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 Cold Soda Cold Soda 3.8 Illicit Standard Time Illicit Standard Time 3.3 Evie Lucas Evie Lucas 3.8 Kellar You Own The Sun 3.5 THE MEMPHIS SUNS OLD FASHIONED 3.8 FOOL Dois Padres Welcome To The 3.5 Thrillhouse Elias Black Reclamation 3.7 Yung Delirious YXNG 3.4
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Ban Hatton’s trajectory is a testament to what good old fashioned work ethic and ambition can produce. The potential that can be tapped into when you apply those attributes can be prolific. It’s not a guarantee that your artistic endeavor will resonate with people but the chances will improve exponentially. Hatton’s latest third release Over Too Easy is his best effort to date and clearly he found his stride.
This time around Hatton worked with a full band and a producer. He went through the right steps by recording and mixing the songs in a reputable studio and then sending the mixes to a mastering engineer. There is nothing wrong with complete DIY productions but as I’ve seen time and time again finding the right professionals and creating a team who understand the artist's vision is still an indispensable part in making an album that will go perhaps beyond your expectations. The album is a mix of styles - alt-country, americana and folk. I would say the music fits into the zeitgeist of artists like Ryan Adams, Sturgill Simpson and other like-minded artists. The album opens with “Homeward Bound” which is pretty straightforward alt-country with distorted guitar and catchy melodies. The song spews with electric emotion. I can’t help it but love a well played laptop steel guitar like I heard on “Sweet Virginia.” On that note I also love a mix of nostalgia, hope and reflection that is displayed on “I Can’t See.” “Backed by the River” is another winner with warm acoustic instrumentation that pulls at your heartstrings. ”Far Enough” was a single worthy kind of track but I preferred the more country infused “Punch It.” As the album progresses it continues to deliver with “Brothers,” “Chester” and “Wish I Had the Sense.” He closes with “Eight Hours” which wraps you in sweet tones from an organ and an emotionally resonant vocal performance. There you have it. Hatton unlocked some of the potential that was brewing inside of him. Over Too Easy is a cohesive, well conceived album that I can give two thumbs up. Highly recommended.
Zach Allen’s latest effort entitled Summer Solstice was his first batch of songs that were recorded in a studio. Allen still keeps things simple the same way he does on his demo with vocals and guitar.
I was a little confused when listening to the first song entitled “Better” because it was alternatively titled on his demo as “Show Me.” The song stuck with me and is my personal favorite on Summer Solstice. It’s a simple song that really excels because of the vocals and lyrics. The way the vocal harmonies are implemented give the song just enough dynamics to make the chorus feel elevated. “Mine” contains more aggressive strumming and animated vocal performance. The song feeds heavily into the ’50s Dylan style folk style. There is no doubt that his vocals had a lot of clarity and I was able to appreciate them a lot more because of that. “Leaving” was performed in a very similar way to “Mine” and was also the second song on the demo. This version unequivocally sounded better in every way and I found myself humming along with the lyrics. “Ones” has its moments while “King” was a little subdued and succeeded because of the understated, melancholy vocals. He closes with “Free!” which seems to embrace the wandering bohemian folk spirit that was born all those years ago. Allen’s first attempt at an LP definitely showcased his talent with more fidelity than ever before. The songs are short, concise and strip the instrumentation to the bare essentials. My only critique at this point would be for Allen to think about how in the future he can add more distinction between individual songs. I always advocate cohesion and finding ways for artists to in some way tie the songs together which brings to mind the phrase “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” However, if the songs sound too much alike it may promote the listener to start skipping tracks. Because of the guitar style and structure I thought “Better” was the track that really stuck out the most to me. Although I also appreciated and enjoyed the other tracks there was less distinction among them especially for the first couple of spins because they were played and sung in a fairly similar manner. This is without a doubt the best release from Allen so far. It achieves a number of things but to me it displayed he was a better vocalist than I realized and he also possesses the ability to write a short folk song that can tug at your heartstrings. Recommended.
You can make a strong argument that the name Rich Nelson Band is a little misleading. Why you ask? There is no band. There are no other members besides Rich Nelson. Nelson used to play in bands; in fact he was in a number of them while living in the mountains of North Carolina since 2004. Prior to that he was living in Detroit. You can actually probably pick up on that when listening to his release Ever Since Now if you know anything about the city’s history with rock n’ roll.
Nelson is clearly making the music he wants to make. The music lends its aesthetics from ’80s and ’90s rock. It doesn’t sound like an updated 2018 version. It just sounds like it could have been made twenty to thirty years ago. Ever Since Now is a hefty album with thirteen songs and no filler. It felt a little long to me especially the way people consume music these days. I prefer to listen to an album from beginning to end and then try to assess my thoughts. My first thoughts were I really liked it. My second thought was I liked his voice the more I heard it. My third thought was the experience would have felt a little more powerful at around ten songs. I had some preferences along the way. “See You There” was a winner which mixes some southern Americana and vocal style that felt distinctly ’80s to me on the chorus. “No Time For Crying” seemed to stem from his Detroit roots while “Illusions” contains a satisfying mix of melancholy and nostalgia. “What Are You Thinking Of?” had an anthemic, power ballad feel to it. Nelson slips in to a sultry, midnight romance with “Wake Up.” The lead electric guitar really puts the mood over the top. “No One Else For Me” was an upbeat, joyful song while “My Sweet Mutineer” sounds like a fairly nostalgic yet hopeful closer. The production was pretty good all the way through. I have to admit this seems to be a case where sending off the mixes to a reputable mastering engineer would have helped give it a little more polish. Ever Since Now is a solid album. There was a lot of effort put into it and that is certainly evident after spending time with it.
Weehawk is a band from Portland that released a four-song EP entitled Your Hive Mind On Drugs. The band has a fun kind of classic ’90s indie rock flavor. Bands like Neutral Milk Hotel, Flaming Lips and Ween would fit into a playlist with what the band is doing.
The band opens strong with “Nowhere to Run” which is a highlight. I thought the banjo was a nice touch but it’s the dynamic vocals and hooks which make the song more than just a solid groove. The band gets in and out in around two-and-a-half-minutes and I thought that was a good call. “Leave Me Dry” is another solid effort. The song is also a little more melancholy in a mid ’90s Flaming Lips/Pavement type of way. It’s also catchy which is a combination I tend to enjoy. “Droves” is a little more straightforward rock with more energy. The hooks are there but the style felt it was akin to a band like Cloud Nothings. “Wooden Friend” contains some psychedelic ’60s sounding lead guitar and Fleet Foxes type vocal harmonies mixed in with a tinge of The Doors and Butthole Surfers. “Drugs” is kind of silly, well maybe a lot silly. The content of the lyrics is a wee bit dangerous for eight year- olds. There is a full-fledged speaking part. As an engineer I know these songs were not recorded in a studio environment. I liked the songs but it sounded more like something they recorded in a rehearsal studio on a laptop. My point being that whether it’s befriending an engineer or stepping into a studio I think that should be their next move because the songs deserve that. Overall, this is a solid EP but more importantly a good band. I thought the first three tracks were their best and I hope to hear them work off that.
The Portland based singer/songwriter Kat Fountain was drawn to the harmonica at an early age. Her first harmonica was purchased in a toy store in Connecticut in the mid ‘90s and since that day she has been honing her skills on the instrument ever since. Fountain has traveled around the country in the years since, performing solo with her harmonica or as part of her band SideBoob, and with folk singer/songwriter John Craigie.
Kat Fountain’s debut solo record Care Less, Do More features the harmonica she so loves but also her very own bluesy folk compositions that are sparse but in no way incomplete. She is one of those special cases that don’t just follow a carbon copy of style, but rather inherently knows the little nuances which separates the poseurs from the real thing. One understands this from the very opening of Care Less, Do More, on the slow and powerful simplicity of “If Life Was Nice.” Set to a simple strum of chords, Fountain’s vocals at once display that glint of roughness which cuts so sharply into her music. There is a scratchiness here when there needs to be, a scratchiness which can then turn into the sweetness of a mother’s lullaby. It’s a dazzling effect and the listener at once realizes they are in the presence of a very talented musician, one who’s learned from life, from the hardships it can bring, but also the joys. The joy is found on “Lights in a Jar” as it ambles along with its sparse and bristly percussion and Fountain using her voice give perspective to her narrative. This perspective is then downshifted to a scratchy and pinpointed beauty on “(Usually) Don't Drink a Lot.” Here the finger picked guitar which Fountain uses as a base for her songs pairs so perfectly together with her metaphors as she sings, “I’m drifting slowly / like the creek I grew up on / we’re feeling lonely like the north side of a city wall.” Care Less, Do More is not only just Fountain’s solo debut but also in a sense a shared endeavor with her brother who sadly passed away from cancer a year before. On his computer she found three songs which she recorded and knowing this or not does not stop them from being some of the most beautiful tracks on the recording. Fountain showcases her vocal range on the sad and stunning “Houston” and even more stunning is “Up from So Far Down,” to which Fountain added her own harmonies to her brother’s already recorded song. It is a stirring song, and what I thought to be the finest on the record, because their voices mix so well together, powerfully, naturally. At times while listening to Care Less, Do More, it is hard to believe this is only the first solo record that Kat Fountain has put out. It has the power of a seasoned veterans’ retrospective behind every gorgeous track. It has been some time since I’ve heard music this powerful from a relative newcomer. Highly recommended.
Somehow Houston's Tact Actors managed to encompass all my favorite things about indie rock music into their latest album Words. I would say that this group is a pack of indie rock aficionados. They seem very well versed in pop rock from the ’80s and all of the things that made the alt scene in the '90s so addictive. They are also avid scholars in bands that are iconic and seem to have created their own lightning in a bottle based on their studies.
The music on this album is packed to the brim with musical references that stretch across decades. I feel like their ability to pack all of these influences into one album is a noteworthy accomplishment. Songs like "Alive by Design" has a sound that hits a nostalgic chord with me. It could be a an inescapable alt hit from the '90s that you would hear every day on the radio. Then the track "Be Love" has a more classic rock experience that seems to hail from the ’70s. The toughest part I would imagine when constructing this romp through time is keeping it cohesive. Despite the elevated level in diversity in the songs, there are strong elements that bond everything together. Some of those key elements include seedy attitude, strong, catchy guitar riffs and a lively energy. Words is a great name for this album, whether intended or not. This album is flexing serious lyrical muscles. There is a lot of anecdotal and conversational narrative at play in these songs. These are the kind of lyrics worth digging into, I have yet to really figure out how specific or vague the meaning is behind the words. The vocals are distant, cold and yet still full of energy and conviction. I appreciate that it appears there was as much focus on the lyrics as there was the musical presentation. I went ahead and added Tact Actors to the list of bands that have successfully executed the wildly popular "home recording." They utilized an unexpected one-two punch of a more than slightly used Roland VS 2480 and Logic Pro to fill in the gaps. For mastering they got a helping hand from Gordon Gidluck of Gidluck Mastering. The album sounds pretty damn good. I think the mastering is part of what helped ground all these songs into the same energy field which kept the album flowing so nicely. I like this album because old dirt bags like me can enjoy it, but for those that didn't live through music that sounded like this, this will be equally exciting. I can see the youngsters being drawn to cool brooding tones and electric energy like moths to the flame. Again, the scholarly efforts, which could just be very passionate fandom, has paid off in big ways. Through their influences they have found something that is theirs. Indie, alt, pop rock fans, one and all would all be heavily encouraged by me to check this album out.
Harbor Day aka Austin Colwell is a musician from Bellingham, WA who recently released Midnight Baseball. Colwell just started making music in 2014 and only this year started to produce music. It’s safe to say Colwell is in the embryonic stage of his development but Midnight Baseball has some solid ideas and execution.
Up first is “Midnight Baseball” which actually sounds like midnight baseball. There is lo-fi acoustic guitar along with what it might sound like if you were camping in the woods. Colwell adds what sounds like older audio feeds from baseball games. The songs reminded me of how The Books would mix disparate samples with organic instrumentation. “Let’s Collect Bugs” is next and introduces subdued, melancholy singing. The vocals didn’t really feel like a focal point. They are present on the verse but there is no sort of hook or chorus. The beat was well constructed with atmospheric, dreamy elements and enough unique deviation within the percussion make it interesting. My only issue was that the song needed some more dynamics. It felt like the energy stayed relatively static the entire time. “Wintergarden” is more straight hip-hop and in the spirit of Prefuse 73 or Four Tet. I was missing the organic, acoustic instrumentation although the song has some stronger moments towards the end. “Let Me Know” was the clear highlight on the EP for me. It was the most fleshed out song with great guitar, inventive sounds and the most notable vocal performance. The song even has a great hook. I was reminded of Dirty Projectors. Colwell closes with “Five More Minutes” which has its moments as well. The song felt a tad sleepy and ambient for a closing track that essentially feels like it could become a hypnotic loop. Colwell has some talent displayed on this EP. You can tell he is still working on establishing a signature sound at this point. I think “Let Me Know” would be a good marker of where he should build off of. I’ve been composing music for over twenty-five years and as I’ve seen with myself and others that musicians usually start to find their stride five to ten years in. I predict good things to come and hope to hear his evolution.
As someone who identifies as a crab apple, I was more than thrilled to have Blue Strange's Farewell To The Boys slide across my desk this week because it managed to put me in a good mood. There's a bluntness at work that makes this album honest and while sometimes harsh, it's trustworthy. These guy combine indie rock with blues to deliver an ideal mix of roots-y and modern.
Adhering to the rules of blues that have been carved in stone, you get guitar solos and base lines that are pointed and full of attitude. They have no problem digging into soil for some of these songs. Some of the songs felt a little too out of the box for me. A good example of this would be track two, "Ladner." I understand they want to capture that small town sound, but it didn't always sit well as it seemed like the small town motif was at odds with the modern treatment of the vocals and the overall production on the album. The big winning songs are the ones that find that enchanting balance between all the genres on the table. The vocal performances and lyrics are key part of what sold this album for me. Again, when dealing with blues, your narrative can be broad or direct, but it has to be explored into the darkest depths. In this regard, Blue Strange excels far beyond my expectations. You can dig deep into the layers of the words or take them as they are. Me, I'm a digger, and I found gems in there; I loved it. The vocals are engineered with a decidedly indie touch which worked out so well. These lyrics are best delivered with indie rock nuance. This album was a studio production done in Vancouver. I get the sense that this album was more tuned to blues than to anything else which I understand. For the most part that treatment worked, however there were certain moments where it didn't. As I mentioned, the vocals were treated very much with the traits of the indie rock scene. When these worlds collided and were in agreement, it was magic. It's a tricky business, and I think for a good portion of the album they were on the right track. I would say that those looking for more of a blues experience over an indie rock experience will find themselves most at home with Farewell To The Boys. You'll hear some mighty fine guitar laying and their signature top notch lyrics. However I will also go on record to say that this album is a great gateway drug to pull me back into my blues fandom and dive head first back into that genre. I like the combination experimentation here and I know I'm not alone in that sentiment.
With a sound that mixes sunny Southern California beaches and the cloudy skies of their native UK, The Racketeers and their self-titled debut album The Racketeers rock with a style that incorporates pop melodies, anger fueled punk and a classic crunch reminiscent of The Bees. Joe D, Joe M, Alex and Mike bleed their influences, but wear that DNA with an enthusiasm that’s infecting.
Straight from the stage to the studio, the sound is raw and driving with vocals that can swell from a softer Noel Gallagher to the more shattered growl of Alex Turner or Julian Casablancas. These boys are garage rock through and through, and worthy successors of 21st century rock revival. The set kicks off with “Feelin’ Fine” a easy drive that moves from the clean guitar pop of ’90s Red Hot Chili Peppers into a Led Zeppelin style chorus complete with a saturated and bluesy guitar solo. They write from an autobiographical perspective, exposing the melancholy of young adulthood with lyrics like “the floor is shifting / a carpeted tide / but I need to stay on my feet / sifting through my muddy mind for the name of your street” from “4th Time Lucky” which contains a catchy and pub ready refrain that reminds me of The Young Veins. Harder edged tracks include “Pierced” a noise intro that descends into snarling, venomous vocals and a shrieking, overdriven lead guitar; as well as “Paper Thin” and its punishing drum groove. The latter serves as a lower moment in this collection. Although the tune and lyrics leave an impression of real desperation, the central guitar riff is a bit cliché and the “whoas” making up the bridge could have used another take to nail the pitches; this particular part is an example of a performance that works on stage but doesn’t translate on record. Great punk ride out on this one, though. In effect, my main complaint is overridden by the album’s purpose which is to promote a live sound and this band rocks live. Don’t leave it up to your imagination either. There’s a companion release Live: In Leeds that serves this same batch of songs up in front of an adoring crowd. And really, I enjoyed The Racketeers. And though it broke little ground in form, its function as a document of an exciting live act succeeds. If The Racketeers find their way to Florida, I will surely check them out.
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