Scotland’s Craig McColl is behind the new musical project Weird Terrain. During the pandemic lockdown, McColl set out to record his self-titled EP Weird Terrain. Influenced by the ‘60s and ‘70s era of psych and prog rock as well as the rock jazz fusion era, the artist wanted to create a record that was as noisy, unfiltered and as experimental as some of the artists he listened to. I think that McColl has succeeded in the very act. Weird Terrain covers prog rock territory with hints of electronica. His recordings are filled with narrations and some buried vocals to give off an ambient and experimental feel. With this EP, McColl has the prog rock, psychedelic and hard rock territory fully covered.
Weird Terrain opens up with “Who Speaks For Earth,” where some crunchy reverb comes in alongside some synths. Gradually, you could make out the sounds of some electronic riffs. The sound is rather alien and other-worldly. Some spoken word vocals from Carl Sagan arrive. The atmospheric sounds in the background support the vocal performance. Slowly, some guitar riffs are realized. This made for an ambient and atmospheric listen. Riffs roar out with an anthemic bang on “Conscious Drifter.” It gave off a fuzzy and distorted feel. I was reeled in by the energy. The sound meanders a bit. Next, a full band undertaking comes in alongside McColl’s vocals, giving off a fully charged emo/punk flourish. On “A Myriad Of Flickering Stars,” slowly some beats and wailing guitars meet the gamut of this track. Gradually, some drumming sidles in. The sound was gritty and edgy, which made me sit up and pay attention. This was a pure instrumental interlude with the artist going on to jam out to full effect. On “Analysis Paralysis,” some fast guitars gun through this recording. It made for an invigorating listening experience. I was getting hard rock and metal instances here. Out of the blue, comes McColl’s vocals which again sounded very punk and emo to my ears. Once more the artist eases into a sprawling prog rock sound that feels very atmospheric on “Strange Terrain.” Next, the tune becomes fast as McColl plays to speedy duress. The music that is unleashed feels energized and revved. This was an instrumental interlude that goes into an all-out jam-session and I think the artist does a good job here on this closer. For the most part, this album was entirely written and performed by McColl. Upon first listen, you can tell that McColl is all up for world-building on this EP. He creates sweeping soundscapes and with the opening track “Who Speaks For Earth?” being just under 13 minutes long, there’s a lot of room for listeners to settle in and enjoy the track. I had to say, there’s no rushing in these sonic landscapes as McColl lets the sound and vibe evolve on its own. A lot of times, it felt like McColl was simply experimenting on the guitar, letting whatever happens, happen. This noodling effect sometimes goes into a straight-out jamfest and I think the effect is oftentimes surprising. With that being said, McColl has a lot going on here and I look forward to seeing more good things from him.
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VialenT is one of several projects of Sami Velantain. While the sounds from Undying Mynd and Heavenfall are more akin to Industrial or EBM, VialenT is primarily synth pop inspired by the retro and glamour of the ‘80s, though the Industrial elements are still present. Velantain recently released A Touch of Violence.
The first song is “Taking Over” which starts with an arpeggiated synth that is reminiscent of the theme music on Stranger Things. There’s a hard hitting beat. The vocals are dynamic and contain a lot of different affectations. It felt like there was a feeling of urgency. He kept saying “Let’s go.” Some of the vocals are doubled up which creates a thickness effect. Some of the best parts of the song are the implementation of pads. “Dancing Mad’ begins with lush pads and synths which create a sense of serenity. That however doesn't last too long. The vocals enter and he sings “We are too dancing mad / I was born without a beat to my name / Mediocre as the droves of peeps / Looking for something to call my own.” The beat gets stronger and faster and goes into a consistent 4/4 tempo with spoken word. There’s no hook in the song in the traditional sense but it’s more like he takes on a cast of characters. The production starts to feel like you might be traveling down a wormhole. “Time To Go” contains the most electro sounding beat yet and in fact I thought this song was the highlight. When the vocals come in they are just as varied as the previous songs. Velantain’s confidence is impressive. He sings “Look at your life / Sitting empty / Crouching downward / At the big screen / See your mind gone / Reflecting pity / Dreadful becoming / You are a mess. The strength of this debut was the production. I liked some of the vocals and thought there were certain sections and parts where he sounded good and other times it almost felt too intense. There are some solid ideas here. The other thing the artist did well was create a cohesive debut. I thought the songs gave a good impression of what the artist is about and his general sound. That’s what a debut is supposed to do in my opinion so I give him kudos for that. I look forward to what else the artist might have up his sleeves.
Willie Bess (vocals/guitar), Matty Begnaud (bass) and Derek Begnaud (drums) are Warm Frames. They recently released Might As Well which is a five-song EP. They mention Sonic Youth, The Stooges, Black Flag, My Bloody Valentine, assorted pop music from the ‘80s and ‘90s are some of their influences. As a fan of those bands I would say that makes sense. In fact I first saw Sonic Youth live in the early ’90s and some of their music definitely comes from a similar place.
The band gets going with “Poser” which begins with a sliding guitar riff that is quickly assaulted with drums and bass. I would say as far lo-fi goes this is very lo-fi. It’s hard to tell what’s going on as ghostly vocals sometimes surface and feedback comes from all angles but I still enjoy the ominous sort of quality the song has. “Suburban Brat” is a messy, dissonant yet glorious song. Everything is detuned and this song felt like a mix between The Stooges and Sonic Youth. Trashy drums and distorted guitars mix with a loose vocal performance. Everything feels in the moment and borderline improvised. The bass leads the charge with “Space Gurl.” They more or less jam on this riff for about the first two minutes until everything caves into this soundscape of noise. There’s white noise and honestly what sounds like animals moaning in pain. I’m not sure how they got those sounds but it was cool. It was experimental and absurd and also one of the best moments on the EP. “Orlando is Dying” is very out of tune and dissonant. They still manage to pull off this liberatingf song that sounds inspired by shoegaze. There are moments where the song just crumbles into an aggressive distortion. Things get faster leading to a punk rock riff. They occasionally lock in and then don’t and that’s some of the charm. “Rhythm Zero (bonus)” is an overly distorted cloud of noise. I heard some vocals and guitar in the air. I couldn’t make out a word but I think that might have been the intent. I definitely appreciate the spirit in which this release was made. That being said there were moments that were a little too lo-fi even considering the style of music. On that note I also think there’s a lot of potential here. They are onto something with the mix of Sonic Youth and The Stooges. Recommended.
Richard Turgeon is an artist from San Fransisco who recently released Rough Around the Edges. It’s his seventh record released since 2017's In Between the Spaces. The music to my ears is rock based with an emphasis on Americana on power pop.
The opener “Better with You” revolves around warm but fuzzy guitars, a straight 4/4 beat, a steady bass and vocals. It’s an explosive song and I thought the dynamics were well done. The vocals are the main attraction here and the songs follow a straightforward structure without any surprise but solid delivery overall. In terms of the lyrics this felt straightforward as well. It simply displays some gratitude towards someone. “I Never Loved You” contains palm muted guitar chords and a classic rock spirit that has been around since the ’70s. “Jessie’s Girl” from Rick Springfield has a similar aesthetic and kept on popping into my head when I heard this song. I did find it a little ironic that this anti-love song came directly after the opener. Two ends of the spectrum. I have to think Weezer was a direct influence on “Please Take Me Back.” This band was one of my favorite bands in the ’90s and this song in particular sounds like it could have been a B-side on the blue album. This song felt like straight power pop. It’s a catchy tune and contains some of the most memorable vocal melodies. “Fire Drill” felt like a highlight and also a nice mix of genres. The ’90s vibes were strong here but the main reason the song works for me is the solid songwriting and delivery. The guitar work was well done and intricate. There’s also a subtle breakdown which leads to an explosive chorus. “7 Stories” was a good one as well. This song felt soothing to me. The vocal melodies felt like they were delivered in a comfortable range. There’s also a fantastic sense of space with this one. I really enjoyed the way the guitar patterns melded with the drums and bass. “Goodbye Home” is a little more pensive and nostalgic. There’s a slight sense of melancholy here when he sings “Did I outgrow you over time.” It’s a heartfelt song and felt like a proper closer that might make you shed a tear.. I can’t say Turgeon is reinventing the wheel here. His influences felt apparent to me. That being said, the songs are good from the beginning to end. There’s some variation between the Americana classic rock, ’90s alternative, etc. but blended well enough to create a signature sound. I think fans of the aforementioned genres and artist will enjoy this EP. Recommended.
Nantokanaru is a Czech alternative rock band, and their newest EP, Emotional Damage Wreckage, truly delivers on its title. It’s short but sweet, offering only three tracks. It’s worth a listen, even if you have only a little time to spare.
“Omatsuri” is a face-melting introduction to Nantokanaru’s sound. I was fooled by the deliciously funky and fresh rhythm in the opening seconds, so it was quite a shock when the bass-driven, muted rhythm was suddenly being played on distorted guitars. It blasted me off my seat, demonstrating that this is more than just your run-of-the-mill alt-rock band. If anything, I got serious nu-metal vibes from this track. In particular, I was reminded of Incubus’ albums in the late ‘90s. I loved the record-scratching, the meaty bass guitar grooves and wacky rap-singing in the verses, and the mega electric guitar choruses. All in all, a very satisfying opener. And the title track “Emotional Damage Wreckage” follows with a bang. Leaning even more heavily into metal territory, while still retaining some alt-rock flavor, Nantokanaru demonstrates that this is a band with a wide variety of influences. Guttural electric guitars introduce us to the song, along with super sleek string bends to the high heavens. Melodic guitar arpeggios and beautiful singing break up the carnage in the mellow, gentler verses, but everything explodes into an incredibly chorus about, as the title makes clear, “emotional damage wreckage.” After all of that insanity, I didn’t know what to expect from “In The Light.” The band flexes their creative muscles so impressively on the first two tracks that I really had no idea which direction they would take. The third and final song on the EP is a stunning, stripped-back closer. A gentle guitar arpeggio is met with tender singing. Then, a warm and welcoming bass guitar line enters the mix. The calm instrumentation really gives room for that rhythm to flourish. All of the instruments mix wonderfully together. And the final minute of the track was glorious. A chanting chorus of singing rings out above powerful guitars in a gargantuan crescendo. As the instruments fade away, a sublime violin piece brings the song and the EP to a close. Every now and then, a new band enters your life that completely blows you away. I promise that this is one of those bands. Give Nantokanaru’s new EP a listen to see what I mean.
Taylor Lee Czer is a Charleston-based artist who recently came out with her first album entitled Pocket Change. It’s a warm album that revolves around pop, folk and singer/songwriter genres.
“How A Love Like This” starts with an acoustic guitar, drums, vocals and subtle pads which provide some ambience. The song subtly blossoms when the chorus arrives. It’s an easy song to appreciate and I found it comforting. “Every Time We Talk” is a beautiful combination of melancholy and gratitude. It’s a song where the music alone makes you go deep in thought. The vocals sound exceptional. I loved how subtle the dynamics were. The song lifts with emotion during certain moments which crescendo right before the two-minute mark. “Pocket Change” is the title track and also feels like the single. The song is extremely catchy. I absolutely loved the vocals on this song. It’s also an energy infused song and more rock based than the previous songs, The bass and drums are kinetic. Czer sings “I don’t know / where we go from here.” It’s a great song and also the arguable highlight on the album. “Raining Down” is another emotive song. This song is a ballad but also quite vast in scope. There are certain sections which feel huge and epic because of the instrumentation. The vocals are again very well delivered especially when she sings “Oh it’s raining down / when it’s raining down.” “Mad At You” is an intimate song at least at first. It begins with acoustic guitar, vocals and warm pads. The song builds with instrumentation. I was impressed by the soundscapes. It sounds very cinematic at points. “Alone” however is an intimate song that stays intimate. “Be Just Fine” is another huge sounding song and arguably the most epic sounding one yet.. The distorted bass, synths and orchestral elements sound cosmic and cerebral. “Pocket Change (Folk/Alt-Version)” doesn't sound too far from the original. There are some truly exceptional songs on this release. I was impressed by the songwriting, delivery and production. There’s a lot to appreciate and I felt this was cohesive album. My advice is to just start from the beginning and let this ride.
Mermaid Avenue is a six-piece band from Brisbane, Australia that have just released its second album Sugartown after a four-year hiatus. In what’s become a familiar theme of the Pitch Perfect website, Mermaid Avenue utilized the unexpected Covid lockdown to write and record new material, “and this is the first batch out of the oven.” Every track has been previously released as a single, in the hope that each song could stand on its own.
The band states that this album “has a range of parallel themes. Stylistically we haven't written a song to conform with any theme or market, but rather allowed it to develop into what it eventually became.” The band members include Peter Clarke (guitar/vocals), Casey Lee Chadwick (grand piano/vocals), Mike Keary (lap steel guitar), Chris Wong (guitars), Mark Egan (bass) and Anthony Judd (drums). Like their first album, Sugartown was recorded by Steve Robin at Barn Studios, with mastering by Jason Millhouse at Recordworks. With the first track “Turn the Page” my Bandcamp was hesitating so I turned up the volume. OUCH! The opening chord is a killer! Right away there’s a rush of sounds and influences, but overall the crunchy fuzz guitars, lap steel and acoustic piano gave me a Rolling Stones vibe. However, the vocals are a little more clear and youthful than Jagger. The band says this song is about “asking if a long term relationship can survive infidelity.” To these American ears, the band’s Australian accent singing “Turn the page over” sounds a lot like “Time to take over,” which also works. “Philosophy” is similar to the first track but switches out the piano for a hard-driven electric organ. This time the vocals and guitars bespeak a John Mellencamp Americana influence, which may be appropriate given that this song is about “the frustration of seeing a loved sibling move to a foreign country.” I love the couplet: “Tell me about the books you’ve read / Don’t you know philosophy is dead?” This is a fun, hook-filled track that also features a sweet harmony vocal by artist Pepper Jane toward the end. “California” amusingly starts “strummingly” like a ’70s singer/songwriter classic from Asylum Records. I always enjoy odes to my glorious (and very hot) home state, and this is a nice one. Jangly, laid back and featuring some tasty background (and foreground!) lead guitar. I don’t say this often (or ever?) but the lead vocals on “Old With You” sound a lot like Elton John! The song is a minor key rocker that wouldn’t be out of place in an Eagles setlist. Especially cool guitar breaks here. “Don’t Settle for the Pain” (all these singles have great covers, BTW) has the jangle and tonality of a Pete Townshend solo track, and is about “trying to help your children learn from your own mistakes.” “Prisoner” is more of a dramatic ballad, with a slower beat and very expansive strummed guitars. Mike Keary’s lap steel again shines, and the vocals are almost church-like (the organ doesn’t hurt either). “Good Enough” has a piano intro worthy of “Lady” by Styx, and is a surprisingly upbeat song about a marriage threatened by gambling and drink. The piano continues to be prominent throughout the tune, which is again sharpened by dangling hooks. “Evelyn” is said to be “a story of love set in another place and time” and features electric sitar and slide guitar. By this point I’m just gonna say that lead singer Peter Clarke sounds like Elton, because he does! That quality along with the singalong, homey feel of the choruses make this song a late standout. “Moments of Regret” opens with guitar chords and melodies that are VERY close to Lynyrd Skynyrd’s classic “Free Bird,” and in fact checking one against the other makes me realize that Skynyrd might be another big influence for these guys. Of course this is a totally different song but those memory pangs you feel are not misplaced! Nice concluding guitar solo too. The final track “Sugartown” tells the story of rural towns from an outsider’s perspective, “as sparse and ethereal as the country that inspired it.” It’s an unexpectedly mellow ending where you can almost feel the hot wind and the dust blowing around the guitars. “Sugartown you were once good to me / Wrapped me in your arms so tight I couldn’t breathe.” The band takes one final moment to rock out before lowering the curtain. Though I’m normally more partial to concept albums, the band’s idea to do an album of single-quality songs was a good one, and they pulled it off. Recommended!
Hello Midlands is a band based in what they call “the landlocked middle of the United Kingdom,” - Nottingham UK. The band was formed by Iain Simons, who returned to music in his 40’s after starting museums, working in video games and directing festivals. “We don't have a lot of history to share yet, but we're busy writing new material all the time.” Their newest release is an EP titled Robots.
Simons says that these songs are about Alexa and Siri, the recent Google AI furor, seeing dead people captured on Street View and a bunch of other things. “We like writing to constraints, focusing both our ideas and our sound palette to themes and sounds that are liberating in how limiting they are. This new set of songs are all about computers and our relationship to them, figuring out how we negotiate those and hopefully finding some emotions and magic in doing so. Once locked in on a theme, we go through a really productive stage of writing and recording, before going into some pretty brutal editing. There's always more stuff than gets included, and we really like the focus that the theme brings.” Writing, recording, mixing and mastering took place in a Logic home studio in the UK with both digital and acoustic instruments. “We like to use found sounds too.” In all the band materials, Simons uses the Royal “We” but there’s no other names listed anywhere, so I’m going to assume this is a one-man band situation like the kind I created as a kid. Nothing wrong with that! “She’s Listening” starts the album with a song about the Siri’s and Alexa’s of our lives, very much like the movie “Her” about a sentient operating system. “First thing in the morning / It always goes the same / she always wakes up when I say her name… she’ll do anything I ask / but I’ve never ever once heard her complain / And she is listening… to me.” It’s just Simon’s hushed voice and very low keyboards, eventually joined by mellow acoustic guitar, piano and gentle harmonies. The song ends at about three minutes but is followed by another three minutes of silence. Computer glitch, or purposely added to make a point? Who knows? “Old Thing” posits the question: “You’ve got a shiny new thing to play with, but what happens to the old one?” Interesting that this song is based on a very retro-sounding drum sample, the sort of thing that might have been abandoned for something digitally shiny and new. The mix here is unusual, in that there’s not exactly a tonal center: vocals, guitars and even the piano are kind of spread out across the stereo field, like finding nice shady spots in the park. The song itself is intriguing, but the mix and arrangement act as a kind of built-in barrier against getting too cozy and familiar. Again, is that the point? “Sweet Kid” seems to harken back to the Spielberg-Kubrick movie “AI” as the track describes how a scientist “made a very special boy. But how can one scientist persuade the others that he has all the feelings of a real boy?” Simons takes this cold, futuristic concept and marries it to a loose, down home acoustic guitar and vocal harmony arrangement, with some wispy synths for background pads. I like the kind of haphazard feel but parts of the track feel like they’re in a losing battle with the compression. “Street View” is about losing a loved one, then unexpectedly seeing them captured on Google Street View. “My lovely ghost / I saw you on our street today.” That idea alone wins points, but the delivery here is folky and intimate, without the weird tricks the album has been using thus far. It’s a nice and welcome change. “Where You Are” continues to follow the computerized future theme, where you can track pretty much anyone (and especially your partner) as a “blue dot on a map.” Is this really a good thing, though? Or as Simons says: “Do you sometimes long to escape the endless hide and seek?” This is another traditional sounding tune, though with psychedelic echoes of the Beatles Magical Mystery Tour era. “More Like This” concludes the album with a song about one of my pet peeves: how the algorithms learn your preferences and then offer you “more like this” and thus denying you the opportunity to discover different things. “Give me only the songs I like / on repeat!” This song returns to the more wide open, experimental quality of the earlier tracks and is a perfect capper. Overall this is a thought provoking and entertaining batch of songs from a compelling artist!
Aiers (stylized as A I E R S on some platforms) is an alternative rock trio from New York, NY. Its three core members, Miguel Ramirez (drums), Leo Torres (guitars/keyboards) and Juan Prevost (vocals/bass) have been playing together since 2015. They describe their sound as a combination of early ‘80s post-punk and new wave, ‘90s Britpop, and early 2000s alternative rock “with a splash of electronica.” All of these influences, albeit some more than others, can be heard loud and clear on their nine-song debut album, Shadowland.
Before entering Shadowland, I was immediately intrigued by the diverse mixture of bands Aiers were influenced by. Interpol, Oasis and Nirvana is certainly an “apples and oranges” type of combination, but it makes much more sense when you consider that despite differing styles, they all play alternative rock. All nine tracks of Shadowland were recorded at The Cocoon in Jersey City by Corey Zack and mastered by Josh Bonati in NYC. While the dark allure of bands like Editors and She Wants Revenge shows up in spades on Shadowland, the one major quibble I have with the record is its vocals. I’m not saying that they’re bad, but when trying to reach those higher notes, Prevost has a tendency to sound pitchy. If he’s to keep singing in his higher register, then some vocal training would be beneficial. Otherwise, this debut is musically promising. Since the album has a cohesive feel, the differences between each track are subtle. There are three tracks that I would say are the highlights of this album: “Broken,” “Miles Away” and “Tomorrow.” On the first track, “Broken,” both the bass and drum grooves are tight, and so are the liquifying guitar solos not unlike The Cure. On “Miles Away,” the guitar layers are so thick and textured that you can’t help but wonder if the title is an homage to “I Ran (So Far Away)” by A Flock of Seagulls. I personally also detect some Madchester influence in this “wavering” sort of guitar sound. Think Inspiral Carpets with a dash of Definitely Maybe-era Oasis. At the same time, the low end drives this song even further (pun intended). Finally, on “Tomorrow,” the best one from this batch, the drums are slower and heavier, suggesting less of post-punk and more of gothic rock. Weirdly enough, however, it reminds me of a popular, unreleased demo of Oasis, back when they were still going by The Rain. That demo is “Colour My Life.” It has yet to be officially released, but its spiraling sonics are akin to those exhibited in “Tomorrow.” It makes sense that this one resonates with me the most, especially when you consider that Oasis is my favorite band. Aiers’ Shadowland is 36 minutes of retro ‘80s monochromatic moodiness, and I felt entranced by the guitarist’s magic tricks on cuts like “Broken,” “Miles Away” and “Tomorrow.” The entirety of the music-- drums, bass, guitar, and all-- is sleekly produced and expertly played, and it makes for excellent night time listening! Recommended.
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The Bonus Round is a band that recently released Reconnections. The album contains seven songs which are rock based and actually reminded me a lot of music that was coming out in the ’90s.
They get going with “Ride The Sky” which has a tinge of Americana, grunge and rock. The guitars are fuzzy, the beat drives in 4/4 and the bass work, which I thought was really well done, is dynamic and varied. The vocals are also well delivered. It's straightforward with memorable melodies and an accessible quality. Overall, I thought this was one of the highlights. “Into The Night” is a little more punk infused. There are palm muted chords, some solid lead guitar and a wild energy. The band isn’t always in the pocket here but you could argue that is some of the charm. They have more success with “Cakewalk” which revolves around fuzzy major and minor chords and a good amount of spirit. There’s a section around the one-minute- and-thirty-second mark that I really thought was a high point. It sounds like there are orchestral strings which I was hoping to hear more of on the album. “Let go” has a hard time locking onto a groove and feeling a bit wild. The song reminded me of early Sonic Youth. It’s unfiltered and often feels like it’s being ripped apart at the seams. The song grew on me more and more as it progressed. “The Haunting” has a memorable hook while “Why do we divide” is a visceral punk anthem of sorts. “Why do we divide” contains some solid vocal harmonies and also has hints of bands like The Melvins and The Pixies. “Look Away” has a different quality than the previous song. The orchestral sounding strings are back and this song is more a soundscape. It’s also more introspective and felt like a cool way to end the album. As an engineer myself my only critique is I wanted a little more fidelity at points. With this type of music you can get away with lo-fi and it actually fits quite well but ten to fifteen percent more clarity could have helped with some of the dynamics. The Bonus Round isn’t reinventing the wheel but they can rock out and deliver a memorable song. To my ears these are songs that are best experienced live from the energy I was getting but they definitely capture the spirit as well as their talent. Hopefully, this is just the beginning and I hope to hear more from the band in the not too distant future. |
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