From Taunton, MA comes the three-piece band Downcaster. Since forming in late 2018, the southern New England band has performed several shows in their area. Now over the past summer they have released their debut EP Myself Made Perfect. The pop-punk album has deep personal lyrics about the mental stresses of toxic relationships.
Right at the beginning of Myself Made Perfect, the pop-punk trio tackles the serious issue of suicidal thoughts on “Loving Arms/Hateful Hands.” The intro of the song has a female voice screaming the lines “I’m lonely and it hurts me!” The intensity continues behind powerful lyrics. It is quite an interesting way to start off their debut album. While the messaging isn’t quite as dire, Downcaster has a bit more fun on “You Lost Me At Hello.” The energetic instrumentation goes well with Andrew Voller’s solid lyrics such as, “I’d rather die than share my air with these /Hipster assholes and coked out fossils.” The next track “The Deep Dark” begins with an ominous tone thanks to Nick Greenhalge’s synthesizer introduction. Greenhalge pulls down double duty as his frantic drum smashing hypes the song before transforming into a more laidback jam. The following track “Circuitry Cancer” has beautiful instrumentation in the beginning which then blends with static vocals. Fortunately by the end of the song the screechy vocals morph into a heavenly hum paired with Anthony Bonaparte’s guitar. While there is some contemplative melancholy, “How Combustible Is Gender Fluid?” has some positive words of encouragement. Here the band gives the message that with the support of loved ones you can weather the storm. No line is more powerful than, “Pick yourself up, you got a war to win.” You may want to give up sometimes but it’s important to always remember suicide is never the answer. Downcaster finishes the album with “Whipsaw.” The song takes place in what sounds like a school cafeteria. The story takes the point of view of a shy boy too scared to talk to the girl he likes in fear of making a fool of himself. We’ve all been there before but you need to take that risk that this song never highlights. The majority of Myself Made Perfect vibe is a bit of a downer. Probably that is why the band’s name is called Downcaster. Therefore you can’t be upset with the sensitive subject matter the band portrays. That being said it might be hard for certain fans to appreciate if they are looking for more positivity. I think you may have to be in a certain type of mood in order to tackle and embrace what this album provides. Take a listen.
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Portland-based surf-rock band Shotski is on a mission to move their coast’s favorite genre of the ’50s into modern territory by blending the sun kissed sound of Dick Dale and the Del-Tones with indie-rock progressions and bluesy guitar leads. The result is the lively and layered Pipedream, which sends a clear message: the beach life is not all sunshine and the music is not all party soundtracks. Shotski displays a depth of influence and emotion to go with a visceral and kinetic musicianship, crafting a big sound for a three-piece thanks to frontman Clarke Phillips’ melodic sense, bassist Brandon Graviet’s full-toned and propulsive baselines and drummer Conner Smick’s textured arrangements. Following up last years West Beach EP with more solid vibes, Pipedream is a statement that Shotski is ready to be at the the forefront of their revivalist scene.
Phillips is a dynamic singer and a creative guitarist with a varied and understated style; drawing on the chordal playing and bluesy leads of ’60s psyche-rock as well as the progressions and tones of ’90s alt-rock. Listen to the breezy, technicolor bliss of “Japow” for not only a prime example of Phillips’ inventiveness on his instrument; but also a song that displays a range of emotional colors. The darker shade of production on the verses mirrors lyrics such as “the snow is falling hard in Japan / I know it like the back of my hand” while the chorus ramps up to a more sunny disposition, with a growled vocal and brighter guitar tones while Smick lays the cymbals on heavy. “No Way” dips into classic surf rock with a Brian Wilson approved three-part harmony to kick off the slow dance track, reminiscent of homecoming. The refrain is simple, but sultry; little more than a lonesome sigh. “Fuego” dips into some different territory vocally, evoking the strained passion of Phosphorescent. Shotski is a band on a quest to stretch their scene’s surf-rock trappings into unconventional territory and “Fuego as a pretty by-the-numbers indie-rock production fits that adventurous sprit. Where “Fuego” departs its stylistic constrictions are in the creative use of the Bigsby vibrato sound, beach-y percussion on the choruses, and a fun, tom and guitar heavy rave out for the outro. “Dropping” is another subdued dance song in the vein of “No Way.” The major difference being a build and explosive chorus. Young the Giant is an apparent influence here, and another example of Shotski’s indie-rock leanings. Overall, I find it hard to classify Pipedream. While clearly the work of a confident and talented band that can’t miss in the quality song department, Pipedream isn’t a record that really blends Shotski’s surf-rock and indie-rock influences across the board (“Fuego” being the exception). More so, it’s a well crafted display of Shotski’s ability to dip into either genres convincingly; but not yet a complete collection of songs that fuse their influences originally.
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Miles On End is a Kansas-based band with a very appropriate moniker; they specialize in a brand of rock that is expansive and exploratory, drawing from the sonic pallet of the late '60s but touching on jazz, afro-cuban, musique concrete and a multitude of other sources to affect a real journey in the mind of the listener.
The band’s self-titled debut Miles On End is a worthy travel companion whether you’re hugging the beach down a coast or cutting through the desert on an infinite highway, the momentum and inventiveness of these songs will keep you inspired to excavate your surroundings and even yourself. The album displays a range of tunes for different destinations: the down-home and country-fried “Blind Operator” with its chicken greased, bluesy guitar riffs and refrain of “going back to Carolina” or its follow-up “White Walls,” a slick city-blues in the mold of Cream with a garage revival edge. It’s commendable of Miles On End to have taken the time to mine the golden-age of guitar-rock in order to put together such a varied and eclectic mix. Sonically, the songs still display a cohesion, being on the drier side with fuzzy guitars, tight and unobtrusive drums, a melodic bass and raw vocal recordings. The sum of these parts works to convey an immediacy found in live music and often missing from overproduced studio work. Ultimately, the aim of Miles On End is to craft a unique approach through a consolidation of myriad influences, all the while adhering to a belief in the central importance of song quality above all else; and in that respect I believe they have succeeded. Miles On End is thoroughly midwestern in this approach of letting the result speak for itself and while listeners may be left somewhat confused by what this band “is,” anyone with an ear for rock will not doubt recognize that it is good. The complexity of these arrangements paired with a no frills production style and an overarching concept of travel make Miles on End a high recommendation.
A lot of bands like to claim their music is genre bending. This in my opinion is not a good idea. The minute you say something like this the person who’s listening has expectations that are going to be through the roof most likely with their arms crossed. Some bands do deserve this title such as Hawley. Although they are not inventing new genres (who is?) they certainly merge a number of them on their self-titled release Hawley. The band mixes elements of bands like Do Make Say Think and Radiohead with more lush ethereal soundscapes you might hear from artists like Stars of The Lid or Fennesz.
The songs aren’t a standard post-rock length which seems to be around double digits but these songs are far from vignettes. They are able to explore the songs naturally which does not feel contrived. The band gets going with “St. Antoní” which begins with some atmosphere. There are choral style vocals, what sounds like low reverberating sine waves and not much else. It slowly morphs into a piano and vocal section. The vocals are on the edge of being too melodramatic for my own taste but the emotion gets interrupted by an absolute onslaught of drumming. The drumming comes in like a bat out of hell completely transforming the dynamics of the song. With that the vocals rise with intensity. There is another drop with atmosphere and the vocals return. A little later the drums return but not as intense and not straight enough to keep a consistent beat. There is no hook or chorus and it plays out more like a soundscape. The emotion isn’t on the nose of any direct pattern of energy. The emotion is a little more potent right off the bat on “Noise Two, Natalia.” I was reminded of the warm melancholy of The Antlers. The vocals especially in the beginning have the perfect amount of affectation. He pushes it but not too hard to feel contrived. The song is dynamic but doesn't get there with percussion at first. White noise is the ingredient of choice here and when it rises it reminded me of Ian William Craig. My only issue is the rise and transition that happens a little before the three-minute mark. That was such a beautiful moment that cut off too abruptly. What happens afterwards is definitely cool with the drummer back in full force. They close with the longest and best song entitled “The Alway.” The experimental beginning unfolds in a unique and inventive way. Even more importantly the way the soundscape unwraps feels seamless. Some of the sounds here reminded of one of my favorite but unfortunately not appreciated bands Auburn Lull. The drummer reinforces his jazzy sort of human Aphex Twin type style around the four-minute mark, I liked the foggy, ambiguous atmosphere against the drums. The song sort of is a slow burn after that with slight rises in pads and the drums continuing to control the dynamics. There are a lot of things to love about this EP, especially for those who are more familiar with what the fringe can provide. I think this is a great release and truly hope to hear more soon. Recommended.
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 Romanyk In Spite of Myself 4.0 Days Out It's Complicated 3.5 SICK Time's Running Out 3.5 Partial Cell Lethal as Anything 3.6 Umbilica Where The Land Meets The Ocean 4.0
The story of Gerry Cea is worthy of repeating. On his Bandcamp page he states that he was born in Argentina in 1966, he arrived in NYC in 1985 and then moved to Miami in 1993. In 1993 he opened cafe prima pasta restaurant and met artists including David Lee Roth, Iggy Pop, Janet Jackson, Alan Parson and Jose Feliciano. I surmise this had something to do with him entering a recording studio when he turned fifty years old. He wanted to make music for himself and that was probably building inside his mind over the years. The result is Something New.
Something New is a twelve-song album that is fairly upbeat and hopeful which also has to do a lot with romantic love. It seems to be most influenced by classic rock from the tones, textures and delivery of the songs. You can make loose comparisons to artists like Eric Clapton, Pink Floyd, The Beatles and some other notable legends in the game. On that note you can also hear some of the songs were influenced by ’50s pop. The album is very positive and you can get this impression just by looking at the song titles. Take for instance the opener “Its Ok” which is also one of the highlights. There is actually a message in this song that is particularly beautiful. I feel like for a while American society and commercialism was pushing this campaign of just “be happy.” I never liked that and thought it was a crap message. If you’re sad you should feel that emotion, recognize it and even appreciate it - not try to hide from it. He sings “It’s OK To be sad / It’s a part of the circle of life” which is a powerful sentiment about acceptance. “With You” is a warm song about gratitude. It’s a classic love song in a lot of ways with a catchy chorus. Cea really starts to expand on “Sad To Say Goodbye.” Musically, there is a lot going on. I was reminded of Billy Joel because of the piano but the chorus is quite epic in a Pink Floyd type of way. “Something New” has such a classic rock type of sound it me. It’s again warm but very anthemic. The chorus was memorable. I could imagine a crowd of people singing, “We don’t have to fight with each other, / We just have to love one another.” “The One (Acoustic)” is the first ballad and also one of the only songs that contained a good amount of melancholy. The song is created with lush strings and was one of Cea’s most heartfelt vocal performances. The album continues with “One Day At The Time” which is a very hopeful song and crescendos with an inspiring and worthwhile antidote. I really liked the rockabilly swing of “I Got News For You” which is one of the most fun and infectious songs on the album. The '50s pop infused “Mine” plays out like you don’t have a care in the world. “Back To You” is another very upbeat and joyous song while “Our Love Goes On Forever” revisits ’50s pop but it’s even more overt on this song. “Camila” combines astronomy and love and is perhaps the most romantic sounding song in the batch. He closes with a straightforward rock version of the song “The One.” Something New is a very well produced and delivered album. Cea wears his influences on his sleeve but it was easy to appreciate the original melodies and concepts. This is an album that I think a wide range of people will like. That being said, fans of some of the aforementioned bands will not want to pass this up. Take a listen.
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Vancouver art-pop group Yawn released their debut album You & I. Yawn mines past experiences and musical influences to take listeners on an intimate and conversational journey. “By the time she was sixteen, the word no lost all meaning / she’d ride along the edge of town trying to get back that feeling” sings Julia McDougall on “We Were Kids,” a harrowing (possibly autobiographical) song about a girl lost in the world.
It is a beautiful composition that unfolds like a flower, a piano progression reminiscent of “Halo” that evolves into a dream-pop voyage. A sly bass melody and pizzicato strings announce the surreal before a tight drum kit and jittery guitars channel apprehension. Then, an overdriven and angsty guitar lead propels the narrative into unknown and dangerous territory: a dramatic odd-time section that reads like a prog show-tune as McDougall sings “you know from that day on something was gone; something went away / and we knew something was wrong when she said it’s ok.” It’s a refrain that utilizes all the tear-jerking ingenuity of The Beatles “She’s Leaving Home” in a modern pop context, and a great example of Yawn’s prowess at crafting otherworldly pop songs. Whether the mellow electro-pop of the reflective title track, or the bouncy, island-tinged pop-rock of “Wanna Do Right,” Yawn trades in the confessional. Confessions of longing, admissions of fault or an open invitation to love, the songs on You & I offer a face-to-face lyrical approach and warm productions to evoke the feeling of familiarity. While the prose on display would fit well in one of Canada’s poetry journals, the words are elevated by melancholy melodies a very tasteful arrangements. Closing track “Song for a City” is a cry for help and companionship that downright destroys you with bluesy changes; one harmonica solo and an ongoing bar tab short of a “saloon’s greatest hits” collection. An alt-rock pre-chorus with clawing clean guitars and a descending progression feels like a soul stripped from it’s body. This song is an anthem for the downtrodden, a call to arms for the aimless. As its title suggests, You & I is essentially a breakup album. However, instead of falling into the trap of the stripped down and somber acoustic aesthetic this hard topic tends to inhabit these days, Yawn instead opts for something refined and opulent. I was reminded in spirit of Dirty Projector’s self-titled 2017 release, which found front-man David Longstreth dealing with heartbreak and expanding his production vocabulary at the same time. This decision to utilize effort and invention as a part of the healing process adds a commendable layer to You & I. In the same way “Wanna Do Right” is the return of hope following the title track’s solemn acceptance, McDougall and Yawn’s ability to stretch the sonic boundaries of dream-pop while being lyrically intimate are inspiring. Fans of narrative and personal pop will find a connection to Yawn’s brand, which openly invites you to share in their struggles and their triumphs.
Five.others is an indie/soul artist from Toronto who apparently is also known as Greg. The artist recently released Sweet Blue which is a soulful which often features downtempo songs. His songs are atmospheric and you might say dreamy as well. I’d also say the general feeling of tranquility is present through most of the release. His delivery is smooth, borderline sensual, and he seems to really push the intimacy with his voice.
The first song is “Just.” I gotta be honest - the heavy wah pedal guitar made me think of a sort of cliched ’70s porn. It got my attention but the vocals quickly broke up this image that I had in my mind. His vocals are the focal point of the song and the elements that brings the memorable hook. The song is three minutes but felt like it went by faster - not a bad thing. The energy rises slightly on “Gloomy” which is arguably the highlight. It’s a smooth song almost like Maroon 5 with some Stevie Ray Vaughan type lead guitar. The lyrics did not feel the same as the vibe. He sings, “if you feel under the weather / if you feel over the moon / i think i like it better when you’re trying to play it cool / it’s a gloomy morning.” “I” is up next and his vocals are a little understated on this song. It’s very silky and atmospheric to the point where it has this new age type of quality to it. Last up is “Keeps.” His vocals sounded different to me on this song. There was an intimacy on this, especially during the verse. I really liked the hook where he sings “keep on keep slipping.” This EP went by fast. Almost too fast. I would have been perfectly happy with another song or two. That being said he does a fantastic job creating a foundation which is something I always preach about on this website. He uses a contained palette and sounds and really felt like it was a good idea of this artist’s sound despite the brevity. This is a solid release and I certainly hope to hear some more of his songs. Take a listen.
Thomas Itty is an indie singer/songwriter and DIY recording artist from Westchester County, New York. I’m not sure how old he is now but he has been writing songs since he was seventeen years old. Itty has released two albums as an independent artist: The Dark Edge of The Light (2000) and From There to Here (2013). His latest release Retrospective is much longer than a standard or LP. It’s just under three hours. It’s really about three albums worth of material.
He categorizes his music as acoustic rock which seems about right. Although I think I would have to include the word folk in there as well. I’m obviously not going to go through every track but will mention some of the highlights. The opening track “Solomon Grundy” was one of the highlights out of the batch. His music especially on this song isn’t far away from a band like the Grateful Dead. There is that sort of soft and warm texture to the vocals and guitars which made me think of that in addition to the delivery. The song which is actually kind of dark and about cancer is one of my favorites, “Living Free” was another standout. This song starts off as a straight folk song with guitar and vocals. The song does build up with instrumentation and does rock out although not too hard. The next song “Same World New Reality” was another highlight. It’s a joyful song about perspective, reality and possibility. “True Blue Troubadour” was mixed really well. The music itself seemed to be very well separated making plenty of space for the vocals. I’m just scratching the surface here but I will say the songs do have a similar quality so if you like one song you're bound to like more. This is a massive collection of music and is certainly a testament to Itty’s talent. Take a listen.
Slash still probably has the best moniker in rock history. There’s no arguing it’s a badass name. I’d say the dudes in Holy Piranha have some legit names as well. Claw (vocals/guitar), Bat (vocals/bass) and Nicky (drums) are the men behind the music. Their latest release Aggrofitti is a twelve-song rock album.
The band formed in 2018 and got to work quickly. They veer towards hard rock somewhere between a band like Soundgarden and Tool most of the time. The guitars are distorted, the drums hit hard and well the bass kind of keeps the whole thing intact. They open with “Self Sabotage” which is more like a short, raucous punk song. It’s under two minutes with a tight instrumental performance but a loose, sort of anthemic vocal performance that felt very punk. They branch out on “Casual Badger.” The riffs had this older ’90s vibe at least at first. I was actually reminded of Faith No More on the verse mainly due to the bass part and the vocal delivery. “Tiny Hands” was a strong alternative/grunge song and brought me back to my days of listening to Nirvana and other like minded bands. There really aren’t too many surprises as the album unfolds but there are some surefire highlights. “Say What?,” “Inside” and “700 Sharks” were the standouts to my ears. As an engineer myself I thought the band did a solid job with the DIY recording. On that point some typical and minor things I hear in DIY like a snare that would use a little more snap might have benefited from a studio recording. At the very least a pro mastering engineer could have sorted out some of the more specific technical sonic nuances. I thought this was a very solid first effort and was really impressed that they were able to produce this amount of songs in so little time. This is a great start and I hope to hear some more soon. |
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