The unremitting, powerful drums in “Tomahawk,” the opening track of Cold Smoke EP, welcome listeners and introduce them to the hard-hitting, abrasive world of Glass Eyed Ghost’s music. The percussion and distorted guitars surge forward at a blistering pace throughout the song, but their harsh edge is assuaged slightly by the equally powerful yet melodic vocals and harmonies provided by Steve Nelson and Evan Seeberger.
As unbelievable as it may seem, the intro to the next track on the record is even faster than “Tomahawk.” Thankfully, especially for the drummer’s livelihood, the track alternates between quick and slow, loud and soft, and staccato and drawn out notes. About halfway through this tune, a segment featuring a ¾ time scheme and subtly softened vocals adds variety to an already varietous song. The album finally slows down on the EP’s title track “Cold Smoke,” a head-bobbing ballad featuring complex bass lines, echoing and reverb-laced guitars, and plaintive, yet aspirant lyrics. The range of emotions and harmonious sounds, as well as the pristine vocals, on this track make it a definitive highlight of the album. The pace picks back up in “Initiation,” a danceable song that progresses into a full-fledged rock anthem as the track advances. “Glass Eyed Ghost” is perhaps the darkest, most ominous track that Cold Smoke EP has to offer. Its strictly minor mood is accompanied by controlled vocals that constantly border delicately between singing and screaming, occasionally landing on one of the two extremes temporarily. This tune’s catchy motifs and stylistic riffs easily get stuck in the heads of listeners, making it another song deserving of a spotlight. The final song of the album, “Still Waters Run Deep” starts off quietly and reflectively, but the band’s typical sound quickly returns to the mix as power chords strike unfalteringly and a solid drumbeat is created. The guitar solo at the end of this song feels like a triumphant victory shout celebrating the success of the album as a whole, and as listeners would agree, this album is successful.
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The Invention Of is a five-piece band comprised of Chip Winnans (vocals), Luis Giler (vocals/guitar), Irelio Carvajal (guitar), Ian Valdes (bass/vocals) and Austin Loper (drums). The band recently released Vitruvian which is an exceptional rock album that showcases a band with an original sound and style. There are a number of things that are easy to appreciate about the songs on Vitruvian.
The first thing that stuck out to me was the vocal work of Winnans and Giler. They have contrasting vocals styles but it works great together. The closest comparison I can make would be The Blood Brothers. The music itself is great overall but the onslaught of guitar work is truly exceptional. The guitars often go back and forth competing for space with cascading riffs at times that seem endless. One other thing about this band that was notable was their sound is hard to pinpoint. They are all over the place and combine punk, ska, post-hardcore, rock and progressive styles. It is important to note that they aren’t attempting a different style on every song but rather making a stew, which ends up becoming their sound. First up is “Introducing…” which even though is only about a-minute-and-a-half long demonstrates the band's strengths. The kick drum is steady and the two lead guitar parts jell into a greater whole. It’s not too long after the band is fiercely rocking out and stops suddenly. “Blasphemy!” is where the band really starts to flex their muscles. The song launches right into it and contains a myriad of vocal harmonies that make the band stand out. The band doesn't rest on their laurels as they demonstrate right before the two-minute mark. They launch into dark, classical guitar that briefly contains a moment of calm. The beginning of “"Monarchy” may be the most intense moments of the album. One of the guitarists is basically playing “Eruption” but with a full band. You can hear elements of ska on “Infamy” while the band goes full on acoustic for the closer “Black Widow.” Suffice it to say Vitruvian may be too intense of a ride for some people. That being said, if you like bands like The Blood Brothers and Pretty Girls Make Graves this will be your new favorite record.
Broke In Stereo is essentially the brainchild and creative project from Cabell Harris. His four-song release Ear Art is an eclectic EP that doesn’t pigeonhole him into any corner but at the same time doesn’t quite paint a vivid picture of his own style.
He opens with “Dark Side” which in my opinion was an odd choice for an opener because of the energy level (I actually thought the last song on the EP should have been switched with this song). The song moves along at a relatively slow BPM and more or less stays at that pace. Harris covers his voice in distortion and vaguely resembles The Walkmen and the lesser known but now defunct Sparklehorse. He sings, ”You have broken me at first I thought it hurt / Now that it’s over I know it’s absurd / Cuz I am just empty and you are the filler / A match made of nothing is always a killer.” The next track “Rollin Stone” feels like a huge departure from “Dark Side.” It touts a bluesy vibe and Harris’ vocal delivery is loose with some swag. He sounds like a different person and even plays into Sublime-esque vocal delivery during the verse. It’s really cool in and of itself but left me scratching my head as to the overall idea of the EP. Harris goes into another direction on “Right Again” but sounds more in line with the first track. “Right Again” is the most inspired song on the EP for a number of reasons. Harris’ vocals sound natural. He is subdued yet dynamic with his delivery. The music also happens to be the most inventive landing somewhere between Radiohead and Tool at their very softest. My only complaint is in the aesthetic department. The drums were too low in the mix and I could barely make out the snare and cymbals. “Forever Lost” is the biggest sounding track on the EP by a wide margin. He fuses elements of post-rock into this song and reaches some impressive peaks. The vocals while still a bit different than anything that came before are solid. I have to make a note that the EP would have been more seamless if the songs were at similar volume - something a proper mastering engineer would have taken care of. The last song is noticeably much louder than the first song. Make no doubt about it Harris is one talented artist. This is simply a case of him feeling his way through and hopefully coming out the other end with a better idea of what defines his sound and his songs.
The first track entitled “Mornin’ Sun” on inanimate objects by Samuel James is comparable to ingesting some Xanax along with three glasses of wine. The music almost feels slowed down and calming. James put some type of modulation on his voice and barely puts any strain on his vocal delivery. That coupled with warm electric piano and bass and you have some sort of synth pop concoction that happens to be one of the highlights on the album.
The next track “Exactly” starts off in a similar vibe as the first song buts get more energy as it progresses. You are initially greeted with fuzzy synths, bass, some percussion and James singing, “Everything is exactly as it should be.” It’s a solid song and James layers a number of percussive elements that act as additional ear candy against the vocals. His vocals also get more dynamic towards the second half of the song. Next up is “the mirror” which contains an emotionally resonant vocal performance and another example of the unique layering he implements into the song. One thing I started to notice at this point was there were instances where his vocals seemed too soft or entire sections seemed too loud. This is a relatively minor issue that could have been resolved by compression techniques as well as riding faders. Either way it is something that while innocuous in some aspects is a difference that often separates recordings professional studios from DIY home studio projects. “Hard to Find” contains the most upbeat energy yet with a fast moving dirty bass and percussion. On “Melody” forget about Xanax and wine. This song sounds like you ingested Quaaludes. The drone like synth combined with the lightly strummed guitar is enough to create this vibe. James singing is the cherry on top. He barely gets the words out of his mouth on this song and I had no idea what he was saying here. As the album continues James has some success with songs like “the ceiling” and the guitar led “the wall.” There are a ton of great ideas on inanimate objects and James is about eighty percent there in how he implements them. For a debut LP this feels like a lot to ingest and I think it has to do with some of the molasses like energy that is on some of the songs coupled with a high track count. The LP may have been more effective at eight to ten tracks. Overall, this is a really impressive start and I am looking forward to see how this artist evolves.
The New York based schiz-rock trio Apeman claim the genesis for their latest record Mutantala came from hearing a radio interview with Brazilian psych-pop pranksters Os Mutantes, who cited their music was born as a direct response to “the oppressive society they lived in and, specifically, the heavy censorship of American and British rock and roll music.” Apeman liked the idea that Os Mutantes would then “structure their songs so that they would seemingly fit into the narrow parameters of what was ‘socially acceptable’ to play on the radio, while tactically imbedding their music with poached rock n’ roll riffs from popular music.”
This is of course some pretty heavy stuff to throw on a dude like myself who has just heard Apeman for the first time and whose appropriation with Os Mutantes is relegated to the occasional encounter at shows or parties over the course of his life with dudes who just got heavily into Os Mutantes and the occasional namedropping Pitch Fork reference. Needless to say I had to go back and associate myself with Os Mutantes in order to get a sense of what Apeman was trying to do. Challenge accepted I delved into the Brazilian bands oeuvre searching for meaning and then re-listened to Mutantala again in a whole different way, seeing what they were going for. I immediately noticed the parallel sly patterns of destruction mixed with beauty, a way of getting “away with” the censorship that Os Mutantes apparently faced. I also noticed some of the American rock band influence which Os Mutantes patterned themselves after like on the Velvet Underground inspired rocker “Moon” with its exhausted and laid back vocals amongst the lazy feedback of blues guitar riffs. Later I noticed the “garage rock” elements in place on the loudly destructive and beautiful Pixies sounding “Earthlings” which is also prevalent on the spastic rocker “Only Son” with its veritable vociferous screams and scratchy blues riffs. This sentiment also tacks itself onto the seven-minute long “The Olde King Doctor Blue.” As much as I admire the brilliant concept, which inspired Apeman to make Mutantala, and I don’t mean this to sound like a golf clap by any means, though its title track comes closest to what I think Apeman were trying to do, the record occasionally falls short of its original intentions. It’s loud and raucous and fuzzy. But with the prevalent reincarnation of shoegaze it has a lot more competition these days and it seems to simply claw at the very meaning of what it intended, never really catching the grip of its influence.
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Buddha Trixie is a band from San Diego, CA comprised of Andrew Harris, Daniel Cole, Dennis Moon and Kenzo Mann. They recently released a four-song EP entitled Real. After spending some time with the EP it’s evident these guys have a lot of talent in terms of their creativity and technical ability. The songs aren't only well written but offer the kinds of aesthetic treats that are elusive to an ample amount of bands.
The band starts off with “Be There” which immediately displays why this band rules. First off the vocal delivery is attractive in a number of ways. The lead singer seems happy to be there, is dynamic and at the same time has a nonchalant vibe. He sings “London Bridge is falling down / But I can't go now, can't go now / My friends are caught in a deadbeat town / So I can't go now, can't go now.” Then there is the music, which is just as infectious as the vocals. Around the thirty-second mark the band introduces inventive drumming and guitar work but certainly isn't the last time. The outro on this song is not to be missed. It reminded me of The Flaming Lips if they sounded more like The Strokes. At the beginning of the very next song “Real” I was reminded of The Strokes again. Only this time they were covering “Teen Age Riot” by Sonic Youth. This isn’t a knock on the band but if you don’t notice similarities to “Teen Age Riot” by way of the vocal melody then you haven’t heard the song before. The band shows many reasons why they aren't to be dismissed when they go into a psychedelic, warbly breakdown that eventually gets smothered by ascending and descending lead guitar. The next song “Worship Me” is a straightforward rock song that tips it hat to ‘90s bands like Weezer and Fountains Of Wayne while the closer “99 Cent Tacos” is another rocker which contains some inventive techniques such as the panning modulation. Buddha Trixie is a solid band with a few tricks up their sleeves but I don't think they have peaked. The first two songs on this EP are incredibly strong. I would have liked to hear a twenty to twenty-five percent improvement in terms of recording quality and I think the band is a few degrees away from truly finding their own sound. They are definitely getting there and I wouldn't be surprised if their next release were even more realized.
After releasing a single and an EP called Middle Age Mettle Iron Fist have got around to releasing their debut album entitled Don’t Fake It. I hate to assume but it's really inevitable in this case. You can tell from the music on Don’t Fake It that Iron Fist was heavily influenced from rock bands from the ‘70s.
You could probably surmise relatively quickly that these guys haven’t been in high school in a while but the band is nonetheless still influenced by the grooves, sounds and songs they heard back then. Take a dash of Alice Cooper, AC/DC, David Bowie and Spinal Tap and then mix it together and you should have a decent idea of what kind of music the band makes. On closer inspection their music doesn’t as much sound as it was influenced from that decade of music but rather came directly from it. The songs are heavy cuts, which deliver a good dose of hard rock that usually has a good amount of grit. Take for instance the first track “Look Out” which revolves around a explosive guitar riff, a steady bass and drums that don’t need to be over-compressed to be effective. ”Viceville” was one of the highlights. It wasn’t always noticeable but there were certain times where the vocalist sounded like David Bowie. Next up is “On its Way” which sounds like it could be an AC/DC B-side. The intro to the song is arena rock 101 that even comes with the now infamous cowbell. Don’t be fooled by the first thirty-seconds of “No Man’s Land.” It starts off sounding like you are in one of the Alien movies before launching into the more predictable rock sound that Iron Fist is known for. Who says rock bands don’t have a sensitive side. Just take a listen to “Hey Kelly” which revolves around a young woman who you can say may partake in promiscuous behavior. The only problem is that the protagonist is a young man who has a crush on her. Hey this story sounds very familiar to experiences I had in high school. The closing track “Don’t Fake It” is one of the bands notable tracks. They thoroughly rock out and also feature a blaring guitar solo you won’t want to miss. One thing you should know about is that Don’t Fake It actually contains the four songs from their EP Middle Age Mettle although remixed. The point is if you haven't heard the band before you can just start with this album. Don’t Fake It isn't without some issues (i.e. minor timing problems) but is a great throwback to the hard rock band from the ‘70s. If you enjoy some of the bands I mentioned previously then I think this album will be a welcome addition to your collection.
Scorching Winter is a band from Melbourne, Australia comprised of Konstantina Papadimitriou (vocals), Rafael Katigbak (guitar), Natalie Bellio (keyboards), Glenn Treasure (bass) and Nick James (drums). The band released a couple of singles back in 2013 but just recently released their first EP entitled Peripheral.
The female-fronted band seems to be very aware of their sound. They have been compared to Evanescence but have been inspired by bands such as Metallica, Dream Theater and Iron Maiden. This is obvious to anyone who has listened to any of the aforementioned bands. Take for instance “Aggression” which touts the onslaught of guitars you may have heard from Metallica back in the ‘80s and also the orchestral synths you would hear if you listened to Dream Theater. It also doesn’t hurt that the production and recording quality is top notch either. Papadimitriou’s voice soars much like Amy Lee’s from Evanescence, which is one reason they might get comparisons. Nonetheless she can belt out a melody - there is no denying that. “Take A Breath” is another solid tune, which rocks hard and displays the band's chemistry. The song has pretty straightforward palatable melodies and impressive drumming until a little bit over halfway through. There is a shift in vibe around three-and-a-half minutes in where the band turns to prog rock like that of Yes or King Crimson. The bass is all over the place while the guitars are a bit funky and clean. Don’t get me wrong - I like this part a lot but it came out of nowhere. A pattern started to emerge as I found the band holds off on their most inventive instrumental parts until the second half of the song. “The Shining” is not only one of the most cinematic songs but after the four-minute mark gets intense with epic solos, double bass drum and piano. They save one of the best for last with “Dark Clouds.” It’s a fast song that is filled with kinetic energy. On top of that it's arguably Papadimitriou’s best vocal performance. Overall, what separates Scorching Winter is the influences they know they possess. The fact is there are a lot of metal bands that sound eerily similar to Evanescence. Scorching Winter's tip of the hat to ‘80s metal is the defining factor in their music that may make them stand out.
Something Involving A Monkey is a band that started in 2010. The original concept was they were going to play “ironic” music, which on paper seems vague but makes more sense when you listen to it. On their sophomore release Dive Into the Great Blue Waffle these guys have moments that are straight up comedic but let’s back up a bit. The band is often described as “Primus mashes with System of a Down” but as they have stated it does not completely characterize the group. In fact this bands sound is very hard to pin down.
The band is all over the place, which we will explore soon but what I love about this band is that they take the tropes of metal or hard rock and just throw it out the window. Most of the songs are connected by distorted guitars and some rocking out but go off in different directions after that. Make no doubt about these guys are wizards in the technical department and are about as creative as you can get along the way. Just take a listen to the first song “It Was Dead When I Found It.” It’s a stellar opener that combines waves of distortion from guitars, drones and eastern modes. I knew I was in for an off-kilter, unique experience as the song washed over me. A little half way through demonic groans that sound like they are from the seventh level of hell come into the mix. “It Was Dead When I Found it” was a solid opener but “Cookin da Spleen” is just out of control wicked. There are really too many cool exceptional moments to mention but its onslaught of ingenuity from the panning vocals to the sludge metal riffs to the maddening last half of the song that is not to be missed. When I listened to “Eye” I thought they sounded a bit reminiscent of Green Jelly. I was not that surprised when I read later on they played with the band. “Good Example of a Bad Day” is absolutely hilarious and also one of the most intense songs on the album. There is just a wee bit of irony with the name “Cute n Fluffy” which is a relentless onslaught of sound that will either make you curl up in the corner asking for mercy or have you bathing in it’s glory while simultaneously having you “Meowing” along. Don’t miss “Parannoyed” which I’m not even going to describe to you - just press play. I can hardly do Dive Into the Great Blue Waffle justice. It’s refreshing to hear a heavier band not take itself so seriously and also do so in an original way that lesser bands will be jealous of. Dive Into the Great Blue Waffle is essential listening and although I've never seen them in concert I’m willing to bet they destroy live.
The self-titled album Lay-Luz by Lay-Luz is a fantastic mix of indie rock and Brian Wilson-like harmonies and structures. Peppered in with some psychedelia, when the songs lock in, they’re extremely good.
“Adonis” opens the album with Beach Boy like harmonies singing over reverbed guitar and broken down drums. With dream pop chords along a gentle tempo, the song ebbs and flows into psychedelic instrumental interludes, Andy Summers-esque guitar tone and vocal melodies that sound like a blend of Guided By Voices and Modest Mouse. “Lust” pulls and pushes at the momentum with band hits, stops and sixteenth note patterns on the hi-hat. The song never settles into one groove for very long, but manages to pull and intrigue the listener along, always staying interesting throughout. “Turn” uses lush harmonies as a wall of sound to provide support behind sparse guitar chords, handclaps and a drum pattern searching through itself. It can get a bit messy and trippy at times, though when it syncs up, the song has some real bite to it. There is a Sea & Cake vibe that lends itself to the songwriting in this one, esoteric, dreamy and intriguing. “Station” stirs up some Sting like melodies against an aggressive fuzzed outmarch. It’s a catchy song with a lot of drive and uses the stereo panning well to lend to the psychedelia. The instrumental goes on a bit long, but when the vocals return the band ramps up the energy and finishes strong with a choral-like final chorus. The two best songs on the album are “Sweet” and “Slick.” “Sweet” moves from a motoric drum opening to upper register arpeggios on the guitar that slide around. Distant harmonies pulse up and down blending into the bass and guitar seamlessly as a whole other texture. The melody is catchy, the lyrics clever and the dynamics excellent. “Slick” is full of surf guitar vibrato, which wash in with big chords as well as Brian Wilson-ish quarter-note pulses. The band establishes a great groove with some interesting textural changes built around falsetto harmonies, slide guitars, and stops and starts. “Helios” has a funky bass line and some great call-and-response vocal lines. It’s a slow build-up and burn into the song, but worth every moment moving from bold harmonies to head bobbing stoner rock and into a post-rock instrumental section featuring a dream-pop guitar solo. The careful attention paid to the various tones of the instruments and how they are fused together make for an epic (though also compact) pocket-symphony. Not all of the songs are as successful. “Traz” has some excellent vocal parts to it and an interesting chord progression. Some of the hits within the band don’t’ quite line up from time to time though which pulls away some of the groove and momentum of the track. There are a lot of individual parts going on in each section, and some transitions to those sections might help make each of those sections shine more. “Surprise” is a sloppy garage rock song that has some good intentions but has trouble lining up and feeling in sync with itself. Again, the backing vocals are heavenly and well constructed and the overall direction the song is heading in is promising, but tightening up the parts could help the song really take off. “Bears” closes the album with 6/8 arpeggios playing what could be a prom dance in a land of obscured mirrors. Some Beatle-y backing vocals give the song a triumphant build and helps the album finish strong (even with a little hidden guitar track that pops up in a “Her Majesty” type of way). Lay-Luz has some excellent songs and an interesting way of performing them. When they lock in, they really soar. Some attention to some of the details on syncing up the performances of instruments on other songs (as well as some simplification) could help them sit even better with the real gems on the album.
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