The first recordings I made were so difficult. There weren’t computers, plugins or DAWs. Times have changed. These days young people like Chris Kremer get to utilize modern technology and the whole process is so much easier on so many levels. Kremer released Phantasmic which is a complete DIY effort.
As a full-time engineer and writer I picked up on the sound of most home recordings. There are certain things which are easy to spot like the guitar sound, use of compression and more. From head to to toe Phantasmic sounds like a home recording. From a musical angle the music is simple from a technical perspective. At its heart this album revolves around strummed major and minor chords and 4/4 time. The emotional resonance was also fairly straightforward and is associated with the reflective and nostalgic songwriter. “Darth Vader” is his bread and butter and embraces nostalgia and that reflective and warm energy. It’s somewhere between pop and folk. I enjoyed his voice and thought the chorus in particular was great. It's a certified highlight. “You're Only In Love” is a change in flavor. It sounds a bit like what you imagine an early demo of Vampire Weekend would sound like. He goes back to warm folk with “The Get By” and gets way more introspective and melancholy on “The Universe.” Kremer gets into indie rock territory with “Letting Go.” He sounds great on “The Crab Song (Only Getting So Young)” which is a slower ballad with a ’50s pop flavor. I loved some of the vocal harmonies. “Sagaquarius” has a French flavor as if you are being serenaded with a Flamenco guitar by a body of water. “Answers From the Sky” and “Answers From the Sky (Acoustic)” are fairly straightforward. A lot of the songs had a sense of familiarity. Kremer plays into his influences and sort of the general rule book of songwriting. I would encourage him to get a little experimental once in a while. They could help him land on a signature and singular sound. I think working with a full band and engineer would be obvious next steps. That being said there is some great songwriting scattered throughout the release. I also was impressed with some of the vocal melodies he came up with. Kremer sounds like a musician who is in the embryonic stage of his development but there is true talent here and I hope to hear more soon.
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Benjamin Fraser is a very young musician who just released Mother. He started working on this album when he was fourteen. That was the same age I started working on music except the year was 1995. In 1995 you didn’t have much besides some tape and microphones to record with. These days you don’t need more than a computer to sound like a full orchestra and that’s more of what we see here.
Fraser starts with “Cry of Triumph” and this very much sounds like it’s coming from a computer. There is brass that sounds like sine waves and what seems to be virtual strings. The piano and drums also had that sort of quality. There are some notable melodies coming from the piano. “Skies Of Grey” is a simple mood piece revolving around piano, pads and percussion while “Awe and Wonder” is a short vignette which sounds like the title. “Rise Up” is a more epic sounding track with some really well done piano playing. I liked “Mother” quite a bit which is warm and melancholy and contains some exceptional piano melodies. “Hurt” is also quite good and again revolves around simple piano. The more ethereal sounding “Healing” is another song that sounds like its title. “Forgiven” is more interesting piano while “A Dark Night '' sounds cinematic like it could be in film. Fraser has a lot of talent. I don’t know the extent of his story but if he isn’t already I encourage him to play with other musicians and the school orchestra if there is one. If he hasn’t been exposed to composers like Max Richter and Ben Luckas Boysen I would encourage him to get familiar with their music. Fraser is very talented on the piano and on his release the sparse pieces revolving around that were his best efforts. He does flirt with more grand ideas but it really felt like a lot of it needed to escape the confines of a computer. Overall, I was impressed. Kraser is obviously just getting started and I think as long as he stays dedicated the talent will certainly expand. I look forward to hearing more as he evolves.
Lights in the Sky was founded in 2015 in Palm Desert, CA by Tim Valles (vocals/guitar). He teamed up with David Ayala (drums) and made Beyond the Dune Sea. He explains that “I set out to make it sound as if it were recorded in 1993. I want it to fit in with the grunge and hard rock albums of the ‘90s, but I know it has an original sound that's true to the desert the music was born in.” 1993 is an oddly specific year but I know what he is saying. In fact you wouldn't believe the amount of musicians I’ve worked with that wanted a ’90s hard rock/grunge sound. It makes sense. Rock was thriving back then. You don’t get many people asking for that 2008 rock vibe.
The album is heavy sounding with lots of fuzz and reverb. He starts off strong with “Burning Homestead” which captures a good amount of fuzz. I was getting some Soundgarden vibes here and a lesser known band - Comets on Fire. The lyrics were hard to make out because there was a lot of reverb but overall there was a very serious tone that contained mythical and fantasy based themes. The words were somewhere between Tool and Spinal Tap. I really loved the chorus which was catchy and memorable. The kind of very dramatic word play and delivery is present on a lot of the songs. There is usually some solid rocking that takes place. “The Chosen One” was one of my favorite jams which contains a good amount of energy. That being said I loved “Diamond.” This had more of a shoegaze production with nice fuzzy lower mids. His vocals here are way low in the mix and only peak out as reverb. It was a good sound overall and they should continue to make songs like this as I thought it fit their style. There was one really unexpected turn. It was the song “Edom Hill'' which was percussive heavy and sounded like a completely different band. It wasn’t only the style but the production. They close with “Home Away from Hollywood’ which is a fuzzy rocker. The band delivered a solid album. I definitely had my preferences but overall I was digging their sound. 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 Lodgefield Monolith 3.4 NuRenaissance REDD & bluu 3.8 Moon Ego Mood Ring 3.5 Pink Øctopus Pink Øctopus 3.6 Thomas Mills Chicken/Egg 3.6
The Mysterious Experience is a four-piece indie/psychedelic rock band based in Los Angeles, CA. They are comprised of Christopher Fuentes (lead vocals/lead guitar), Kevin Peña (rhythms guitar/vocals), Jonathan Fuentes (bass guitar) and Vlad Mercado (drums). The Mysterious Experience EP is their debut.
Drawing influences from The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Beach Boys, Marc Demarco, Tame Impala and The Cure, according to the band, “this album is a small collection of six songs that really introduce the listener to our influences.” The Mysterious Experience is able to work in their own sound in there as well, signifying a listening experience that is alluded in their band moniker. Taken from a quote by Albert Einstein that goes: “The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious.” Their debut EP The Mysterious Experience is only the beginning. The Mysterious Experience EP gets going with “Me And You,” in which a classic rock vibe is introduced. Right away you can see the band’s influences with a warm, golden sound that recalls a Beatles-esque and Beach Boys feel. Following is “Perfect Girl” where funky bass lines cover this track with a retro-inspired sound similar to ‘70s era rock. This song is a slow burn with a groove that is great to slow dance to. Up next is “Valley Girls.” The album springs to life with this highlight. The sounds are catchy and vibrant with reverberating guitars as well as vocals. You can’t deny that these indelible rock tunes are contagious sounding. More shimmering guitars add to the groove on the melody-driven “Oh Pretty Baby.” “Yugen” is another slow burn with harmonious combined vocals. Fuentes’ vocals are soulful as he sings about staying connected to a lover on “Telephone.” The electric guitar solo projects a psychedelic vibe until the very close of the album. The Mysterious Experience brings you fare that is very much influenced by the indie scene of today as well as the classic rock bands of yesteryears. Bringing a sound that carries forth messages of love in the lyrics and a warm classic rock n’ roll vibe, the band very much totes a timelessness that permeates their sound. The Mysterious Experience bridges the gap between old and modern with relative ease, which is quite an undertaking. They make it look easy, as they rock out in many a jam-session. The Mysterious Experience seem to be having a great time just jamming together. The band shows a lot of potential with their debut release and I look forward to hearing more from them and seeing where they go from here.
Listening to Sapien Sounds, according to the band’s Bandcamp site, is like “putting your brain in a crockpot and slow cooking it to perfection.” Huh – that’s a new one for me, but one worth remembering because I like listening to new music and um, well, food cooked in a crockpot. Sapien Sounds is an indie rock band out of Lincoln, Nebraska, known for their entrancing instrumentals, thought provoking lyrics, and visually stimulating live performances. They released their debut album Mind Games in July 2017 and have since released their second album Haze this past June. The lead single "Shades" has been well received and has already gotten airtime on local radio stations. The driving force behind the project is guitarist/vocalist Hank Peppe, with much support from long time jam-mate Alex Steinke on the drums. Bassist Katja Duerig completes the lineup, along with support from various other artists. As self-taught music junkies who have also been classically trained, the band’s diversity shines through in their music. Haze was recorded and mixed in Ableton by the band in their home studio The Jungle and was mastered by Doug Van Sloun of Focus Mastering.
Conceptually, the album follows a lone actor on a journey to gain control over his life. In the beginning he feels like he is stuck in a loop from which he can't escape. Every day is the same, floating aimlessly but never getting anywhere. All the color is gone from the world around him. At his wits end, he makes a desperate attempt to escape and finds himself transported to another plane of existence. He has broken free from the loop, but now he faces the new challenge of making sense of the unfamiliar world around him. As he navigates this new world, he begins to gain some clarity and control. By the end of the record, he emerges from the haze and finds his way home, feeling empowered and with a new outlook on life. The band’s sound has drawn comparisons to Jack White, Modest Mouse and grunge/alternative acts such as Incubus and Stone Temple Pilots. The opener “Bent” which happens to be the group’s longest tune, begins slowly for a bit, building up to a steady rock alternative style with breaks in between the verses and chorus. The guitar riffs have a great classic edge to it and the middle section gets pretty dramatic, too. The words to “Disorient” are sure to sound familiar to you if you’ve ever caught yourself thinking that your day was going to be great, you’re going to tackle it head on, and then, you forget what you were doing, you get distracted and that “ good feeling” at the start of your day does a 180. Sound familiar? The band’s style here is jumpy and frenzied, almost punkish, with infectious guitar riffs. I like the band’s choice to fade this one out – nice touch. I really enjoyed “Haze” for its funky beat and simple, carefree lyrics. This one felt like an odd alternative mix, of say Primus, that one band who sang “Three Little Pigs” in the ‘90s and some of the more off the wall, creative songs from Stone Temple Pilots. This one was without question a favorite. “Fear” features the band’s storytelling writing within a song and, this one felt to me more of concept song – and, I suppose this made sense. Some great guitar playing can be heard and overall, this song shows the band’s songwriting strength and chemistry very well. “A Gentle Breeze” is a short, almost two-minute detour of instrumentation. Filled with keys, electronic drums and effects – a nice addition that features another side to the band’s work. For some reason “Shades” reminded me of a cross between Live, Jane’s Addiction and a ska-rock Seattle band Blackhappy. A lot of rhyming words on this one and it would be interesting if the band played it in a different genre. “My World” is in a word, very wordy. Musically, it has a somewhat lighter touch, jazzy and free, and a little hippy. You could say there’s some Incubus influence hear but crossed with…. Blind Melon? “Sea Anemones” finds the band switching gears again, playing in an alternative rock style a la the mid-‘90s. I liked the additional vocals here as well as how this song transitioned into “Tide.” “Tide” is another varied song, showcasing the band’s strengths of mixing great guitar licks with old and modern rock sounds, and just how well the band plays together as a whole. The album’s last track is none other than a song called “Matt Damon” yes, you read that right. Perhaps this tune takes a cue from some of Damon’s films like “Elysium” or “The Martian?” Anyway, it’s a somber, slow tune with a Pink Floyd-ish style starting out, with some funkier and lighter alt-pop elements. In my honest opinion, I’d like to hear more of these types of tunes from this band on their next album. rather than the grunge and post-grunge rock songs they have here. This song flowed well as did the other songs that were a little more on the “unconventional” side. If you enjoy alternative and indie rock, with cerebral and psychedelic elements thrown in, Sapien Sounds is your band.
Jesse Baird (drums), Jay Baird (bass), Dan Miller (keys), Soli Joy (harmonies/percussion) and Eric St-Laurent (guitars) are the band for Lily Frost. Apparently she has released fourteen albums. I had the pleasure of listening to Retro-Moderne which has quite a number of different styles. There is pop, soul and music spanning generations.
The album starts off strong with the minimal “Wild is the Wind.” I liked how haunting this song was. It definitely creates mysterious and dark desert vibes with some slight ’50s pop vibes. Up next is “Lay Low” and it sounds over produced in comparison and reminded me of Gorillaz. It’s a good song but felt like an odd juxtaposition coming off the haunting vibe of “Wild is the Wind.” The album embraces Latin rhythms on “Reckless Corazón.” “Irresistible” was a certified standout. It’s haunting, beautiful and I loved the instrumentation and vocals. It also felt retro yet inventive and original. I would have loved to have heard an entire album made up of songs similar to this. The album continues to go in numerous directions and with very little in common. She embraces ’70s funk and disco on “Rainbow Glasses” and rocks out with a ’50s pop/rock vibe on “I Dodged a Bullet.” My favorite moments were far and away the more minimal. The last two songs were fantastic. “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down” which has a lot of spaghetti western vibes and could be used in Quentin Tarantino movies gets the mood right. “It’s the Love” sounded like a film soundtrack. It’s whimsical and catchy. I thought it was highly original. This album contained some odd turns and I felt like it was trying to cover too much at times. I feel like it would have been more cohesive if she limited the palette of sounds and the number of genres. That being said, almost all of the songs stand individually and on that note there are some exceptional songs which are repeat worthy. Take a listen.
Forced Smiles is a solo project from Ohio who recently released Spill It. He mentions “I took influence from shoegaze and alt-rock bands from the ‘90s for this album, namely Slowdive, MBV, and Dinosaur Jr, with an ear for the more modern, polished sounds of bands like LSD and the Search For God, Fazerdaze and Fight Cloud.” I was a fan as well of all the bands back in the ’90s when I was high school. His music does seem to embrace those aesthetics.
He begins with “IfAndOnlyIf” which veers towards Dinosaur Jr type aesthetics. It’s made up of jangly chords, a beat and a rounded bass. It’s one of the better songs on the album and showcases some solid guitar skills. “Mom's Socks'' is obviously more shoegaze oriented. The guitars had more of a home recording type of quality on this song. There was a good amount of what sounded like flanger and chorus. His vocals are lush. The guitars have a meaty sound on “Don't Mind” and this was the style I thought he sounded best in. On top of that the vocals are a little more buried and have a hall reverb. The aesthetics seemed to work to his strengths. He goes back into shoegaze with “Spill It” and I found the guitars slightly piercing on this track but still enjoyed it. “Like a Moth” and “Moths Pt. 2” both sounded good. His best shoegaze attempt comes on “Off/On.” “Grant Park” has its moments but “Filler” had some solid melancholy folk in the spirit of Elliott Smith. He ends with a “Facts” which actually reminded me of a different ’90s group - Pavement. This was a solid effort. The instrumental aspects were parts of the record that shined for me. Take a listen.
AP Macroeconomics is back with a new release entitled Super Drag. The band is composed of Tom (guitar/vocals/drums) and Austin (bass/keys). This release contains catchy yet somewhat melancholy songs.
The first song is entitled “What Say You For Your Crimes” and is a highlight in the batch. It revolves around fuzzy guitar, vocals and not much else besides some additional elements that come in towards the end of the song. I thought the vocals were great as were the delivery and the melodies. Up next is “Klutz” and it has a different energy. For one thing there are drums. It’s definitely lo-fi and I had a hard time deciding if it was played or programmed but either way I thought the production was inventive. The guitars are again fuzzy with an almost J Mascis sort of singing style. In Divide & Conquer’s previous review of one of their other albums I mentioned The Microphones and this came up again when listening to “Is there something I could do?” That being said Bon Iver came to mind. This was a style that really seemed to fit perfectly for the band. The vocalist melds with the music not only in terms of the notes but the clean warmth that the song has. They continue on this trajectory with “Stick-and-Poke (Knasty Knastra)” although this song melds some of the aesthetics from the first song with the previous. So it’s got the rickety acoustic warmth with just a touch of fuzz. Last up is “Cheek'' which is very subdued and builds with some great string work into a wall of acoustic noise. The music is lo-fi and for the most part it seems to benefit from that quality. Some of the songs had noticeably different volumes as well as sonic character that you can hear with the first two songs. My only critique is that I would have liked to have heard this even out a little more so the songs felt a tad more uniform. Overall, this is a very good release and continues to shine a light on the band’s talent. The songwriting was impressive and I felt the emotional resonance of the songs were consistent with just enough variation. Recommended.
table tennis is a newly formed project between producer/guitarist Charles, drummer Cameron and John on bass. The band released a three-song EP table tennis which displays some great production and creative songwriting.
They begin with “jazzercise” which sounds a lot like the title. I loved how they found a way to do that. The vibe was interesting and was somewhere between The Avalanches and a more organic funk/rock band. There are a good amount of samples but they are well placed. I often hear bands throwing in samples for no real reason. In this case it felt like a symbiotic relationship with the music. It felt seamless and slick. On “honeycreeper” we get a more conventional approach in some ways. There are for instance vocal hooks on this song. They do still implement samples but they again do it really well. The samples add to the music. Musically, the instrumentation is great. I was digging the guitar picking and hefty bass line. They also rock the hell out towards the end of the song which was a welcome surprise. The drummer really gets to shine here. Up next is “from the bottom” which might be the highlight. It starts off with another cool sample that sounds like an educational program you would hear in school. The narration sounded like it was from the ’50s. This song quickly turns into a psychedelic trip. I loved the low end. It sounded like an arpeggiated synth or crazy precision on an actual bass. The song soars and gets very ’70s inspired. Fuzz, reverb and more create a tornado of sounds. As the song progresses they more or less just jam on that groove but they crush it. There are again some more samples but just like before they were tastefully implemented. I loved this EP. My only critique was it was short. Hopefully, the band is working on new material because they have a great sound. Take a listen. |
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