Listening to Maniac World by The Good For Nothin' Band is like drinking some wine, laying in a comfy couch and chillin' like no one’s business. The music puts you in a good mood but also makes you kind of feel carefree. Jon Roniger, Alex Mass, Russell Ramirez, Evan Paydon and Brendan Bull are the members who play jazz and gypsyland with their own take of things.
I loved the production of this album. The instrumentation sounds great from the blaring horns to the clean, jazzy kit. Nothing sounds overproduced but just perfectly balanced. The vocals are smooth, full of emotion and just plain enjoyable. I was hooked after the first song “Fishin’ For Stars.” Seriously what's not to like. How could you listen to this song and be like I’m not diggin' this.? Now that you agree with me “Fishin’ For Stars” is just the beginning of a number of songs that are perfect for dinner parties, bar mitzvahs and hangin' out by yourself in a bathtub. Are you listening to “DNA” yet? I started snapping my fingers while typing this sentence. Listen to those horns. I’m hooked on this New Orleans’s infused style. “Falling Out Of Trees” is a bit faster with a walking bass ine and enough swing that you will put on your dancing shoes. It also has a Gene Krupa style drum solo. I’ll take it. As the album progresses the band continues to slay it. The songs vary in energy and attitude but are still connected by a similar thread. This band has a whopping 91 Facebook fans. In a just world that obeyed principles of truth these guys would at least 40,000 Facebook fans and selling out large venues with a mere tweet. Unfortunately the music industry is brutal, almost completely backward as to what becomes popular and damn near impossible to make a living from. Godspeed fellas.
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Dave Paulson (vocals/acoustic guitar/electric guitar/bass), Claire McNulty (vocals/acoustic guitar/keyboard/percussion), Milly Paulson (mandolin/violin/bells/percussion), Dave McNulty (electric bass/saxophone) and Connor Konecnik (drums/percussion) are Water Street.
The band recently released Waiting for Martin. I have to say something about the album cover which is disturbing. The way they are just chilling on that roof not terrified at all about the horrible natural disaster surrounding them. Anyway the album is refined and clean sounding. They don’t like much distortion, they change up lead singers and they are quite eclectic when it comes to styles. The songs are on the safe side and no matter what style they attempt there is an undercurrent of pop music. They kick off with “Better Off Alone” which is about much rocking out as the band does. The song reminded me of Dave Matthews Band in some ways. Not sure exactly why but something about the rhythm. The horns are pretty wicked all things considered. That being said the song is so straightforward I was hoping for some experimentation and surprises. Up next is “Tidal Wave.” I really enjoyed the vocal by McNulty. She has an aesthetically pleasing voice and the harmonies with Paulson also sounded very good. The song felt over zealous in the optimism department at times. A highlight was “Foul Play” which features one of McNulty’s most impressive vocal performances. Good stuff. The band goes slightly bluegrass on “The Storm” while “Maybe” is a slow moving ballad. Water Street is talented in a number of ways. I just wanted some edge and attitude to some of these songs. They almost feel family friendly like I was listening to these songs at Disney World with my kids. That's just me. The songs are catchy, well- written and diverse while not feeling too scattered. Take a listen and see if it's up your alley.
FIVES was formed in Baltimore, MD, in 2008 and is still going strong. Marc Cashin and Matthew White are members of the band. In 2010 they released A Brief History and by 2015 were opening for national touring acts like The Vespers and O-Town. The band's latest Heart & Thunder is a six-song EP that showcases a band with a life affirming type of energy. They don’t particularly sound like U2 but the songs are epic in that kind of way that make you say “ok maybe today can be a beautiful day.”
They open up with an Intro that's literally called “Introduction.” It’s a short ambient piece. When this sort of atmospheric music opens an EP or album I never know what to expect and that was the case here. After the intro the band launches into the title track. The song does have some of those life affirming qualities I was talking about. During the verse I couldn't help but think of Passion Pat between the synths and dance worthy beat. It’s a catchy song and well written but also not really indicative of what else is up the band's sleeve. Take for instance the very next song “My Gravity” which sounds like a combination between Dave Matthews Band and something off the album Graceland by Paul Simon. The chorus goes into epic territory. The band makes another stylistic deviation with “Lovers In Lullaby” which sounds more aligned with a band like Depeche Mode. The verse has an ’80s vibe which I enjoyed. The band is not done with dipping into different styles. “Here We Go” is a guitar heavy song that could almost be considered hard rock if it wasn’t dance-y bass. “You Go On” is a pop ballad in many ways. This song felt the most like it was destined for FM radio. Heart & Thunder felt like it veers more towards pop than indie underground in many ways. The huge sounding choruses and general structure of the songs felt more apt for radio pay. Overall, this EP really doesn't have two songs that sound alike. There are pros and cons about that fact. Take a listen but don’t base the band's sound on one song.
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Welcome To Concrete is the solo effort for Al Humphreys. His release Distant Viewer sounds like a full band but he handles all the instrumentation as well the production and engineering. A true DIY effort. There is just no denying Distant Viewer will be enjoyed most by those who enjoy a certain niche of indie rock. I think the most obvious comparison is Broken Social Scene. You can also make comparisons to band like indie demi-gods Yo La Tengo, Pavement and Dinosaur Jr. You can also hear hints of shoegaze that is loosely tied to the aforementioned bands.
This is a guitar heavy album with catchy hooks. The delivery is solid and so is the songwriting. He open with “Still A Mystery” which is one of the songs that reminded me of Broken Social Scene. Especially the drumming. That being said the song holds its own. The melody is there and aesthetically speaking everything sounded good to my ears. A bit on the lo-fi side but a nice, crunchy tone to the guitar. The title track is just a great track any way you cut it. I thought the vocals really made the song. It’s that breathy, a little bit above a whisper delivery that I tend to be a sucker for. Another highlight was “Motor.” Musically it was a deviation from the previous songs. He cuts away the distortion in favor of smoother sounding guitars. On top of that the groove is easy to bob your head to and enjoy. “Untouched” contains some huge sounding guitar while “Perfect Kill” is the most subtle, soft and nuanced song on the album. The centerpiece and most epic sounding song is “Late” which revolves around 32nd note single note shredding. Distant Viewer is an album that clearly has some influences but at least those influences are fantastic. If you enjoy some of the aforementioned band than Distant Viewer is a no brainer. Recommended.
Bob Lien is a singer, songwriter and recording artist from Minnesota who recently released Color of Sky. The music is very well produced and has a light, airy, dreamlike quality to it. On top of the guitars, drums and bass you get a good amount of string arrangements. So much so it starts to define his sound.
My only minor issue with the album is the length. At fifteen songs with no filler this felt more like a double album. I usually prefer albums I can get through in one sitting and by the tenth song I have to admit my patience was starting to wear thin. Lien studied composition and that seems obvious after listening to these songs. They are well sculpted with peaks and valleys which keep a song interesting. He opens with the title track and I really enjoyed the beginning of the song. The orchestral string work is lively yet warm. Without warning, drums, guitar and bass come into the mix. It’s a pretty positive, optimistic song in terms of the lyrics and vibe. He sings, “Before we met, I was more lost than I’d admit, taking comfort in the shadow of dreams. / You are the air upon the breath I breathe. / You are the fire inside that sets me free.” That being said the topic is pretty familiar. “What I Ask to Receive” has a very ethereal, dreamlike quality. He utilizes a good amount of reverb and thought his vocals sounded well produced here. “Every Road” is another solid. I was digging the lead guitar here especially with the way it played into the percussive heavy instrumentation. “Temporary Homes” seems to be a metaphor for the transitory nature of human beings while “Best of Who We Are” has a similar theme of time progressing. As the album progresses “Weight of Fallen Dreams” and “Learn It This Time” were highlights. Color of Sky is a cohesive album that builds upon a sound. That’s impressive in itself. Combine that with some solid songwriting and you have a winning combination.
DJ Earth Day is an artist who recently released Club Mars. Is DJ Earth Day actually a DJ? I’m not sure. A lot of the tracks on Club Mars sound recorded and lo-fi. At the end of the day in 2016 it doesn't really matter anymore. Sampling is more ubiquitous than ever and also super easy to do if you have the intelligence to run a simple program like Ableton Love.
Club Mars is a bunch of instrumental tracks, A lot of the tunes are funky borderline going into jam band territory. Up first is “Yukon” which is a psychedelic jam out session not too far off from a band like Comets on Fire. The songs gets a little bit more laid back and funky towards the end. I’m happy to oblige, “Club Mars Does Quantic Soul Orchestra” was one of the few songs with vocals. They were some soulful vocals. Good stuff and also a fun song. I would have liked to hear more songs like this. The album goes into mostly instrumental mode with the wacky and slightly zany “Earth Day” while “Ultimate Striped Tree Shirt” is a lo-fi jam session with some noteworthy time transitions. The remainder of the album feel like a nifty guitar playing and jamming. The closer “This Tree” actually stuck out because the vibe was different than the previous songs. It was a lot more subdued, chill and actually pretty relaxing after the onslaught of sounds. I’m pretty sure DJ Earth Day is less a DJ and more just one guy having some fun with music. Is this a solid release? Yes. Is this the next OK Computer? Nope. The man behind the music does have some skill when it comes to composition. There was some inventive stuff in there. I might suggest doing vocals a little more. “Club Mars Does Quantic Soul Orchestra” was a kicking track.
Synapses Firing is a project that started as a solo acoustic project of songwriter Sean Dowling in 2013. Dowling started working with Paul Bennardo (drums) and the acoustic part of the project pretty much went to the wayside. On their debut Forgive Dowling utilizes a lot of distortion which seems to emanate from electric guitars.
According to the band “We have often been compared to deftones, glassjaw, brand new and Radiohead.” Some you could maybe make arguments for the case of the first three bands but this band sounds nothing like Radiohead. I’m also not really sure why they refer to this as post-rock on their Bandcamp page. It would be stretching it to say there are elements of bands like Explosions in the Sky and Godspeed You! Black Emperor in here. There is a emo/post-hardcore vibe. A lot of the emo vibe comes from the vocals. Dowling has a high-pitched often nasally voice. The hardcore vibe comes more from the music especially the drums. Bennardo is a great drummer. He has great timing along with some inventive fills. Forgive has some solid songs along with some moments that really stuck out to me. After an atmospheric intro entitled “Firing” the band launches into a more adrenaline pumping song entitled “Sparrows and Dove.” There are definitely some traces of pop punk in the beginning of the song which meld into hardcore. I thought the lyrics were creative on this song. The vocal delivery was pretty solid as well. “Cut” was one of the highlights. There are some chord progressions that oozed with dissonant tone and textures. This was right up my alley. There is also an exceptional breakdown section. The band has one of their finest moments at four-and-a-half minutes in. It’s a wall of sonic, dark noise. Good stuff. The band is pretty consistent going forward. “Gold” is an unrelentless song filled with high octane energy while “On The Floor” has lots more space to play with. “You've Been a Bastard” is another highlight. I really liked the dripping distortion which reminded me somewhat of drone metal demigods Sunn O))). Forgive is a good album. It’s well-written, consistent and has impressive production. Recommended.
Gwyn is a New York City-based alternative rock/soul band featuring vocalist Elgin "El-7" Wayne and producer Z.E. Vahan. They recently released a three-song EP entitled Fleur. First off I respected this band because it’s obvious they are going for an original sound. Sure, you can point to some comparisons like TV on the Radio but the band establishes a unique identity over these three songs.
Do you remember that band Sleigh Bells that had a couple indie hits a couple years back? They weren’t that great in the long run but they melded metal and hip-hop to some extent. Gwyn is similar in the way that you can clearly hear aspects of soul and rock. I would argue that most of the soul comes from the vocals while the distorted guitar provides the fundamentals of rock. They open with “Neverending” which is the highlight of the three songs. The song is seven minutes but doesn’t feel like it’s too long. I enjoyed the whole build up of the song. An electronic beat and pulsating sine wave create a hypnotic groove. A little after the minute-mark mystical sounding atmosphere starts to envelope the song. Bits of white noise drip from the ceiling as Wayne goes into falsetto. The guitar completely takes over about two-and-a-half minutes in. Perhaps a little too much. Overall, this is a great opener. Wayne kills it on the vocals and I thought the production was inventive. “Anymore” is a little more straightforward and veers into metal territory with the guitar riffs. The song also has a slight industrial feel. It reminded me of early NIN minus Trent Reznor style vocals. They close with “Song For Venus (Wedding Song).” I really liked the beat and instrumentation in this song. Slight off-kilter experimental. The music is hazy, dream-like and misty. Elements ooze into each other. The song may have benefited from at least one significant deviation or change but still that's arguable because the groove is so good. I’m not sure why the song goes on for an extra minute or so then it has to towards the end. It just sounds just like someone left a mic on. Fleur has some flaws but is a good debut nonetheless. There is a firm foundation here and with some tweaking they could really be onto something,
Josh Birdsong is an independent singer/songwriter currently based in Nashville, TN, who just released his debut Simple Geometry. It’s a polished debut in terms of production. The songwriting is simple, safe and feels fairly influenced.
At this point Birdsong doesn't carve much of a distinct sound for himself but there is some potential here. From looking at his photos on his website he must be about college age or younger. I think with some refinement and tweaking he could grow into his own. There are some inspired moments on the EP. That being said I wanted a little more edge to his songs. Something between his voice and the super clean elements made me want some grit and dirt that never came. He opens with “Unspeakable” which takes away a while to get going. At its core behind the heavily reverb-ed guitars is a pop song. The best moments of the song are when a groove is carved out. There is almost a Phoenix-esque vibe at times. Up next is “Radio Waves” which utilizes a similar aesthetic in regards to the guitar. Also like the first song it takes a while to get going and find the groove. The song eventually picks up and luckily never goes overboard into grandiose territory. “Drive” is the highlight on the EP. The song get rights into. During the verse his vocals have the smooth, sensitive singer/songwriter flavor. It sounded decent but the chorus is really the money where the songs display more oomph. Slick and dance worthy. “Why?” starts off like the first two songs with even more reverb. The closer “You and I” is predictably singer/songwriter and feels like an aesthetic deviation of what came before. Simple Geometry is a scattered EP with some noteworthy moments. Something about the music from the singing to the production is glossy. I wouldn’t mind hearing something a little more raw and even aggressive in the future. Maybe that will come with age.
Zoë Nutt is an artist from Nashville who has music in her blood. She was born in Knoxville, graduated from Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. Her release Like You showcases an exceptionally talented artist who is able seamlessly combines different styles. Folk, pop and even tinges of jazz and soul show up on this release.
The production is exceptional. There is no question about that. It sounds great. The production really pushes her voice and for good reason. She has a great voice. She rarely stresses her voice and usually prefers a hushed vocal that is all about the nuance and subtlety. There is a lot of melancholy on this album but it’s often accompanied by warmth and nostalgia which cuddles and comforts you. I was sometimes reminded of Mazzy Star and to a lesser extent Norah Jones and Angus & Julia Stone. The album opens with “Nothing I Can Do.” The first thirty seconds are a cappella and she sounds great. Instrumentation comes in and it feels effortless. The vibe is mellow and heartwarming. Great opener. “Cry on You” is so sparse it’s almost all atmosphere. Her hushed vocals is what make the song but I really thought the instrumentation was effective at elevating her voice. Songs like “Antique Soda Pop Love” and “Bones” have the pretty mix of nostalgia, hope, and sadness. I love that combo. Especially when the alchemist mixes the right amounts. “Look the Other Way” is a lounge-y song you could imagine being played at a jazz club. She continues to impress with one of the highlights “I’m on Fire” as well as the most upbeat song “Sweet Tennessee.” The album ends with “Dearest” which is the cherry on top. Like You is an exceptional album. Listen now. Two thumbs way up.
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