poise. The band has barely even formed at this point but has managed to squeak out a three-song demo quality EP entitled Visceral EP. All three songs were written in the span of a couple of weeks
At this point the band is in such an embryonic stage that there's no telling what they will sound like once they start to find a sound. At this point the songs have a very early 2000s garage rock feel. In fact the songs often sound eerily similar to The Strokes. Magallanes sounds a lot like Julian Casablancas. It’s the inflection in his voice. The fact that many, many bands out there still sound a lot like The Strokes goes to show how influential they were. That being said I remember the same thing happening when I was in high school and every band sounded like Nirvana. This is in part because the music of both Nirvana and The Strokes is easy to replicate. It’s simple 4/4 time music revolving around power chords. The band starts off with “Covet” which is a catchy, quick song. It’s straightforward with no surprises as the band sticks to garage rock 101. Magallanes sings, “cheaters, they'll never lie and quitters, they'll never die how is the picture rare if i see it everywhere?” Next up “Rooftop” is a little faster but of the same spirit. It is followed up by the almost indispensable “When To Close Your Eyes.” I’m impressed the band was able to come up with these songs so quickly but it also displays the band has not had enough time to find their own essence. As for the songs on this EP the band will need to practice their due diligence to separate themselves from a certain band. This more than anything is crucial to any band starting up. Do not wear your influences on your sleeve to the point where it's obvious. All that being said the band has plenty of time to discover who they are and I hope to hear more of that on an upcoming release.
Born in Russia and now living in Canada the artist known as Bulat released Just Before The Beat. The album contains fourteen songs which could fit into a double album. With no filler and the closer “Together We’ll Be Free” being over seven-minutes long this is a girth-y album. Luckily, these songs don’t take a lot of effort to enjoy. At the end of the day these songs fall into a rock/pop category with some slight deviations. Bulat isn’t pulling off insane free jazz progressions of shifting tempo mid-song. The songs are simple, catchy and melodic. You’ll be singing along in no time.
He opens with “Just Before The Beat” which feels like a long intro. It’s more or less one long crescendo with the vocal harmonies on top of instrumentation. After that he goes into “Surgeon” which is a straightforward rock song. It’s a well-crafted song but nothing too surprising along the way. He pulls back the distortion on the next song “I Chose You.” I really liked this song. It reminded me of Gordon Lightfoot and has some great instrumentation on this track. “Kiss Me Now” and “Stay With Me” fall into a rock category. “In The Middle Of A War” felt a little out of place because of the reggae vibe. That being said this is one of the highlights on the album. The reggae vibe is more UB40 than Bob Marley. As the album progresses Bulat revisits rock, pop and reggae. A highlight was “Make It Better.” It’s just a well-crafted song and that reggae vibe is back. The vocal performance stuck out to me on this track. He closes with “Together We’ll Be Free” which is essentially two tracks with silence in the middle. The second half is ambient revolving around pads and piano. Just Before The Beat is a well rounded album that will appeal to a large demographic. The songs are well-crafted but I thought his best moments were the most subtle and melodic.
Moving Structures is a progressive instrumental band from Los Angeles, California. The four-piece, in its current form, has existed since 2012 and is comprised of Chris Marquard, James Moore, Mitch Wayte and Kevin Lewis.
But Moving Structures has been blending an aesthetic of visual and auditory art for six years and that experience truly shows on their newest concept album entitled Awake. The 12-track piece opens with stunningly beautiful piano chords which echo into oblivion on “Burial.” This transcends into gentle tinkering and dancing between single notes, whilst an intensely-growing, ominous, beautiful choir emerges. Eventually, the swirling, glorious atmosphere fades into nothingness as the next track approaches. The very Radiohead-esque “Anthropomorphism’” continues this ethereal, atmospheric and glorious journey, but instead favors glistening guitar solos, crashing cymbals and smooth, understated bass guitar. In amongst the chaotically-quiet noise, this track challenges the listener to search deeper for other sonic treats hidden in the abyss. Synth and whirring effects seem to be hidden amongst it all, but it is hard to focus during a song so soothing. Swirling sounds abound on the sublime “Invisible Giants.” Clinking, plinking electronic noises are caught up and lost in the cavernous well of synth. As I write this, I feel as if I’m caught underwater; calming, glitchy, glorious noise surrounds me and I’m wondering how one even begins to write something like this. Other tracks on the album, such as “The Siege” take on a more rock-centric approach. Punchy, precise drums and looping, noodling, clean electric guitar melodies overlap one another to create an electric atmosphere while retaining the atmospheric sense of tranquility present throughout the entire album. All in all, I cannot imagine the amount of work that went into Awake, but I can easily believe that it took two years to complete. I sense Moving Structures could achieve any musical career they desired, given their eclectic range of musical stylings.
Andrew Hardie (lead guitar), Harris Wales (guitar) and Colin Brewton (drums) are the three- piece post-rock band Lasting Impressions. The members are between sixteen and eighteen years old. At such a young age the band is already showing some potential.
It’s hard not to be influenced by the bands you’re diggin' at that age. Let’s face it when you’re a teenager you haven't had much life experience and the music you play often reflects the music you listen to. Lasting Impressions wear their influences on their sleeves which could come from a myriad of bands such as Sigur Rós to Explosions In The Sky. They have done their homework and play into the criteria the genre calls for. They also have some talent from a technical perspective and I have to wonder at what age they started playing their instruments. Their self-titled album Lasting Impressions opens with “Redintegrate” which takes a little time to get going. The first thirty seconds is the sound of wind. A reverb laced guitar eventually gets into the picture. Without any warning ferocious drums start and then stop. It’s abrasive yet effective. “Droplets” is post-rock 101. It’s a solid song even if a little predictable at points. Next up is the aptly named “Cheesy Poofs.” There is a slightly different vibe here from the strummed chords that doesn't feel as post-rock-esque. Once the second guitar comes it has a bit of a jam band-esque quality to it. The highlight is “Oceanic Admissions.” There are a good amount of inventive changes and the band pulls out all the stops. Lasting Impressions has time on their side. As their sound evolves more of their own essence will bleed into their future songs. At some point they will want to look into better production to capture some of the nuances of their performances. The band is off to a solid start but are also a case of wait and see.
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 Velma Pizza Party 3.4 Angles Jackson Eating the Entertainment 3.6 JVB Pines 3.4 Mid Sun Sun Shades 3.4 City Electric The Orange Riviera 3.7 Anthony Condarcuri Supernova 3.4 Aaron Mazie ALCHEMIZE 3.5 Kohelet There’ll be light soon 3.4 Bluejays BlueJaye 3.5
Three-piece indie-pop act Moon Days hail from south Jersey yet their sound isn’t anywhere near the grittiness that their surroundings would suggest. In fact it’s quite the opposite. Over the course of the four years they’ve been playing together Moon Days have released a handful of EPs which are rooted in down tempo Beatlesque pop. On their latest EP The Light the band continue to hone their skills of crafting bright and spritely pop tunes while also trying to experiment here and there with bits of synthesized folk and rock and even some sampling.
The Light opens with the straightforward acoustic pop tune “Put Me Out.” Its lyrics relate the story of a breakup and sung in a voice that is sad but not begging for sympathy. It’s from the perspective of a young man who is in the thick of the ruins, “The sirens sound uncountable / Smokin' the air that you ruined / Turning around what was capable / Now burned, and ashed, and you're crumbling down / Well put me out / Put me out.” Contrast this with the minstrely folk pop ballad “I’m Happy,” a six-minute song which contains lovely bits of flute. But about halfway through is where the synths and sounds kick in and it makes the tune reminiscent of the Clockwork Orange soundtrack. This strange bridge seemed out of place at first but after a few spins became completely natural and I couldn’t imagine the song without it. Experiments aside the lo-fi yet powerful ballad “He Will Be Here Tonight” is more of what I wanted to hear from a band like Moon Days. The song is simple, just some guitars and flute, and a few claps of tambourine and well-harmonized vocals. This flows into the piano ballad “Coincidence” which picks up steam half-way through, and turns into a pretty rocking jam. Then comes the space-echo elegance of “Is This the Afterlife??” and then closes out with the warm acoustic and flute–laden “Delaware.” I wasn’t expecting much more than the usual ho-hum pop rock record when I popped on The Light, but I became pleasantly surprised and then engrossed as the record progressed. Moon Days showed me The Light and I’m happy to have heard it.
What I Immediately was attracted to from the four-song EP Stone by Stone from Old Man Jim aka Jamie Brice is that he has a unique style. He doesn’t exactly have the most standard vocal qualities one would associate with a good singer. The subtle tonal attributes make him feel distinct. That’s a good thing.
His songs also feel out of time and off-kilter, Somewhere between rock ballad and pop the songs feel nostalgic, heartfelt and genuine. He starts things off with “The Yearning” which is based on the desire for the seemingly unobtainable. Perhaps he is talking about a woman or a feeling - who knows but the song feels mystical between the airy synths and guitar parts. I enjoyed the mix of disparate sounds. I think that's a banjo I heard towards the end of the song. Next up is “Polly 2” which is basically a straight-up ballad. There is a tinge of ’80s arena rock on this song. That being said it's also a very atmospheric song that and has a huge stereo width. Part of this was due to him leaving the guitars clean and letting the song breathe. “Start Up” is less grand than “Polly 2.” It’s actually a pretty straightforward pop song, not to far off, sounding like music you might hear from The Smiths minus the synths. It’s a catchy tune and definitely one you don't need to listen to very much to get caught in your head. He closes with “"Don't Ever Go Away” which is about a man torn between his own rage and the love from a woman who wants to heal him. It’s a pop/rock song that doesn't contain many surprises but is pretty catchy. Stone by Stone is a solid EP with four pretty distinct songs. Brice has an unique sense of taste and I was digging his style.
In Threes is a rock/garage-pop group comprising of five friends from Chicago. Though most have performed for several years, the band has existed in its current form since 2015. They recently began performing in Chicago and Michigan and I would highly recommend you attend their electrifying shows if you are in the area.
Their newest six-track EP Germs Everywhere thumps and pulsates into view with “Tether Forever.” The harmonization of piano notes with vocal melody creates a sonic adventure of marvelously, melodic pop-based bliss. Alone, piano and vocals might have become stale rather quickly, but unexpected periods of scorching guitar melodies add another dimension to the track and keep the listener second-guessing as to what comes next. “Start A War” is the highlight of the six tracks. A whirling, screeching guitar riff teases us into an explosive chorus. Home to the best vocal performance on Germs Everywhere - in emotion, tone and sheer energy - this track boasts an addictive chorus about war, which explodes and resonates with the force of a live performance, rather than one which has been studio-recorded. ‘“Jenny Energized” is a musical exercise in something a little different (and a little insane). Distorted, reverberating guitar is interrupted at intermittent intervals by gentle, plinking piano notes and harmonizing vocals. This to and fro between pop and rock madness sounds as if Queen and Black Sabbath collaborated on a song whilst inebriated… and it’s amazing. All in all, Germs Everywhere is an impressive effort for what it strives to be: passionate, electric and, perhaps most importantly, fun. It doesn’t break any genre boundaries or attempt to challenge listeners, but it achieves so much by not doing so. The whole EP feels so effortless; the three vocalists beautifully blend their boisterous voices together and are endlessly supported by crunchy power chords, infectious riffs or piercing guitar solos in the latter half of tracks. As long as In Threes continues to record that very idea of ‘fun’, they will continue to draw in listeners.
Even when I was in my 20’s I had a time taking bands seriously that seemed really serious. Tool and System of a Down come to mind. Don’t get me wrong, I have a lot of respect for both of those bands and think Tool especially has released some incredible music. All I’m saying is that once in a while I would laugh about how overly serious their music seemed as if they were conducting clandestine Knights of Templar meetings in an abandoned mystic pyramid figuring out the mystery of the cosmos. I think it’s safe to say that Noēsis has a similar vibe to aforementioned bands on their album The Current. There isn’t an ounce of levity in the music and song titles like “Post Mortem Illness” and “The Thing Called Consciousness” only reinforce the feel of the music.
Jonathan Gagné (vocals), Charles Lavoie (guitars), Samy Guenette (guitars), Anthony Hébert (bass) and Cédric Lepage (drums) are the members of the band and also when to college for music. It wasn't much of a surprise that the band has some serious technical talent. Regardless if this is your cup of tea or not there is no denying that these guys can rip it up. The band opens with “The Prey” which introduces the band with a maniacal laugh. Right away the band is in it. They are in the pocket and I was immediately impressed by the drumming skills of Lepage. The band is dynamic. They know how to make a crescendo and build up work to their advantage. After the first song I was looking at what remained and I have to admit I felt overwhelmed.”Post Mortem Illness,” “Until The Sun” and “The Fall of Barca” were all over the nine-minute mark. I’ll say this. If you enjoyed the the first song you’ll enjoy the rest of it. With that it will most likely take multiple listens to digest the girth-y meal of double bass drum, guitar fills, bass, etc. The Current is an album that I have to be in the mood for. It’s not one I can pop in every day during my morning drive to work. I will admit it'd be a little intense. That's just me. Perhaps you are the type who enjoys face planting lead guitar and amps turned up to eleven in the morning. If so don’t hesitate. You just found your new favorite album. |
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