Wyla’s Mean album is a follow up album to 2012’s lo-fi Night Fits. Songwriter Edward Madill has transformed the band’s guitar and drum duo into a four-piece ensemble. The North Carolina band has been on Blalock’s Indie Rock Playlist and the Mercedes Benz mixtape. Not only have they been busy being featured in BMX and skate videos, they also produce as well as engineer other bands in their studio in Black Mountain.
Mean opens with the explosive track “Elevator Went.” The smashing drums lets you vibe along with Madill’s wailing lyrics - “Hope sick brain, the elevator came. Took us up on down, but we ended in the same place.” “Heart Attack” is much more psychedelic acid rock with heavy riffs that makes it feel like you’re melting. The spooky vibe is heightened with the hypnotizing chorus, “Who’s scared of nothing? Nothing at all. ‘Cause nothing is all we’ll have, when everything is gone.” The mood gets more dire with off tempo song “Mar.” Unfortunately the record continues to get more depressing and slower paced. Songs like “Process Addiction” and “Black Cat” break up the mundane feeling with an energetic rush. However the majority of the tracks are sluggishly paced and colorless. Mean tries to find the beauty of the world that is heading toward destruction. It does a good job of filling listeners with loneliness while giving them hope. However, the sadness pours over the bright spots and leaves the album feeling like love is hopeless as well. The first half of the track list is pretty solid showing potential in its variety of sounds. But most of the songs are simply too long and lethargic that it brings the album to a crawl to get through.
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Sealedfortheday has been prolific since their formation a couple of years back. The band’s fifth release 119 continues with a foundation of classic rock that made me pay attention to the band in the first place.
The EP goes by fast with a runtime of fifteen minutes. That being said the songs are repeat worthy and I would also say this EP would seamlessly blend with one of their previous releases if you put it on a playlist. The band gets going with “LAMP” and the resemblance to the band Led Zeppelin seemed obvious from the starts and stops guitar patterns to the Bonham-esque drum fills. I thought the song was dynamic and the addition of an acoustic guitar in a song that I wasn’t expecting it in was a nice surprise. The last forty seconds of the song was some of the catchiest vocal melodies I have heard from the group. The energy continues with “HOPE.” I appreciated the synergy between the guitar and bass on this song. The players seemed to have really left a lot of space for each other to shine and I was easily able to tell how distinct the parts were. This is not to discount the vocalist and drummer who brings the goods as well. I think “WORD” contained the most memorable vocal performance. The initial melody grabbed me and I thought the vocalist felt loose on this song. In fact the whole band feels loose yet perfectly in the pocket. Some of the transitions have some swing on them. About two minutes- and-thirty seconds in I found the most notable hook on the EP. I believe I heard a mandolin in there which worked wonders. “TONGUE” veers more towards a nostalgic, reflective ballad. It doesn't rock as hard as the previous songs but was an atmospheric dream to go out on. 119 is another successful release for the band. I have a feeling we will be hearing more soon.
Afiasco is a duo that consists of Kevin Persaud and Eric Hazucha who both grew up in the same neighborhood of New York. They dropped their first EP earlier this year although they have been playing music together since they were teenagers. Persaud’s production, smooth guitar and piano playing with Hazucha’s unorthodox and melodic vocals/lyrics make this duo stand out from the rest. The band’s EP was recorded in Persaud's studio in Sloatsburg, NY.
According to the band, the best words to describe their new EP is, “happy, sad, nostalgic, trippy, dark, and hopeful all at once.” I feel those are very appropriate words for this EP. The song that opens the EP is “Forever” and it’s probably my favorite. I absolutely love Hazucha’s hypnotic, yet relaxing voice. His voice is chameleon-like that blends with any instrument to producing amazing music. The next song is “Smoke” and it opens up with an acoustic guitar riffs. I love the lyrics of this song, especially “I’ve been up for days, made up all my mistakes, time to let it go.” This would be the kind of song I would jam out to in my high school days. All these songs deal with dark subject matter but with a twist that doesn’t leave you in a dark hell hole. “Radio” has an upbeat start with the acoustic guitar. This song has adorable harmonics that make you want to smile. It’s charming. This song and the final song “Wasteland” have very powerful storytelling lyrics that make you follow the story straightaway. I can’t wait to see what they produce in the future.
Well this is an original concept. Instead of Josh Bloomberg sending his self-titled album Josh Bloomberg straight to streaming services he bought an 1-800 number. His thought experiment was that people could call the number and in exchange would get the album. Personally, I think this is a pretty fantastic idea. If nothing else this makes people appreciate the album in a different way. It reminded me of finding a CD I really wanted at a record store.
The album contains fourteen songs and is a fairly eclectic album with elements of folk, rock, pop and more. I liked the album from beginning to end but there were some styles which stuck out to me. “Black Box” was hands down one of the highlights. It starts with acoustic guitar and vocals and build with instrumentation. I thought the vocal melody was memorable and the addition of the female vocalist was very well done. The subdued energy of the song works very well. “Searching For God In A Godless World” is a lot more grand in a Pink Floyd type of way. The song felt cosmic. “Before The Devil Knows I'm Dead” has more of a badass attitude like something you might hear in a biker bar. The sax solo is fantastic. There is no doubt about that. “Nothing Escapes Not Even Light” has a distinct ’80s synth pop vibe. “The Devil Knows I'm Dead” is where Bloomberg shines. He really pulls of the subdued acoustic stuff really well and his voice sounds exceptional here. There is quite a bit more material as the album moves forward and there are some songs I think shouldn’t be missed. “Mountains Bridges Canyons,” “My Psychotropic Mistress” and “Wood Burning Fireplace” were the notable songs to my ears. This album isn’t the most cohesive I have heard in recent memory but there are unequivocally some exceptional songs. I think there is enough of a chasm of difference between styles that people will gravitate towards genre specific songs. Take a listen.
Margalee is an artist from Oakland, California, who recently released Born on a Flowering Planet. The songs are stripped back folk comprised of mostly vocals and guitar. There are some different effects utilized on her vocals with some occasional other elements thrown in which give the album just enough variation.
“The Octopus” sounds like it came directly from the late ’60s. I loved how her voice sounded in this track. The vibrato in her voice was spot on. I felt the song was a tad bit repetitive for almost four minutes but nonetheless I thought it was great. Up next is “Do Not Be Depressed.” She sounds like a female Devendra Banhart at points to my ears. She sort of talks, sort of sings. Either way it works because of the attitude and lyrics. ”Making Love to Me” is strummed liked a troubadour on a runaway train. The singing is loose, free and open. Her voice sounds so on point here. By the time I got to “Welcome to the World” I was really started to appreciate her vibe. She pulls different shades of attitude all of which sound effortlessly attractive in a bohemian/upper east side type of way. The mix of spoken poetry and singing work really well on “If.” She pulls it off and usually when I hear this type of thing it just doesn't. “Should I Have?” has a number of catchy melodies as well as exceptional lyrics such as “Should I have moved to Moscow? Put on a purple coat? Winter in my bones I gave myself to you…” “Let Yourself Be” continues to build her foundation. “Piano Ego Song” is a slight deviation that puts away the guitar. “Prostituting Myself,” “Individual,” “New Ways of Thinking” and “mADONNA” showcase some more inspired moments. The artist really grew on me and I think she is really onto something with her sound. It’s quite original the more time you spend with it. I hope she keeps going with her music. Don’t miss out on this one.
Travis Maguire is a singer/songwriter based out of Lowell, MA, who has been playing around the area since 2008. He released Lotus EP which contains five songs. The songs are for the most part subdued and soft. I felt like the songs wouldn’t exactly demand your attention in a live environment like a rock band. That’s not a bad thing but there is definitely a tranquility to some of the music that makes it feel ambient in certain ways.
Up first is “Once.” I loved the instrumentation especially the orchestral strings which were the winning ingredient. Maguire certainly puts a lot of emotion into his singing. If he pushed the inflection anymore on this track it would have felt too melodramatic to me. The song actually reminded of the movie Once which contains similar soft, melancholy, reflective music. As the song progresses it starts to feel hopeful with the strings still killing it. “All That We Are” was a fairly straightforward folk/pop song. The energy is more upbeat throughout and it felt like an obvious single to me. I thought the chorus was really catchy and the guitar work was well done. “This Place” is by far the most grand and epic song in the batch. I have to admit that I was reminded of Goo Goo Dolls on this song. “Stay With Me” is a highlight. It’s a soft, intimate singer/songwriter type song that feels like it being sung in your ear. “Uncertain” moves very slowly with piano and I have to say the song felt very melodramatic. On top of that the song is just extremely melancholy with zero levity. Suffice it to say it's a song I have to be in a certain type of mood to fully appreciate, Maguire shows off some of his range on this EP. There were a number of songs that really showcased why he has been performing to a crowd since 2008. Take a listen.
The New Aquarian is the solo project for Mark Griffin. At only twenty years of age Griffen already has seven years experience playing in bands. Another Cycle is the latest from Griffin which contains seven songs that combine elements of surf, garage and indie rock.
It’s a complete DIY effort and Griffin seems to have all of the duties from the recording to playing all the instrumentation. To say the least, I was impressed but in cases like these I always recommend a professional mastering engineer if you have the extra cash. The songs are fun, catchy and run about two minutes in length. Griffin doesn't waste much time at all getting to infectious hooks as you can hear on a song like “Our Mother.” The song gets going out of the gates. Griffin sings, “Oh I hear our mother crying, yes I hear our mother crying and it makes me feel like dying, oh it makes me feel like dying.” The song is a mix between surf and spaghetti western. Up next is “Tonight (Need You).” The song scales back the surf in favor of a more straightforward indie rock vibe not too far off from an artist like Mac Demarco. I liked the verse but it was the chorus that made the song repeat worthy. “Feels So Strong” is a perfect blend of garage and surf. The song has a good amount of kinetic energy and I kept on picturing being at the beach. “Life Is Strange” is a change in pace. The song is strummed on an acoustic guitar and is the closest Griffin gets to folk. He pulls it off. The mood becomes more festive with “Alone” while “This Is A Test (And I Just Failed)” feels like it barely gets going but is a fun ride regardless. “Scorpius (The Adversary)” is more atmospheric and Griffin’s style of singing even feels like it’s coming from a dream. There are moments which are reminiscent of Pink Floyd. Griffin is a young guy with tons of time left to perfect his craft. That being said there are gems on this release. I’m looking forward to hearing more from him.
Dunandunate is a brand new instrumental project that was formed by Rob Benny. Benny released The Art and Science of Existence which is an eight-song album. The album is atmospheric and often had a prog rock type feel to my ears that stemmed from the ’70s and ’80s.
Up first is “A Late Night Last November” where you will hear soft pads, circular guitar melodies and ever changing nuances to the music. Organs swap out for guitars and back again. Suffice it to say Benny doesn't’ like to dwell long on any one set configuration which I can appreciate in instrumental music. “Alone in a Crowd of 1,000 Acquaintances” is mellow while also feeling a little funky. The song shifts and mutates and starts to feel quite hopeful and epic as if it’s climbing towards something by the end. “Idyllic Moonlight” is a fast moving song that is kinetic. What I really appreciate were the hazy, lingering guitar chords which juxtaposed against the faster elements in the song. “The Amber Sea” has its moments but at times felt a little too new age-y for me. “As Summer Comes to a Sullen Conclusion” contains some great lead guitar work. Bright pads, drums and other instrumentation combine to make a warm, serene sounding song. “Driving Through a Thunderstorm” is a guitar heavy song and is quite mellow and reminded me of Santana. “In Memoriam” felt the most post-rock influenced aligned with a band like Explosions in the Sky. “Epiphany” closes out the album with a very lively tone that is positive and hopeful. I would have liked the production and feel of the album to have been a little more contemporary. Some of the synth sounds for instance sounded a little dated but that’s merely a personal preference. Benny certainly is talented in a number of ways. If you are interested in hearing a well done instrumental album then I would take a listen to this.
Jeff Mensch (guitar), Steven Bonaccorso (guitar/vocals), Dan Tonazzi (drums) and Rudy Choy (bass) are Mendel's Dream. The band released A Tiny EP which contains straightforward indie rock tunes. I thought the songs were easy to appreciate and fairly poppy not too far from a band like The Shins.
“33 to 66” is the opener which showcases a solid groove that felt pretty light and breezy. It’s also slightly jazzy. As the song progresses there is definitely some playing that feels out of the pocket. An occasional kick comes in early but you could argue it gives the song a more authentic feel. I doubt the guys were playing to a metronome as the songs speeds up quite dramatically by the time they get to the end. Up next is “Miss Muss” which felt like indie rock 101. The riffs are there and the melodies are fairly catchy. Similar to the previous song it gets faster. This time the songs get much faster to the point it almost seems unnecessary. “Palace” was a highlight for the fact that I felt it was was the most catchy. Comparisons to The Shins felt fairly obvious here. “Swim” was a solid song and arguably the best vocal performance. I felt like I wasn't struggling to hear the lyrics on this song. On top of that the vocals felt a little more dynamic. Mendel's Dream released a solid indie rock album that isn't as common as it was twenty years ago. If you are looking for a new band that has a vintage indie rock sound then check them out.
Dare I say Michael Tocco may make a lot of fans swoon. The young artist has the look and songs that can make people melt. He sort of has an early John Mayer vibe on his EP And/Or. The EP has elements of jazz, soul and pop but has an intimate singer/songwriter quality to the music.
The EP starts with “Carrying On” which is silky smooth any way you cut it. The groove is tight and oh so clean and tidy. I was really into the bass and drums which provide the foundation for this song. The vocals are just as smooth as the music. Tocco can easily slip into falsetto without an issue. The chorus comes fast and you might be singing along before you know. It has a single worthy quality. I enjoyed “Command Z” even more. The song is warm and comforting. There were a couple of things that stood out to me. I thought the drums were exceptionally played here with a jazzy beat which really drives the mood. The swells and and guitar patterns have a bit of a post-rock vibe going not too far away from Explosion in the Sky. “Through” is a little more radio friendly. It goes straight down a singer/songwriter pop angle that is intimate sounding. That being said there are some notable shifts in emotion throughout the song which was really well done. “Know I'm Home” is definitely the most upbeat and joyous sounding track in the batch while “Meaning to Find” is a sparse song consisting of solo acoustic guitar and vocals. Tocco unequally will appeal to a large demographic. He has the look and the talent so let's hope he has the -factor that will find him success in the coming years. Take a listen. |
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