Quantum is a progressive rock band from Stockholm, Sweden. Formed in 2016, the lineup to the band has evolved over the years. Currently, the band consists of Anton Ericsson (bass/vocals/12-string and acoustic guitars/keys), Marcus Lundberg (drums/percussion/vocals), Samuel Walfridsson (guitars) and Oscar Lundin (guitars). Quantum released their debut EP entitled The Next Breath Of Air…
Influenced by a range of acts from Genesis, King Crimson, Mastodon and The Mahavishnu Orchestra, Quantum brings to the fold fare that will bombard listeners with its heavy leanings on dark and mathy rhythms, aggressive riffs and complex harmonies. With riled performances rooted in metal and progressive traditions, Quantum takes apart your impressions of the aforementioned genres and infuses within their sound a wide circuit of unusual instrumentation with rippling sonic effects that is altogether an experience all its own. The Next Breath of Air… starts off with the progressive and metal-induced “Slipped.” The dark energies are a specter of heavy riffs and gigantic guitar work. I liked how the sound came together which definitely becomes bigger and louder as the track progresses. The band really gets going with the title track as they unpack with sounds rolling forth from the revving bass lines racing to the forefront of this high-energized rock song. On “Dissonance," the powerful riffs are pressing. I thought Ericsson’s vocals were unrelenting. He powers through the track with his aggressive singing which I thought was on-point with the delivery of the song. The album closes with the pensive “Blank” which makes for a thought-provoking finish. Quantum produces explosive works framed by music ranging from progressive to metal and jazz fusion. Tight-knit and revolving around a sound that filters in thundering riffs while easing into melodic soundscapes, intricate harmonies and proggy rhythms, the band displays a rock sound that reinforces their range as musicians and singers. With their debut EP, the band has harnessed a sound that pools their efforts together to create a melding of deft musicianship, untired experimentation with unconventional instruments including the harpsichord and organ and above all their stamina as they unwind with enthused performances throughout the album. Their stealth as performers is a good indicator of their live sound. Due to quarantine, concerts aren’t currently in the circuit, but in the meantime, this EP will provide you the means to explore Quantum’s raw and ill-contained sound. Be sure you have a listen today!
0 Comments
An old friend contacted me last week and said he found an old tape from our days in high school playing in a band. That was over twenty years ago at this point. It was cool hearing it for a sense of nostalgia. Right after that I started listening to Quality by Sand. Well some things change and some things certainly stay the same. After listening to the impressive release it was cool to hear a lot of the same influences we had back then still surface with a younger generation of musicians. At least to my ears there was a lot of inspiration from ’90s punk and alternative acts such as Blink 192 and a litany of indie rock bands.
The band started off with “You Got Me” and I loved the energy and spirit of this song. This song in particular felt like an anthem in the spirit of NOFX and even a little of Dropkick Murphys in the mix. There is also that ’90s malaise that was so popular at a certain point in time. I thoroughly enjoyed this song and the outro is just cathartic. They continue to impress with perhaps even the more ’90s sounding “Exploded.” The jagged drums riffs, drips of distortion and well delivered vocals all made for a trip down memory lane for me. “She Wants Me” is a lot more mellow and also more aligned with the “indie rock” sound in the ’90s. This felt like the sound you were getting from Touch and Go Records and bands like Wolf Parade, Deerhunter and early Modest Mouse. They continue to crush with “Hypothetical” which might be the catchiest song in the batch. The vocals and lyrics are really great. They are emotive but not overboard - so good. They don’t disappoint with “Lately.” Oh man the lyrics about the dog who got run over. The lyrics are just fantastic overall and the vocal harmonies are also on point. This band won me over. The recording quality, delivery and songwriting was all top notch. I’ll send them a personal thank you for keeping the flame alive. Once they get to be my age, hopefully they will discover the younger generation also doing their part.
Brody Thomas is an alternative pop/hip hop artist and he is releasing his sophomore album This is a Bad Haiku. Divide & Conquer reviewed his first album, Jellyfish Stings & Sunburns, in 2018. Since then, Thomas has moved from Boston, MA to Oceanside, CA. He has taken the time to further develop his sound, diving deeper all the while finding different avenues to express himself sonically.
Melding a sound that is a mixture of chill pop, alternative, hip hop and spoken word, This is a Bad Haiku is a colossal project with 17 tracks on the album culminating in around 50 minutes altogether. Thomas breaks down the album with the majority of the songs under two minutes of recording time. With this space, the record dives deep into Thomas’ mind, as we glean a bit of his world through his eyes. This is a Bad Haiku hits it off with “Underneath.” About feeling disassociated from your life and wanting a serious escape, a monotonous piano melody underscores the poetry performance piece that slowly evolves into a pressing rap sequence. Thomas exerts a whole lot of energy on his fast-paced delivery on “Fun.” The chorus contains an emo vibe as he repeats “This isn’t fun / It’s oh so fun.” On “K(new)," electric guitar riffs melds with electronic beats on this sparse track about a relationship that just doesn’t work out. Chiptune sounds add a video game vibe. Vibrant flourishes on the ukulele gives off an inviting appeal on “Bored.” The track is about feeling dissatisfied with the state of the world and just trying things to avoid the monotony. A melodic piano melody adds a bright and sunny approach to the upbeat “2020 Luv," as he raps about new love. “Krooked” displays bluesy bass lines that provide for a gritty open as smooth synths sail overhead. Thomas urgently raps about finding a connection in an indifferent world and about not trying to hide the real you. Thomas does a bit of soul-searching on “Poem about G*d.” Sounds of the water running gives off the impression that he is in the shower as he lets existential thoughts about God run through his head. On the closer, “Randy’s Song,” Thomas evokes an old school, classic ‘90s era hip hop vibe. His flow is consistent and does not relent until the very finish. This is a Haiku is a major undertaking. Thomas breaks it down for us with short vignette-like pieces. Melding hip hop with a rock-based sound, Thomas has done something unique here. The record is not only fresh, it is accessible as well, with a diverse sound that has something for everyone on it.
Emotion Witch is an artist from Washington, D.C. who released Not Your Doll. Her music is fairly varied. She sings in a number of different ways and takes on different affectations depending what the song calls for. There were a number of other female artists which were hard not to think of when listening to these songs. The most obvious to me though was Fiona Apple. There were a number of songs where she has that sass and soul that Apple has. It’s the kind of quality where it feels confident and just controls the stage.
This might be most apparent on “Not Your Doll.” The song starts with a strong rhythm section. It doesn't’ take long for the vocals to come into the mix and the energy is vibrant, soulful and empowering. The jazz piano was a nice call. It’s a good song with a memorable hook and plenty of dynamic variation. The style changes quite a bit on “Sailing 'Cross the Silver Sea.” This song has a much more electronic palette of sound in the style of FKA twigs. The vocals are also delivered in a way that was more subdued and were treated differently in the mix. There are so many great moments across the board and I loved the funky ending. She reverts to the aesthetics of the first song on “Gypsy Sally.” The instrumentation felt more organic and jazz infused. I really enjoyed the juxtaposition of the explosive drums and intimate piano. “I Dream” is very stripped down and gives her vocals the spotlight. She closes with “Hold On” and this felt like almost straight R&B. The vocal delivery felt very different at times. As a producer myself for the last twenty years this felt like a very talented artist who is trying to find her own signature and perhaps singular sound. Her influences are fairly noticeable on these songs and by the time I got to the end of the EP I had a clear grasp of the genres she melds. That being said I think the next steps would be to consider how to take these aspects and define how Emotion Witch sounds undeniably like Emotion Witch Overall, I thought this was a really good EP. She is a great vocalist that is dynamic and carries a lot of different emotions in a single sentence. The songwriting and arrangements were also impressive. I hope to hear more in the not too distant future.
Positronic is a project from Michael McDannold. He apparently started making music in 1988. He recently released New Life and it seems like he still has the aesthetics that were around during that time and really hasn’t moved past that. Depeche Mode, Erasure, OMD and Pet Shop Boys are some of his influences and suffice it to say the songs on New Life could be on a mixtape with all of the bands.
There really isn't so much as a shred of the music that would make me think it was a contemporary release. The arpeggiated synths, the midi sound, the Roland synth and even the vocal reverb have that older vibe. It’s obvious McDannold holds this sliver of electronic music in high regard so bust out your dancing shoes and let's meet at Studio 54. I always get a kick out of an album that is unapologetically retro as long as the songwriting and delivery is on par. That was the case here. McDannold sounds like he was made for singing this style of song and there are a ton of great hooks. I’ll admit I often enjoy the darker sides of this type of music - the sort of goth angle you saw emerge with this style. This music is extremely optimistic at times but a number of songs did win me over such as “When You Fall Down.” There is the nice glow of reflection and yearning however which you hear on “Only You.” There are some more highlights - “Home Again,” “Without You” and “I Do.” Overall, I thought this was a good album. McDannold seems completely indifferent to the ways electronic music has shifted over the years and more power to him. One of the anthems that’s still strong and sung at everything from sporting events to weddings is “Take On Me.” Suffice it to say, if you like that song or any of the aforementioned bands this should be an easy win.
Random Ties is a band from Detroit. The band seems to be made up of veterans but they only formed in 2019. They released a six-song EP entitled Believe. I have been reviewing a lot of bands that seem to have an affinity for ’90s rock. I have grown up in that era and have to agree. The amount of great rock bands that came from that time was incredible.
Their sound really felt like it was at the tip of rock somewhere in the early to mid ’90s. The song often felt in Nirvana territory but there were some songs which felt they could have been a B-side from Soundgarden or Pearl Jam. They opened with “Liar” and this song had a very general type of feel. The chords were major and minor with a 4/4 beat as well. I felt like I have heard some version of this song before and some of this might have to do with the simplicity of the structure. Regardless it was a good song that felt instantly familiar. “Week 39” is where the Pearl Jam influence seems to come out in full effect. There is in fact one song in particular that this reminded me of that was in heavy rotation on MTV back in the day. It’s that breakdown. The much more noticeable Soundgarden vibes find their way on “Father Conlon.” I could even pick up on the vocalist noticeably sounding more like Chris Cornell on this song. Either way you slice this, it has more of a grunge inspired sound. They go into ballad mode with “She's Something” as the guitar gets some reverb and chorus like effects. It felt like a highlight. “Why” has its moments as well. You could argue the closer “Believe” had a tinge of Americana influence. The band unapologetically embraces a sound that was at its height in the mid '90s . I’m old enough to remember how absolutely ubiquitous this sound was. Bands like Pearl Jam and Nirvana were big in a way that rock bands don’t get anymore. Believe doesn't feel like an update to the sound but more an homage to a particular moment in time. I think a lot of people, especially around my age, will appreciate the purest type of quality these songs have.
It’s been awhile since we heard from Monogroove. It was back in 2014 when the world was a very different place that they released Echoes in The Glass. The band is back with There's Something Here. This album has some strong connections to music from the '60s and ’70s. The band unapologetically embraces so many aesthetics from those decades from different bands. They really don’t go out of their way to make the songs feel like an updated 2.0 version and instead approach from a more purist type of lens.
I think you should be able to pick up on this on the first two songs “Back Seat” and “Can I Take A Chance.” In fact you can break these songs up in terms of year and band. On “Back Seat” we hear more of the Americana type of classic mixed with vocal harmonies reminiscent of The Mamas and The Papas. There is even some classic ’70s inspired cowbell. We travel across the spectrum of music and actually go back in time with “Can I Take A Chance.” This is in the style of The Beatles but early on before they traveled in India and started to take psychedelics. Now take that and mix it with a little of The Byrds. The band goes back and forth between different styles. “There For You” is a classic ballad and the vocals certainly have similarities to John Lennon. As the album progresses they do a good job switching up whether it’s instrumentation like horns, vocalist or dynamics. The songwriting is consistently good and I found the songs a pleasure to listen to. They did a good job covering “Magical Mystery Tour” as well. I’ve been a musician and writer for a long enough time where I picked up a couple of things. One of those things is if a band sounds similar to a particular moment in time that is usually the music they were listening to when they were kids. And when I say kids I mean about the age of ten to about twenty-three. This is obviously an album for fans of some of the aforementioned artists. In addition to that however all proceeds for this record will go towards animal rescue. Take a listen and help a good cause.
Julep is a husband and wife duo who recently released Magnolia. They did this while in quarantine. There are four songs and all are covered in plenty of reverb. They describe their music as indie folk pop. It’s in the same territory of Phoebe Bridgers and Julian Baker in a lot of ways but not always.
They open with “Coming Down” and it is a mix of indie rock and synth pop. Bands like Broken Social Scene and The Chromatics came to mind. That being said the vocals have more of that emotive folk vibe. They both sing and I really liked both their vocals. There are also just some great melodies coming from the vocals and instruments which are very playful and infectious sounding. This is a great song and I was impressed. “Jumpcut” has its moments. It goes from very intimate to extremely epic sounding where doves are flying and the clouds are parting. This song actually felt more pop oriented than the other songs. They make some improvements on “Without You.” It starts off similarly to “Jumpcut” but the trajectory of the song works much better. The chorus is exceptional and the song does get more intense but doesn't push too hard. It’s more of a slow burn. The vocals are fantastic and very infectious. “All” is a sweet, tender and melancholy song. There is a lot of atmosphere from the instrumentation. The vocals are again just extremely well delivered and even more dynamic on this song. They are the star here. My only critique is the recorded spoken word towards the end that started to feel more melodramatic and not just dramatic. This is a really good EP. The vocal work alone is worthy of praise but the songwriting and instrumentation is also top notch. Quarantine or not I hope they continue to make music because this was a great start. Take a listen.
Guitar player in the Washington D.C. music scene for 40 years now, Ted Feldman has toured with Pentagram and 9353, as well as Scream. He started his self-titled band back in 2012 with Skeeter Thompson as a “sort of collective of rotating players” with Feldman as the central player. This band has changed over the years, but he still takes the helm on lead vocals. Last year, Feldman decided to take the plunge to finally learn how to record an album – the result is what is reviewed here, Peace Valley Lane, with more on the way. Recording the entire album in his still-growing Fairfax, Virginia home studio, Feldman used GarageBand, but has since upgraded to Logic Pro. He is still learning new things about mastering as well. He used a drum machine, other loops and played all the guitars, bass and sang vocals, with the exception of “In the Middle of the Night” which features Carol Gaylor on additional vocals, who also happened to design the album cover. The album itself is hard to describe as Feldman points out, but it does have some elements of Tom Petty, The Beatles, ZZ Top, The Allman Brothers Band and The Rolling Stones, in a psychedelic bluesy sort of way.
“In the Middle of the Night” certainly has a Tom Petty quality to it, you could say a more upbeat version of some song Stevie Nicks and Petty may have jammed on. It’s definitely not “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,” but a good steady rocker, nonetheless. “Broken Angel” is a slower paced tune, reminiscent of those romantic slow dancers from the ’50s and ‘60s. Next up is “I’m Trippin’” – a song that reminded me of how Petty and George Harrison would incorporate a slide guitar into their later music. Overall, I liked this song’s melody and bass lines, and spirited, feel good quality. Feldman plays more slide guitar on “Coco” and it sounds really great here. For some reason, this song’s structure, or arrangement, reminds me of something between Harry Nilsson, early ZZ Top and that one song from the ‘70s, “Why Can’t We be Friends.” The next track “When the Wolf is at Your Door” has got a sad, bluesy feel and is Feldman’s slowest so far. His vocal range really comes through on this one and it’s hard to compare his voice to any other singer. I think it has a unique quality to it. “Peace Valley Lane” doesn’t exactly have a “peaceful” like sound to it, and that’s what I enjoyed best about this one. It’s gritty, heavy and moves with a slow, thick rhythm. Feldman put some sort of vocal effect on his voice, so his words aren’t very clear (but that’s ok by me). The guitars and bass sound like they were turned up to the max. Listen to this one for sure! Next is “Baby’s House” – a funky, upbeat rocker with a familiar bass line that kept me engaged. It reminded me of ZZ Top and a bit of the Stones, too. “Waitin’ on a Train” has a style that’s perhaps more southern rock with a modern feel. “Southwest Players” is smooth and mellow, like a slow blues rock tune just made for dancing. I really liked the instrumentation of “In the Garden” and just how Feldman programmed the drums, the bass, his guitar – which gets a little trippy at times. In fact, this song is pretty trippy overall, and in my opinion, sets itself apart from the rest of the previous numbers. The longest track by far is “Devil’s Chant” and it dabbles in the psychedelic rock style as well. Here, Feldman incorporates more instrumentation with congas, a shaker or two, some additional percussion later on, and lyrics that are hypnotically sung. The last tune is “Bye Bye Baby” and it’s a no nonsense straight up rocker, complete with the addition of hand claps. Feldman’s guitar solos are really great here and overall, this was a fantastic little number to end the album with. If you like blues and rock with just a bit of psychedelia and old school styles, I think you’ll like Peace Valley Lane. What stood out most for me was Feldman’s voice (I can hear a bit of the Texas bluesman himself, Stevie Ray Vaughan) and his finesse at playing the guitar in several ways and styles also stood out.
In Tents is a solo artist from San Diego, California who recently released Eternal's Edge EP. The DIY self-recording was his first effort and contains six songs. He explains “I'm based out of San Diego, and have had the idea of making my own music for as long as I can remember.”
The song is a mix of rock and sounds every bit a typical home recording I usually hear coming from countless bedrooms and basements across the world. The EP opens with “Serpents and Doves” which is a straightforward rock song. It is somewhere between The Black Keys and thousands of others artists who have this style. All things considered there are some solid moments and at times sounded similar to “Come Together” by The Beatles as well. Up next is the “Eternal's Edge” and it is a different style. It is more indie rock inspired. The groove is solid but goes in and out of the pocket. The vocals have their moments and there is a solid guitar solo towards the end. “Shelter” is a darker folk song. It's the style that sounded good on him and hope he plays into more at some point.. The guitar playing is really good and the minimal drumming was a good call considering how lo-fi these recordings are. Up next is the even more intimate and acoustic sounding “Maple Eyes.” He sounds good on “Hey, Friend” which has its moments. It was very chipper sounding and sounded like a song kids would sing. It reminded me of something I would hear at Disney theme parks. I’ve been producing bands for the last two decades and my guess is this artist is just getting started. His style is very scattered and he doesn't seem to have a signature of singular sound. It seems like he is in an exploratory phase. The recordings are very lo-fi. I encourage him to work with a professional engineer at some point as this will make a world of difference. This is a solid start and points to an artist that has some potential. I wish him luck as he continues to evolve. |
Critique/insightWe are dedicated to informing the public about the different types of independent music that is available for your listening pleasure as well as giving the artist a professional critique from a seasoned music geek. We critique a wide variety of niche genres like experimental, IDM, electronic, ambient, shoegaze and much more.
Are you one of our faithful visitors who enjoys our website? Like us on Facebook
Archives
May 2024
|