Seattle’s Colorworks deem themselves a ‘60s psych-pop band, though I’d argue against the psych aspect but totally agree with the pop one. The trio comprised of vocalist/guitarist Bret Dylan, bassist and vocalist Nick Myette and drummer Andrew Ginn play sunny sounding pop tunes accompanied by well-orchestrated vocal harmonies on their first EP Joyla Red.
Joyla Red opens with the most psych-sounding song on the record, “Joyla Red” which certainly takes cues from the likes of ‘60s psych pop icons like The Zombies and The Byrds. The opening guitar line runs parallel to so many opening riffs of Byrd’s songs that it seems more of an ode than a lack of originality. They use the riff again in the bridge, and the sitar peel effects are hinted at throughout the song. On “Paris, You Take Care” Colorworks cross over into the jangly piano pop of Rubber Soul era Beatles. The tune is particularly catchy for many reasons. First is the instrumentation, which brings in a bouncy piano riff that flows along so well with simple but effective drumming style that Ringo made so popular. The second being the brilliant harmonies, which accompany the melody, making “Paris, You Take Care” an instantly head-bobbing hummable pop tune. Speaking of Rubber Soul era Beatles, “Just Mine” contains a “Drive My Car” guitar line. Though it fails to keep up the with the pop sensibilities and hooks that made The Beatles “The Beatles” although there seems to be no lack of trying on the part of Colorworks. The next song “Feelings Lie” is shimmery enough, with its tinny guitar chugs and more upbeat percussion. It is at once such a deviation from the ‘60s feel that it sounds a bit out of place from the rest of the record. A B side perhaps. The same goes for the album’s closer “Memory Boy” which sounds more steeped in late ‘90s indie pop than anything else. All in all Joyla Red has some bright spots on it, though as a whole the album seems very piecemeal. This is often the case when young bands try to focus their attention on a specific genre. They end up copying the easy parts, in this case harmonies and guitars, but they fail to see the subtle nuances, which are the real heart and soul of the genre. Color works might be better suited in using their talents and dropping the hard and fast influences and perhaps they’ll find their band’s true colors.
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Harnessing The Universe is the kind of name that creates expectation. When I started listening to their self-titled debut album Harnessing The Universe I wanted to be overwhelmed with cosmic crescendos, ethereal tones and textures, and feel as if the members of the band were harnessing the universe to create sound that went well beyond that of a standard rock band. Of course those are unrealistic expectations and I raised the bar quite high for this young band.
After spending some time with Harnessing The Universe it’s safe to say that Harnessing The Universe is a hard rock band with psychedelic tendencies that veer towards ethereal and grand. One reviewer has said that the band sounds like Pink Floyd if they were influenced by Tool, which makes sense upon first listen because of the additional hand percussion and reverb-laced guitar solos. Let’s focus on the hand percussion. This element in their music helps separate them from a lot of other bands barking up a similar tree. It’s used effectively throughout and most importantly they don’t overuse it. Take for instance the opener “Spirit Guides” which is one of the highlights. An oscillating synth and guitar play off each other as hand drums come in and out of the song giving it a tribal feel. The band does a good job building up and tearing down the song within the first couple of minutes. I wasn’t sure where it was headed which was a good thing. It turns out the band doesn’t waste any time getting to hard rocking riff with a distorted guitar. Luckily, the song doesn’t stay there and veers away from forming into a predictable hard rock song. “Open Air” starts off strong with what almost sounds like a jam session. The first transition around the four-minute mark is where we start seeing some kinks in their armor. I loved the build up but the payoff felt like a standard hard rock chorus that was a bit out of context. The band may have felt that too because they don’t stay there too long. “Beyond The Bright” has a solid riff throughout and felt different than the songs that came before. It almost has a post-rock vibe and unequivocally has some of the best guitar solo towards the end, which is probably one of the reasons they have been compared to Pink Floyd. “Catas” finds a steady groove with hand percussion but never finds a transition or a crescendo while “The Orb” is arguably the best rocker song on the album. Harnessing The Universe is a solid debut, which provides a foundation but also contains a lot of the staples of a young band that still doesn’t have a firm grip on their sound. The band’s biggest weakness is when they fall into hard rock choruses that feel predictable and familiar. They are at their strongest when they experiment and are able to fuse huge psychedelic guitar riffs with kinetic percussion. If they can figure out a way to build off the latter's energy which does feel more like they are harnessing the universe then I predict even better things to come.
The three-piece band Dead Seconds comprised of Matt White (vocals/guitar), Stephen Mason (bass) and Derek Reis (drums) formed in 2012 and earlier this year released their debut album The Grain. On their Bandcamp page and website they mention they are a blues/rock band. After listening to their album I have to say they feel much more aligned with a band like Yo La Tengo than Stevie Ray Vaughn. The blues aspects are minimal and at best sprinkled here and there. I would classify their music as indie rock or alternative.
Regardless of labels the music is constantly solid. Dead Seconds’ no frills style rock isn’t particularly challenging to listen to but is easy to enjoy for anyone who has even dabbled into alternative music in the last twenty years. The album starts with “Throng” which is a highlight that revolves around an exceptional guitar riff, tom heavy percussion and a steady bass. It’s a good groove and only gets better with the vocals. The lyrics are well written and ambiguous. White sings, “Footsteps pull me through, with a weight I can't explain. I don't know how long I was lost, but I know how much it cost. Copper leaves will hide my way.” The chorus gets heavy and is reminiscent of ‘90s grunge. The uplifting, optimistic energy during the verse is contrasted by the darker energy of the chorus. I have mixed feeling about this and I have to say a brighter chorus built on the energy of the verse may have been more effective. All things considered the song still has a number of inspired moments. “Black and Teal” shows off the band's dynamics as they go from loud to soft and places in between. This fact alone displays that the band has chemistry and has been working on these songs for quite some time. As with the first song you can hear elements of grunge and that blues influence even peaks its head ever so slightly. “Wildfire” benefits from start and stop timing from the bass and guitar. Around halfway through the song begins to climb towards its crescendo. “Ancient Curves” is another highlight. The vocal harmonies were great and the song feels quite ambitious between the guitar solo and the epic ending. “Grey Bird” is the seven-minute closer with a one-minute ambient ending. The Grain isn’t perfect but is a solid debut that is consistent with a nice ebb and flow. Recommended.
The Left Ready comprised of Mike Murray (vocals/guitar), Joel Metzler (drums) and Chris Krager (bass guitar) hasn’t been wasting any time since their inception. In mid 2013 they were writing and touring and last year released their self-titled five-song EP, which we happened to review. The band is back with another five-song EP entitled Ghost. On their debut they worked with Andy Prickett and brought him back for Ghost. The results are what you would expect from a producer who works with commercial acts such as OneRepublic.
The Left Ready makes high energy, rock songs. The songs do feel more viable to take their place in the mainstream than to reside in the underbelly of the underground. Take for instance the opener “In Like a Lion” which unequivocally sounds similar to U2 during the chorus in the way that it soars. In fact Murray sounds like Bono at points. I will say that the gritty lead guitar around the two-minute mark was a high point. The band cross breeds synths with blues and rock on “I Am a Ghost.” This blues/rock hybrid feels like it's been taking anabolic steroids and coated with the production of a top 20 hit. A similar blues/rock vibe is established on “Will To Survive” which has a good amount attitude. “Hell in a Handbasket” goes anthemic with vocal harmonies and a memorable chorus. I loved the slide guitar and breakdown towards the end. The closer “Out Like a Lamb” was a good song but doesn’t sound like anything else on the album. So much so that it sounds like a different band. It’s nostalgic and goes extremely grand towards the end of the song. Ghost is an EP that feels like the band is doing everything they can to be heard. Almost every moment is intense and the band just wants you to notice them. The band may need to step back and think about what type of music they want to play because the EP sends off mixed messages. They got this hard rock/blues thing that works with the songs in the middle but the opener and closer feel disparate. Don’t get me wrong there are some inspired moments on this EP. The band can play really well together and the delivery is sick. That being said this EP points to a band that is still searching for their sound.
Leo Alexander started listening to R&B music like Brandy, Usher, & Ginuwine in the ‘90s when he was growing up and in the last ten years listening to electronic and EDM music. His album Zodiac unequivocally showcases both sides with the music aligning with more experimental electronic music and the vocals being more aligned with straightforward R&B. Alexander mentioned that artists like FKA twigs, Frank Ocean and The Weeknd were influences and that makes sense when listening to Zodiac. The common traits such as the cutting edge production, the soulful vocals and the willingness to experiment that all the aforementioned artists possess is also present with Leo Alexander.
According to the notes on Bandcamp, Leo Alexander got to work with very talented people for the production to get to this level. There are a ample amount of little nuances and subtleties throughout the songs that is reserved for production value that resides in the upper echelon. I knew I was in for a good ride when I started listening to “OPERATION Z.” The music revolves around disparate elements and unconventional timing that feels as if it could fall apart. It’s a great mix of sounds and becomes hypnotic the more you listen to as if you are meditating on a mantra spoken by an alien mother ship. Alexander’s soulful vocals are the juxtaposition that really brings the song to the next level. “Blade Runner (feat. Mikeavelli The Great)” establishes a solid beat and forward moving momentum. It’s a highlight on the album that is full of infectious hooks and an exceptional performance by Mikeavelli The Great. More next level type production is implemented on “Toy Solider.” I’m not going to go into details but just listen - you will be impressed. I understand music is subjective but I think most people would put the song “Tell Me” in their top three songs on the album. “Tell Me” is arguably the most single ready song on the album as Alexander’s vocals are the anchor in this song. The music on “Eyes Wide Open” bring to mind an artist like Four Tet while “Heartbreak Hotel” has deep low end bass that makes it the most club worthy song on the album. One of the reasons Zodiac works so well is because even though the songs feel distinct and uniquely their own they are sewn from a similar cloth. Alexander manages to pull of this delicate balancing act, which is really a key component in separating a good album from a great album.
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The debut self-titled EP To Be Astronauts by To Be Astronauts has good old fashioned ‘70s style rock songs that resurrect the times when the genre had some attitude. How can anyone argue that bands like Deep Purple, Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin make the gloss covered bubblegum so called mainstream rock of today seem like it was made for your five-year-old niece. The days of a three-minute drum solo in the middle of a rock song just cause is nowhere to be found on the radio.
It’s refreshing to hear a band like To Be Astronauts embracing the aesthetics from ‘70’s rock and pulling it off. Truth be told there are plenty of indie acts who try to catch the magic but for whatever reason can’t. To Be Astronauts have that X-factor the makes their music feel genuine instead of a facsimile and that's the main reason why their debut is such a pleasure to listen to. Up first is “Stigma Alpha” which opens with a riff that has me thinking I was going to be listening to a band more aligned with punk. The four-chord progression ends up working just fine and the band had me once I heard the vocals of Max Schwartz. Great rock voice. Doesn’t take himself too seriously, is dynamic and has some goddamn passion in his voice. I was already sold halfway through but once they break into the outro, which is a Black Sabbath style breakdown revolving a copious amount of drum fills and distorted lead guitar I was rocking out. “Cosmic Bitch” is an eight-plus-minute song that explores a topic not uncommon amongst rock bands - indulgence and women. The band kicks through a good amount of riffs and reaches its apex around the six-minute mark where Schwartz sounds similar to Chris Cornell. I’m sure he won’t have any problem with that comparison. The band covers a lot of ground on “Riff Raff” as they go from one palm muted power chord progression to another. As with the other songs the band knows how to close strong. Speaking of closing strong that's what they do with “Cold Climax” which is the most dynamic song that goes from clean guitar picking to mounds of distortion and vocal harmonies. Their debut isn’t perfect but I can say all four of these songs deliver. This is a very promising start and as long as they continue to define their own sound from this foundation of ‘70s rock I could see this band kicking a whole lot of ass.
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Happenstance is a band from Montreal consisting of Tamara Clark (vocals), Brian Gallagher (guitars/bass/keys/ vocals) and Nick Thompson (drums/vocals) that recently released Everything Changes. Apparently the band has been pegged as not having a specific style of genre but after spending some time with the album I felt they were clearly singing pop songs. Sure some songs have a tinge of country or rock but at its core these are pop songs meant for a broad demographic. They have all the ingredients one looks for searching for radio friendly tunes that could be consumed by the masses. That’s in no way to be meant as an insult but there is no denying the palatable melodies and familiar structure adheres to the elements of a pop song.
The album starts with the title track, which is one of the highlights. I was attracted to the guitar melodies and there is no denying that Clark has a great voice. She can belt out a tune. The song is just really well written and has a good amount of hooks. It’s also nostalgic and borders on feeling saccharine. The next song “It’s a Brand New Day (Hey Hey) is so optimistic and inspirational it rivals something you would hear from U2 or a song you might hear at the end of a Disney movie for kids. If there is a thing as being too optimistic this is it. There aren’t any shades of gray just that everything is ok and things are going to get better. She sings, “Follow the stars / Follow your heart / Follow your dream / Right from the start / No regrets / No compromise / Time for you to spread your wings and fly / Hey, Hey, Hey.” I preferred tracks like the Fleetwood Mac-esque “Crybaby” which has exceptional guitar work and another great vocal performance. The band pulls off country pop quite well as they showcase on “Not That Girl.” I will say the vocals were way too low in the mix on this track, especially during the verse. As the album progresses there are other highlights such as “Sleepwalking” and the upbeat “Younger Days.” The melancholic and atmospheric “The Yearning” was another nice change of pace. The additional percussive elements were a nice addition. Perhaps the best song is “Sleepyhead” which touts very melodic music and vocal line. At the end of the day this is music that is commercially viable, which veers towards the mainstream. It’s pop music that cross-pollinates with rock and country. I think most people will know relatively quickly if this will be an album that they will be into, so take a listen for yourself and decide.
Waiting for something is a weird place to be. It's a kind of limbo, like a crossroads in time, letting you look down the line at everything that brought you here to the inevitable event horizon at the finale.
Seattle singer/songwriter Emily Chavez wrote her second record Back To Chaos in this bubble of waiting after returning from Sierra Leone with a brief stint with the Peace Corps. She was evacuated due to an Ebola outbreak, and returned to Seattle to begin the creation of the 11 tracks that would make up Back To Chaos. Emily Chavez has been compared to a number of strong female solo artists, most notably Patti Smith and Ani DiFranco. You can hear a bit of Smith in Chavez's warm, worn vocals, perfect for delivering the complexity of the emotions she speaks of. DiFranco's influence is present in a higher emphasis being placed on instrumental virtuosity, which is a nice touch, elevating Back To Chaos from a folky country strummer to a true piece of rock n’ roll art. To get the full picture of Emily Chavez, you need to add a dash of the crazed vulnerablity of Cat Power, a splash of downer chanteuse Lera Lynn from True Detective Season 2 and a handful of the laidback nihilism of Modest Mouse, Ryan Adams and The Pixies. Too often, women artists are shoehorned into a folky singer/songwriter picture frame as one of the roles that people can understand. The inevitable comparisons to other talented acoustic roots musicians will be rolled out, and everybody feels good about it. We've seen this before, heard this before. We're okay; we know what's happening. This gets even more complicated when the musician in question is playing folk-y instruments. Yes, Emily Chavez plays an acoustic guitar sometimes. This might lead lesser ears to draw the Joan Baez or Joni Mitchell comparisons. But she's not nearly as barebones as Baez, or as jazzy as Joni. Chavez is stringing her roots rock influences over a framework of sterling sharp '90s indie rock, a la Liz Phair, The Pixies or The Breeders. This framework makes for a deeper and more nuanced listening experience. Emotions flicker across Back To Chaos like the clouds on a blustery Northwestern day. There's strength, and toughness, and warmth. There's also fear, regret, loss. And then there's the anticipation, waiting for the bubble to break and life to begin again. Emily Chavez returned to the Peace Corps immediately after finishing Back To Chaos. Hopefully the waiting was worth it. And hopefully we won't have to wait too long for a follow-up to an outstanding debut.
In 1986, Frank Zappa infamously asked, "Does humor belong in music?" We get the feeling ol' Frank may have been being sarcastic. He did that a lot.
The question you should be asking yourself, in regards to the self-titled debut The Ox On The Roof from NYC's The Ox On The Roof is "Does sarcasm belong in my record collection?" If the answer to that is a resounding huzzah (or even a half-hearted maybe), The Ox On The Roof may have delights in store for you. The Ox On The Roof describe their influences as "a little punk of Fungazi, a little funk of '80s Chili Peppers and a little Built To Spill, and a whole bunch of early Isaac Brock, mixed with grit, pathos and some scream guitar solo gymnastics." All of those statements are true (particularly those about the guitar gymnastics). The Ox On The Roof is part of a lineage that runs through Dead Kennedys to Devo, through Ween, exploding into a million points of stoned-out slacker lights. The common thread throughout these bands is their acerbic humor is laced with badass musicianship. In this, The Ox On The Roof is no exception. The Ox On The Roof EP is basically split into two halves. There's the reedy, stripped-down rock n’ roll of "Run Away Ray Gun" and "Sobering," both of which sound the most like the cow surf punk of Dead Kennedys. And then there's the art-funk of "Hanging Out With A Wolfdog" and "A Fifth Of September," which sound richer, fuller, more like a band trying to be a band. Either way, it doesn't matter, when the instruments go off! Not every musician wants to write great, profound, balladic moving lyrics about the oil crisis or hate crimes against penguins by polar bears. Sometimes, a band is just a band, waiting for the opportunity to drop white-hot napalm bombs of insane guitars and pummeling bass. There will always be room for humor and sarcasm in rock n’ roll. Particularly when you can back it up with great, greasy chops.
Daniel Zeigler has played in many bands and toured with them but only recently decided to go it alone. His first solo effort Little Treasures does in fact sound like a full band playing. Zeigler plays drums, guitar and bass. He even implements vocal harmonies on top of his own lead vocal.
Little Treasures is a rock album but veers towards a pop sensibility not unlike that of an artist like Elvis Costello. The rocking out on Little Treasures is kept to a minimal and instead focuses on infectious vocal melodies you can sing along with. There are plenty of songs, which most people will instantly welcome because of the warm guitar tones and Ziegler's style of singing. After a short introduction Zeigler kicks things off with “Don't Fight What You Feel” which is a good opener. You can make comparisons to a band like Wilco or The Shins. It’s catchy, upbeat and palatable to the ears. It didn’t push me in any kind of way and it wasn’t the most inventive song I have heard this year but nonetheless it was a well-written song. “Rock 'N Roll Radio” has its moments and gives you a quick music history lesson while “I Am Love” is more or less country pop. The first exceptional song was “LoveShow.” From the initial psychedelic Grateful Dead inspired lead guitar to the vocals this song has got the goods. Zeigler’s vocal delivery had more reverence and felt heartfelt on this track. “Lucy in Amaj” was a welcome deviation in which Zeigler showcases some of his guitar picking skills. Zeigler continues to have success with the nostalgic “Shadow of Ghosts” and “Freedom of Choice” which strips things down to just him and his guitar. Not everything is gold on Little Treasures but the majority of the songs are not only a pleasure but also have a sense of cohesiveness. Recommended. |
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